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WE

E, your MAJESTY's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled, having taken into our Consideration the State of the Public Records of this Kingdom, and the Necessity of providing for the better Arrangement, Preservation, and more convenient Use of the same, humbly beg Leave to lay before Your Majesty the Report of our Proceedings thereon; and to represent to Your Majesty, that in several of the principal Offices we have found the Public Records preserved with great Order and Regularity, and in some few, with a Method and Care which are exemplary; but that, in many of the most important Offices, they are wholly unarranged, undescribed, and unascertained; that some of them are exposed to Erasure, Alteration, and Embezzlement, and others are lodged in Places where they are daily perishing by Damp, or incurring a continual Risk of Destruction by Fire.

A Period of nearly Seventy Years has elapsed since the last General Parliamentary Inquiry upon this Subject; and, during this Interval of Time, the Change which has taken place in the Language and written Character of Judicial Proceedings, as well as the large Accumulation of Materials which has been progressively superadded in every Department, have increased the Difficulties of methodizing the several Repositories, or applying their Contents to Purposes of practical Use..

In the Course of our Inquiry, we have found that many of the Public Buildings allotted to these Uses, and especially those Buildings which belong to Your Majesty's Exchequer in all its Branches, comprehending the ancient Records and Muniments of the Rights and Possessions of the Crown, and the Vouchers and Accounts of the Public Revenues and Expenditure, are in a State so incommodious and insecure, as to require immediate Attention. milliyi de bus: gnist omis

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And the same motives which encouraged our Predecessors to intreat Your Majesty's Directions for printing the ancient Records of Domesday, and the Rolls of Parliament, have also induced us to submit to Your Majesty's Wisdom, our Desire of extending the same Measure to other ancient and valuable Monuments of our History, Laws, and Government.

Your faithful Commons do therefore most humbly beseech Your Majesty, that You will be graciously pleased to give such Directions as Your Majesty, in Your great Wisdom, shall think fit, for the better Preservation, Arrangement, and more convenient Use of the Public Records of this Kingdom.

And we beg Leave further to assure Your Majesty, that whatever extraordinary Expences be incurred by the Directions which Your Majesty, in Your great Wisdom, shall think fit to give on this Occasion, shall be cheerfully provided for and made good by Your faithful

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Commons.

Jovis, 17 die Julii;

Anno 40° Georgii 3tü Regis, 1800.

Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer reported to the House, That their Address of Friday last (that His Majesty would be graciously pleased to give such Directions as he shall think fit, for the better Preservation, Arrangement, and more convenient Use of the Public Records of this Kingdom; and to assure His Majesty, that whatever extraordinary Expences may be incurred by the Directions which His Majesty shall think fit to give on this Occasion, shall be made good by His faithful Commons) had been presented to His Majesty; and that His Majesty had commanded him to acquaint this House, that He will give Directions as desired by the said Address.

COMMISSION

For executing the Measures recommended by the House of Commons respecting the PUBLIC RECORDS OF THE KINGDOM.

GEORGE R.

GEORGE THE THIRD by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith:

To Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillor William Wyndham Baron Grenville, First Commissioner of Our Treasury, or the First Commissioner of Our Treasury for the time being; Our right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin and Councillor George John Earl Spencer, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles James Fox, and William Windham, Our three Principal Secretaries of State, or Our three Principal Secretaries of State for the time being; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles Abbot, Speaker of the House of Commons, or the Speaker of the House of Commons for the time being; and Sir William Grant, Knight, Master of the Rolls, or the Master of the Rolls for the time being; Our trusty and well-beloved Henry Erskine, Esquire, Our sole and only Advocate for Scotland, or Our sole and only Advocate for Scotland for the time being; Our right trusty and well-beloved Cousin and Councillor Henry Viscount Sidmouth; Our right trusty

and well-beloved Councillors Frederick Campbell, Esq. (commonly called Lord Frederick Campbell), Sylvester Baron Glenbervie of that Part of our United Kingdom called Ireland, and John Baron Redesdale; the Right Reverend Father in God Our right trusty and well-beloved John Lord Bishop of Oxford; Our right trusty and well-beloved Councillors Charles Bathurst, William Wickham, and Nathaniel Bond.

WHEREAS the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, and Commissioners of Shires and Boroughs in Our Parliament of Great Britain assembled, having taken into their Consideration the State of the Public Records of this Kingdom, and the necessity of providing for the better Arrangement, Preservation, and more convenient Use of the same, have heretofore humbly laid before Us a Report of their Proceedings thereon; and also humbly represented unto Us, that the Public Records of the Kingdom are in many Offices unarranged, undescribed, and unascertained; that many of them are exposed to Erasure, Alteration, and Embezzlement, and are lodged in Buildings incommodious and insecure; and that it would be beneficial for the Public Service, that the Records and Papers contained in many of the principal Offices and Repositories should be methodized, and that certain of the more ancient and valuable amongst them should be printed; and humbly besought Us, that We would be graciously pleased to give such Directions thereupon, as We in Our Wisdom should think fit: And whereas We, considering the Premises, and earnestly desiring more effectually to provide for the better Arrangement, Preservation, and more convenient Use of the said Records and Papers, did, by Warrant under Our Sign Manual, bearing date the nineteenth day of July 1800, authorize and appoint the several Persons therein severally named, and any Three or more of them, to make a diligent and particular Inquiry into the several Matters which Our faithful Commons had, in their above-mentioned Report of their Proceedings, represented as fitting to be provided by Our Royal Authority, and to do such other Matters and Things touching the Premises as are therein set forth: And whereas the said several Persons thereby appointed have duly proceeded in the Execution of the several Matters committed to their Charge, and have made considerable Progress therein, as by their annual Certificates to Us in Our Privy Council appears; but some of the said Persons are since deceased, or have become less able to attend to the Duties so required of them, and it is expedient to appoint others in their Place, and also to increase the Number of the said Persons so to be appointed for the Purpose aforesaid, in such Manner as may give more complete and permanent Effect to Our Royal Intentions in that Behalf,

Now know ye, That We, considering the Premises, and earnestly desiring further and more effectually to provide for the better Arrangement, Preservation, and more convenient Use of the said Records and Papers, and reposing great Trust and Confidence in your Fidelity, Discretion, and Integrity, have authorized and appointed, and by these Presents do authorize and appoint you the said William Wyndham, Baron Grenville, George John Earl Spencer, Charles James Fox, William Windham, Charles Abbot, Sir William Grant, Henry Erskine, Henry Viscount Sidmouth, Frederick Campbell, Esquire, (commonly called Lord Frederick Campbell), Sylvester Baron Glenbervie, John Baron Redesdale, John Lord Bishop of Oxford, Charles Bathurst, William Wickham, and Nathaniel Bond, and any Three or more of you (whereof the said First Commissioner of Our Treasury, one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Master of the Rolls, or Our Advocate for Scotland, severally and respectively for the Time being, to be one) further to make a diligent and particular Inquiry into the several Matters which Our faithful Commons have, in the above-mentioned Report of their Proceedings, represented as fitting to be provided for by Our Royal Authority: And furthermore, We do by these Presents, give and grant unto you Our said Commissioners, and any Three or more of you (whereof the said First Commissioner of Our Treasury, One of Our Principal Secretaries of State, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Master of the Rolls, or Our Advocate for Scotland, severally and respectively for the Time being, to be One) full Power and Authority to cause all and singular the Officers, Clerks, and Ministers of the said Offices and Repositories respectively, to bring and produce upon Oath, before you, or any Three or more of you, all and singular Rolls, Records, Books, and Papers, or other Writings belonging

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