Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
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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