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❝ing so much as heard, and the same were distributed among "Cromwell's soldiers, and others, who in justice could not have "the least pretension to the same, contrary to the said peace "made in the year 1648, and contrary to justice and natural equi"ty." And whereas it is now high time to put and end to the unspeakable sufferings of the said Roman Catholicks, natives of this realm, (who have eminently manifested their loyalty to his majesty against the usurper the Prince of Orange) and to remove the unparallel'd grievances brought upon them under colour of the said two statutes, which cannot be otherwise redressed, than by repealing the said acts, and restoring the former proprietors to their ancient right, the compassing whereof is much facilitated by his majesties royal condescention to apply towards the satisfaction and reprizals of honest purchasers under the said acts, a great part of the lands and tenements forfeited to him by the late rebellion and treason committed by estated persons within this kingdom, who contrary to their duty and allegiance joined with the Prince of Orange. Be it therefore enacted by your most excellent majesty, with the consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority aforesaid; and it is accordingly enacted by authority of the same, That the said two several acts herein before mentioned, commonly called the acts of settlement and explanation, and the acts of state, or act of council, commonly call'd, the resolution of doubts by the lord lieutenant and council upon the acts of settlement and explanation thereof, and all and every clause, proviso, article and sentence in them, and every of them contained, and all and every grant, patent and certificate passed by vertue of, or under colour or pretence of the said acts and resolutions, or any or either of them (except what is herein after preserved, or mentioned to be preserved,) be and are hereby absolutely repealed, annulled and made void to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever, as if the same had never been made or passed, notwithstanding any mis-recital of the title to them or either of them, or of the exact time when the said acts, or either of them, were made or passed.

And be it further enacted, That all manner of persons who were any way entituled to any lands, tenements or hereditaments, or whose ancestors were any way seized, possessed of, or entituled to any lands, tenements or hereditaments, in use, possession, reversion or remainder in this kingdom of Ireland, on the 22d day of October 1641, their heirs or assigns, and every person lawfully claiming by, from, or under them and his and their feoffees and trustees, to and for their use or uses, or in trust for them or any of them, and who were barred, excluded, hindered or prejudiced by the said acts, resolutions, grants, patents and

certificates, shall and may have and take such and the like reme dy by action, or otherwise, for revesting or recovering the same, as they, or any, or either of them now might, could, or ought to have had or taken, in case the said acts, resolutions, or any grant, patent, or certificate had never been made or passed, any clause, provisoe, article, sentence, or restriction in the said acts, resolu tions, grants, patents or certificates, and any limitation of time, descent, cast, common recovery, judgment or non-claim upon any fine or fines, or upon any other matter or thing where an entry or claim could or would have aided him or them, or any of his or their ancestors, feoffees and trustees, in any wise notwithstanding. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all at tainders and outlawries for treason, or any other offence, and also all treasons and other offences whatsoever upon account or pre tence of the rebellion mentioned or expressed to have begun or arisen in this kingdom on the 23d day of October, 1641, and also all penalties, pains, forfeitures, bars and disabilities accrewed, or supposed to be accrewed thereby, or by any means or ways touching or relating thereto, or any way upon account or pretence thereof, be and are hereby made void, released and discharged to all intents and purposes whatsoever, And be it further enact ed by the authority aforesaid, that every officer and officers, who have the custody or keeping of the said attainders or outlawries, or of any of them, or of any the process, entries and proceedings thereof, and of all or any the books of crimination and examina. tions relating thereunto, shall, as soon as conveniently may be, take the same off the files, and from the respective offices where the same do now remain, and cancel the same before or in the presence of all or any the commissioners of restitution herein mentioned; and any officer failing to do the same, shall forfeit his office, and also the sum of 500l. sterling, the moyety of the said 500% to be to your majesty, and the other moyety to any person who shall sue for the same by action of debt, bill, plaint or information in any of your majesties courts of common law, in which action no essoin, protection, or wager of law shall be allow ed. And to the end that every person and persons, and their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, who hitherto were barred, hindered or delayed from recovering or enjoying his or their just rights, titles, or possessions by any of the matters afore said, may with all convenient speed be put into and be established in his and their rights, titles and possessions.

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that such three or more persons, as by your majesty, your heirs or successors, by commission under the great seal of Ireland, shall be to that purpose appointed from time to time, shall be commissioners to hear and determine the claims and title by English bill of such

person or persons, their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, who are or ought to be restorable or entituled unto any lands, tenements or hereditaments, by reason of the repealing or making void of the said several acts and resolutions of doubts, grants, letters patents, certificates, or any other matter or thing herein before mentioned to be made void, repealed, released, or discharged. And further, that the said commissioners, or any three, or more of them, shall appoint certain times and places from time to time for their sitting, hearing and determining the rights, titles and claims aforesaid, and shall issue summons to the tenents and possessors of the lands claimed before them, and for witnesses, and upon appearance, or in default of appearance, then to proceed and examin the right and title of the said claimant or claimants upon oath, which oath they have hereby power to administer, and to take affidavit in court or out of court, and thereupon shall have power to adward injunctions for putting into possession such person or persons as shall appear unto them to be restorable unto, or who ought to be put into possession of any lands, tenements or he reditaments by vertue of this act, and all injunctions and prohibitions to be granted to stop or delay the proceedings of the said commissioners shall be void and of none effect. But all sheriffs and coroners, to whom any injunction or injunctions for possessions shall be directed, are hereby required and authorized at their peril to execute the same. And the said commissioners are hereby authorized to punish all neglects and contempts of sheriffs, officers, or any other person or persons. And forasmuch as by reason of the several oppressions, distractions and confusions herein before mentioned, and of the length of time since the ancient proprietors have been dispossessed, as aforesaid, the deeds, evidences, and writings of the persons restorable by this act, may be either lost or mislayed, so that the same may not speedily, or perhaps not at all be had, in order to make out his or their titles before the com. missioners aforesaid. Be it therefore enacted, that the judgment, decree, or sentence of the said commissioners, or of any of them, shall not be final or definitive; but the person or persons, and his or their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, who is or shall be restorable by virtue of this act, shall and may at his own will and pleasure, use and have his action and remedy in any of his majesties courts of law or equity for recovery of his and their rights, titles and possessions, without resorting to the said commissioners; or if he be not able to make out his title before them. Provided always, and be it hereby enacted and declared by the autho rity aforesaid, that this act or any thing herein contained, shall not extend, nor be deemed or construed to extend, to annul or make void any release, confirmation, conveyance, fine, recovery, or agreement, made, done, suffered or perfected by any person

