Pages 806-809
Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1911.
This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.
November, 1645
[24 November, 1645.]
For Payment of the Artificers, &c.
Additional Excize on goods hereafter mentioned.
The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, taking into their serious consideration the great and pressing Debts of the Kingdom, amongst other, such as are due to several Artificers, and other Handicrafts men, for Arms and Ammunition, bought and taken up of them for the service of the Parliament, and Defence and Preservation of the Kingdom; and also to John Wright Printer to the Honorable House of Peers, and to the Printer of the House of Commons, for which no satisfaction hath hitherto been made; Do hereby Declare, Order and Ordain, and be it by Authority of Parliament Declared, Ordained and Ordered, That the several Rates and Charges hereafter mentioned, shall be set, laid and imposed, and are hereby set, laid and imposed, upon the several Goods and Commodities within the Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick hereafter mentioned, by way of Excize and New Impost, over and above all other Customes, Excize, Impost, and other Duties due and payable for the same, viz.
Lead.
That an Excize of five shillings be paid by the first Buyer, for every Fother of Lead, either to be exported or spent in the Kingdom.
Gold, Silver, and Copper Thread, and Wire.
That twelve pence be Leavied and paid by way of Excize upon every Twenty shillings value of Gold, Silver and Copper Thread; and Gold, Silver and Copper Wyer made in the Kingdom, to be paid by the first Buyer: Provided alwayes, That if the Maker of the Gold, Silver and Copper Thread or Wyer, shall before sale thereof, by himself or by any other person put the same into Lace, or any other such Manufacture, That the said Maker shall be lvable to, and shall pay the said Twelve pence Excize respectively, as if he were the first Buyer thereof.
Glass.
That an Excize of Twelve pence shall be laid upon every Twenty shillings value of Glasse and Glasses of all sorts made within the Kingdom, to be paid by the Maker.
Oils.
That an Excize of Twelve pence shall be laid upon every Twenty shillings value of Lynseed Oyle, Whale Oyle, Pilchard, and all other Oyles made and spent in the Kingdom, to be paid by the Maker.
Silk in the Gum.
That an Excize of Three pence shall be laid upon every Twenty shillings value of Silke in the Gumme ready thrown, besides the nine pence already imposed.
Dyed Silks.
That an Excize of Six pence shall be laid upon every Twenty shilling value of all other Silkes dyed, either imported or to be exported, besides the Twelve pence already imposed.
Soap.
That an Excize shall be laid upon three several sorts of Sope made in this Kingdom; viz. Upon the first sort which already payeth Ten pence the Ferkin, an addition of Six pence to make it Sixteen pence. Upon the second sort which payeth nine pence the Ferkin, an addition of Five pence to make it Fourteen pence. Upon the third sort which payeth Eight pence the Ferkin, an addition of Four pence to make it Twelve pence; to be all respectively paid by the first Buyer. And likewise an addition of Eighteen pence the Ferkin to be made to the Eighteen pence which is already imposed upon Sope imported, to be also paid by the first Buyer.
Woollen Cloth.
That an Excize of Twelve pence shall be laid upon every Twenty shillings value of Woollen Cloth to be Imported, and to be paid by the Importer.
Lamperns
That an Excize of Ten shillings in the Thousand shall be laid upon all Lamperns bought by strangers for bait of Cod-fish, to be paid by the first Buyer.
Instructions to Excize Officers.; Disposal of Moneys hereby raised.
And it is further Ordered and Declared by the said Lords and Commons, That the Commissioners of Excize now appointed, or hereafter to be appointed by Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, or their Deputies, are hereby authorized, enabled and required to put this Ordinance in due execution, according to the true intent and meaning thereof. And to use all such good ways and means for the Discovering, Rating, Collecting and securing of the several sums of Money imposed, and declared by vertue of this present Ordinance upon the several Commodities and goods above specified, as they are authorized and enabled to doe in the case of any Excise or Impost set upon any other Commodities by any former Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament; And to impose such necessary Fines and Penalties upon any Offendors, and to execute all such power and Authority; And to allow therein for themselves, and unto their Deputies and Officers, such Fees and allowances for the raising of the same, and no other, as to them is given for the raising any other Excise imposed by authority of both Houses of Parliament by any other Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament. And be it further Ordered, Declared and Ordained by authority aforesaid, That all the Moneys to be raised by vertue of this addition of Excize or New-Impost as aforesaid, or by vertue of this present Ordinance, shall be wholly employed and disposed for the payment of all such sums of money as are justly due to Artificers and Handicrafts men, for Armes and Ammunition bought and delivered for the service of the Parliament, and defence and preservation of the Kingdom; and also to Iohn Wright Printer to the House of Peers, and to the Printer of the House of Commons. And it is further Ordered and Declared by authority aforesaid, That for the better discovery of what sums of money are due to any Artificers or Handicrafts men for Arms and Ammunition sold and delivered for the service of the Parliament, and defence of the Kingdom as aforesaid, That the Committee of Lords and Commons for the Excize, shall and may, and are hereby authorized to call all such Artificers and Handicrafts men before them, and to examine the justnesse of the said Debts, as well by Oath, as by all other good wayes and means, Power being hereby given to the said Committee, or any five or more of them to minister an Oath to such Persons as they shall hold fitting.
