AN ORDINANCE OF THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT FOR Setling of the Major, Sheriffes, and establish­ing Officers for the City of CHESTER.

WHEREAS the City of Chester hath been and continues grievously infected with the Plague of Pesti­lence, so that the Citizens thereof could not without inevitable danger assemble at the usuall time and place, to elect a Major, She­riffes, [Page 2] and other Officers of the said City, for this present yeare.

It is therefore Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament as­sembled, That Robert Wright, Alderman of the said City, shall be Major of the said City for this present yeare, untill the usuall time of Election, in the yeare 1648. accor­ding to the Charter of the said City. And that William Wright, and Richard Minshall, Ci­tizens thereof; shall be Sheriffes of the same City, for this present Yeare, untill the time aforesaid.

And the said Major shall take the severall Oathes which usually the Majors of that Ci­ty at their Elections have taken, which shall be administred by Christopher Blease, Esquire, Alderman of the said City, and in his ab­sence by the Eldest Alderman, resident in the said City. And the said Major having taken such Oathes, shall give to the said William Wright, and Richard Minshall, the severall Oathes which the Sheriffes of the said City, have usually taken at their Elections. And the said Major with the advice of the Alder­men [Page 3] and Common-councell, shall upon the day of the taking their said Oathes, make choyce of such other Officers for this present yeare, as are usually Elected and chosen up­on the election of Major and Sheriffes, and the said Robert Wright, Major; shall give unto the said Officers so elected and chosen, the Oathes usually taken by such Officers.

And it is further Ordained, That the said Robert Wright, William Wright, and Richard Minshall, shall be, and hereby are made Major and Sheriffes of the said City, during the time aforesaid, to all intents and purpo­ses, as if they had been Elected at the usuall time.

Provided, That this Ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not for time to come, prejudice the Charter of the said City, nor any of the Ancient priviledges, Li­berties, and Immunities thereof.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT FOR The Lord Major of the City of London, and the Justices of Peace, to suppresse Stage-playes, and Interludes, &c.

FOr the better suppression of Stage playes, Interludes, and common Players. It is this day Ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parlia­ment assembled, that the Lord Major Justices of the Peace, and Sheriffes of [Page 5] the City of London and Westminster; the Counties of Middlesex and Sur­rey, or any two or more of them, shall and may, and are hereby authorized and required to enter into all houses, and other places within the City of London, and Liberties thereof, and o­ther places within their respective Ju­risdictions, where Stage-playes, Inter­ludes, or other common playes are, or shall bee acted or played, and all such common players, or Actors, as they upon view of them, or any one of them, or upon Oathes by two cre­dible witnesses, (which they are here­by authorized to minister) shall bee proved before them, or any two of them, to have acted or played, in such Play-houses or places abovesaid: and all person and persons so offending, to commit to any common Gaole or pri­son, [Page 6] there to remaine untill the next generall Sessions of the Peace, holden within the said City of London, or Li­berties thereof, and places aforesaid, or sufficient security entred for his or their appearance at the said sessions, there to be punished as Rogues, ac­cording to Law.