“The Roll of the Eighth of Henry VII. is thus indorsed on the last Skin but one—‘Memor̃d̵ qd̵ Die Octobr̃ anno r. r. Henrici VII. nono, Jacobus Colyn̄ deliberavit hunc Rotulum Thõ Botiller Cl̵ico Rotl̵oꝝ Canc̃.’
“The only Roll of King James I. in the Eleventh Year of his Reign hath a Writ of Certiorari annexed, directed to Thomas Chetham Esquire, Clerk of the Parliaments, to return into Chancery the Tenor of all the Acts and Statutes enacted in the Parliament held at the Castle of Dublin 18th May, Ano 11°, and continued by several Prorogations to 24th October, 13°, dated 25th August, 15° Jac. I. And at the Foot of the Roll is this Certificate, ‘Ego Thõ Chetham Ar̃ Cleric̃ Parliamentor̃ hujus Regni Hiberniæ, virtute Brevis supradict̃ Dñi Regis mihi direct̃ et huic Rotulo annex̃, certifico quod in hoc Rotulo continetur ver̃ tenor̃ omnium & singulorum Actuum Parliament̃ & Statut̃ in Parliamento supradicto fact̃ stabilit̃ & inactitat̃, in Brevi prædict̃ specificat̃. In cujus rei testimoñ Sigillum Nomenque meum apposui atque subscripsi. Dat̃ ulto Die Septembr̃ Anno Regni supradict̃ Dñi Regis Angliæ, Franciæ, & Hiberniæ decimo quinto, & Scotiæ quinquagesimo.
“The Roll of the Tenth of Charles I. is thus certified,—‘I John Percevall, one of the Executors of Sir Philip Percevall Knt̃, late Clerk of the Parliaments, do hereby certify, by virtue of the above Writ out of His Highness’ Court of Chancery to me directed, and hereunto annexed, that this Roll is the true Contents of the above Acts of Parliament in that Writ mentioned. In Witness whereof I have hereunto put my Hand and Seal. Dated this 15th Day of December in the Year of our Lord God One thousand six hundred and fifty-six.
“Returns of the like Tenor are made by the said Sir John Percevall to the Rolls of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Years of the said King; but the Writs of Certiorari referred to are not annexed to the Rolls.
“In the Sixteenth Year is a Private Act concerning Richard Earl of Cork and John Bishop of Waterford, intitled, ‘Quoddam Actum Parliamenti editum,’ &c. to which is annexed a Writ of Certiorari, directed to Sir Philip Percevall Knight, Clerk of the Parliaments, to return the Tenor of the said Act into Chancery, dated 11th December 16° Car. I. which Writ is thus indorsed:—‘Executio istius Brevis patet in Schedula eidem annex̃. Phil̵ Percevall.’—And at the Bottom is this Certificate, ‘Ego Philippus Percevall Mil̵ Cl̵icus Parliam̃, virtute Brevis supradict̃ Dñi Regis mihi direct̃ & hiis annex̃, certifico superius hoc scriptum verum esse tenorem actus Parliamenti supradict̃ in eo Brevi express̃. In cujus rei testimon̄ Sigillum Nomenqꝫ meum apposui atque subscripsi. Dat̃ vicesimo Die Februarii, Anno Regni supradict̃ Dñi Regis Angliæ, Scotiæ, Francie, & Hibernie,
“The Acts of King Charles II. in the Parliament held from 8th May 13°, to 8th August 18°, are contained in Seven Rolls, with a Writ of Certiorari annexed to the First Roll, directed to Sir George Lane Knight, Clerk of the Parliaments, to return into Chancery the Tenor of the Acts enacted during the said Parliament, dated 21st February, 19° Car. II. indorsed—‘Executio hujus Brevis patet in quibusdam Schedulis huic Brevi annexat̃.
“To the Roll of the Fourth of Will. and Mary is annexed a Writ of Certiorari, directed to John Smith Esq. Clerk of the Parliaments, to return into Chancery the Tenor of all the Acts enacted in the Parliament held 5th October 4° Gul. and Mar. and continued by several Prorogations to 26th June 5° Gul. and Mar. dated 15th January 6° Queen Anne, indorsed—‘Executio hujus Brevis patet in quadam Schedula huic Brevi annexat̃.
“To the Roll of the Seventh of King William is annexed a Writ of Certiorari, of the same Date with the foregoing, to return into Chancery the Tenor of all the Acts enacted in the Parliament begun 27th August 7° Gul. and continued to 14th June, 11°; indorsed as the aforesaid Writ.
“To the Roll of the Second and subsequent Years to the 10th of Queen Anne is annexed a Writ of Certiorari, of which the following is a Copy; and which is similar in its Tenor to the other more antient Writs of Certiorari before mentioned.
“Anna Dei Gr̃a Magn̄ Britan̄, Franc̃ & Hib̴n̄ Regin̄ Fidei Defens̃, &c. Dilect̃ & Fidel̵ nr̃o Johan̄ Smith Ar̃o Cleric̃ Parliament̃ nr̃or̃ Sal̵tm. Volentes certis de Causis Certiorar̃ de & suꝑ tenore omn̄ & singul̵ Actuū Parliament̃ & Statut̃ in Parliament̃ nr̃o apud̵ Dom̄ cõiter vocat̃ Chichester House in Com̄ Civit̃ Dublin̄, vicesimo primo Die Septembris, Anno rñi nr̃i secundo inchoat̃ & ib̴m ten̄, ac deinde ꝓ divers̃ Prorogatioñ hucusqꝫ ten̄ & continuat̃, fact̃ stabilit̃ et inactitat̃, tibi mandamus quod tenorem omn̄ et singuloꝝ Act̃ et Statut̃ predict̃, cum omnibus ea tangentibus, nobis in Can̄ Hib̴n̄ distincte & aperte sine dil̵one mitt̃ una cum hoc Br̃e. Test̃ p͛dilect̃ et ꝑp̃m fidel̵ Consiliar̃ nr̃ Constant̃ Phipps Mil̵, Canc̃ nr̃o Rñi nr̃i predict̃, & Ricardo Ingoldsby Ar̃o Justic̃ & Genal̵ Gub̴nator̃ nr̃o dict̃ rñi nr̃i Hib̴, apud Dublin̄ vicesimo quarto Die Januar̃ Anno rñi nr̃i decimo.
On the 23d of February 1758, the House of Lords came to the following, among other, Resolutions:
Original Acts at Parliament Office;—Transcripts at Rolls.
“That the Parliament Office is the proper Repository for the Original Acts passed in this Realm; and that Transcripts of the said Acts, certified in due Form, ought to be in the Rolls Office, there to remain of Record.
Writs of Certiorari.
“That the antient Usage has been to issue Writs of Certiorari from Time to Time out of the Court of Chancery, requiring the Clerk of the Parliaments to return the Tenor of all Acts: But it does not appear to this House that any such Writ has been issued for this Purpose since the Year 1711.
Duplicates.
“That it is highly expedient that all Original Acts, of which Transcripts have been duly certified into the Court of Chancery, should be lodged with the Clerk of the Parliaments: That a Writ of Certiorari should be immediately issued requiring the said Clerk to return the Tenor of all Acts, passed in this Kingdom since the Year 1711, into His Majesty’s Court of Chancery; Certiorari, at the End of each Session.and that from henceforth a Writ of Certiorari should be regularly issued for the like Purpose at the Close of every Session.”
