I ⁷ R  
DIEV ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
ACT OF PRIVY COUNCIL, Ordering Probation and Information to be sent in with public prisoners.  
Edinburgh the twentieth day of March. 1688.  
THe Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, to prevent the great prejudice that may arise to His Majesty's Service, by the not sending in probation with the Prisoners, who are sent in to His Majesty's Prisons, and particularly those of Edinburgh and Cannogate, whereby His Majesty's Advocate 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 Majesty's subjects, by being imprisoned through Malice, Ignorance or Misinformation; Do therefore hereby ordain all Officers of the Army, Magistrates or others who send in prisoners, to send in to His Majesty's Advocate, 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 said's Keepers, by the saids Clerks, excepting alwise such as are sent in Prisoners by order from a Privy counsellor; To whom it is hereby Recommended, to send also an Account to His Majesty's Advocate of their Crime, and Probation, with their first conveniency; and His Majesty's Advocate is hereby required to represent to the Privy Council the Grounds and Warrants 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 said's 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 Mckenzie Clerk of His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council.  
Col. Mᶜkenzie, Cls Sti Concilii. 
 GOD save the KING.   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1688