THe Lords of His Majesties Privy Council, to prevent the great pre­judice that may arise to His Majesties Service, by the not sending in probation with the Prisoners, who are sent in to His Majesties Prisons, and particularly those of Edinburgh and Cannogate, whereby His Majesties Advocat cannot know the grounds whereupon they are to be pursued, or how to find a probation; as also the extraordinary prejudices that daily arise to His Majesties subjects, by being imprisoned through Malice, Ignorance or Mis-information; Do therefore hereby or­dain all Officers of the Army, Magistrats or others who send in prisoners, to send in to His Majesties Advocat, or the Clerks of the Council, as sufficient Information of their Crimes, with a full account of the Depositions of such Witnesses, or other Probation as can be had against them; warranting the Keepers of the Prisons, to receive none into their Prisons unless Information or Probati­on be sent in, as said is, to be verified to the saids Keepers, by the saids Clerks, excepting alwise such as are sent in Prisoners by order from a Privy Counselor; To whom it is hereby Recommended, to send also an Account to His Majesties Advocat of their Crime, and Probation, with their first conveniencie; and His Majesties Advocat is hereby required to represent to the Privy Coun­cil the Grounds and Warrands of the said Imprisonment, the very next Council day after the Prisoners are incarcerated, as said is, to the end they may be either set at Liberty or punished. And to the effect these presents may be published and known; The saids Lords Ordain the Macers of Council to pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and there by sound of Trumpet, make Publication of the same, that none pretend ignorance.

Extracted forth of the Records of Privy Council, by me Mr. Colin Mckenȝie Clerk of His Majesties most honourable Privy Council.