February 1778

His Majesty's said Justices do hereby as of themselves represent
to your Lordship the following Instances of gross ignorance and venality
in the said John Gretton< no role > vizt that they have now in their Custody
ready to be produced the following Warrant under the Hand and
Seal of the said John Gretton< no role > which as having been issued for an
Offence which is the Subject of Civil and not of criminal Jurisdiction
they conceive to be illegal and oppressive and as it states the Offence of
detaining one Shilling to be against a Statute does by Implication
assert that to be true which is notoriously false there being no Statute
which makes the simple Detainer of any Sum of Money whatever
penal in any degree nor that gives a Justice of the Peace any cognizance
thereof or Jurisdiction between the Parties

Middlesex and Westminster to wit Public Office Cambridge Street
To all Constables and other his Majesty's Officers of the Peace for the
said County City and Liberty whom these may concern These are in
his Majesty's name to command you and every of you upon sight hereof
to take and bring before me or some other of his Majesty's Justices of the
Peace for the said County City and Liberty the Body of Mrs Mc Carter< no role >
of whom you shall have Notice to answer all such matters and
things as on his Majesty's behalf are on Oath objected against her
by Samuel Wells< no role > for unlawfully detaining one Shilling his property
grossly abusing him and standing in Contempt of Magistracy against
the Statute Hereof fail not at your Peril Given under my Hand and
Seal this eleventh day of March in the year of our Lord 1777.

That they have also in their Custody ready to be produced the following
Joint Warrant under the hand and Seal of the said John Gretton< no role > and of
Robert Elliot< no role > a Justice of the Peace for Westminster but not for the County
of Middlesex who also keeps a Public Office which is obviously illegal
and oppressive as it directs a Search for stolen Goods without the recital
of a charge on Oath and without any restraint of such search to the
Day time as directed by Statute and the said Justices conceive that
the said Warrant is not only upon the Face of it grossly nonsensieal and
absurd but further illegal and oppressive in that it commands the
Officer to search every place and every person of whom he shall have Notice
to answer to all such matters and things as on his Majesty's behalf are