Warrants from Committee to Treasurers for payment of debts.
And it is hereby Declared, That all such Debts as are justly due to such Artificers and Handicrafts men, for such Arms and Ammunition as aforesaid, and shall be so adjudged and declared by the said Committee, or any five or more of them: The said Committee, or any five or more of them, shall, or may make a Warrant or Warrants under their Hands in writing to Lieutenant Colonel Bromfield, Iohn Gayes, Daniel Haldenby, and William Watson, Citizens of London, who are hereby appointed Treasurers for this service, and are weekly to receive from the hands of the Commissioners of Excize, all such sum or sums of money, as shall come in upon the Receipt of this present Ordinance for due payment of the said Sums of money so due, to the persons to whom such Sums of money shall bee adjudged to be due respectively: or to such other Persons mentioned in the said Warrants for their uses, by such proportions and equal payments, as is hereafter provided. And the said Treasurers shall and may upon such Warrants as aforesaid, out of the Profits of Excize to bee raised by vertue of this Ordinance, pay and satisfie all such sums of money so due as abovesaid, to such Person and Persons mentioned in the said Warrants: which Warrant, and the Receipts of the parties mentioned herein, shall be a sufficient discharge unto the said Treasurers for the payment of such moneys as are and shall be mentioned in such Orders and Warrants; Provided, that every such Order and Warrant so assigned by five or more of the said Committee of Lords and Commons. And the Receipt or Receipts of any two of the Treasurers as aforesaid, shall from time to time be a sufficient discharge to the Commissioners of Excize, and every of them, for all such sum and sums of mony which they shall pay unto them the said Treasurers, accrewing out of the Receipts in pursuance of this Ordinance.
Debts to be paid in just proportion.
And to the intent that all Artificers whose Warrants shall be allowed and signed by the Committee of Lords and Commons as aforesaid, at or before the five and twentieth day of March next ensuing the date hereof, may be proportionable, and share and share alike, according to every mans Debt, duely paid from time to time; Be it Ordained by authority aforesaid, That the said Treasurers at the end of every moneth shall so equally proportion out all Moneys which in the said time they shall receive of the Commissioners of Excize by vertue of this Ordinance, unto every Person whose Debt shall be adjudged and signed as aforesaid, That every Person may from time to time receive his due share, according to his principal Debt, until the whole Debts be fully discharged.
First Money raised by this Ord. to; be for above uses only.; Surplus to be disposed of by Parl.; John Muller of Hamborough to be next paid.; Then Innholders and Victuallers.; Indemnity.
And it is further Ordered and Declared, That the first moneys to be raised by vartue of this Ordinance, shall bee employed to the uses aforesaid, and to no other intent or use. And after the said Debts paid to the said Artificers, then the profits and sums of money gathered by vertue of the said New Impost, shall bee disposed of, as the rest of the Excize is or shall bee disposed of, or both Houses of Parliament shall hereafter declare and appoint. Provided neverthelesse, and be it Ordered and Declared, That when the said Artificers, Printer to the House of Peers, and Printer to the House of Commons, shall be satisfied their just Debts, so made to appeare as aforesaid, that then Iohn Muller a Merchant Stranger of Hamborough, shall be first satisfied the remainder of his Debt for Arms. And that next after him the Innholders and Victuallers within the City of London and Westminster, and parts adjacent, within the Lines of Communication, shall in the next place be satisfied and paid such sum and sums of money, as they shall make appeare in manner aforesaid, to bee justly due unto them for Horse meat and Mans meat, from any Souldiers, or any of their Officers that serve under the Command of the Parliament, and were lodged or dyeted in their Houses: Provided neverthelesse, and it is further Ordered and Declared, That the Commissioners of Excize, and the Officers and others by them employed in the Assessing, Raysing, Collecting, and securing the said sums of money to be raised by this Ordinance, and in the due execution of this Ordinance, shall be saved harmlesse and kept indempnifyed and protected by power of Parliament, for any thing they or any of them shall doe or cause to be done in the execution and pursuance of this present Ordinance.
And lastly, the said Lords and Commons doe order and declare, That this Ordinance shall begin to take effect from the day of the publishing of this Ordinance; and from thenceforth be continued one whole yeare next after the date of this present Ordinance, and no longer