August 1649: An Act for taking the Accompts belonging to the Navy and Customs.

August, 1649

[8 August, 1649.]

Commissioners of the Customs, &c., to accompt before the Auditor of the Prests.

Whereas the Receipts of the Customs and Subsidy rising upon Goods and Merchandize Exported and Imported, and other Revenues appointed for the Maintenance of the Navy, having been by several Acts and Ordinances of this present Parliament, committed to the care and management of several persons as Commissioners and Collectors thereof; whose Accompts, as also the Accompts of the Collectors for Prize-Goods, the Treasurer and Victuallers for the Navy, the Lieutenant and other Officers of the Ordnance and several other Officers relating to the Service of the Navy, and the Revenues, Stores and Provisions thereof, do for the most part of them remain unperfected, and are like still so to do, if some speedy and effectual course be not taken for dispatch thereof in a setled and orderly way: For remedy whereof, and to the end the Commonwealth may receive satisfaction con cerning the Issuings and Disbursements of the said Receipts and Revenues; and that the persons trusted therein, that have or shall faithfully discharge the trust to them respectively committed, may be thereof fully acquitted and discharged; and contrariwise, those that have not, nor shall discharge their trust therein, may be duly proceeded against; Be it therefore Enacted by this present Parliament, and by the Authority thereof, That all and every person or persons who since the sitting of this present Parliament, have been, or at any time hereafter shall be by Parliament appointed Commissioners and Collectors of the Customs, Subsidies, and other Revenues within England and Wales, and the Town and Port of Berwick, Collectors for PrizeGoods, Treasurer and Victuallers for the Navy, Lieutenant, or any other Officers of the Ordnance, and all other Officers and persons whatsoever, relating to the Service of the Navy, or any the Receipts thereunto set apart or assigned, and the Stores and Provisions thereof, that have not as yet accompted, or having begun their Accompts, shall not at the time of the passing of this present Act, have perfected the same, shall and are hereby required forthwith to accompt, and so from time to time for the future, before the Auditors of the Prests that now are, or which shall be appointed by Authority of Parliament, for all such sum and sums of Money, Ammunition or other Stores or provisions belonging to the Navy, Prize-goods, or other Wares or Merchandize, or other things whatsoever, belonging to the Commonwealth, by them and every of them respectively received or collected, or to their respective charge, care or trust committed, or come unto their hands; and of their Disbursements, Payments, Issuings and Dispositions thereof respectively, according to the Warrants, Vouchers and Discharges in that behalf appointed by authority an ddirection of Parliament.

Committee of Accompts to deliver the said Auditors all Accompts Inventories, &c.

And for the better enabling the said Auditors to proceed in the taking and auditing of the said Accompts, and to charge or surcharge all and every the said persons by this Act accomptable with such sums of Money, and other Provisions, Stores and other Goods, for which by the respective trusts to them committed as aforesaid, they stand accomptable to the Commonwealth; Be it hereby further Enacted and Ordained, That the Committee theretofore authorized by Parliament, for taking the general Accompts of the Kingdom, their Deputies, Sub-committee, Registers and Clerks, the Remembrancers and Clerks of the Exchequer, all Customers, Comptrollers, Collectors and other Officers for the Customs, and all Cheque-Officers and Comptrollers upon any the Receipts, Collections, Provisions, Stores and other Goods aforesaid; as also all Commissioners, Subcommissioners, Collectors; Auditors or Comptroller of the Excize, separated and distinguished for the Service of the Navy, do forthwith, and from time to time deliver unto the said Auditors of the Prests, all Books of Accompts, Blank Books, Inventories, Apprizements, Books of Cheque and Comptrol, and all other Writings whatsoever, relating to the premises, as remain in their custody, whereby the said Auditors of the Prests may be enabled to charge the Accompts of the said several persons by this Act accomptable respectively, with such sum and sums of Money, Provisions, Stores and other Goods, as they and every of them ought justly to be charged with, and for which they stand accomptable to the Commonwealth.

Accompts taken to be declared in the Exchequer; Quietus.

And be it hereby further Enacted and Ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the said Accompts so taken and audited, and hereafter to be taken and audited by the said Auditors of the Prests, shall be declared before the Barons of the Court of the publique Exchequer, in such way and maner as formerly they used to be declared before the Lord Treasurer, or Commissioners for the Treasury for the time being, Chancellor and Barons of the Exchequer; and when declared, they shall be by the said Auditors of the Prests transmitted to the Clerk of the Pipe, to be by him ingrossed upon the great Roll of the Pipe, or Roll of Forein Accompts, according to the usual course and custom of the Exchequer; and the Clerk of the Pipe is hereby authorized and required to give such Discharges and Quietus est to all the said Accomptants that shall finish and perfect their Accompts, to charge the Supers depending upon any of the said Accompts, and to do and perform all other thing and things concerning the same, as hath been heretofore usually done in the like kinde, according to the ancient course and custom of the said Court of the publique Exchequer; and if it shall happen that any the said person or persons, or the Executors Administrators or Assigns of any such person or persons that ought to accompt as aforesaid, shall not enter upon their respective accompts before the said Auditors of the Prests, and pay in all the moneys in their hands unto the Treasurer of the Navy, or having entred upon the same, shall not perfect the same, That then such proceedings shall be had against all such person or persons aforesaid, as heretofore hath been accustomed, according to the ancient course and custom of the Exchequer.

Plead

Provided always, That this Act or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to the hindring of any of the aforesaid person or persons from pleading to their several charges, where there may be just matter of plea, but that the same course shall be continued therein, as heretofore hath been used, according to the ancient course and custom of the said Court of the publique Exchequer.