William III, 1697-8: An Act for the better and more orderly Payment of the Lottery Tickets now payable out of certain additional Duties of Excise and of other Annuities lately payable out of Tunnage Duties. [Chapter XXXVII. Rot. Parl. 9 Gul. III.p.6.n.6.]

(fn. 1) (fn. 2) 5 & 6 W. & M. c.7. § 34.

5 & 6 W. & M. c. 14. § 35; From the 15th May 1698, the Duties of Excise of 5 & 6 W. & M.c.7. applied as herein mentioned; How the subsequent or growing Produce of the said Duties to be applied; Course of Payment of the said Annuities; Officer making Payment contrary to the Tenor hereof: Penalty £100, and Loss of Office.

Whereas in and by one Act made in the Parliament holden at Westminster in the Fifth and Sixth Years of the Reign of His Majestie and the late Queen Mary of blessed Memory intituled An Act for granting to Their Majesties certain Rates and Duties upon Salt and upon Beer Ale and other Liquors for securing certain Recompences and Advantages in the said Act mentioned to such Persons as shal voluntarily advance the Sum of Ten hundred thousand Pounds towards carrying on the War against France it was amongst other things enacted That yearly and every Year reckoning the First Year to begin from the Five and twentieth day of March One thousand six hundred ninety four the full Sum of One hundred and forty thousand Pounds by or out of the Moneys to arise or to be made good as in that Act is mentioned should be a yearly Fond for answering or paying the Annuities therein mentioned and other the Purposes in that Act expressed and that the Persons who should be intituled to extraordinary Benefits as in the said Act is mentioned their Executors Administrators or Assigns should have and enjoy during the Term of Sixteen Years such Annuities as are therein mentioned out of the said yearly Fond by equal half yearly Payments at the Feasts of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary and S^t. Michael the Arch Angel or within Twenty Days after every or any such Feast Day the First Payment whereof was to be made at the Feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary One thousand six hundred ninety five or within Twenty Days then next ensuing and such Contributors or Adventurers as are mentioned in the said Act and in another Act of the said Parliament holden in the Fifth and Sixth Years of Their Majesties Reigns intituled An Act for raising Money by a Poll payable Quarterly for One Yeare for carrying on the War against France wherein there was an Explanation of the said former Act were to have and receive during the said Term for every Ten Pounds contributed or adventured One Pound by the Year out of the said Fond to be paid at the Feast of S^t. Michael the Arch-Angel in every Year or within Twenty Days after and the First Payment thereof was to be made at the Feast of S^t. Michael the Arch-Angel One thousand six hundred ninety five or within Twenty Days then next ensuing as by the said Act relation being thereunto had doth more fully appear Now to the intent that the Proprietors of the Annuities or other Benefits or Advantages granted or appointed by the said Acts or either of them and their Assigns may with better Order and more certainty receive the Money due to or to grow due upon their Tickets for the same Be it hereby declared and 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 present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Fifteenth Day of May One thousand six hundred ninety eight the Money arising and coming into the Exchequer of or for the Duties of Excise granted by the said first mentioned Act shal in the first Place be applicable and is hereby directed to be applied to pay and satisfy such of the said Annuities and the Tickets for the same which became due or payable at the Feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary One thousand six hundred ninety six or within Twenty Days after the same and are yet remaining unsatisfyed And in the Second Place the Produce of the said Duties shal be applicable and is hereby directed to be applied to pay and satisfie such of the said Annuities as became due or payable at the Feast of S^t. Michael the Arch-angel One thousand six hundred ninety seven or within Twenty Days after the same and are yet remaining unsatisfied And in the Third Place the Produce of the said Duties shal be applicable and is hereby directed to be applied for the paying and satisfying such of the said Annuities as became due and payable on the Five and twentieth day of March One thousand six hundred ninety eight or within Twenty days after the same and not otherwise Any thing in the said Act or any other Act or Acts contained to the contrary notwithstanding And that in respect to the subsequent or growing Produce of the said Duties of Excise the foregoing Arreares being first fully satisfyed and discharged or Money sufficient being reserved for the Payment thereof the said growing Produce shal be applicable and is hereby directed to be applied to satisfy and pay the said Half-yearly and yearly Annuities in course that is to say no Officer or Officers appointed to pay the said Annuities shall pay any Half-yearly or yearly Payment of the said Annuities until al and every Person and Persons intituled to such Annuities and Payments shal or may have had and received his her or their Annuities and Payments for the preceding Half year or Year for which publick Notice shal be given by hanging the same up in the most convenient publick Place in the said Office that the last preceding Half Year or Year is either fully paid or that the Money is ready in the Office for the Payment of such as have not timely brought in their respective Tickets or have not thought fit to call for their Money and in case any Officer shal offend herein by making any Payment contrary to the Tenour hereof or in any other manner than as aforesaid every such Officer shal forfeit his Office and shal for every such Offence forfeit the Sum of One hundred Pounds to such Person or Persons who shal sue for the same to be recovered by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information in any of His Majesties Courts of Record at Westminster wherein no Essoign Protection Priviledge Wager of Law Injunction or Order of Restraint or more than one Imparlance shall be granted or allowed And in the said Action the Plaintiff upon Recovery shall have Treble Costs.

