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Commission for revising the registers

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, considering that this long time bygone the registers and records of parliament have not been reviewed so that some of the ancient records might have been abstracted, vitiated or disordered, therefore our sovereign lord and estates foresaid give full power and commission to the persons following, namely: [John Campbell, lord Loudoun], lord chancellor, [Archibald Campbell], earl of Argyll, [John Maitland], earl of Lauderdale and [Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie], clerk register, to meet when the lord chancellor shall appoint, to take inspection and to revise and look over all the whole registers and records of parliament, as well those that are in the castle as those that are in other men's custody, and to call for the old inventories thereof and compare them with the registers, and to make two new authentic inventories thereof without copying the said registers and records, which inventories shall be subscribed by the most part of the visitors, the one whereof shall be delivered to the clerk register to be kept by him, the other inventory shall be laid up either with the honours or some other lockfast place whereof the lord chancellor for the time shall keep the key. And to cause make chests, boxes, receptacles or other necessaries fitting for keeping the said registers and records, and also to consider of the place and house where the said registers lie, and to advise and appoint the best ways and means for preserving and sure custody of the said registers and records. With power also to them to mark and observe any defects and wants in the said registers and records and the visitations thereof if any be, and also to mark, number and put in perfect order the said registers and records. With power also to make a perfect index of all the unprinted acts of parliament which do not concern particularly private persons, but such as import and concern only generally the whole lieges. And also give full power to the persons foresaid to lay up the principal late treaty amongst the said records and registers, and generally to do all and sundry other things whereby the said registers and records may be preserved and their perfections or imperfections may be notified, and ordain them to make report of their faithful and exact diligence herein at the next parliament. And our sovereign lord and estates foresaid declare this commission to be in no way prejudicial to the clerk register of receiving, keeping and using the said registers and keys thereof in the meantime, according to his right and place.