William and Mary, 1694: An Act for granting to their Majesties a Subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage and other summs of money payable upon Merchandizes exported and imported [Chapter I Rot. Parl. pt. 1.]

12 Car. II. c. 4.; Tonnage and Poundage given for 5 Years; 12 Car. II. c. 4. in force for 5 Years.

The Co[m]mons assembled in Parliament reposeing trust and confidence in your Majesties for the guarding and defending of the Seas against all persons who shall attempt to invade this your Realme or to disturb your Subjects in their Trade and Commerce towards the defraying the necessary charge thereof and alsoe for the better enableing your Majesties to prosecute the present War against the French King with vigour have cheerfully and unanimously given and granted and doe hereby give and grant unto your Majesties the subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage and other su[m]ms of money given and granted unto His late [Maesty (fn. 1) ] King Charles the Second for his Life by an Act of Parliament made in the Twelfth yeare of his Reigne entituled A subsidy granted to the King of Tunnage and Poundage and other su[m]ms of money payable upon Merchandize exported and imported according to the rates in the said Act mentioned and rules and orders thereunto annexed (other then such concerning which it is otherwise provided or ordained by any Act made in the last or in this present Parliament) and doe most humbly beseech your Majesties that it may bee enacted. And bee it enacted by the King and Queens most excellent Majesties by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Co[m]mons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same That the aforesaid subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage and other su[m]ms of money payable upon Merchandize bee levied collected and paid unto their Majesties for the terme of Five yeares and noe longer to commence on the Twenty sixth day of December in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety foure and that the aforesaid Act and every Article Rule and Clause therein menc[i]oed and alsoe an Order of the Commons in Parliament assembled made in pursuance of the Rules and Orders annexed to the aforesaid Act for settling of Officers Fees dated the Seventeenth of May One thousand six hundred sixty two and signed by Sir Edward Turner then Speaker shall bee of full force and effect to all intents and purposes dureing the said terme of Fives yeares as fully and in like manner as if the same were particularly and att large recited and sett downe in the body of this Act.

II. 12 Car. II. c. 19.

14 (13 & 14) Car. II. c. 11; 22 Car. II. c. 13; 25 Car. II. c. 6; c. 7; 1 Jac. II. c. 19. In force for Five Years.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That an Act of Parliament made in the Twelfth year of the Reigne of the said King Charles the Second entituled An Act to prevent Frauds and Concealments of his Majesties Customes and Subsidies As alsoe an Act made in the Fourteenth yeare of the Reigne of the said late King entituled An Act for preventing Frauds and regulateing Abuses in his Majesties Customes and alsoe An Act made in the Two and twentieth yeare of the Reigne of the said late King Charles the Second entituled An Act for Improvement of Tillage and the Breed of Cattel and alsoe one other Act made in the Twenty fifth year of the Reigne of the said late King Charles the Second entituled An Act for takeing off Aliens Duty upon Comodities of the Growth Product and Manufacture of the Nation and alsoe one other Act made in the said. Twenty fifth yeare of the said late King Charles the Second entituled An Act for the encouragement of the Greenland and Eastland Trades and for the better secureing the Plantation Trade and alsoe one other Act made in the First yeare of the late King James the Second entituled An additional Act for improvement of Tillage bee of full Force and Effect dureing the said terme of Five yeares.

III. Proviso for the said Acts.

Provided neverthelesse and be it declared and enacted That nothing herein contained shall bee construed or taken to determine any Articles or Clauses in any of the before mentioned Acts which were appointed and intended to bee perpetual or which are continued by any Act of Parliament for any time which will not expire within the said terme of Five yeares but that the same and every of them shall continue and remaine in force as if this present Act had not been made But such of the said Acts and such Clauses in any of them as would otherwise determine within the said terme of Five yeares shall hereby bee revived and stand continue and bee in force for the said terme of Five yeares onely and noe longer.

IV. Goods imported and not landed upon 25th Dec. to pay Duty.

Provided neverthelesse and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That if any Goods Wares or Merchandizes shall happen to bee imported into this Kingdome upon the Five and twentieth day of December One thousand six hundred ninety foure and not landed or put on shore upon the said Day all the said Goods soe imported and not landed shall bee subject unto like Duties Rates Payments and Penalties as if the same had been imported after the comencement of this Grant any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. Commissioners and Officers of Customs to take Oath of Execution of Act.

Patent Officers and their Deputies, &c. to take the said Oaths; Neglecting, &c. to take the said Oath, Forfeiture of Office.

And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That Two of their Majesties Commissioners of the Customs first named in the Commission whereby they are now authorized to act shall respectively take their Corporal Oaths before the Chancellor or Chief Baron of the Exchequer or Master of the Rolls for the time being which they and every of them respectively are hereby authorized and required to administer to them on or before the First day of January next ensueing for the true and faithfull execution to the best of their knowledge and power of their several respective Trusts co[m]mitted to their Charge and Inspection and that they will not take or receive any Reward or Gratuity directly or indirectly other then their respective Salaries and what is or shall bee allowed them from the Crowne or the regular Fees established by Law for any Service done or to bee done in the execution of their employment in the Customs on any Account whatsoever And every other of the said Commissioners and the Patent Officers and every of their Deputies Clerks or Servants and all other Officers who have or shall have any employment in or about their Majesties Customes within the Port of London shall before the First day of February next ensueing or att their respective Admissions hereafter to their respective employments take the said Oath before any Two Commissioners of the Customes who are hereby authorized to administer the same unto them after they shall themselves have taken the said Oath as aforesaid And all and every [such (fn. 2) ] other Patent Officers and every of their Deputies Clerks or Servants and all other Officers who have or shall have any employment in or about their Majesties Customs in the Out Ports or elsewhere shall before the Five and twentieth day of March next ensueing or att their respective admissions into their respective employments take the said Oath before Two Justices of the Peace in the County Towne or Place where his or their employments shall bee who are hereby authorized and required to administer the same accordingly And when any new Commission shall bee att any time hereafter made or granted for the constituteing of Commissioners of the Customes the said Oath shall bee administered and taken in like manner by the several and respective new Comissioners as is before directed And if any of the said Co[m]missioners or Officers their Deputies Clerks or Servants shall neglect or refuse to take the said Oath in such manner as is hereby directed and appointed every such person soe refuseing or neglecting shall forfeit such his Office or Employment.

VI. Taking Oath to be certified to Quarter Sessions.

And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That the persons hereby respectively authorized and required to administer the Oath hereby appointed to bee taken shall certifie the takeing thereof to the next General Quarter Sessions of the Peace to bee held for the County City or Place where such Oath shall bee administred and taken which Certificate shall bee recorded and kept amongst the Rolls of the said General Quarter Sessions.

VII. Debentures, &c. due since 24th Dec. to be paid.

And least any doubt should arise by the intermission or discontinuance of the duties hereby granted whether Debentures for any Goods and Merchandize exported or any Allowances or Abatements for any damage or defects upon any Goods or Merchandize imported or for Over-entries which according to the ordinary course of the Customes ought to have been made or paid shall bee due and payable out of the duties hereby granted It is hereby further enacted That all such Debentures Allowances and Abatements as have incurred or growne due according to the co[m]mon Rules and Course of the Customs since the Foure and twentieth day of December in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred and ninety shall still remaine due and payable and bee allowed in their ordinary course as if noe such intermission or discontinuance had been made.