Anne, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, etc. To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting. Whereas certain constitutions and canons ecclesiastical treated upon by the archbishops and bishops and the rest of the clergy of our said kingdom of Ireland, and agreed upon by our licence, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eleven, and in the tenth year of our reign, have been humbly laid before us for our royal approbation; we having taken the same into our consideration, have thought fit to approve thereof in manner and form as followeth, viz.

1. For preventing extrajudicial dismission of criminals and stifling proceedings against them.

If any registrar, proctor of office, or other officer shall at any time stifle and suppress any crime, that the offender may not be brought to do penance, they shall be suspended from their respective offices by the bishop of the diocese or other ordinary; and if any vicar general, chancellor, commissary, official or surrogate shall make any clandestine prevention of any public penance by any extrajudicial dismission obtained shall be null and void. And for further preventing the stifling or suppressing proceedings against criminals, the registrar shall keep a book in which he shall enter all presentments of criminals according to the time that they come into the office; which book shall be laid before the bishop or judge every court day that he may be apprized what causes of office are in the court, and be enabled to enquire what proceedings have been made in them, and the said book shall be produced at every visitation of the diocese where the presentments have been made. And if the registrar shall neglect to enter such presentments or to produce the said book when required, then he shall be suspended for the space of three months