Your Glory has stated to Us in a letter that it is customary to bring decurions or the attendants of officials before different tribunals of this city, or in the other provinces, when they are engaged in litigation, either with the public or with private individuals, and you have added that this is frequently sanctioned by Our Imperial orders, and have requested it to be prohibited by a pragmatic sanction that any decurion or attendant officer should be taken from one province to another, or brought into this Royal City, to defend himself in court; or, where this is authorized by an Imperial order, that it should first be presented to the tribunal of Your Excellency, and then carried into effect by means of suitable decrees.

  Therefore, as We detest every production in court and appearance for judgment, unless necessity requires recourse to be had to this proceeding, We forbid all Our magistrates, with the exception of Your Highness, to notify a cohortal or a decurion to appear and defend himself in this city, unless an Imperial order expressly authorizing him to do so is presented; and then Your Highness shall do what is proper under the circumstances, and not permit a decurion or an executive officer to be brought into court, except by virtue of a decree issued by yourself; for in justice to the public this must be done, to prevent such officials, when they are removed from the place where they have charge of public money, from taking advantage of the opportunity to commit some injury against the government.

  Your Excellency will be careful to see that the provisions which it has pleased Us to promulgate by the present pragmatic law are executed.