November 1643: Additional Articles of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, to the Ordinance of Excise.

November 1643

[28 November, 1643.]

Additional Articles to the Ordinances of Excise.

The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, finding it necessary to advance the Duty of Excise, and to remove such Obstructions as may hinder the same, do Ordain and Declare, and be it Ordained and Declared by the said Lords and Commons in Parliament, That no Cocket, Bill of Entry, Ballast-bill, Bill of Store, Transire, Port-cocket, Certificate, Bill of Sufferance, or other Entry or Warrant whatsover, for any Ship or Vessel, Victual, or Provision, Goods, or Merchandizes, going out or coming in, exported or imported, into any the Ports, Havens, or Creeks of this Realm and Dominion of Wales, be suffered to pass by the Commissioners of the Customs, or their Deputies, or any other of His Majesty's or their Under Officers, before such Cocket, Bill of Entry, Ballast-bill, Bill, Bill of Store, Transire, Port-cocket, Certificate, Bill of Sufferance, or other Entry or Warrant whatsoever, be signed or subscribed by such Deputy, or other Officer, as shall be appointed by the Commissioners of Excise, or their Sub-commissioners within their respective Bounds and Circuits, upon Pain of being proceeded against as Contemners and Eluders of an Ordinance of Parliament; and all such Commissioners of the Customs and Duties of Tonnage and Poundage, their Deputies, and all other His Majesty's Under Officers, in all Ports, Havens, and Creeks of this Kingdom, and Dominion of Wales, are for the future required, from Time to Time to concur with the said Commissioners of Excise, and their said Sub-commissioners, in all Things which they shall reasonably propound and desire of them for the Advance of this Service; and the said Commissioners for the Customs and Duties of Tonnage and Poundage for the Ports of London are more particularly required to provide and set out a convenient and capable Seat, for the Surveyor appointed by the Commissioners of Excise, in the Custom-house of the Port of London; that no unknown Person, or others living beyond the Seas, Planters in the West Indias, and Virginia, or others who have no certain Habitation in the Town or Port where any Entry of Goods Inward shall be made, be permitted to take up their Goods, or to receive any Warrant from the Commissioners of Tonnage and Poundage, or their Deputy Officers, till the Duty of Excise be first paid, or sufficient Security given by Bond to the Commissioners of Excise for the payment thereof at the Time when such Goods or Merchandizes shall be first sold; that the said Commissioners for Customs, Tonnage and Poundage, shall make no such Warrants, till the Excise be paid or secured; and that no Shopkeepers or Retailers of Goods whosoever, entering their Goods as Mechants, or in Names of other Merchants, be permitted to take up his or their Goods before the Duty of Excise be first paid; and that all Goods entered by Retailers or Shop-keepers since the 11th of September last shall pay the Excise due for the same within Ten Days after the Publication of this Ordinance, upon Pain of Forfeiture of Double the Value of such Goods, to be levied in such Manner as by the Ordinance of Excise is appointed for other Penalties; that no Merchant, or Importer of any Foreign Goods whatsoever, making First Entry thereof in any Port Town and afterwards bringing the same by Land Carriage to the City of London, be permitted to dispose of such Goods from the Waggons, till first a Copy of the First Entry at such Port Town be delivered to the Officer or Officers of Excise, to the End the Duty of Excise may be paid or secured, upon the like Penalty as aforesaid, and to be levied, in such Manner as aforesaid: Provided and be it further Ordained, That no Fees or Reward shall be taken or demanded, by any Person, for any Entries to be made by force or virtue of this Ordinance, on Pain of such Punishment as shall be inflicted upon the Offenders by both Houses of Parliament, and Forfeiture of Treble the Value of all such Fees or Rewards by them so taken or demanded, to be levied as aforesaid.