or persons, or their ancestor or ancestors, who otherwise would have been restorable by virtue of this act; but that such release, confirmation, conveyance, fine, recovery or agreement, shall be of such like force and effect as they would have been, if this act had never been made. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that where any person or persons, who have been transplanted into the province of Connaught, or county of Clare, or his or their heirs or assigns, has sold or conveyed away the lands or tenements there set out, unto him in lieu of his ancient estate; and he or his heirs shall notwithstanding such sale of his transplanted interest be restored to his ancient estate, or hath released his right thereto, the said transplanted interest be likewise restored to the person or persons who was or were intituled thereto the 22d day of October, 1641, or to his or their heirs or assigns, that then the ancient estate which shall be so enjoyed by, or restored to the person or persons who sold the said transplanted interest, or to his or their heirs, or to any one claiming by or under him, or his ancestors, or to whom he or they released the same. And likewise such other estate as the said transplanted person hath or had, or which came from him by descent in fee to his heir or heirs, shall be, and is hereby made lyable unto, and charged with the lawful yearly interest of the purchase money, which was paid to the said old proprietor for the said transplanted interest by the person or persons who bought the same, the said yearly interest to be paid to your majesty, your heirs and successors after the expiration of twenty-one days next after the feast of Philip and Jacob, and All Saints, yearly, by even and equal portions every year, until the original purchase-money be paid unto your majesty, your heirs and successors in one entire payment; and the said purchaser of the said transplanted estate to be reprized in such manner as herein after to that purpose is expressed, and the said purchase-money to be part of the stock of reprizals. And whereas by the restitution of the persons hereby intended to be restored to their said ancient estates and proprieties, which belonged to them, or to their ancestors, or those under whom they claim on the 22d day of October, 1641, divers persons who were strangers to the several persons to whom some of the said land, tenements and hereditaments were distributed, came into the possession of the said lands, tenements and hereditaments by or under purchases or conveyances after the said act of settlement past, or before the first day of November last for good and valuable consideration, and not in consideration of blood, affinity, or marriage, by or from the person or persons, to whom the same have been granted or distributed, pursuant unto, or under colour of the said several acts of parliament, and resolution of doubts, or of some or one of them, and whereof certificate or patent hath

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been passed since the said first act of settlement: And likewise such person and persons, whose ancestors, or themselves, or those under whom they claim, purchased the estates set forth to transplanted persons in the province of Connaught and county of Clare, must be removed and displaced from their said possessions and pretended estates, and leave the same to the just owners and proprietors thereof, who are to be restored thereto by vertue of this act; the said persons so to be removed, are hereby intended to be reprized for such their purchases in manner as herein afterwards is expressed. And whereas an horrid and unnatural rebellion was lately raised, and still is continued in this kingdom, and in other your majesties dominions, by great numbers of your majesty's subjects, and more especially by divers of the persons and their heirs, who had and enjoyed a great part of the lands and tenements which formerly belonged to your majesty, and your royal fathers and brothers catholick subjects, and were given out or distributed by the late usurped powers, as a reward for their former rebellion and treason herein first mentioned, which said rebels not being content therewith, but again endeavouring by the like rebellion and treason to draw in foreign forces, and to continue a succession of usurpation against your majesty, and over your most loyal catholick subjects of this kingdom, in hopes thereby to gain the rest of the lands, as they had obtained a great part of it before, and totally to deprive your royal majesty, and your heirs and successors thereof, and of the crown and dignity, divers of the said rebels went into England, Scotland, Wales, Holland, and the Isles of Man, and other places beyond the seas, to invite and procure your most unnatural enemy the Prince of Orange, and your rebellious subjects there, to send over forces into this kingdom, while the rest of the said rebels in great multitudes arrayed themselves in a rebellious number, and seized several of your majesties forts, garrisons and magazines here for the Prince of Orange, and the said confederate rebels, whereby this your majesties kingdom was in great danger to be lost; but it pleased Almighty God, by the courage and conduct of his Grace Richard Duke of Tyrconnel, your majesties deputy in this king. dom, with the dutiful assistance of all your majesties most loyal catholick subjects here, unanimously joining with the said deputy to preserve the same for your majesty, and to break and defeat the measures and machinations of a great part of the said rebels and traytors. And forasmuch as for the treasons and rebellions aforesaid, the said rebels and traytors have justly forfeited not only their estates, lands and livings, but their lives also; Be it therefore further enacted by your most excellent majesty, by the advice and consent aforesaid, that all and every the mannors, lands, tenements and hereditaments, use, trust, possession, reversion and

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