Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
The following merchandise shall not be brought into the nation
already wrought: woolen cloth or caps, silk laces, ribbons,
fringes, and embroidery, gold laces, saddles, stirrups, harnesses,
spurs, bridles, gridirons, locks, hammers, fire tongs, dripping
pans, dice, tennis balls, points, purses, gloves, girdles, harness
for girdles of iron steel or of tin, any thing wrought of any
treated leather, towed furs, shoes, galoshes, corks, knives,
daggers, woodknives, thick blunt needles, sheers for tailors,
scissors, razors, sheaths, playing cards, pins, pattens [wooden
shoes on iron supports worn in wet weather], pack needles, painted
ware, forcers, caskets, rings of copper or of gilt sheet metal,
chaffing dishes, hanging candlesticks, chaffing balls, mass bells,
rings for curtains, ladles, skimmers, counterfeit felt hat moulds,
water pitchers with wide spouts, hats, brushes, cards for wool,
white iron wire, upon pain of their forfeiture. One half this
forfeiture goes to the king and the other half to the person
seizing the wares.
No sheep may be exported, because being shorn elsewhere would
deprive the king of customs.
No wheat, rye, or barley may be imported unless the prices are
such that national agriculture is not hurt.
Clothmakers must pay their laborers, such as carders and
spinsters, in current coin and not in pins and girdles and the
like.
The term "freemen" in the Magna Carta includes women.
The election of a knight from a county to go to Parliament shall
be proclaimed by the sheriff in the full county so all may attend
and none shall be commanded to do something else at that time.
Election is to be by majority of the votes and its results will be
sealed and sent to Parliament.
Electors and electees to Parliament must reside in the county or
be citizens or burgesses of a borough. To be an elector to
Parliament, a knight must reside in the county and have a freehold
of land or tenements there of the value of at least 40s. per year,
because participation in elections of too many people of little
substance or worth had led to homicides, assaults, and feuds.
(These "yeomen" were about one sixth of the population. Most
former electors and every leaseholder and every copyholder were
now excluded. Those elected for Parliament were still gentry
chosen by substantial freeholders.)
London ordinances forbade placing rubbish or dung in the Thames
River or any town ditch or casting water or anything else out of a
window. The roads were maintained with tolls on carts and horses
bringing victuals or grains into the city and on merchandise
unloaded from ships at the port. No carter shall drive his cart
more quickly when it is unloaded than when it is loaded. No pie
bakers shall sell beef pies as venison pies, or make any meat pie
with entrails. To assist the poor, bread and ale shall be sold by
the farthing.
Desertion by a soldier is penalized by forfeiture of all land and
property.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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