blazon of the City of London  
Commune Concilium tentum in Camera Guild-Hall Civitatis London, Vicesimo tertio die Maii, Anno Domini Christi 1663. Annoque Regni Domini nostri CAROLI Secundi, Regis Anglioe, etc. Decimo quinto, coram Johanne Robinson Milite & Baronetto, Majore Civitatis praedictae Thoma adam's, Ricardo Brown, Thoma Aleyn Militibus & Baronettis, Aldermannis, Anthonio Bateman Milite & Aldermanno, Francisco meynel Aldermanno, Samuele Starling Aldermanno, Richardo Rives Aldermanno, Johanne Smith Aldermanno, Timotheo Wade Aldermanno, & Willielmo Turner Milite, uno Vice come dictae Civitatis, necnon majore parte Communiariorum de Communi Concilio tune & ibidem assemblatis.  
An Act of Common-Council for the Translation of all Persons that keep Inns, Osteries, or Livery-Stables within this City and Liberties, into the Company of Innholders.  
WHEREAS the Company of Innholders is and hath been an Ancient Company and Brotherhood of this City, and are incorporated by Charter, and enroled amongst the Charters of this City, upon the Original Institution of which Company divers Laws and Ordinances were framed and ratified according to Law, not only for the good Government of the said Company within itself, but for the Safety and Preservation of all Persons resorting to this City; And amongst other Things it was Ordained, That every Person of the said Company should at his Admission into the same take an Oath not to conceal or harbour any Suspicious Persons, but should forthwith reveal the same unto some Magistrate; And that all their Tapsters, Ostlers, and Chamberlains, within Twenty Days after Reteiner should be presented at the Common Hall of the said Company, where their Names should be Registered, and then to take an Oath not to use any Deceits in Measures, not to conceal or abet any Felons, Murderers, or Suspicious Persons, or be a setter of any Robberies, or of Counsel with any Robbers. And further it was Ordained, That no Person should keep any Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable within this City of London, or Liberties thereof but that be should have an open Sign to the Street; which Ordinances tend very much to the Safety of all Persons resorting to this City. But of late Years, most Inns, Osteries, and Livery-Stables within this City and Liberties thereof, are kept by Persons that are free of other Companies, and neither they nor their Servants subject to the said Oaths and Ordinances by Reason whereof many Deceits are committed and daily used, and Robberies contrived, especially in petty Osteries and Libery-Stables, having no public Signs visible to Passengers, in which Places, by Experience, that Highwaymen, Trades-Mens Sons, and Apprentices keep Horses and false Habits, and start out in the Night, and commit Robberies, and waste and consume their Parents and Masters Estates and Substance, and the said Robbers lie hid in blind Alehouses, and when Search is made for such Persons, they escape the Hands of Justice, because their Horses as well as themselves are conveyed into such Obscure Places, where Hue and Cry pursues them not, nor is search made there.  
For Remedy and Reformation whereof, and to the intent that all Freemen of this City keeping or occupying any Inn, Ostery, or Livery Stable within this City and Liberties thereof may be reduced and brought to be Free of the said Company of Innholders, whereby they and their Servants may be obliged to take the aforesaid Oaths, and be subject unto, and observe and obey the aforesaid Ordinances, and all People resorting to this City may be the better secured, Robberies discovered, and other the aforementioned Mischiefs for the future prevented, Be it Enacted, Ordained, and Established by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor; aldermans▪ and Commons in this present Common ●ouncil Assembled, and by the Authority of the ●am●, And it is hereby Enacted, That all and every Person or Persons, of what Company soever they now be, or hereafter shall be, using the Act, Mystery, or Occupation of an Innholder, or Keeping, or Occupying any Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable within this City or Liberties thereof, shall be from henceforth translated from the Company whereof he is or shall be free unto the said Company of Innholders, and be sworn and admitted into the same.  
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Person or Persons now occupying, using or keeping, or which at any Time hereafter shall use, occupy, or keep any Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable within this City of London or Liberties thereof, may and shall have free Liberty without any Restraint or paying any Sum of Money or any other thing whatsoever, to translate him and themselves from the Company whereof he is or shall be free, unto the said Company of Innholders, And that every Person who shall be (as is aforesaid) translated to the Company of Innholders, Shall take his Place in the said Company according to his Quality and Degree and having Respect unto the Office and Offices he hath born in, and the Precedency and Dignity of the Company from whence he shall be translated: And if it shall happen any Difference to arise between the said Company of Innholders and any Person so as is aforesaid translated) touching Place or Precedency, the said Difference shall be finally determined by the Court of Lord-Mayor an● Aldermen for the Time being.  
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person and Persons now using or occupying, or which hereafter shall use or occupy any Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable within this City of London or Liberties thereof and not being free of the said Company of Innholders, shall not and do no● within the State of three months' next after Monition or warning given or left in writing at the House or Lodging of such Person using or keeping any Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable, come and appear at the Common-Hall of the said Company, upon the day and at the time appointed by the Master and Wardens of the said Company, then and there to be admitted into the Fellowship of the said Company, and to take the Oath appointed to be taken by the Freemen of the said Company, or shall not and do not (within the said three Months after such Monition) present his and their Servant or Servants at the said Common Ha●l within twenty Days after Reteiner, there to be registered and to take the aforesaid Oath appointed by the Ordinances of the said Company to be taken by all Ostlers, Tapsters, and Chamberlains, shall in either of the said Cases forfeit and pay the Sum of Forty Shillings for every Month after the said three Months that be or they shall offend or do to the contrary.  
And be it also Enacted, That no Person or Persons from and after the fifth Day of August next coming, shall use, keep, or occupy any Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable within the City of London, or Liberties thereof, unless such Per7s; on and Persons shall have a public Sign in open Streets and Lanes visible for all Passengers, hung out at or near his or their Inn, Ostery, or Livery-Stable, upon pain of Forfeiture of Forty Shillings for every Month that he or they shall continue to use, keep, or occupy any Inn, Ostery or Livery Stable, not having a public Sign hung out to public View as is aforesaid.  
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every the Forfeitures, Penalties. Sum and Sums of Money which shall be forfeite● by reason of any Offence or Offences mentioned in this Act, shall be recovered by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information, to be commenced and prosecuted in the Name of the Chamberlain of this City for the time being in the King's Majesty's Court holden before the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London in the Chamber of the Guild-Hall of the same City for the time being; in all which Action and Suits to be commenced and prosecuted by Virtue of this present Act against the Offender or Offenders, the said Chamberlain shall recover the ordinary Costs of Suit to be expended in and about the Prosecution of such Action and Suits, wherein no Essoign or Wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant.  
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Pains, Penalties, and Forfeitures to be had and recovered by Virtue of this Act (th● Charges of the Suit for the Recovery thereof being first deducted) shall be divided into two equal Parts, the one Moiety whereof shall be paid unto the Treasurer of Christ's-Hospital for the time being, towards the Maintenance of the poor Children harboured and kept in the said Hospital, and the other Moiety to him or them that will prosecute and sue for the same in the Name of the Chamberlain of the aforesaid City for the Time being.  
Weld   

Ordered that this Act be forthwith Printed and Published.  
Weld.