William and Mary, 1694: An Act for explaineing and regulateing several Doubts Duties and Penalties in the late Act for granting several Duties...and for ascertaineing the Admeasurement of the Tunnage of Ships [Chapter XII. Rot. Parl. pt. 4. nu. 2.]

Recital that Doubts had arisen on 5 & 6 W. & M. c. 21.

Recognizances before Justice of Peace, Copies of Surrenders, Marriage Certificates of Seamen's Widows, Proceedings of Court Martial on Common Soldier, Decrees, &c. of Commissioners of Sewers and Court of Stannaries exempted from Stamp Duties;

Whereas several doubts and difficulties are arisen upon the interpretation of several Clauses in an Act of Parliament made in the Fifth and Sixth yeares of the reigne of their Majesties King William and Queen Mary intituled An Act for granting to their Majesties several duties upon Velum Parchment and Paper for Four yeares towards carrying on the Warr against France. For ( (fn. 1) ) explaining and remedying the said doubts and difficulties Bee it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majestie by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliam assembled and by authority of the same That the said Act nor any clause therein contained shall bee construed to charge with any duty specified in the said Act any warrant made by or recognizance taken before any Justice or Justices of the Peace or any surrender of any Coppyhold Estate or Coppies for such Estate or any certificate of marriage of Widdow of any Seaman or any proceedings of any Court Marshall which relate to [the (fn. 2) ] tryal of any common Soldier or any orders decrees or proceedings before any Commissioners of Sewers or in the Court of Stannaries but the said warrants recognizances surrenders coppies certificates orders decrees and proceedings shall and are hereby declared to bee exempted from the payment of any the duties mentioned in the said Act.

II. Also Degree in the University.

And bee it further enacted and declared by the authority aforesaid That the clause in the said Act whereby the duty of Forty shillings is laid upon the register or entry of any degree in any of the two Universities shall not extend to charge with the said duty of Forty shillings the register or entry of any Batchelor of Arts who is hereby exempted from the payment thereof.

III. Also Commissions of Rebellion.

And bee it further enacted and declared by the authority aforesaid That the clause in the said Act whereby the duty of Forty shillings is laid upon Letters Patents shall not extend to Commissions of Rebellion in Processe but that the Commissions of Rebellion shall bee and are hereby exempted from the said duty of Forty shillings.

IV. Also Admittance of Officers in inferior Courts, &c.

And bee it further enacted and declared by the authority aforesaid That the clause in the said Act whereby the duty of Forty shillings is laid upon Admittances of Officers in any Court whatsoever shall not bee extended to charge any annual Officer in any Corporation or inferiour Court whose Office is under the value of Tenn pounds per annum in salaries fees or other perquisitts but the said annual Officer is hereby exempted and discharged from the said duty.

V. Sea Officers to pay as Land Officers.

And bee it further enacted and declared by the authority aforesaid That the Officers att sea shall pay the same duty that the Officers ( (fn. 3) ) att land pay and noe more Any thing in the said Act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

VI. £500 Penalty charged into £5.

And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That the penalty of Five hundred pounds mentioned in the said Act shall noe longer stand and bee in force but is hereby altered and changed into the penalty of Five pounds onely and that for the future in all cases where by the said Act the offender was to forfeit Five hundred pounds hee shall forfeit no more then Five pounds to bee recovered with Costs of Suit any thing in the said Act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

VII. Persons who have incurred £500 Penalty, pardoned.

And be it further enacted and declared by the authority aforesaid That all persons that have already incurred the said penalty of Five hundred pounds upon any clause in the said Act ( (fn. 4) ) and are hereby pardoned indempnified and discharged from the said forfeiture of Five hundred pounds and every part thereof and of and from any prosecution thereupon Any thing in the said Act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

VIII. Prices to be annually set by Treasury, and stamped upon the Parchment.

£6 per Cent. Allowance for ready Money.

And for the better distribution of the said Velum Parchment and Paper and that the Subjects may have the same with more conveniency and att an easier rate then formerly Bee it enacted by the authority aforesaid That the Lord High Tresurer of England or Commissioners of his Majesty's Tresury for the time being shall once in the yeare att least sett the prices of all sorts of stampt Velum Parchment and Paper that it shall bee sold att And that the Co[m]missioners appointed for putting the said Act in execution shall stamp the said price soe sett upon every [piece or skin (fn. 5) ] of Velum or Parchment or sheet or piece of paper soe by them to bee sold And that the said Co[m]missioners shall likewise allow and pay to every person that shall bring Velum Parchment or Paper to bee stampt (the duty whereof shall amount to the sum of Ten pounds or upwards) after the rate of Six pounds in the Hundred pounds per annum for Three months upon present payment of the said duty upon the said Velum Parchment & Paper soe by them brought And that any persons that shall buy of the said Commissioners or their Agents Velum Parchment or Paper the Duty whereof amounts to the like su[m]m of Ten pounds or upwards shall have the same allowance of Six pounds in the hundred pounds.

IX. Recital of Inconveniences arising from 5 & 6 W. & M. c. 20.

Another Way of measuring Ships appointed.

And whereas great inconveniences and discouragements to Trade and Navigation are found by admeasuring of Ships and Vessels according to the Act made in the Fifth and Sixth yeares of the reigne of King William and Queen Mary intituled An Act for granting to their Majesties several rates and duties upon Tunnage of Ships and Vessels and upon Beer Ale and other Liquors for securing certain Recompences and Advantages in the said Act mentioned to such persons as shall voluntarily advance the sum of Fifteen hundred thousand pounds towards carrying on the War against France Bee it enacted That from and after the First day of June in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety five all Ships and Vessells shall bee measured in order to the paying the duty imposed by the said Act by taking the length of the Keel of every Ship or Vessel soe much as she treads on the Ground and the breadth to bee taken within Board by the Midshipp Beam from Plank to Plank and halfe that breadth shall bee accounted for the depth, of every Ship or Vessell then multiply the length by the breadth and the product thereof by the depth and divide the whole by Ninety foure and the quotient shall give the true contents of the Tunnage which such Ship shall pay for Any thing in the said recited Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

X. Tunnage Coastwise shall be paid only for Goods actually laden.

And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That from and after the said First day of June there shall not bee raised levied collected or paid for the use of his Majestie his Heires or Successors for the Tunnage of any Shipp or Vessell within the time in the said Act mentioned trading Coastwise any other or greater su[m]m or rate then for soe many Tuns of Goods as are or shall be [actually (fn. 6) ] laden on board such Shipp or Vessell Any thing in the said Act contained to the contray thereof in any wise notwithstanding.