James the Second, 1685: An Additionall Act for the Improvement of Tillage. [Chapter XIX. Rot. Parl. nu. 19.]

22 Car. II. c. 13. § 2, 3.

Forasmuch as by an Act made in the Two and twentyeth yeare of the Raigne of his late Majestie of ever Blessed Memory Intituled An Act for Improvement of Tillage and the Breed of Catle It is amongst other things Provided and Enacted That from and after the Nine and twentyeth of June One thousand six hundred and seventy and from thence forward certaine Rates should be paid for the Custome and Poundage of Forreigne Corne and Graine Imported into this Kingdome according to the Prices of English Corne at the Times Havens and Places when and where the same should be Imported as by the said Act particularly appeareth.

II.

And in as much as noe Provision was made by the said Act for Assertaining and Determining the said Prices by reason whereof [severall (fn. 1) ] great quantities of [Corne (fn. 2) ] and Graine have beene Imported without paying the respective Duties by the said Act appointed contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of the said Act.

III. Justices of Peace of Counties wherein Foreign Corn imported may, in Quarter Sessions, by the Oaths of Two Persons duly qualified, and by other Means as they shall see fit, determine the Market Price of middling English Corn in this Act mentioned.

And certify the same with the said Oaths to the Chief Officer of the Customs residing at the Port of Importation. To be hung up in some Public Place.

Now for supplying the said Defect Bee it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parlyament Assembled and by the Authoritie of the same That from and after the Feast of Saint Michaell the Arch-Angell next and from thence forward it shall and may be lawfull to and for all and every the Justices of the Peace for the severall and respective Countyes within His Majestyes Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales and the Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede wherein Forreigne Corne or Graine shall or may bee hereafter Imported And they and every of them are hereby Injoyned and Required at their next respective Quarter Sessions after Michaelmas and Easter-day yearely by the Oathes of two or more Honest and Substantiall Persons of the respective Countyes being neither Merchants nor Factors for Importing of Corne nor any wayes concerned nor interessed in the Corne soe Imported and each of them haveing a Freehold Estate of Twenty pounds per Annum or a Lease-hold Estate of Fifty pounds per Annum above all Charges and Reprizes and being Skilfull in the Prices of Corne (which Oathes all and every the said Justices are hereby impowered to Administer) and by such other Wayes and Meanes as to them shall seeme fitt to Examine and Determine the Common Market Prices of Midling English Corne and Graine of the respective sorts in the said Act mentioned as the same shall be commonly bought and sold in the said respective Counties into which any Forreigne Corne and Grain shall be Imported and to Certifie the same with two such Oaths made as aforesaid in writeing annext unto His Majestyes Chiefe Officer and Collector of the Customes for the time being Resideing in the said respective Ports or Havens where the said Corne and Graine shall be Imported to be hung up in some Publique place in the Custome-house, to which all Persons may resort for their Information.

IV. Duty of the said Act paid according to the Prices contained in such Certificates.

And it is hereby further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That from and after the said Feast of Saint Michaell the Arch-angell next the Custome and Duty of Forreigne Corne and Graine Imported into any of His Majestyes said Dominions of England Wales and Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede appointed by the said Act to be paid shall be Collected and paid according to the Prices contained in such respective Certificates as aforesaid and not otherwise Any Thing in this Act or in any other Law or Statute contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. Same Powers to the Lord Mayor, &c. and Justices of Peace of and in London.

The aforesaid Oaths to be made by Persons not interested being Housekeepers.

Provided alwayes, and bee it further Enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That all that by vertue of this Act is to be done by the Justices of the Peace at their Quarter-Sessions in their severall Countyes shall be done and performed in like manner in the City of London in the Months of October and Aprill yearely by the Maior Aldermen and Justices of Peace there and that the persons makeing such Oaths shall be noe Corne-Chandler Mealman Factor Merchant or other person [interested (fn. 3) ] in such Corne soe to be Imported but shall be some Substantiall House-keepers. liveing in Midlesex or Surrey qualified as aforesaid.

ITEM quedam Petitiones privatas personas concernentes in se formam Actus continentes exhibite fuerunt p[re]dicto Domino Regi in Parliamento predicto quorum tituli subscribuntur videlicet.

An Act to enable the Inhabitants of the Parish of Saint Anne within the Liberty of Westminster to raise Money to build a Church to be the parish Church there.

An Act for repealing a Clause for dividing of Com[m]oms in an Act of Parlyament made in the fifteenth yeare of King Charles the Second entituled An Act for setleing the dreyning of the Great Levell of the Fenns called Bedford Levell.

An Act to enable James Lord Butler of Moore-Parke and Earle of Ossory in the Kingdome of Ireland to make a joynture to such Woman as he shall marry.

An Act for the naturalization of John Esselbron Otto Geertz David Becceler and others.

An Act for rebuilding of the Earle of Powis's House in Lincolns-Inne-Fields lately demolished by fire.

An Act for the conveyance of Fresh water through severall grounds unto the City of Rochester.

An Act for naturalizing Magdalen Pellasary and others.

An Act for the naturalizing of James Dufay Theodore Janssen and others.

An Act to enable Edward Meller Esquire to sell Lands for payment of debts.

An Act for erecting a new Parish to be called The Parish of Saint James within the Liberty of Westminster.

An Act for the repair of the Cathedrall Church of Bangor and for the maintenance of the Choire there and for the augmentation of the Revenue of the Bishoprick of Bangor and [alsoe (fn. 4) ] for an augmentation of severall Vicarages within the Comportions of Landinum in the diocesse of Bangor aforesaid.