or vessel, laden with any prohibited or uncustomed goods, or goods clandeftinely exported or imported, are now liable to by Officers grant-law; and that no officer of his Majesty's customs shall sign or ing any cocgrant any cocquet, fufferance, tranfire, let-pafs, warrant, or quet for exporting there- certificate whatsoever, for exporting or carrying coaftwife, exof, cept for the use of his Majesty's dock yards, any fuch bar iron fo imported into the port of London, upon pain, that every offfeer of his Majefty's cuftoms, fo offending, fhall forfeit and to forfeit 2001. pay the fum of two hundred pounds, to be fued for and recovered by action, bill, plaint, or information, in any of his Majefty's courts of record at Westminster, and to be applied, one moiety to the use of his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety to fuch perfon or perfons as fhall fue for the and his office. same, and fhall alfo lofe and forfeit his office, and be incapable of ferving his Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, in any office of truft or profit whatfoever; and that if any fuch cocquet, fufferance, tranfire, let-pafs, warrant, or certificate whatsoever, fhall be figned or granted, the fame fhall be void, and of no effect whatsoever. No bar iron III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That to be carried no bar iron whatsoever shall be permitted to be carried coaftwife, coaftwife, un- unless mention be made in the certificate to be granted for that lefs the duty purpose, of the day on which the fubfidies, customs, impofitions, rates, and duties, payable upon the importation thereof, were paid, and of the name of the perfon or persons by whom the fame were paid. be paid. Penalty of carrying by land any fuch iron beyond 10 miles from London. Oath to be made of the place where the iron was made, and to whom congned.. IV. And it is hereby further enacted, That no bar iron imported into the port of London, by virtue or in pursuance of this act, fhall be carried or conveyed by land carriage to any place beyond ten miles from any part of the port of London, except to his Majesty's dock yards for the use of his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors; and if any person or perfons fhall carry and convey, or cause or procure to be carried or conveyed upon horseback, or in any waggon, cart, or other carriage, any iron fo imported, to any place beyond the limits prefcribed by this act, every perfon fo offending, fhall, for every fuch offence, forfeit and pay the fum of twenty fhillings for every hundred weight of fuch iron, V. And that the importers of foreign pig and bar iron, not made in and imported from the faid colonies, may not, upon any pretence whatsoever, claim the exemption hereby granted; be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That every merchant, trader, factor, or other perfon, loading any pig or bar iron on board any fhip or veffel in any of his Majefty's colonies in America, fhall, before the clearing out of the faid fhip or vesfel for any port of Great Britain, make oath before the governor or lieutenant governor, collector and comptroller of the customs, and naval officer, or any two of them (which oath every fuch governor or lieutenant governor, collector, and comptroller of the customs, and naval officer, is hereby impowered and required to adminifter without fee or reward) that the pig or bar iron fo fhipped, the true weight whereof fhall in fuch oath be in which oath alfo the name or names of the perfon or perfons to whom the faid iron fhall be fold or configned, fhall be expreffed; and thereupon the faid governor, Certificate to lieutenant governor, collector, and comptroller of the customs, be given. and naval officer, or any two of them, thall deliver to fuch merchant, trader, factor, or other perfon, fo making oath as aforefaid, a certificate, under their hands and feal of office, of fuch oath having been made before them. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That Rules to be no perfon or perfons importing any pig or bar iron into Great obferved in the Britain from his Majefty's colonies in America, fhall import the importation of fame duty-free as aforefaid, unless fuch pig or bar iron fhall be iron. ftamped with fome mark denoting the colony or place where the fame was made; and unless fuch perfon or perfons thall produce fuch certificate to the chief officer of the customs at the port in Great Britain where the fame fhall be imported; and unlefs oath fhall be made before the faid chief officer of the cuftoms, by the mafter or commanding officer of the ship or veffel, importing fuch pig or bar iron (which oath fuch chief officer is hereby impowered and required to adminifter without fee or reward) that the iron fo imported is the fame iron mentioned in the faid certificate. VII. