OUr Soveraign Lord, out of His innate goodness and love to this His ancient Kingdom, being desirous, that now, after so long troubles, a perfect peace be setled within the same, and that all His good Sub­jects might enjoy the happiness and blessings of His Government in a full and free Act of Indempnity, Pardon and Oblivion; Did, by His Instructions to the Earl of Middleton, His last Commissioner, before the second Ses­sion of this Parliament, Declare His Royal Pleasure concerning Fines to be imposed, both as to the crimes, for which fining was al­lowed, and as to the proportions; and this moderat way of fining (which His Majesty in­tended to imploy for the relief of His good [Page 4]Subjects who had been sufferers) being the only punishment His Majesty gave warrand for; And His Majesty being carefull to see His Royal Grace and Favour to His people exten­ded as large as He intended it, He commanded the Act of Pardon and Indempnity to be transmitted to His own consideration, before His Royal consent were given to the same. In obedience whereunto, the Earl of Middle­ton, in summer, one thousand six hundred and sixty two, dispatched Sir George M^ckenȝie of Tarbet to His Majesty, with a Letter of credit: He carried two draughts of an Act of In­dempnity, the one excepted only as to Fines, the other excepted also as to incapacity from publick Trust; the last he publickly owned to be the desire of the Parliament, and earnestly prest, in name of the Parliament, the inca­pacitating of some few of the most guilty, not exceeding twelve; to which His Majesty at last consented, meerly to gratifie that which was represented to be the desire of so faithfull and loyal a Parliament: And having de­sired to know the truth hereof from His Par­liament, they, by their unanimous opinions and votes, upon the twenty two of July last, Declared, that they gave no warrand to desire of His Majesty, that the Act of Indempnity should carry an exception of incapacitating from publick Trust, nor any warrand at all to desire, in their names, His Majesties consent to the incapacitating a few; and that not­withstanding thereof, they had seen the double of an Instruction given in the contrary by the Earl of Middleton to Sir George M^ckenȝie, signed, and, in presence of the Parliament, [Page 5]owned by him to be a just double; bearing, that it was much desired by the Parliament, that some should be excepted from publick Trust: And it was also declared by the Par­liament, that there was no other ground for incapacitating, but that it was His Maiesties pleasure to have it so, and that this was the rise of bringing in the Act of Billeting, as the most expedient way of voting the Act of In­capacitating: By which it appears, both His Maiesty and His Parliament were abused, as to that exception from publick Trust. And Our Soveraign Lord considering, that this way of Billeting had no colour of warrand from His Maiesty, and that His Royal consent was given to it without His knowledge, and very far from His intention; and that in the contrivance and carrying on of the same, sini­strous courses were taken, and designes laid, for incapacitating the Earls of Crafurd and Lauderdaill, and Sir Robert Murray; Persons, who for their eminent loyalty to, and great and long sufferings for, His Maiesty, are deservedly in His high esteem, and who, for the time, had the special approbation of this present Parlia­ment for these great imployments they had from His Maiesty, as His Officers of State and otherwayes; and that therefore He hath, with much reason, declared Himself most unsatis­fied therewith: Yet, He doth not attribute the concurrence of His Parliament in Billeting to any thing, but to their unparallel'd affection to His Person and Service, and their obsequious complyance to every thing was represented to them to be His Maiesties intention, or which might be acceptable to His Maiesty. And con­sidering [Page 6]the way of Billeting to be most perni­cious in it self, and of a most dangerous conse­quence, as tending to the dishonour of His Ma­iesty and His Parliament, and to the subver­sion of all Iustice and Government; it being a way never before that time practised in this Kingdom, or in any other place, under Mo­narchical Government; being so derogatory to His Maiesties Authority and Royal Digni­ty, and so contrary to the honour, freedom and gravity of Parliaments, to all former Pra­ctises, and to the rules of common Iustice; every man, even these of greatest merit, be­ing thereby rendred unsecure of their honour, estates, liberties and lives; His Maiesties Of­ficers of State and those of nearest relation to Him, being exposed to infamy and ruine, to be, by colour of His Authority without His know­ledge, torn from Him; and His Royal Prero­gative, in the choise of His Councellors and Servants asserted in this present Parliament, violated and made contemptible, and all His Maiesties good Subjects made lyable to cen­sures, without being accused, heard, or legally condemned. In regard of all which, Our Soveraign Lord, with consent, and by the spe­cial advice of His Estates in Parliament, Doth hereby Rescind and Annull two Acts, past in the last Session of this Parliament, on the ninth of September, one thousand six hundred and sixty two; the one Entituled, Act appointing the manner of voting by Billets, and the other Enti­tuled, Act concerning persons to be excepted from publick Trust, together with the Cl [...]uses relating there­to in the Act of Indempnity and in the Act of Fines; and Declares the saids two Acts, with the [Page 7]Clauses aforesaids relating thereto, to have been from the beginning, to be now, and in all time coming, void and null; and Ordains the same to be expunged and razed out of the Re­cords. Likeas accordingly, the saids principal Acts being called for and presented in Parlia­ment, were publickly torn and destroyed; and the Act of Indempnity and Act for Fines, with the Records of the minutes of Parliament, being also called for, the Clauses contained therein, re­lating to the excepting of persons from publick Trust, and the voting of it by Billets, were ex­punged out of the same: And the Clerk Regi­ster is hereby Ordained to take care, that from henceforth the Act of Indempnity and Act for Fines be extracted and recorded according to these amendments, and that any extracts alrea­dy given out, be void and null, as to these Clau­ses thus amended. Likeas, Our Soveraign Lord, to evidence His just dislike of so pernicious a course, Doth, with advice and consent foresaid, Discharge all voting by Billets for the future.

And forasmuch, as the Parliament, in obe­dience to His Maiesties commands, did transmit to His Maiesty, the original Depositions of those who were examined, concerning this whole bu­siness, to the end He might declare His further preasure; His Maiesty Declares, That having taken all that relates to the business of Billet­ing into serious consideration, He will, in conve­nient time, make known His further pleasure therein.