FOr the continuance of the Administration of Iustice, preservation of the pub­lick Peace, and the better carrying on the Affairs of the Commonwealth, we, being intrusted with the care thereof, have thought fit to Publish, and Declare, and do hereby Publish and Declare, That all such person and persons, as on the first day of October, One thousand six hundred fifty nine, were Iustices of the Peace in any Counties, Cities, Precincts, Liberties, or Places, in England, Wales, or the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, by Force and Vertue of any Commission or Commissions, under the Great Seal of England; and had by such Commissi­ons, Power and Authority to Enquire of, Hear, and Determine Felonies, Trespasses, and o­ther Offences, and to do other things in the same Commissions more at large expressed: And all such person and persons, who on the said First day of October, by Force of any Commissi­ons or Letters Patents, under the said Great Seal, were Sheriffs of the several Counties, Precincts, and Places in England, Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, be, and are hereby con­tinued Iustices of the Peace, Iustices of Oyer and Terminer, and Sheriffs respectively, of, and in their, and every of their several respective Counties, Cities, Precincts, Limits, Iurisdi­ctions, and Places respectively, from, and after the said First day of October, and shall so con­tinue, and be, until there shall be new Commissions and Letters Patents, or Commissions un­der the Great Seal of England, for the constituting of Iustices of the Peace, and Oyer and Ter­miner, and of such Sheriffs, of, and in the said several Counties, Places, and Precincts respe­ctively made, and duely published. And they, and every of them shall have, and may law­fully Vse, Exercise, and Enjoy all and every the Iurisdictions, Powers, and Authorities whatsoever, which by the Laws and Statutes, Iustices of Peace of Oyer and Terminer, or Sheriffs respectively, may, or might lawfully Vse, Exercise, or Enjoy, and they, and every of them respectively, are hereby required and enjoyned to do the same. And all and every the said Sheriffs have hereby Power and Authority, and are enjoyned to execute and make re­turn, according to usual course of all Writs issued or to be issued. And all and every Act, re­turn of any Writs, or other thing whatsoever, Had, Made, Done, Vsed, or Exercised, or to be Had, Made, Done, or Exercised by the said Iustices and Sheriffs respectively, or by any o­ther Officers or Ministers, or other person or persons whatsoever, by command or authority, by, or derived from, by, or under them respectively, is hereby Declared to be good and effectu­al. And all Commissioners for the monethly Assessments, Collectors, Receivers, and Re­ceivers General of the said Assessments, Auditors, and Receivers, and other Officers of the publick Revenue in the several Counties and Precincts, Commissioners of the Customes and their Officers in the respective Ports, and Commissioners of Excise, and every of them, and the subordinate Officers of them, and every of them, are hereby authorized and required to pro­ceed in the execution of their several and respective Duties, and to put in ure all and every the Powers and Authorities committed unto them, and every of them in their respective places; and to do all and every Act and Thing incident thereunto, as fully as they did, or might have done, on, or before the said First day of October. And all and every person and persons whatso­ever, are hereby required to conform themselves in payment of their respective Duties of Cu­stome and Excise, and of the said monethly Assessments, and all other Revenues belonging to this Commonwealth accordingly, as they tender the preservation of the publick Peace: and to the end that free Quarter, and other mischiefs and inconveniences that may happen by their neglect or failer therein, may be avoided.

Given at Whitehall the 31. day of October, 1659.