House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 25 November 1654

Saturday, the 25th of November, 1654.

Prayers.

Chancery Court.

RESOLVED, That the Execution of the Ordinance for Regulating and Limiting the Jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery be suspended until the Five-andtwentieth Day of December next: And that Mr. Foxwist do then make his Report of the Act for Regulating and Limiting the Jurisdiction of the said Court.

Settling the Government.

The House resumed the Debate upon the Report Yesterday: And the Clause upon the Twelfth Article, then read, was now again read, and debated.

Resolved, That the Word "from" be put in this Clause, instead of these Words; viz. "as it is settled in."

And the whole Clause, so amended, being put to the Question, was agreed, as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That, at the Day and Place of Elections, the Sheriff of each County, and the said Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, and other Head Officer and Officers within their Cities, Towns, Boroughs, and Places respectively, shall take View of the said Elections, and shall make Return into the Chancery within Twenty Days after the said Elections, of the Persons elected by the greater Number of Electors, under the Hands and Seals, of Twelve or more of the said Electors, on the Behalf of himself, of the one Part; and on the Behalf of the Electors, on the other Part; wherein shall be contained, that the Persons elected, shall not have Power to alter the Government, from One single Person, and a Parliament.

The Clause upon the Thirteenth Article being read;

Resolved, That the Penalty to be imposed on the Sheriff in this Clause, shall be reduced from Two thousand Marks to Two hundred Pounds.

Resolved, That there be a Penalty of One hundred Pounds on every Mayor, Sheriff, Bailiff, or other Head Officer, in like Cases.

Resolved, That the Moiety of the Fines shall be to the Lord Protector; and the other Moiety to such Party grieved as shall sue for the same in any of the Courts of Record at Westminster: Which Suit shall not be commenced, until the Parliament hath adjudged the same to be such Offence as aforesaid.

And the whole Clause being put, so amended; It was

Resolved, That the Sheriff who shall wittingly or willingly make any false Return, or wittingly or willingly neglect his Duty in Execution of the Premises, shall incur the Penalty of Two hundred Pounds of lawful English Money: And that every Mayor, Sheriff, Bailiff, or other Head Officer of any City, Town, Borough, or Place, aforesaid, who shall wittingly or willingly make any false Return, or wittingly or willingly neglect his Duty in the Execution of the Premises, shall incur the Penalty of One hundred Pounds of like lawful English Money; the one Moiety of all and every the Penalties aforesaid to go to the Lord Protector; and the other Moiety to such Party grieved, as shall sue for the same in any of the Courts of Record at Westminster: Which Suit shall not be commenced, until the Parliament hath adjudged the same to be such Offence, as aforesaid.