William and Mary, 1688: An Act for Review of the late Poll Granted to Their Majestyes and for an Additionall Poll towards the Reduceing of Ireland. [Chapter VII. Rot. Parl. pt. 3. nu. 6.]

Neglects and Defects in Execution of the said Act recited

1 W. & M. Sess. 1. c. 13.; Persons that were not duly assessed by the said Act to be assessed as they ought to have been.

WHEREAS in the late Session of this present Parliament their Majestyes most obedient and Loyall Subjects the Commons in Parlyament Assembled being Highly sensible of the Deplorable Condition of Their Majesties Protestant Subjects within Their Kingdome of Ireland Did most humbly Present to Their Majesties the Free Gift of the severall Summes of Money specified in an Act then made Entituled An Act for Raising Money by a Poll and otherwise towards the Reduceing of Ireland to be Levyed and Paid in such manner as was therein expressed And whereas by reason of severall Neglects and Defects in the Execution of the said Act great part of the Summes [soe (fn. 1) ] Given were not Assessed Levyed, Answered or paid to Their Majesties More particularly Persons were not Assessed or not fully Assessed for ready Money or for Debts oweing to them Persons who then were or formerly had beene Justices of Peace Sheriffes and Deputy Lieutenants were not Assessed as Esquires And many other Esquires or soe reputed or who had soe owned or wrote themselves were not Assessed as Esquires many Gentlemen or soe reputed or who had soe owned or written themselves And particularly diverse of the Clergy who ought to have beene Assessed as Gentlemen were not soe Assessed And great numbers were not Assessed One shilling for their Polls Whereas each and every Person of what Age Sex or Condition soever whether otherwise Charged by the said Act or not (Except such as received Parish Almes and their Children being under the Age of Sixteene years And Children under the Age of Sixteene yeares of Day-Labourers and Servants in Husbandry And others who by reason of their Poverty were exempted from Contributing to the Church and Poore Or Children under the Age of Sixteene yeares Or such as had Foure or more Children and were not worth the Su[m]me of Fifty pounds) ought to have beene Assessed and to have paid One shilling to Their Majesties And diverse other Persons have not beene Assessed or not fully and duly Assessed for their Personall Estates Offices Employments Orders Rancks Degrees and Titles and other things Charged by the said Act Bee it therefore Enacted by the King and Queens most Excellent Majestyes by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled and by Authoritie of the same That all and singular the Persons and Things that were not Assessed and Taxed or not fully and duely Assessed and Taxed as they ought to have beene by vertue and according to the true intent and meaning of the said Recited Act shall be Assessed and Taxed as they ought to have beene by the said former Act soe as that all and every the Summe and Summes of Money Given Granted and Intended to be Levyed by the said Act may be duly and fully Levyed Answered and paid unto Their Majesties according to the Rules and Methods and true Intent of the said Act

II. Traders and Artificers, of Estates of £300 per Annum and upwards.

Officers of Courts of Law and Equity; Officers of Ecclesiasticall Courts to pay 20s. over and aboveall other Sums assessed upon them.

And bee it further Enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That every Tradesmen Shopkeeper and Artificer within the Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede haveing an Estate of the cleare Value of Three hundred Pounds or upwards And alsoe all Philizers Attourneys Sollicitors Clerks in Chauncery Exchequer and other Courts of Law or Equity Proctors and other Officers of any their Majesties Courts Ecclesiasticall or Civill and who have not already by vertue of the said recited Act beene Taxed and Paid as Gentlemen or for some higher Title shall pay unto Their Majesties the Summe of Twenty shillings over and above all other Summes charged upon him or them to be Assessed Taxed Collected levyed and Paid in such manner and by such meanes and wayes as is appointed concerning the Persons and Things Summe and Summes herein before mentioned

III. Clergymen, &c. having a Living or Contribution of £300 per Ann. to pay as Gentlemen.

And bee it further Enacted That every Clergyman and every Preacher or Teacher in any Congregation whatsoever who hath not by vertue of the said recited Act paid as a Gentleman or for some higher Title and hath an Estate in any Ecclesiasticall Benefice or Contribution or otherwise to the value of Three hundred pounds shall pay as a Gentleman

IV. Certain Number of Commissioners appointed by c. 1. ante, to execute this Act.

1 W. & M. Sess. 1. c. 13.; Persons acting under this Act entitled to the Benefits, and liable to the Penalties of the said Act.

And bee it further Enacted That for the more effectuall putting this Act in Execution soe many of the Persons named and appointed to be Commissioners by an Act of this present Session of Parliament Entituled An Act for a Grant to Their Majesties of an Aid of Two shillings in the pound for One Yeare as by Their said Majestyes under the Great Seale of England shall be Nominated and Appointed for that purpose shall be and are hereby Constituted and Appointed to be Commissioners for the Execution of this present Act within the severall and respective Countyes Citties Burroughs and Places for which they are appointed Commissioners and shall have and execute like Powers and Authorities Rules and Directions for and concerning the Premisses as any Commissioners had or ought to have executed by vertue of the aforesaid Act Entituled An Act for Raising Money by a Poll and otherwise towards the reduceing of Ireland, And all and every Person and Persons who shall be lyable to or any way concerned or imployed in the Assessing Collecting Levying Receiveing or Paying any of the Moneys by this Act appointed to be Assessed Taxed Levyed Answered or Paid shall have like Benefitts Advantages and Discharges and shall be subject to like Penalties and Forfeitures in case of neglect or refusall to pay the Summes that shall hereupon be Assessed or Charged or to performe their respective Duties as in such Case any Person or Persons by vertue of the said former Act Entituled An Act for Raising Money by a Poll and otherwise towards the reduceing of Ireland ought to have or be subject unto as fully and amply as if all and every the Clauses Matters and Things in the said Act contained for such purpose had beene againe in this Act repeated and enacted particularly.

V. Commissioners to meet 4th of March 1689.

Monies assessed paid to Receivers of Counties 10th May 1689; and by them paid into the Exchequer 10th June following.

And bee it further enacted That the respective Commissioners shall meete together at the most usuall place of meeting at or before the Fourth day of March One thousand six hundred eighty nine And that the said Summe and Summes of Money shall be Assessed Collected Levied and Paid unto the Receiver of the severall Counties and Places appointed or to be appointed by Their Majesties on or before the Tenth day of May One thousand six hundred and ninety and by them Answered and Paid into Their Majestyes Exchequer upon or before the Tenth day of June then next ensueing.

VI. Persons doubly charged;

on Certificate by Commissioners granted without Fee, and on Oath of such Certificate, discharged.

Provided alwayes That if any Person or Persons by reason of his or their haveing severall Mansion Houses or Places of Residence or otherwise hath beene or shall be doubly charged by occasion of this Act or of the said former Act Entituled An Act for Raising Money by a Poll or otherwise towards the reduceing of Ireland Then upon Certificate made by Two or more of the Commissioners for the County City or Place of his or their last personall Residence under their Hands and Seales of the Su[m]m or Summes charged upon him or them and in what Capacity or Respect he or they were soe Charged (which Certificate the said Commissioners are required to give without Delay Fee or Reward) and upon Oath made of such Certificate before any one Justice of the Peace of the County or Place where the said Certificate shall be made (which Oath the said Justice of Peace is hereby Authorized and Required to Administer) then the Person and Persons soe doubly Charged shall for soe much as shall be soe Certified be discharged in every other County City or Place.