April 1654: An Ordinance for further Suspending the proceedings of the Judges named in an Act, Entituled, An Act for the Relief of Creditors and poor Prisoners.

April, 1654

[18 April, 1654.]

Act of 5 Oct., 1653, and Ord. of 31 March, 1654, as to relief of creditors recited.; Operation further postponed.

Whereas in regard of many doubts arising upon an Act of the late Parliament, An Act for the Relief of Creditors and poor Prisoners, and several inconveniencies and mischiefs like to grow from thence, not onely to the Creditors and Prisoners themselves, but to divers other persons, without some explanation and further direction to bee given to the several and respective Judges authorized in and by the said Act; It is by an Ordinance of the 31 of March last, Ordeined, that the said several and respective Judges should not proceed to sale or disposition, nor otherwise intermeddle in the execution of the said Act, or of any the Powers and authorities given by the same, untill the twentieth day of April instant; and whereas the way for prevention of those evils, and the better accomplishing the ends intended by the said Act, is now under consideration, which will necessarily require som longer time to perfect the same: Bee it Ordained by His Highness the Lord Protector, by and with the consent of his Council, That the said severall and respective Judges mentioned in the said Act, or any of them, shall not proceed to the sale or disposition of any of the estates real or personal, of any or the said prisoners, or of any other person or persons what soever, mentioned or intended in or by the said Act, nor shall otherwise intermeddle in the execution of the said Act, or of any the powers or authorities given by the same until the fifteenth day of May next coming; And bee it further Ordeined, that all Acts and things to bee don by the said several and respective Judges, or any of them, by vertue, color, or pretence of the said Act from henceforth and before the said fifteenth day of May aforesaid (saving onely in such cases, and according to such limitations, as by the said Ordinance they had power to do, before the said twentieth day of April) shall be and are hereby declared to bee utterly null and void.