Witnesses: And whereas Difficulties have arisen in His Majesty's Courts of Great Sessions in Wales with respect to enforcing Rules, Orders, and Decrees of the said Courts, against Persons who have entered Appearances in Suits instituted in such Courts, or have come in as Creditors or Purchasers, and submitted to the Jurisdiction thereof, but by reason of their Residence being out of the Limits of the Jurisdiction of the said Courts, or of their having withdrawn themselves therefrom, are not amenable to the Process thereof: And whereas it is advisable that further Provisions be made for discouraging the Practice of commencing frivolous and vexatious Suits in His Majesty's Courts at Westminster, in Causes of Action arising within the Dominion and Principality of Wales, and also to expedite Suits in the said several Courts of Great Sessions, and provide for new Trials, and regulate the Practice therein: And whereas it is therefore expedient that the Powers of the Judges of the said Courts should be enlarged and extended, and the Laws and Usages relating to the same be amended: And whereas it is also expedient to regulate the Fees and King's Silver payable on Fines and Recoveries levied and suffered within the Principality of Wales, and to provide for the more effectually levying and suffering the same: May it please Your Majesty that it be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same. That from and after the passing of this Act, when and as often as the Attendance of any Person or Persons shall or may be deemed necessary as a Witness or Witnesses to give Evidence in, about, or concerning any Suit, Cause, Trial, Commission, or Issue, prosecuted, brought, and depending in or before any of the said Courts of Great Sessions, and such Person or Persons shall not, when his, her, or their Attendance is so deemed necessary, be resident within the Jurisdiction of the said Court of Great Sessions, where such his, her, or their Attendance may so be deemed necessary, but be resident at such Time in England or Wales, in all and every such Cases it shall and may be lawful for any of the Parties in the said Suits, Trial, Commission, or Issue, to apply to the Proper Officer of His Majesty's Courts of Exchequer at Westminster, and such Officer is hereby authorized and required to issue a Writ or Writs of Subpœna ad testificandum, or any Writ or Writs of Subpœna duces tecum, on Demand, in like Manner as the