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority a- Iron not forefaid, That all pig or bar iron imported into Great Britain, marked, and which thall not be foftamped and certified as aforefaid, to be made certified, to in his Majefty's colonies in America, fhall be fubject to the pay- pay the duties. ment of the fame fubfidies, customs, impofitions, rates, and duties, to which such iron was liable before the making of this act. VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, Penalty of That if any governor, lieutenant governor, collector, or comp- falfe certifi troller of the customs, naval officer or chief officer of the cuf- cates, toms as aforefaid, fhall falfely make any fuch certificate, every person so offending fhall, for every fuch offence, forfeit and pay the fum of two hundred pounds, and alfo forfeit and lose his office, and be incapable of ferving his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors in any office of truft or profit; or if any merchant, or oaths; factor, trader, and mafter, or commanding officer of any hip or veffel, fhall falfely make any oath required by this act, every fuch offender fhall incur the punishment inflicted by the laws of this realm for wilful and corrupt perjury; and if any perfon and of counfhall knowingly counterfeit any fuch ftamp, or fhall counterfeit terfeiting the any fuch certificate, or publish the fame, knowing it to be coun- ftamps, or terfeit, every fuch perfon fo offending fhall incur the punish- certificate. ment inflicted by the laws of this realm for forgery. IX. And, that pig and bar iron made in his Majefty's colonies in America may be further manufactured in this kingdom, be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, 'That from and No mill for after the twenty fourth day of June, one thousand feven hun- fitting of dred iron; or plate. H 2 furnace for fteel to be erected, &c. in America. ing forge; or dred and fifty, no mill or other engine for flitting or rolling of iron, or any plateing-forge to work with a tilt hammer, or any furnace for making steel, fhall be erected, or after fuch erection, continued, in any of his Majefty's colonies in America; and if any person or perfons fhall erect, or cause to be erected, or after fuch erection, continue, or caufe to be continued, in any of the faid colonies, any fuch mill, engine, forge, or furnace, every perfon or perfons fo offending, fhall, for every fuch mill, engine, forge, or furnace, forfeit the fun of two hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain. Penalty of 200 1. to be deemed a common nuisance; and the governor to caufe it to be abat ed, Penalty of 500l. &c. Method of re covering the penalties. X. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That every fuch mill, engine, forge, or furnace, fo erected or continued, contrary to the directions of this act, fhall be deemed a common nuifance; and that every governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief of any of his Majesty's colonies in America, where any fuch mill, engine, forge, or furnace, shall be erected or continued, fhall, upon information to him made and given, upon the oath of any two or more credible witnesses, that any fuch mill, engine, forge, or furnace, hath been fo erected or continued (which oath fuch governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief, is hereby authorized and required to administer) order and cause every fuch mill, engine, forge, or furnace, to be abated within the space of thirty days next after such information given and made as aforefaid; and if any governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief, fhall neglect or refufe fo to do, within the time herein before limited for that purpose, every fuch governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief, fo offending, hall, for every fuch offence, forfeit the fum of five hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain, and shall from thenceforth be disabled to hold or enjoy any office of trust or profit under his Majesty, his heirs or fucceffors. XI. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the feveral penalties and forfeitures by this act inflicted for falfely making any stamp or certificate, herein before directed, or for erecting or continuing any mill, engine, plateing forge, or furnace prohibited by this act, or for refufing or neglecting to abate the fame, fhall and may be fued for and recovered by action, bill, plaint, or information, in any of his Majefty's courts of record at Westminster, or in the court of Exchequer in Scotland, or in any of the courts of record in his Majefty's colonies in America refpectively, wherein the offender shall dwell at the time when the offence fhall be committed, or at the time when fuch action, bill, plaint, or information fhall be brought; and every fuch action, bill, plaint, or information, to be brought in Great Britain, fhall be laid either in the county where any fuch offence thall be committed, or where the offender fhall dwell at the time when fuch action, bill, plaint, or information fhall be brought. Application of XII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, the penalties. That all fuch penalties and forfeitures fhall be applied, one moi ety ety to the use of his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety to such person or perfons as fhall fue for the fame. be entered at XIII. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority afore- Iron imported faid, That all bar iron which fhall be imported from any of his on this act, to Majesty's colonies in America into the port of London, by virtue the customor under the authority of this present act, fhall be entered at houfe in Lonthe cuftom-house in London; and every bar of the said iron so don, entered, shall be marked or ftamped with fuch mark or stamp as the commiffioners of his Majesty's customs fhall for that purpofe order or direct, in three different parts of every fuch bar and to be (that is to fay) two of the faid marks or ftamps at the distance ftampt in 3 of one yard from each end of such bar, and the other of them at or near the middle thereof. different parts. XIV. And it is hereby further enacted, That if any perfon Penalty of fhall counterfeit, or willfully destroy or deface, any of the faid counterfeiting marks or stamps, with an intent to convey or carry the fame to or defacing the stamps. any place ten miles from any part of the port of London, contrary to the true meaning of this act, every perfon fo offending, and being thereof legally convicted, fhall forfeit the fum of one hundred pounds, to be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, in any of his Majesty's courts of record at Westminster; one moiety thereof to his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety to fuch perfon or persons who fhall fue for the fame. ficates of mills XV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Governors to That from and after the faid twenty fourth day of June, every tranfmit certigovernor or lieutenant governor, or commander in chief of any for flitting of his Majefty's colonies in America, fhall forthwith tranfmit to iron, &c. the commiffioners for trade and plantations, a certificate under his hand and feal of office, containing a particular account of every mill or engine for flitting and rolling of iron; and every plateing forge to work with a tilt hammer; and every furnace for making fteel, at the time of the commencement of this act, erected in his colony; expreffing alfo in the faid certificate fuch of them as are ufed, and the name or names of the proprietor or proprietors of each fuch mill, engine, forge and furnace, and the place where each fuch mill, engine, forge, and furnace is erected, and the number of engines, forges, and furnaces in the faid colony; and if any governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief, fhall neglect or refufe fo to do within fix months after the faid twenty fourth day of June, every fuch governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief fo offending, shall be subject to fuch penalties and forfeitures, as any governor, or lieutenant governor of any of the faid colonies is liable to for any offence committed against this act, to be recovered in like manner, as is by this act directed for the fame. XVI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, Limitation of That if any action or fuit fhall be commenced against any per- actions. fon or perfons for any thing done in pursuance of this act, the defendant or defendants in any fuch action or fuit may plead the general iffue, and give this act and the special matter in evi- General issues H 3 dence, dence, at any trial to be had thereupon; and that the fame was done in purfuance and by the authority of this act, and if it fhall appear fo to have been done, the jury fhall find for the defendant or defendants; and if the plaintiff fhall be nonfuited, or difcontinue his action after the defendant or defendants fhall' have appeared; or if judgement fhall be given upon a verdict or demurrer against the plaintiff, the defendant or defendants' Treble cofts. fhall and may recover treble cofts, and have the like remedy for the fame, as any defendant or defendants hath or have in other cafes by law. Publick act. AN XVII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That this act shall be deemed a publick act, and be judicially taken notice of fuch, by all judges, juftices, and other perfons whatsoever, without specially pleading the same. CAP. XXX. Az alt for the more eafy and speedy recovery of small debts within the Tower Hamlets. HEREAS many perfons, living, refiding, trading, or dealing within the feveral parishes, liberties, precincts, hamlets, and places herein after mentioned, do contract feveral debts, which in the whole amount yearly to a great fum of money, and although fuch debtors are well able to pay their respective debts, yet often refufe fo to do, prefuming on the difcouragements their creditors lie under from the expence they are unavoidably put unto in fuing for the fame, and the delays they meet with even after judgement; and as providing an eafy and speedy method for recovering of small debts, will greatly contribute to the promoting induftry, and Jupporting and encouraging ufeful credit; may it therefore please your moft excellent Majefty, that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's moft excellent majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That it shall and may be lawful to and for fuch parishioners or inhabitants of the feveral and refpective parishes, liberties, precincts, Parishioners to hamlets, and places within the faid Tower Hamlets, (the precinct meet on Tuel- of the faid Tower-within only excepted) as have a right to afday after Ea- femble and meet for the choice of officers in their several and refter sted yearly; fpective veftries, or other places of meeting for tranfacting the nate 240 com- publick bufinefs of fuch parifhes, liberties, precincts, hamlets, miffioners, or places, and they or the greater number of them fo affembled viz. St. Mary as aforefaid, are hereby refpectively impowered and required on Whitechapel, the Tucfday next after the feast of Eafter, or within one month Christ Church, after Eafter, in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and fifty; and on every Tuesday next after the feaft of Eafter, in every fucceeding year, to nominate, affign, and appoint Shoreditch 20; in the whole, the number of two hundred and forty of the moft St.John Hackfubftantial and difcreet perfons refiding within their refpective ney 18; St. Matthew parishes, liberties, precincts, hamlets, and places, who fhall Bethnal Green each be feifed of lands, tenements, or hereditaments, of the va 31; 21; St. Leonard luc |