L D. 1741- Anno decimo quarto Georgii II. C. 10. 415 after fhould have any Debt or Debts owing unto him or them, not amounting to forty Shillings by any Citizen, or by any other Perfon or Perfons, being a Victualler, Tradcfman or labouring Man inhabiting, or that fhould inhabit within the faid City or Liberties thereof, Ihould or might caufe ■fuch Debtor or Debtors to be warned or fummoned by the Bedel or Officer of the Court of Requefts of the faid City of London for the time being, by Writing to be left at the Dwelling-houfc of fuch .Debtor or Debtors, or by other reafonable Warning or Notice to be given to fuch Debtor or Debtors, |to appear before the Commiflioners of the faid Court of Requefts holden in the Gui/dhall of the faid City ; and that the faid Commiffioners, or any three of them or more, (hould have Power and Au- thority by virtue of the faid Act, from time to time, to fet down fuch Order or Orders between fuch Party or Parties Plaintiffs, and his or their fuch Debtor or Debtors Defendants, touching fuch Debts not amounting to the Value of forty Shillings, in Queftion before them, as they ihould rind to ftand with Equity and good Confcience ; all fuch their Order or Orders to be regiftred in a Book as they had been accuftomed, and as well the Party Plaintiff, as the Debtor or Defendant, to obferve, per- form and keep the fame in all Points : And whereas, fmce the making the faid Ad, divers Perfons intending to fubvert the good and charitable Intent of the fame, and taking hold of fome doubtful and ambiguous Words therein, do endeavour to avoid the Jurifdiftion of the laid Court, contrary to the Meaning of the faid Aft : And whereas the Commiffioners of the Court of Requefts have been often infulted in the Execution of their Office, whilft employed folely in the charitable Purpofe of relieving and allifting their poor and diftreffed Fellow Citizens : And whereas by the faid recited Aft, no Pro- vifion is made for the fecuring of the Perfons of the faid Commiffioners from fuch Infults : And whereas in the faid recited_Adl there is but one Officer, by the Name of Bedel or Officer, mentioned jto attend the Execution of all the Orders of the faid Court ; and by reafon of the Increafe of the Number of the Inhabitants of the faid City and Liberties fmce the palfing the faid Aft, the Bufinefs of the faid Office of Bedel or Officer is fo increafed, that it is become too heavy and laborious for one Perfon fingly to execute and difcharge the fame agreeably to the Intent and Meaning of the faid Aft, by which Means the poor Suitors are deprived of a great Part of the Benefit intended for them by the faid Aft :' For Remedy whereof, and to the Intent that fome more full and ample Provifion lay be made for the Benefit of the poor Suitors, for whole Relief and Advantage the faid Court was iginally inftituted ; May it pleafe your Majefty that it may be enafted, and be it enacted by the .ing's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Tern- oral, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That om and after the twenty-fourth Day of June one thoufand feven hundred and forty-one, it mail and lay be lawful to and for every Citizen and Freeman of the City of London, and every other Perfon and effons inhabiting, or that fhall hereafter inhabit, within the laid City or the Liberties thereof; and all Dehts not ex- id every Perfon or Perfons who do or fhall rent or keep any Shop, Shed, Stall or Stand, or feek a ceedin S4° s - ivelihood in the faid City or Liberties thereof, which now have or hereafter fhall have any Debt or [° th/court 6 * 5 |)ebts owing unto him, her or them, not exceeding the Sum of forty Shillings, by any Perfon or Per- of Requefts in |>ns whatfoever inhabiting or feeking a Livelihood within the faid City or Liberties thereof, during their London, j:fpec~tive inhabiting within the faid City or Liberties thereof, or feeking a Livelihood as aforefaid, to aufe fuch Debtor or Debtors to be warned or fummoned by any of the Bedels or Officers of the faid Court of Requefts for the time being, by Writing left at the Dwelling-houfe, Lodgings, Shop, Shed, tall or Stand, or any other Place of feeking a Livelihood of fuch Debtor or Debtors, or by any other
- afonable Warning or Notice to be given to the faid Debtor or Debtors, to appear before the Com-
liffioners of the faid Court of Requefts, holden in the Guildhall of the faid City, and that the faid Commiffioners, or any three of them or more, fhall, after fuch Summons as aforefaid, have Power and lUthority by virtue of this Aft, from time to time, to fet down, or caufe to be fet down, fuch Order ir Orders, between fuch Party or Parties, Plaintiff or Plaintiffs, and his, her or their Debtor or Debt- rs, Defendant or Defendants, touching fuch Debts, not exceeding the faid Sum of forty Shillings, in Queftion before them, as they fhall find to ftand with Equity and good Confcience, all fuch Order or >rders to be regiftred in a Book as they have been accuftomed to be ; which Order or Orders fo made, s well the Party Plaintiff, as the Debtor or Defendant, fhall obferve, perform and keep in all Points - 3 ny thing in any Aft contained to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithftanding. II. And, for the more effectual eftablifhing of the faid Court, and the better enforcing the Orders vhich fhall be made by the faid Commiffioners, and that the faid Commiffioners may be free and ex- mpt from any Infult or Abufes ; Be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any Perfon or Penalt on 'erfons fhall from and after the faid twenty-fourth Day of 'June, contemptuoufly affront, infult or Perfons intuit- bufe all or any of the Commiffioners of the faid Court, during the Time of their fitting, that it fhall ing the Court, nd may be lawful to and for the Commiffioners then fitting, or any three of them, to certify under heir Hands and Seals the Name or Names of the Perfon or Perfons fo offending as aforefaid, and the Mature of his, her or their Offence, to the Lord Mayor of the faid City of London for the time being, vho is hereby impowered and required to fummon, or caufe to be fummoned, fuch Perfon or Perfons offending as aforefaid, before him, at fuch Time as fhall be fpecified in the faid Summons ; and upon lis, her or their Appearance, and the Fact alledged being proved upon the Oath or Oaths of one or nore credible Witnefs or Witneffes againft him, her or them, or in Default of his, her or their Ap- pearance; then, and in every fuch Cafe, the faid Lord Mayor fhall proceed to puniih the Perfon or Per- ons fo offending as aforefaid, by Fine or Imprifonment or both ; provided that the Fine on any one 'erfon do not exceed the Sum of twenty Shillings, and that the Imprifonment be for no longer Time han ten Days. III. And
