Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 7.djvu/713

A. D. 1756. Anno vicelimo nono Georgii II. C. 25. 693 fuch Summons on Oath) or appearing, fhall refufe to take upon him the Office of Conflable, being ^""i"" "^^'r re- thereunto appointed as aforefaid, or to find a fit and able Perfon, then to take upon him the faid JJ. ftf^e*, they Office in his Stead, every fuch Perfon Ihall forfeit the Sum of eight Pounds; which faid Sum of are to forfeit 81. eight Pounds fliall be fet upon liim by the faid Court, by way of Fine, for fuch his Contempt or Refufal to take upon hirn the faid Office ; to be recovered in fuch Manner as is herein after diredled. _ VI. And be it further enafled by the Authority aforefaid. That the faid Dean, or High Steward, or ^jjourJfed'fa m his Deputy, ihall and may, and he is hereby authorized and impowered to adjourn the laid Court Leet time to time; from time to time, as he iliall think fit : And in cale any Conftable (hall die, remove out of the Parilh "^'^ »" Deatli, . for which he was appointed, or Ihall be difcharged from his faid Office on Account of his Inability, or Diidw^eot'^ for other jult Caufe, it ihall be lawful for him, and he is hereby authorized and impowered, at fuch any conflabies, adjourned Courts, to fummon others before him, being firil prefented by the Jury as aforefaid ; which $"^55 ^° ^? ^'"^' faid Jury, the faid Dean, or High Steward, or his Deputy, fliall fummon for that Purpoie, and to ^-p- cnl^n,^av:d^ point one or more of luch fit Perfon or Perfons to ferve as Conftables or Conftable in the Room and chofen'into th= Stead of luch Perfon or Perfons as Ihall die, be removed or difcharged as aforefaid, in like Manner as t>*«' is before direfted for appointing Conflabies at the annual Leet ; and all Perfons v^ho fliall be fo fum- moned and appointed, are hereby required to appear and take upon them, or find other fit Perfons to take upon them the Execution of the faid Ofiice, on Pain of the like Penalties and Forfeitures as are before inflii5led upon Perfons refufing to apptar, according to the Diredlion of their Summons, or to take upon them the Execution of the Office of Confi:able, at the annual Leet. VII. Provided always, and be it farther enabled by the Authority aforelaid, That no Perfon who hath None liable to ferved or fliall hereafter ferve, by himfelf or Deputy, the Office or Conftable, fliail be prefented again ^^"^ asConfta- to the faid Office, or fliall be fummoned or appointed to ferve the fame in lefs than feven Years after ' the end of fuch former S^ervice; and that no Perfon who hath been or fnall be nominated and or juryman, fworn to be on the Leet Jury, and hath ferved or Ihall ferve the faid Office of Juryman, Ihall be Jjjoi'e '^^n once again fummoned or appointed to krve the faid Office, in lefs than feven Years after the End of fuch ' ^ ^ " former Service. VIII. And be it further enafled by the A^uthority aforefaid. That the faid Dean, or High Steward, or his Deputy, fliall, at the faid Court Leet to be holden on Tuefday next after the Feafi: of Saint Michael yearly, appoint an able Perfon, being an Artificer, or ufing fome Trade of buying and felling, and not High ConRabte being an Alehoufe-keeper, Viftualler, or Retailer of Spirituous Liquors, to be High Conftable of the J°|,^'^'^°'1",; faid City and Liberty of JVeJlminJhr, being duly fummoned for that Purpofe, who fhall take the ufual the ufuaioath Oath of Office, and do and execute all and every Matter and Thing appertaining to the Office of High pf OrRoe, and Conftable for the Space of one whole Year, to commence from his Appointment to the faid Office, or yJ^'^ '""" ""'^ until another Perfon (hall be appointed in his Stead ; and that in cafe of the Death or Rem.oval of fuch High Conftable, the faid Dean, or High Steward, or his Deputy, fliall at fome Adjournment of J^"J,'^^°f "■ the faid Court Leet, appoint another Perfon to ferve in his Room, being duly fummoned for that otiier^to'bc^- Purpofe. pointed. IX. Provided always. That no Perfon fhall ferve the faid Office of High Conftable for more than None may fei-ve three Years together ; and every Perfon who fliall be fo fummoned and appointed, is hereby required to ye^ol'nra-e* appear and take upon him the Execution of the faid Office of High Conftable, on Pain of forfeiting than 5 Years the Sum of twenty Pounds ; which faid Sum (hall be fet upon him by way of Fine, for fuch his Con- together. tempt or Refufal to take upon liim the faid Office ; to be recovered in fuch Manner as herein after is f°rvinJthc'faid direded. Office. ' X. And vi-hereas the Obftruction of the publick Vvays and Paffages in TVeftminfter^ and other An- Precepts to be ' no^'ances and Offences committed therein, are greatly owing to the want of a'fufficieTit Power to com- ^}^"^'^ ='- re- ' pel Perfons to take upon them the Offiice of Jurymen, to prefent Nuifances and other Ofi'ences f„^j^|„'J"i, ^„ ' committed in Wcjhninjhr, and to the want of an eafy Method of recovering the Amerciaments let Annoyance Ju^ ' by fuch Jury;' Be it "therefore enacted by the A^uihoritjr aforefaid, That the faid Dean, or High )'• Steward, or his Deputy, the two Chief Burgeffes of JFcJJminJfer, and the other Burgefles for the time being, or any five of them, whereof the faid Dean, High Steward, or his Deputy, or one of the faid two Chief Burgefles, to be one, (hall and may, and they are hereby authorized and required twice in every Year, to ifiue out their Precept or Precepts under the Common Seal of their Court, directed to the High Bailiff of IVcftminfter^ who is hereby authorized, directed and required to obey the fame, to impanel and return eighty fubftantial Houftioklers and Traders refiding and dwelling_ within the faid fe- veral Parilhes in JVeffminfter^ in the Proportions before-mentioned, and to fummon fuch Perfons to ap- pear before them, at fuch Time, and fuch Place, as in fuch Precept or Precepts ftiall be fet forth ; and out of the Perfons fo impanelled, fummoned and returned, the faid Dean, High Steward, orhis De- puty, the faid two ChV-f Burgefles, and the other Burgeffes, or any fiv_eof them, whereof the faid Dean, High Steward, or his 'Deputy, or one of the two Chief Burgefles, to be one, Ihall, at a Court to be held for that Purpofe, nominate and appoint fo many as they fhall think proper, not ex- ceeding forty-eight, taking care that one or more be nominated out of eacJi of the faid Parilhes ; and that the ftveral Perfons fo nominated and appointed Ihall be called The Annayance Jury, and oath to be fhall take an Oath to the Effedt following ; which Oath the fiid Court are hereby impowered to tai^en by the adminifter. ■'"'^^' /A.B. do fwear. That I will diligoitly enquire and male true Prefentwent to this Court of all fuch publick Annoyances, and other Offences, that jlall be committed in Weftminfter, during the Tirne of my Continuance in the Office whercunto I am now appointed ; and that I %v':U prefent no Perfon or Thing through Hatred or Malice, nor leave a?iy imprefented through Love, Favour or AffeQian, So help me God.