II. How Benefit Tickets to be paid.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That for the more orderly Payment of the Lottery Tickets for the said Annuities the Tickets commonly called Benefit Tickets which became due at Lady Day One thousand six hundred ninety eight or within Twenty Days after the same shal be paid in Arithmetical Progression as they are numbred beginning at Number One and ending with the Number Two thousand five hundred and the Tickets for Twenty Shillings apiece commonly called Blank Tickets being due at Michaelmas One thousand six hundred ninety eight or within Twenty Days after the same shal also be paid in Arithmetical Progression as they are numbred beginning with Number One and so proceeding to and ending with the Number Ninety seven thousand five hundred and in the Year next following the Benefit Ticket shal be paid in an Arithmetical Progression descending (to wit) beginning with Number Two thousand five hundred and ending with the Number One and the said Tickets called Blank Tickets from [the (fn. 3) ] Number Ninety seven thousand five hundred inclusive to Number One Inclusive and so onwards in every subsequent Year during the said Term the said Tickets shal be paid in such alternate Course as aforesaid.

III. Not undue Preference if Officer pay subsequent Tickets first brought if Money reserved for preceding Ticket.

Provided That it shal not be interpreted any undue Preference to incur any Penalty in point of Payment if such Officer or Officers as are or shal be appointed to pay such Tickets as aforesaid to pay subsequent Tickets of Persons that come and demand their Moneys and bring their Tickets before other Persons that did not come and take their Moneys and bring their Tickets-in course so as there be so much Money reserved as will satisfy such preceding Ticket which Money shal not be otherwise disposed of but kept for them.

IV. How additional Excise Duties of 5 & 6 W.& M.c.7. appropriated.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the additional Duties of Excise granted by the said recited Act and which do or ought to come from time to time Weekly into the Exchequer as is thereby directed (the Salaries of the Officers and other incident Charges not exceeding Two thousand five hundred Pounds per Annum allowable by the said former Act only excepted) shal be and are hereby appropriated during the whole Term of Sixteen Years therein granted to the Payment of the said Annuities and the Tickets for the same until they be fully satisfyed Any thing in this or any other Act of Parliament contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. 5 & 6 W. & M. c. 20. §53.

Officers not to pay Annuities when preceding quarterly Payments unpaid; Notice fixed up in the Office; Officer offending; Loss of Office and Penalty £100.

And whereas [by (fn. 4) ] one Act made and passed in the Parliament holden the Fifth and Sixth Years of the Reign of His Majesty and the late Queen (of blessed Memory) 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 shal voluntarily advance the Sum of Fifteen hundred thousand Pounds towards carrying on the War against France certain Annuities for One Two or Three Lives have been purchased or obtained for the respective Considerations therein mentioned and are payable Quarterly out of Two Seventh Parts of the several Duties thereby granted and the Reversions of the said Annuities or some of them or further Interests therein have been or may be purchased by several subsequent Acts of Parliament in that behalf Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That from and after the Fifteenth Day of May One thousand six hundred ninety eight no Officer or Officers appointed to pay the said Annuities shal pay off any Quarterly Payment of the said Annuities upon any Order or Orders whatsoever until all and every Person and Persons intituled to the said Annuities and Payments shal or may have had and received his her or their Annuities and Payments for the precedent Quarter or Quarters and that Publick Notice shall be given from time to time by fixing openly a Paper in the Office for Payment of the said Annuities when the last precedent Quarter is fully paid ( (fn. 5) ) or the Money is ready in the Office for Payment of such as have not timely brought their respective Orders to be directed or have not thought fit to call for their Money and in case any Officer shal offend herein by making any Payment contrary to the Tenor hereof or in any other manner than as aforesaid every such Officer shal forfeit his Place and shal for every such Offence forfeit the Sum of One hundred Pounds to such Person or Persons who shal sue for the same to be recovered (besides Costs of Suit) in such manner as aforesaid.