Obj. Then they insisted upon the Parliament Roll of 13 H. 4. n. 43. the Office of admeasu∣ring Linnen Cloth, a half-peny upon the Buyer and Seller, and other Fees upon long Cloth, the Parliament 13 H. 4. declares to be a void Office, and that accordingly Judgment was given 13 H. 4. Out of this he would conclude, that therefore there should be no new Office; that an Office granted with a Fee is void in Law.
Ans. For Answer unto this: 1. The reason why that was a void grant was this; it appear∣eth 4 E. 1. that the Office of all Woolls and Lin∣nen Cloth was one entire Office: If the King will grant that to another man which was to trench upon the former Office, a void Patent: Therefore a strange conclusion, that because this Office was void, therefore no new Office to be granted, 22 H. 6. fo. 9. The Office of surveying the packing of all Cloth, good Office, 27 H. 8. fo. 28. The King granted to one to be his Sur∣veyor of his Honor of—a good Office Fitz saith, because it had no Fee, therefore it was a void Of∣fice; and now at Bar it is said because it hath a Fee, it was a bad Office. If this reason may hold, all ancient Offices may fall, 39 H. 6. Office to be Marshal of the Kings Bench, 12 H. 7. 15. to be Warden of the Fleet. Nay, it taketh down all Offices that have been erected for the publick good, and upon just cause, as Offices of Subpoena in Chancery, Star-Chamber, &c. All those within time of memory must be shaken by this.