[A1630/7/9]¹

Procedure: protest

The advocate's protestation against the acts above-written

The which day Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall, knight baronet, advocate to our sovereign lord, protested for his majesty that the general pardon passed this day in convention be only extended to such acts of parliament as have a pecuniary and arbitrary punishment added thereto, and which by the act of parliament in August 1621 are designed to be penal statutes; and specially that it be not extended to the faults and escapes of writers and clerks for oppressing his majesty's lieges in time bygone in respect the pain thereof is deprivation from their office which is not pecuniary nor arbitrary. And also desired that the exception of hackbuts and pistols in favour of those who have committed no crime nor offence therewith, which seems to be reasonable, may be recommended to his majesty because his majesty's letter is only extended to such penal statutes as were pardoned of before, whereof that of pistols was never remitted.