March 1643: An Ordinance for repayment of 20000l. to the Commissioners of the Customes formerly lent by them for the Navy.

March 1643

[25 March, 1643.]

Commissioners to repay themselves £20,000 out of Customs with interest.; And not to be dismissed without Order of Parliament until repaid; Commissioners to defalk quarterly £2,500, and other allowances during employment

Whereas Thomas Andrews, John Fowke, Richard Chambers, and William Berkley, Aldermen of the City of London, Maurice Thompson, Francis Allen, James Russell, and Stephen Estwick Merchants, according to divers propositions voted and assented unto by the Honourable House of Commons the 14 of January last, are by an Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, Ordained and constituted to be Collectors or Commissioners, enabled to receive all such summes of money as shall at any time hereafter be paid for customs, or advanced by way of Loane, or otherwise for and in respect of goods and Merchandizes exported out of, and imported into the port of London, and all other ports within the Realme of England, dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick, and have advanced by way of Loane for the supply of the pressing necessities of the Navy the summe of twenty thousand pounds lawfull money. It is now ordeined by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, that the said Commissioners shall repay unto themselves by way of defalcation out of the one half of the said Receipts the aforesaid summe of 20000l., with interest for the same after the rate of 8l. per cent. for a yeare, at the end of six moneths next to be elapsed and expired, to be accounted from the one and twentieth day of January last when the said money was paid. It is likewise ordeined by the said Lords and Commons, that the said Commissioners shall continue in the said employment for one entire yeare, to begin from the 25 of March 1643. And shall not be displaced nor dismissed from the said imployment without Order of both Houses of Parliament, nor untill they be reimbursed the said 20000l. advanced and lent as aforesaid, and all other summe and summes of money which they shall at any time or times here after further advance, or disburse with interest, after the rate of 8l. per cent. per annum for the same, and be likewise paid all such allowance and salary for the said service as shall be in areare and unpaid at the time of such their dismission and discharge. And that the said Commissioners shall quarterly defalke the summe of two thousand five hundred pounds and all such other allowances as the former Commissioners have had out of the said Collections and receipts, for their performance of the service aforesaid, during the whole time of their said imployment and shall be allowed the same upon their accompts, and as for all payments to be from time to time made by the said Commissioners or their Deputies aswell to Merchants and others for customes of goods exported which formerly were imported according to the orders annexed to the last Booke of rates, as also to Clerks and every other person which they shall find necessary to be imployed in this service under them the said Commissioners or their deputy or deputies by their appointment and Order shall issue the said payments out of the receipts aforesaid and be likewise allowed the same in their Accompts.