[1641/8/181]¹

Commission for conserving the articles of treaty

Our sovereign lord, considering that by the late articles of the treaty concluded between the commissioners of his majesty's kingdom of Scotland and England, ratified by parliaments of both kingdoms, it is thought fit and necessary, for observing the said articles of treaty made for establishing a firm and constant peace, that power and commission be granted from his majesty, by advice of the estates of parliament of both kingdoms, to the effect contained in the said articles of treaty. For performance whereof, upon the part of his majesty's said kingdom of Scotland, his majesty, with consent of the estates of the said kingdom, by this act, gives and grants power and commission to the persons after-specified, namely: John [Campbell], lord Loudoun, chancellor, James [Stewart], duke of Lennox, James [Hamilton], marquis of Hamilton, Archibald [Campbell], earl of Argyll, William [Douglas], earl of Morton, Alexander [Montgomery], earl of Eglinton, William [Cunningham], earl of Glencairn, Charles [Seton], earl of Dunfermline, Robert [Ker], earl of Roxburghe, William [Kerr], earl of Lothian, John [Maitland], earl of Lauderdale, George [Hay], earl of Kinnoull, William [Hamilton], earl of Lanark, Alexander [Leslie], earl of Leven, John [Lindsay], lord Lindsay², John [Elphinstone], lord Balmerino, James [Livingstone], lord Almond, Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, Sir George Dundas of that Ilk, Sir Thomas Myreton of Cambo, Sir Patrick Hamilton [of Little Preston], Sir Thomas Hope of Kerse, Sir Robert Innes of that Ilk, Sir Archibald Johnston [of Wariston], Sir Alexander Erskine of Dun, Sir David Home of Wedderburn, Sir Robert Grierson of Lag, Sir William Scott of Harden, Sir John Charteris of Amisfield. [Sir Thomas] Ruthven of Freeland, [Hugh] Campbell of Cessnock, Sir David Graham of Morphie, Sir Harry Montgomery of Giffen, Sir William Forbes of Craigievar, Sir William Douglas of Cavers, Edward Edgar, Patrick Bell, William Glendinning [of Gelstoun], John Smith [of Grotehill], Master Robert Barclay, Thomas Durham, James Fletcher, Patrick Leslie, Thomas Bruce, George Bell, James Sword, John Rutherford, Master John Corser, Hugh Kennedy, John Semple [of Stainflett], Master Robert Cunningham, Master Alexander Douglas, Richard Maxwell, or any twelve of them, with power to them or any twelve of them as said is, there being at least two of every estate at any time or times in the interim between the sitting of the parliaments, to convene amongst themselves or with the commissioners chosen or to be chosen to the same effect by his majesty, with consent of the parliament of England, within which is included the kingdom of Ireland, at whatsoever times and places convenient to be accorded to amongst themselves, and to be careful that the peace now happily concluded may be continued and to endeavour by all lawful means for preserving and keeping the said articles of peace concluded in the foresaid treaty only, and therewith to use all their care to prevent all trouble and division which may arise by the breaking and violating of any of the said articles concluded in the said treaty as said is. And if any debate or difference shall happen to arise to the disturbance of the said common peace, that they labour to remove or compose the same according to their power granted to them in manner foresaid and no otherwise, it being always provided that for all their proceedings in this kind they shall be answerable for the lawfulness thereof to the king's majesty and the parliament respectively. And if anything fall out beyond their power and which cannot be remedied by them, that they inform themselves of the particulars thereof and represent the same to his majesty and to the ensuing parliaments respectively that by his majesty's and their wisdom and authority, all occasions and causes of troubles being removed, the peace of the kingdom may be perpetual to all posterity. And it is declared that the power of this commission shall be restricted to the articles of peace concluded in the said treaty as said is, and shall endure for the interim between parliaments only, and shall expire at the next ensuing parliament, at the which the said commissioners shall be held to give an account of their diligence and proceeding in the premises.