[1706/10/112]¹

Legislation

Act against all musters and rendezvouses during the present session of parliament without her majesty's special command

Our sovereign lady, considering that by the 3rd act of the 2nd session of this parliament entitled, act for security of the kingdom, it is statute and enacted that the whole Protestant heritors and all the burghs within the same shall forthwith provide themselves with firearms for all the fencible men who are Protestants within their respective bounds, and the said heritors and burghs are thereby empowered and ordained to discipline and exercise their fencible men once in the month at least; and also, considering that the disorderly and seditious meetings and tumults in some places in the country does make it necessary at this occasion to suspend the effect of the foresaid clause during this session of parliament only, therefore, her majesty, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, does hereby suspend the effect of the foresaid clause and that during this session of parliament only, and further her majesty, with advice and consent foresaid, discharges and strictly prohibits the subjects of this kingdom to meet and assemble together in arms after the publication hereof upon any pretence whatsoever during the space foresaid, without her majesty's special command or express licence had or obtained thereto, and requires and commands all the subjects of this kingdom to retire to their own habitations and lawful employments, certifying such as shall do in the contrary that they shall be liable to the pains of high treason, conforming to the laws and acts of parliament made against unlawful convocations risings in arms.