George the Third by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
TO Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor William Wyndham Baron Grenville, First Commissioner of Our Treasury, or the First Commissioner of Our Treasury for the time being; Our right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin and Councillor George John Earl Spencer, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles James Fox, and William Windham, Our three Principal Secretaries of State, or Our three Principal Secretaries of State for the Time being; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles Abbot, Speaker of the House of Commons, or the Speaker of the House of Commons for the time being; and Sir William Grant Knight, Master of the Rolls, or the Master of the Rolls for the time being; Our trusty and well-beloved Henry Erskine Esquire, Our sole and only Advocate for Scotland, or our sole and only Advocate for Scotland for the time being; Our right trusty and well-beloved Cousin and Councillor Henry Viscount Sidmouth; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Frederick Campbell Esq. (commonly called Lord Frederick Campbell), Sylvester Baron Glenbervie of that part of Our United Kingdom called Ireland; and John Baron Redesdale; the Right Reverend Father in God Our right trusty and well-beloved John Lord Bishop of Oxford; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles Bathurst, William Wickham, and Nathaniel Bond.
Whereas the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, and Commissioners of Shires and Boroughs in Our Parliament of Great Britain assembled, having taken into their Consideration the State of the Public Records of this Kingdom, and the necessity of providing for the better arrangement, preservation, and more convenient use of the same, have heretofore humbly laid before Us a Report of their Proceedings thereon, and also humbly represented unto Us that the Public Records of the Kingdom are in many Offices unarranged, undescribed, unascertained; that many of them are exposed to erasure, alteration, and embezzlement, and are lodged in Buildings incommodious and insecure; and that it would be beneficial for the Public Service that the Records and Papers contained in many of the principal Offices and Repositories should be methodized, and that certain of the more antient and valuable amongst them should be printed; and humbly besought Us that We would be graciously pleased to give such directions thereupon, as We in Our wisdom should think fit:
And Whereas We, considering the premises, and earnestly desiring more effectually to provide for the better arrangement, preservation, and more convenient use of the said Records and Papers,
