296 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE, & c. Appendix, N° 23. CHARTER to the Corporation of the City of DUBLIN. ( Translation.) JAMES the Second, by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland King, defender of the Faith, and so forth, to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting; WHEREAS the city of Dublin was an ancient and populous city, and the capital of our entire kingdom of Ireland, and inasmuch as the mayor, sheriffs, commons and citizens of the said city of Dublin have had, used and enjoyed divers liberties, franchises, privileges, immunities and pre- eminences, or at least have alleged, that they have had, used and enjoyed same, and were used so to do, and that they were a body corporate and politic by the name of the mayor, sheriffs, commons and citizens of the city of Dublin: And whereas by the judgment of our court of Exchequer of our kingdom of Ireland, the said liberties, fran- chises, privileges, immunities and pre- eminences were seized into our hands, We nevertheless willing that for ever hereafter, a certain and indubitable method might be had in Dublin aforesaid, of and for the keeping of our peace, and for the rule and governance of our said city of Dublin, and of our people therein residing, and of others thereto resorting; and that Dublin aforesaid may at all times hereafter be and continue a peaceable and quiet city, a dread and terror to the ill- disposed, and a reward and support to the good; and also that our peace and other acts of justice and good government may therein be better preserved and performed, Know ye that We of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, with the advice and consent of our well beloved and right trusty cousin and counsellor, Richard Earl of Tyrconnell, our deputy general and general governor of our kingdom of Ireland, and according to the tenour of our letters under our privy seal and sign manual, bearing date at our court at Windsor, the twentieth day of September, in the year of our reign, and inrolled in the rolls of our court of Chancery of our said kingdom of Ireland, have willed, ordained, constituted, confirmed and declared, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do will, ordain, constitute, confirm and declare, that the city or town of Dublin in the province of Leinster in our kingdom of Ireland, shall for ever hereafter be and be called and named the city of Dublin, and that all and singular houses, edifices, lands and tenements, waters and water courses, and the soil and bottom of the same which at any time heretofore were had or reputed to be within the city of Dublin, the suburbs, franchises, liberties or precincts of the same, shall from henceforth be within the jurisdiction and liberties of the said city, and all and singular the premises into one entire city of itself, by the name of the City of Dublin, for us, our heirs and successors, We do erect, constitute, ordain, make and create; and that the said city of Dublin and the circuit, precincts, limits, bounds, ambits, liberties, franchises and juris- dictions of the same may extend, and claim the same places, lands, limits and ambits, as well by land as by water, to which the city of Dublin, the suburbs and franchises of the same at any time heretofore have extended, or claimed to extend; and that within the said city, there shall be for ever one body corporate and politic in fact and name, by the name of the mayor, sheriffs, citizens and commons of the said city; and that the mayor and sheriffs, commons and citizens of the said city of Dublin, and their succesors, may exercise and execute all the rights and jurisdictions hereafter mentioned, the circuit, precincts, limits, bounds and ambit aforesaid; and further, for us, our heirs and successors, We have willed, granted, decreed, confirmed, created and ordained, that the mayor, sheriffs, commons and citizens of the said city of Dublin, and those who hereafter shall be mayor, sheriffs, commons and citizens of the said city, and their successors, shall for ever here- after be by virtue of these presents one new body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name, by the name of the mayor, sheriffs, commons and citizens of the city of Dublin; and as a new body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name, We do really and fully for us, our heirs and successors, erect, make, ordain, constitute, create, confirm and declare them by these presents, and that by that name they may have perpetual succes- sions ; and that they and their successors for ever, by the name of the mayor, sheriffs commons and citizens of the city of Dublin, shall be at all times hereafter persons fit and capable in said, to have, acquire, receive and possess lands, tenements, goods and chat- tels, rents, reversions, possessions, liberties, privileges, rights, jurisdictions, franchises and hereditaments whatever, of whatsoever nature, kind or species they may be, to them and their successors in fee or perpetuity, or for term of years or year, or otherwise howso- ever; and also to give, grant, demise and assign lands, tenements and other their heredi- taments, goods and chattels, and to do and execute all and singular other acts and things by the name aforesaid, and that they and their successors for ever, by the name of the mayor, sheriffs, commons and citizens, can and may plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be defended in all courts and places, and before any the judges, justices and other persons, officers, of us, our heirs and successors, in all and singular actions, plaints, pleas, causes and matters ( and demands) whatsoever, of whatsoever kind, nature or species they may be, and in the same manner and form as any other our liege subjects of our said kingdom of Ireland, persons fit and capable in law or any other body corporate and politic within our said kingdom of Ireland, can and may have, acquire, receive, possess, enjoy, grant, demise, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend