July 1648: Ordinance for the Continuance of the Excise.

July, 1648

[11 July, 1648.]

Whereas the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled have been necessitated to take up and anticipate several great Sums of Money, for the Service of the Parliament, upon the Credit of the Receipts of the Excise, established and still in Force by several Ordinances of Parliament, and, upon Occasion of such Loans made unto them, have declared that they would continue the same Receipts of the Excise until Principal and Interest were fully discharged, which cannot be yet compassed, by Reason that the Receipts of the Excise have for many Months past been very much obstructed, and so fallen very much short of what was expected if the same could have been duly levied; and foreseeing that, besides the satisfying of those Engagements, it will be necessary to continue the same Receipts of the Excise, the better to enable them to go through the great Work of establishing the Peace of the Kingdom, upon which they are at present engaged: And for the better easing of the People, upon whom the Charge of so great a Work must otherwise lie and be raised with much Difficulty and Inconvenience, and in a far more burdensome Manner; the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled do hereby ordain, That the several Receipts of the Excise and new Impost now in Force, formerly appointed by Ordinance of the 11th of September, 1643, commonly called The Grand Excise, so much of the Ordinance dated the 9th of January, 1643, concerning Foreign-made Salt imported, the additional Excise and New Impost appointed by Ordinance dated the 8th of July, 1644, and the last additional Ordinance for levying Excise upon Lead, Gold, Silver, and Copper Thread, Gold Silver, and Copper Wire, &c., dated the 24th of November, 1645, and all other Orders, Declarations, and Ordinances of Parliament now in Force, made in Explanation, for the better regulating all and every the said Receipts, be yet continued, from and after the Nine and Twentieth Day of September, in the Year of our Lord 1648, until the 29th Day of September which shall be in the Year of our Lord God 1650, to be managed by such Persons, and in such Manner, as both Houses of Parliament shall think fit; whereof as all Persons whatsoever are hereby required to take due Notice, and yield Obedience thereunto accordingly, so the said Lords and Commons do declare, That whensoever they shall find the Affairs of this Kingdom to be in such a Condition (which they shall especially and earnestly endeavour) as may admit of the utter Abolishing or Lessening thereof, they will upon all Occasions embrace the same, and show how ready they are to give all possible Ease unto the People.