September 1654: An Ordinance for bringing Several branches of the Revenue under the managing and Government of the Commissioners for the Treasury and Court of Exechequer.

September, 1654

[2 September, 1654.]

Branches of the Publique Revenue not now under the management of the Commissioners for the Treasury or Court of Exchequer.; The said several branches of the Revenue shall be under the Survey and Government of the Court of Exchequer.

Whereas the Duty of Excise and New Impost, the Moneys arising by Prize-goods, the Rents, Issues, Profits and Moneys, due and arising out of the sequestred Estates of Delinquents, and of the two third parts of the Estates of Popish Recusants, the money arising by the monethly Assesments, and some other branches of the present Revenue of His Highness the Lord Protector and the Common-wealth, have not been, or at this time are not under the managing and Government of the Commissioners of the Treasury and Court of Exchequer, To the end therefore that the said Revenues may be managed and improved to the best advantage, the Moneys arising thereby may be duly answered and accompted for, the persons therein concerned may the better and more orderly be discharged, Be it Declared and Ordained by His Highness the Lord Protector, by and with the advice and consent of His Council, That the said Excise and new Impost, the Moneys arising by Prize-goods, the Rents, Issues, Profits and Moneys, due and arising out of the Sequestred Estates of Delinquents, and of the two third parts of the Estates of Recusants, the Ninety thousand pounds per mensem, for the latter three moneths Assessments, to commence from the twenty ninth day of September, One thousand six hundred fifty and four, to the twenty fifth day of December, then next following, and all other Assessments for the future; and other branches of the Revenue as aforesaid, and every of them, shall from henceforth be under the Survey, Regulation and Government of the Court of Exchequer, and be managed, improved, charged, levied and accompted for, in the method, maner, and way of the said Court of Exchequer, according to such Orders, Rules and Directions, as the Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being, or any two or more of them, or the Treasurer, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, which hereafter shall be, shall limit and appoint; save that the said latter three moneths Assessment shall be taxed, levied, collected and paid in, according to the Ordinance in that behalf, and shall be issued out according to such Orders and Directions as the Committee for the Army shall receive from the Commissioners for the Treasury, Any former Order or Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding.

Commissioners of the Treasury, &c. have power to grant Leases.; How such Leases shall pass.

And it is likewise Declared and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being, or any two or more of them, and the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, which hereafter shall be, shall have power, and are hereby fully authorized, for, and in the name of His Highness the Lord Protector and His Successors, for such Fines, and under such Rents and Covenants, as to them shall seem most advantagious for the service of His Highness and the Commonwealth (so as the Fines to be taken do not exceed two years value of the Rent to be reserved from time to time) to grant, set, and to farm let by Lease or Leases, to any person or persons whatsoever, for any time or number of years, not exceeding the term of three lives, or one and twenty years, all or any the Manors, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, of or belonging to Delinquents under Sequestration, not exposed to sale, and the two third parts of all or any the Manors, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, of or belonging to Popish Recusants, not exposed to sale as aforesaid, if the right and interest of such Delinquents and Recusants respectively shall so long continue; which said Lease and Leases so to be granted as aforesaid, shall pass either under the Great Seal, or under the Seal of His Highness Court of Exchequer, by Warrant under the hands of the Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being or any two or more of them, or under the hands of the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, that hereafter shall be, and shall be enrolled, and the Rent thereupon to be reserved shall be charged either with the Clerk of the Pipe or with such Auditors or other Officers onely, and none other, as the said Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being, or any two or more of them, or the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, that hereafter shall be, shall order and appoint. And after such passing and inrolment, the said Lease and Leases shall be good, effectual and available in the Law, to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever, according to the tenor, purport and true meaning of them.

To whom the Fines and rents shall be paid.; Rents unpaid and Arrears, may be levyed as other Revenues of the Crown have been.

And be it moreover Declared and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every Fine and Fines, Rent and Rents, to be raised and reserved in and by such Lease and Leases as aforesaid, shall from time to time, as the same shall accrue and become due and payable, be answered and paid to the use of His Highness and His Successors, either at the Receipt of His Highness Exchequer, or to such other Officer or person as shall by His Highness or his Successors be appointed to receive the same, and be answerable and accomptable for it in the way and course of the Exchequer as aforesaid; And in case any the said Rents shall not be answered and paid accordingly, that then it shall and may be lawful to and for the Officers of His Highness Court of Exchequer, and such person and persons as shall be thereunto authorized and appointed, to take and use all such lawful ways and means for levying and bringing in the same, and the arrears thereof (if any shall be) as have been heretofore used for levying and bringing in other the Revenues of the Crown.

And whereas likewise divers persons have been trusted and imployed as Commissioners, with managing Estates; and divers Lands, Estates and Rents, have by several Ordinances and Acts of Parliament been exposed to sale, and several sums of money, either by doubling, or otherwise, have been charged upon the security of those Lands, and also sundry Officers and persons imployed in and about the same, who have received, and do expect to receive their salaries from the Commonwealth.

Power to quicken Officers, dismiss such as are unnecessary, regulate and setle salaries, and to call them to an Accompt.; Persons now imployed are to proceed till other Order.

And whereas also divers sums of money for Fines upon the Compositions of persons admitted to compound, and also upon the purchase of several Lands and Rents exposed to Sale, and by sundry other ways and means grown due, do stand out unpaid: Now to the end the persons who have any moneys charged as aforesaid, may receive due satisfaction, and the charges of officers and persons imployed, either taken off, or as much as may be reduced; Be it Declared and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the Commissioners of the Treasure for the time being, or any two or more of them, or the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, that hereafter shall be, shall have power, and are hereby fully authorized to require all and every Commissioners and other Officers imployed as aforesaid, to put in speedy execution the powers committed to them respectively, for the full and final dispatch of the service in their management, and to dismiss such of them as they shall not finde necessary to be longer imployed, and to regulate and setle the salaries and allowances of such as remain (which are not setled by Ordinance or Act of Parliament, or by Ordinance of His Highness and His Council, as they shall judge meet) and also to require of them and every of them from time to time, an accompt of their proceedings. And be it further Declared and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for all and every Commissioners, Officers and Ministers, now imployed in and about the Revenues, not heretofore under the regulation and government of the Court of Exchequer, or any part thereof, to proceed in the performance and execution of such powers and trusts as have been committed unto them, and are now in force, until they receive from the Commissioners of the Treasury, for the time being, or any two or more of them, or the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, that hereafter shall be, order and direction to the contrary, and no longer.

All Officers and others shall observe the Orders of the Commissioners of the Treasury, or the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

And lastly it is Declared and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every the Officers, Ministers, and persons whom it doth or may concern, shall observe and conform unto all such rules, orders and directions, as they shall from time to time receive from the Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being, or any two or more of them, or the Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer, that hereafter shall be, for, or concerning the charging, levying, paying and accompting for, all and every sum and sums of money whatsoever due and payable, or to be due and payable to His Highness and the Commonwealth.

Moneys shall not be issued in any other way then is appointed by the Ordinance of June 21, 1654.

Provided, that this Ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to the Issuing of any moneys out of the Receipt of His Highness Exchequer, in any other way then is limited and appointed by an Ordinance of His Highness the Lord Protector and His Council, Dated the Twenty first of June, One thousand six hundred fifty four, Entituled, An Ordinance for bringing the Publick Revenues of this Commonwealth, into one Treasury.