Charles II, 1662: An Act for repairing of Dover Harbour.

Recital that Dover Harbour hath been much broken and decayed;

and that His Majesty had bestowed a great Sum of Money in Repairs, but that further Money was wanted. For keeping the same in Repair according to 1 Jac. 1. c. 32. A Tonnage Duty on certain Ships herein mentioned. Exception of Colliers and certain other Vessels. Duty on Coals, Grindstones, &c. to be paid to the Officer of the Port from or at which the Vessel shall sail or arrive before Goods are loaded or unloaded.; Entry not allowed without Information on Oath of Burthen and Payment; to be allowed by Merchant to Master, &c. Officer to pay Monies received to Treasurer of the Harbour. Officer unduly making Entries; or not collecting the Duties, or not paying the same to the said Treasurer; Penalty £10.

WHEREAS it is found by long experience that Dover Harbour is and hath beene of very great use and benefit to the Merchants of this Realm and others passing through the Narrow Seas whereunto they have and do enter to avoid imminent danger of Tempests Pirates or the Common Enemy in time of Warr And whereas the said Harbour of late by Tempests and the violence of the Sea hath been much broken ruined and decayed and in great danger of being lost unlesse timely prevented by repairing thereof which cannot be without great charges and expences as well in the present repaire as in the future maintenance of the same Whereof His Majesty being informed and minding the good and safety of Merchants and Sea-faring men hath of late of his Majesties goodnes and liberality bestowed a great su[m]m of money in and about the repairing of the said Harbour which yet is not sufficient to carry on that worke and to secure it for the future And to the end that the same may be from time to time maintained and kept in good repaire for the use and benefit of Merchants and Seafaring men And that such provision for the maintainance thereof may now be made as by an Act of Parliament made in the First yeare of His Majesties Grand father King James of ever blessed memory hath been formerly done and provided for Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this p[re]sent Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Foure and twentieth day of June next ensueing dureing the space of Seven yeares thence next following there shall be paid by the Master or Owner of every Shipp Vessel or Crayer whereof any of His Majesties Subjects of England shall be Owners or Part owners of the burthen of Twenty Tuns or upwards and not exceeding the burthen of Two hundred and fifty Tun for every Voyage loading or discharging within this Realme or to or from any Foreign Country beyond the Seas and passing to or from London or for from to or by Dover or coming into the Harbour there not having a Cocquet testifying his payment before for that Voyage towards the repaire of Dover Harbour the su[m]m of Three pence for every Tun of the burthen of every such Ship Vessel or Crayer (except Vessels loaden with Seacoales or Grindstones or Purbeck or Portland stone) and for every Chaldron of Seacoles or Tun of Grindstones Penny halfe penny the same to be paid to the Customer or Collector of Customes or Subsidies or theire Deputies within this Realme in such Port from whence such Ship Vessel or Crayer shall set forth or where such Shipp Vessel or Crayer shall arrive before they load or unload the Goods therein the Accompt of the number of the said Tuns to be made according to the Entry of Goods in every such Shipp Vessel or Crayer in the Custome house and no Entry thereof to be allowed in any Office of Customes or Subsidies without true Information before made by Oath of the Master Owners or Shipper of such Shipp Vessel or Crayer concerning the burthen thereof and payment by him made of the su[m]ms aforesaid of which payment the Master Owner or Shipper paying the same shall have allowance of the Merchants according to the rate of the Goods in the same Ship Vessell or Crayer by way of Average And the Customer or Collector or his Deputy receiving the sums aforesaid or any of them shall disburse and pay the same from time to time to the Treasurer of the said Harbour for the time being or such person or persons as he shall assign to receive the same to be expended in and about the repaire of the said Harbour And every Customer or Comptroller or theire Deputies that shall make any Entries of Customes or Subsidies of any Goods in the said Ships Vessels or Crayers before such Information as aforesaid concerning the burthen thereof shall be made or before payment made of the su[m]ms before limited to be paid by this Act or shall make any wilfull default in not collecting the said su[m]ms or any of them or not paying the same over from time to time to the Treasurer of the said Harbour for the time being or such person or persons as he shall assign to receive the same as aforesaid shall forfeit to the use of the reparations of the said Harbour Ten pounds for every such default to be recovered by Action of Debt in any Court of Record by the Warden and Assistants of the said Harbour for the time being in which Suite no Essoign Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed.

II. Trinity House of London may inspect Repairs and Works; and may yearly require Accounts from Collectors and Treasurer.

Collectors and Treasurer not giving Accounts, or if Monies not duly disbursed, or Harbour sufficiently repaired; Proceedings.

Provided alwaies and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That it shall and may be lawfull to and for the Master and Wardens of the Trinity house of London for the time being to appoint such person or persons as they shall thinke fitt to inspect and oversee the repaires and workes to be made for the security of the said Harbour And that they may once every yeare during the terme of Seven yeares aforesaid require an Accompt of the respective Collectors of the Duties aforesaid and the Treasurer for the said Harbour for the time being of the monies by them respectively received by vertue of this Act and of the disbursements thereof And if the said Collectors and Treasurer shall not within six weeks next after demaund of such Accompt give in the same accordingly or if thereupon it shall appeare that the said money shall not be duly disbursed in and about the said repair and the works for the securing and maintenance of the said Harbour according to the intent of this Act or if the said Harbour shall within the time aforesaid be sufficiently repaired and secured that then the said Master and Wardens shall inform the Lords of His Majesties Privy Councel thereof who shall and may thereupon and to that purpose are hereby impowered to suspend or cause all and every further payments by vertue of this Act to cease and determine if they shall see cause

III. Proviso for Ships of Weymouth, Melcombe Regis, and Lime Regis, on Certificate brought.

Provided alwaies and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That all Ships and Vessells belonging to the Ports of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis and Lime Regis in the County of Dorset having a Peire and Cob of theire owne (which by reason of theire poverty at present they are not able to maintain) shall be exempt from contributing or paying any thing to the Harbour of Dover mentioned in this Act Any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding so as they shall bring Certificate made upon Oath before the Mayor and under the Common Seale of the said respective Corporations that the said Shipps and Vessels do properly belong thereunto And that the Inhabitants of the said respective Corporations are Owners of the major part of the said Vessels

IV. Not more than £22,000 to be raised.

Provided alwaies and be it hereby enacted That this Act or any thing herein contained shall not extend to authorize the Collection of more then the sum of Twenty two thousand pounds in the whole And then the said Collection to cease.