June 1645: An Ordinance for the more speedy getting in of the Moneys in Arrear, formerly Imposed upon the Bill of Four hundred thousand pounds; the Ordinances for the Fifty Subsidies, weekly Assessment, and weekly Meal...

June, 1645

[12 June, 1645.]

Stat. 17 Car. i.; Ord. 4 Mar. 1642/3.

Whereas by an Act of Parliament made in the seventeenth yeer of His Majesties Raign that now is; Intitutled, An Act for the raising and leavying of Moneys for the necessary Defence and great affairs of the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, and for the payment of Debts undertaken by the Parliament; it was amongst other-things thereby Enacted, that the sum of Four hundred thousand pounds should be Assessed, Leavyed and Paid to such persons, and in such maner as in the said Act is contained: And whereas by three several Ordinances of the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, divers great sums of Money have been Taxed and Assessed, viz. The one of them bearing date on the fourth day of March, 1642. Intituled, An Ordinance for the speedy Raising and Leavying of Moneys for the maintenance of the Army raised by the Parliament, and other great affairs of the Common-wealth, by a weekly Assessment.

Ord. 18 Aug. 1643.

One other of them bearing date, on or about the eighteenth day of August, 1643. For the speedy supply of Moneys within the City of London and Liberties thereof, for the relief and maintenance of the Armies raised and to be raised for the necessary defence of the said City and Liberties.

Ord. 26 Mar., 1644.

And the other of them bearing date, on or about the six and twentieth day of March, 1644. Intituled, An Ordinance for the Contribution of the value of one Meal in a Week. A great part of which Moneys Assessed by vertue of the aforesaid Act and Ordinances, are yet unpaid, chiefly through the default of the several Collectors, Sub-Collectors and other Officers appointed for those services, to the great discouragement of those who have willingly contributed and paid their several Rates and Assessments imposed upon them, to the great disservice of the Commonwealth

And forasmuch as the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London, in Common-Councel Assembled, out of their care to advance the publique service, have by several Acts and Orders of the said Common-Councel, nominated and appointed several persons, Members of the said Common-Councel, to be a Committee for the gathering in of Arrears, which said Committee for want of a sufficient power, as well to compel Collectors and Officers heretofore appointed for the service aforesaid, to bring in to them their Accompts and Moneys received, as also the persons Rated and Taxed to pay the said several sums in Arrear, could not perform such service as otherwise they might have done.

Commissioners for Arrears.; Power to levy all arrears on recited Act and Ords.

For remedy whereof, be it Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That the several persons hereafter nominated and appointed by the said Court of Common-Councel for the getting in of the Arrears aforesaid, viz. Sir John Wollaston Knight and Alderman, Iohn Warner and Thomas Andrews, Aldermen of the said City, and Richard Glyd, William Antrobus, Walter Boothby, Francis Peck, Francis Ash, Colonel Francis West, Thomas Noel, Thomas Blackwel, Christopher Pack, Iohn Green, Iohn Sadler, Iames Story, Iohn Babbington, Thomas Arnold, Iohn Dethick, Iohn Holliday, Tobias Lisle, Thomas Lenthal, Thomas Brightwel, Peter Iones, Edwyn Brown, William Iesson, Randal Baskervile, Richard Young, Thomas Clows, Alexander Iones, Richard Willet, Philip Parker, Io. Iurian, Richard Chiverton, Iames Walsam, Iames Harbert, Hoogan Hovel, William Rowel and William Beak, or any six of them shall be a Committee, and shall have hereby Power and Authority by themselves, or such as they shall appoint, to gather, Leavy and receive of ill such person and persons as have been Taxed and Assessed within the Cities of London and Liberties thereof, their Executors or Administrators having sufficient Assets, all such sum and sums of Money now in Arrear and Rated, Taxed and Imposed upon them by vertue of the said Act and Ordinances, or any of them, and to send for any such person or persons wheresoever they shall inhabite or be found.

All Collectors, etc., under said Act and Ords. to bring in Accounts, and pay in Moneys.; Penalties for default.

