shall be, and are hereby authorized to hear and determine the Complaints
of all and every such person and persons as do, or shall pretend to have been, or to
be sued, impleaded, molested or any wayes indamaged, contrary to any Articles,
Conditions or Engagements heretofore granted or made, to or with any such
person or persons in time of War, and in relation thereunto, by any General or
Commander in chief for the time then being in the service of the Parliament by
Land, by authority of the parliament, which have been approved by both House
of Parliament, or the House of Commons assembled in Parliament; and to determine
whether the persons so complaining respectively, were truly comprized
in such Articles, Conditions or Engagements, as it shall appear by certificate
under the Hand and Seal of the General or Commander in chief, by whom such
Articles were granted respectively, and by other sufficient evidence; and also to
judge and determine, whether the parties so complaining, and being comprized
within such Articles or Conditions have by his or their own Default, before the
matter or occasion of Complaint, forfeited or lost the benefit of said Articles
or Conditions; and where there shall appear any right due to the party complaining,
by vertue of any such Articles, conditions, or engagements as aforesaid,
and yet denyed and not duly performed, or any violation thereof against him or
them made, in every such case to award and give to the party complaining, relief
and redress so far as in justice they ought to have by the said Articles, either by
staying any proceedings in Law or equity, discharging Judgments, Executions,
Outlaries and Decrees, or by restitution in specie, or in value of what hath
been taken, recovered, or withheld from them contrary to the said Articles, but
without charging any costs or further damages against the Common-wealth, or
against any person or persons against whom the complaint is made; and also to
award and give to the parties defendants in any such complaints (where and as
oftern as the same shall appear causless) such costs as in their judgment shall seem
meet and reasonable. Provided alwayes, That if any person so complaining as
aforesaid, since the Articles to him granted, shall have taken up Arms, or otherwise
been engaged in any new Hostility against the Parliament, and there of shall
be convicted before the said Commissioners, or any nine or more of them, authorized
and limited as aforesaid, by the Oaths of two or more competent Witnesses;
every such person so convicted, shall lose and forfeit the benefit of all such
Articles (any thing herein contained to contrary notwithstanding.)And be
be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That upon all Seth complaints,
and in all such cases as aforesaid, the Certificates, Orders and Awards of the said
Commissioners, or of any nine or more of them authorized and limited as aforesaid,
that shall be present at any determination made in any such case as aforesaid
respectively, being produced and delivered to any Court of justice, Committee,
Commissioners, Magistrate, Officer, or other person or persons whatsoever, before
or with whom any matter, question or thing which such complaint concerns,
doth or shall any wayes rest or depend respectively, shall in every such matter question
and thing, be binding and conclusive unto, and be obeyed and observed by
all and every such Courts, Committees, Commissioners, Magistrates, Officers,
person and persons as aforesaid, who are by vertue of this Act enjoyned and required
to take notice of, and observe the same respectively, any Law, Order or Ordinance
to the contrary notwithstanding. And be it further enacted, That the
said Commissioners, or any five or more of them authorized and limited as aforesaid,