122 ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATUTES OF LABOURERS 



exchequer often mention that they have given the other 

 copy to the collectors some months ago ; ^ sometimes they 

 call the attention of the exchequer to the discrepancy be- 

 tween this fact and the sworn statement in the collectors' 

 accounts ; - and sometimes they flatly accuse the collectors 

 of having levied and kept the penalties.^ Often it is not 

 apparent whence has originated the doubt as to the collec- 

 tor's good faith : suspicato is the phrase in one case/ result- 

 ing in a cross-examination of the collectors under oath 

 which elicits a confession of their guilt; in another, iam 

 accepinius, followed by a writ to the justices asking them 

 to certify as to the fact of the delivery or non-delivery of 

 their estreats.^ In one instance, the collectors keep up the 

 pretence of the dilatoriness of the justices to the extent of 

 asking for a writ against them to compel the delivery of their 

 estreats and yet when confronted by them in court immedi- 

 ately weaken and admit that they themselves had lied.' 

 The justices on being summoned before the exchequer have 

 so little hesitation in giving the lie to the collectors that it is 

 easy to imagine that when the two sets of officials met on a 

 joint committee of apportionment their relations were not 

 of the pleasantest. 



It is also a matter of common occurrence for the collec- 

 tors, on being challenged for not having distributed the 

 penalties, to admit that although they had received the es- 

 treats they had not levied the penalties ; ' while, of course, 

 it is not clear that in all such cases they had hoped after 



^E.g., in the Bucks, case given in app., 301, and in the Northants. 

 case analyzed pp. 125-126. 



^In the Northants. case. 'App.. 292. 'App., 290. 



^App., 293. ®App., 287-288. 



'C/. e.g., Mem. L. T. R., 29, Mich., Presentaciones, rot. 8, Lind- 

 sey (Line); prison and fines were efficacious in forcing the collectors 

 to account. 