And it is Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That all High-Collectors, Sub-Collectors and other Officers which are already appointed by vertue of the said Act and Ordinances, shall within three days after demand made by the said Committee, or such person or persons as the said Committee or any of them shall appoint, after notice thereof given or left at his usual dwelling or place of abode, bring in their several Rolls, Books of Accompts and Receipts, concerning the several sums Taxed, Leavyed or Received by vertue of the said Act and Ordinances; And also as well the said High-Collectors, Sub-Collectors and other Officers, having Moneys in their hands, or due from them by vertue of the said Act and Ordinances, as all other person and persons in Arrear and Taxed, Rated or Assessed by vertue thereof, shall immediately pay the same to the said Committee, or to the Treasurer or Treasurers by them appointed to receive the same, any thing to the contrary heretofore Ordained notwithstanding, And if any High-Collector, Sub-Collector or other Officer already appointed for the service aforesaid, or any other person or persons whatsoever in Arrear as aforesaid, shall fail therein, that then the said Committee by such person or persons as they shall appoint by vertue of a Warrant from the Committee of Lords and Commons for advance of Moneys and other necessaries for the Army now sitting at Haberdashers-Hall, shall levy the same sum and sums of Moneys so Rated, Taxed or Assessed, or in the hands and custody of every such person and persons as aforesaid, by distress of the Goods and Chattels of such person and persons neglecting or refusing to pay the same in maner aforesaid, and sell the Goods so distrained for the Service aforesaid. And if any person or persons shall stand out or forbear to make payment of any sum and sums of Money so in Arrear, or in his custody as aforesaid, until a distress shall be taken for the same; that then he or they so standing out or forbearing, shall pay all reasonable charges for all such distress, removal and sale of their Goods, as the said Committee shall direct or appoint. And if no sufficient distress can be found or come by, that then the said Committee by such person or persons as they shall appoint, and by such Warrant as aforesaid, shall have hereby power and Authority to commit every such person and persons unto safe custody, until he or they shall satisfie and pay unto the said Committee, or to the Treasurer or Treasurers by them appointed, the said several sums of Money.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That if any such High-Collector, Sub-Collector, or other Officer heretofore appointed to Leavy, gather or receive any the sums of Money aforesaid, shall fail after demand made as aforesaid, to bring into the said Committee as aforesaid the said Rolls, Books of Accompts, or other Receipts concerning the several sums of Money Taxed, Rated or Received by vertue of the said Act or Ordinances as aforesaid, shall be committed to safe custody, by vertue of such Warrant as aforesaid, till he or they shall conform him or themselves, and give satisfaction to the said Committee touching the same.

Moneys received to be paid into Chamber of City of London.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that all Moneys received and now in the hands of the said Committee appointed by the said Common-Councel, and which hereafter shall be received by the said Committee or the Treasurer or Treasurers by them appointed upon the said Act for the Royal Subsidies, shall be from time to time by the said Committee or Treasurer paid into the chamber of the City of London, and the Acquittances of the Chamberlain for the time being, shall be to them a sufficient discharge, to be disposed of as by the said Act is directed; Any Proviso heretofore made to the contrary notwithstanding: And all Money received and to be received by the said Committee, or the Treasurer or Treasurers by them appointed or to be appointed upon any other Assessment or Ordinance aforesaid, shall be by the said Committee, Treasurer or Treasurers paid to such purposes, as by the said several Ordinances is directed and appointed.

Power to Committee to use Officers for furtherance of service.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons That it shall and may be lawful, and the said Committee shall hereby have full power and Authority to use and imploy all such Officers as now are, or which hereafter shall be nominated and chosen by the said Committee, for the furtherance and better carrying on of the service aforesaid.

Allowances.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons That it shall and may be lawful, to and for the said Committee upon receipt of the said several sums of Money in the hands of any of the Collectors, Sub-Collectors and other Officers, to make such allowance thereout to the said High-Collectors, Sub-collectors and other Officers, as by the said Act and Ordinances are to be allowed.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, in regard of the great charges necessarily required to the getting in of the said several Arrears, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Committee to deduct out of all such Monies as have been or shall be brought in to them as aforesaid, to be disposed of by the said Committee for payment of Officers, and such other occasions as they shall think fit except such Moneys as have been already received upon the said Act of Parliament for the Royal Subsidy, so much as to them shall be thought necessary, so the same do not exceed the sum of three pence per pound.

Assistance.

And it is Ordained, That all Mayors, Sheriffs, Captains, Lieutenants, Bailiffs, Constables, and all other Officers and Soldiers shall be Ayding and Assisting to the said Committee, and all such Officers as shall be imployed by them for the better Execution and performance of the said Service.

Indemnity.

And it is lastly Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That whatsoever the said Court of Common-Councel, or the said Committee appointed by the said Court as aforesaid, or any of them, or the persons imployed and to be imployed by them, have heretofore done, or shall hereafter do for the furtherance of this Service, according to the Tenor and Purport of this or any former Ordinance, or the Act of Parliament mentioned in this Ordinance, they shall be saved and kept harmless and indempnified for the same, by the Authority of both Houses of Parliament.

Saving for Members of both Houses.

Provided always, That this Ordinance, or any clause therein contained, shall not extend to the distraining of the Goods, or commitment of the person of any Peer of this Realm, nor any Assistant, Officer or Attendant of the House of Peers, nor to any Member or Officer of the House of Commons, nor to the sending for any of the persons aforesaid.