Section XXII

Bonds to Agents void.; Mayor, &c. to pay Agents.; Agent offending; Penalty.

And whereas diverse persons pretending as Agents and Sollicitors to obtaine the payment of the Orphans Debts by Act of Parliament or otherwise have induced many Orphans and others for them to enter into obligations agreem[en]t contracts subscriptions or other securities for payment of large portions of their Debts whensoever it should be recovered which may amount to very great su[m]ms. Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid That all such bonds obligations agreements contracts subscriptions and other securities so entered into shall bee null and void and that it shall be lawfull for the Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London out of the Revenue settled by this Act for relief of the Orphans and other Creditors to allow and pay unto such Agents and Sollicitors what they judge may be reasonable which su[m]ms shall be allowed in the account of the said Revenue and in case any such Agents or Solicitors shall demand or receive any more money upon accompt of or from any of the said Orphans then what shall bee soe adjudged due to them respectively they shall respectively forfeit treble the su[m]m they shall soe receive to be recovered together with Costs of Suit by such person or persons who shall sue for the same by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information in any of their Majesties Courts of Record att Westminster wherein noe Essoigne Protection Priveledge or Wager of Law shall be allowed nor any more then one Imparlance.