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66 VERSES ON THE EXCHEQUER January fixed, while the volume of business was increasing and prices had risen. The natural result of this state of things would be an attempt on the part of the officers to secure a sanction for the fee, an attempt which would naturally be opposed by the accountants. There is evidence that some such struggle reached a critical stage between 1455 and 1458. In 1455 there was a petition of the commons that the taking of fees from accountants in the exchequer should be prohibited. It runs : Where as divers officers in your Exchequer taken fees & wagez of you, for theym & theire clerkez, for doyng of theire offices in the said Eschequier, notwithstanding the said officers and theire Clerkes taken of Shirryves, Eschetours & of all other Accomptauntz in your said Eschequer, grete & outrageous yeftes fees & rewardes agenst all reason & conscience, & their office will not doo to the deliveraunce of your said Accomptauntz, till tyme they have suche outrageous fees rewardes & yiftes the which causen Shirryves, Eschetours, & other Accomptauntz to take outerageous & excessive fees, yiftes & rewardes for their seid Offices doyng, of your liege people in the Shires where theire Offices been. . . .* It was petitioned that all fees be prohibited except (1) fees for entering pleas, pardons, writs, records, and judgements, but these were to be limited ; (2) the ancient fees belonging to an officer that held any office in inheritance in fee in the exchequer ; (3) fees for making searches and copies of records at the suit of a subject. The text of this petition was closely followed by the act of 33 Henry VI, c. 3, prohibiting fees. This, however, was super- seded by an ordinance of the council (28 July 1456) ' by the lords . . . assembled at Westminster in the Sterred Chamber considering the answer made by the Kinge's highnesse to a Comune peticione '. This evidence was sent to the treasurer and barons by the king in the following November and ordered to be observed in the exchequer, * so that hereafter all greevinges and complaynts may ceese . . . agenst the officers and clerkys . . . '. It was ordered to be read openly and was entered on the Memoranda Roll (K.R.) for Michaelmas, 36 Henry VI. The ordinance in question consists of a lengthy list of fees which might be taken in the following offices of the exchequer : ' In th' offyce of the Kynges Remembrauncer. In the offyce of the Treasurer . . . ' According to this list the fees to be paid by the customer of Boston amounted to a considerable sum . He was to pay in the king's remembrancer's office ' for the entry of a vie we 5s. Sd. in the lord treasurer's remembrancer's office ' for the entry of peticyons conteyning halfe a rolle 35. 4d.', in the office of the clerk of the pipe 6s. Sd. to the master and 20d. to the clerks for the allowance of tallies, and 35. 4d. for his discharge. To the auditors and their clerks • Rot. Pari. v. 323 b.