suffered, or committed by the Person or Persons themselves, or either of them, in whom the respective Inheritances of the said Prisons shall then be.
'XII. And whereas the Way of proceeding against the Warden of the Fleet Prison by Bill in the Courts of Common Pleas and Exchequer at Westminster is found to be very dilatory;' Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, On Bill filed against the Warden, and a Rule given out, Judgment to be signed, unless pleaded to. That from and after the said first Day of May, it shall and may be lawful to and for any Person or Persons, having Cause of Action against the Warden of the Fleet Prison, upon Bill filed in the said Courts of Common Pleas or Exchequer against the said Warden, and a Rule being given to plead thereto, to be out eight Days at most after filing such Bill, to sign Judgment against the said Warden of the Fleet, unless he plead to the said Bill within three Days after such Rule is out.
Copy of Declaration delivered to Prisoner, &c. and Affidavit made thereof, Plaintiff to begin Judgment. 'XIII. And for the more easy and quick obtaining of Judgment against any Person or Persons who now is or hereafter shall be a Prisoner or Prisoners in the aforesaid Prison of the Fleet; Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That from and after the said first Day of May, it shall and may be lawful to and for any Person or Persons, who hath or shall have any Cause of Action against any Prisoner or Prisoners, who now is, or are, or hereafter shall be committed to the said Prison of the Fleet, after filing or entering of a Declaration in such Action with the proper Officer, to deliver a Copy of such Declaration or Declarations to any such Defendant or Defendants in any personal Action or Actions, or to the Turnkey or Porter of the said Fleet Prison, and, after Rule given thereupon to plead, to be out at eight Days at most after Delivery of such Copy of Declaration or Declarations, and Affidavit made of such Delivery before the Lord Chief Justice, or one other of the Justices of the Common Pleas, or before the Lord Chief Baron, or some other of the Barons of the Court of the Exchequer at Westminster, of the Delivery of such Declaration or Declarations to the Defendant or Defendants in such Action or Actions, or to the Turnkey or Porter of the said Fleet Prison, as aforesaid, to sign Judgment in such Action or Actions against such Defendant or Defendants, as if such Defendant or Defendants had been actually charged at the Bar of the Common Pleas or Exchequer with such Action or Actions; any Law, Statute, Usage, or Custom, to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithstanding.
No Prisoner to pay Chamber Rent longer than while in actual Possession, nor pay 2s. 6d. per above Week. ' And whereas great Sums of Money have been and are still taken of the Prisoners of the aforesaid Prisons of King's Bench and Fleet, and other Prisons, under Pretence of Chamber Rent, although the said Prisoners have not had the actual Possession of any Chamber within the said Prisons, or any of them:' For the avoiding of that Inconvenience for the future be it enacted, That from and after the said first Day of May, no Prisoner or Prisoners shall pay, or be compellable to pay any Chamber Rent for any Chamber within either or any of the said Prisons, for any longer Time than he or they is or are actually in Possession of the said Chamber or Chambers, and that during such Time as he or they is or are actually in Possession of any such Chamber or Chambers within either or any of the said Prisons as aforesaid, such Prisoner or Prisoners shall not pay above the Sum of two Shillings and six Pence per Week for any such Chamber; Penalty on demanding more, and if the Marshal of the King's Bench Prison, Warden of the Fleet, or Keeper or Keepers of any other Prison or Prisons, as aforesaid, shall take or demand any greater Sum or Sums of Money for the Use of such Chamber, than the Sum of two Shillings and six Pence per Week, he or they so taking or demanding shall in such Case, for every such Offence, forfeit the Sum of twenty Pounds.
Pretended privileged Places. 'XV. And for the preventing for the future the many notorious and scandalous Practices used in many pretended privileged Places in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, and Borough of Southwark in the County of Surrey, by obstructing the Execution of legal Process there, and thereby defrauding and cheating great Numbers of People of their honest and just Debts;' Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That from and after the said first Day of May, it shall and may be lawful for any Person or Persons, who have or hath any Debt or Debt, Sum or Sums of Money due or owing to him from any Person or Persons who now is, or hereafter shall be and reside within the White Friers, Savoy, Salisbury Court, Ram Alley, Mitre Court, Fuller's Rents, Baldwin's Gardens, Montague Close, or the Minories, Mint, Clink, or Deadman's Place, upon legal Process taken out against such Person or Persons, to demand and require the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, Head Bailiff of the Liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster, Sheriffs, &c. may take Posse Comitat' and arrest in the faid privileged Places, on Process, Extent, or Excecution. or High Sheriff of the County of Surrey, or Bailiff of the Liberty of the Borough of Southwark for the time being (as the Case shall require, if the Plaintiff think it requisite) or their respective Deputy or Deputies, Officer or Officers, to take, and they are hereby enabled respectively to take the Posse Comitatus, or such other Power as to him or them or any of them shall seem requisite, and enter the said privileged Places, and any or either of them (as the Case shall require) and to arrest, and in cafe of Resistance or Refusal to open the Doors, to break open any Door or Doors to arrest such Person or Persons upon any Mesne or other Process, Extent or Execution, or to seize the Goods of any such Person or Persons upon any Execution or Extent; Penalty on Sheriff, &c. neglecting or refusing to execute such Process; and if the said Sheriff or Sheriffs, Head Bailiff, or their Deputy or Deputies, Officer or Officers, or either or any of them shall neglect or refuse (upon such Request) with such Force to do their best Endeavours for the executing of such Process, Execution or Extent, he or they so neglecting or refusing to execute such Process, Execution or Extent, shall forfeit to the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs in such Action the Sum of one hundred Pounds, to be recovered by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in which no Essoin, Protection, or Wager of Law, or more than one Imparlance shall be allowed; and on those who oppose Officers in executing the same. and if in the executing of and on those such Process, Execution or Extent, any Person or Persons shall oppose or resist any such Officer or Officers, or any of them, or any who shall be aiding or assisting to him, them, or any of them, in the executing of such Process, Execution or Extent, he or they so offending shall, for every Time he or they shall so offend, forfeit the Sum of fifty Pounds, and moreover shall be by some Justice of Peace committed to the common Gaol of such County, City or Place where such Offence shall be committed, there to remain without Bail or Mainprize until the next Assizes, Sessions of Oyer and Terminer, and general Gaol Delivery, to be held for such County, City or Place; and such Offender or Offenders being of such Offence or Offences duly convicted, every such Offender shall suffer and undergo such Imprisonment, and be set in the Pillory, as the Court where such Conviction shall be shall think fit; and if any Rescous shall be made of any Prisonertaken
