September 1643

[5 September, 1643.]

Places to be taxed and in what proportions.

The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, finding that there is for the present, an urgent necessity for the speedy raising and levying a considerable summe of Mony, for the providing of one or more Magazin or Magazins of Armes and Ammunition, and for other necessary charges for and concerning the raising and payment of Horse and other Military Forces within the Hamblets of the Tower of London and Liberties thereof, the City of Westminster and Liberties thereof, the Borough of Southwarke and Liberties thereof, and all other parts and places of the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey within the Forts or Lines of Communication, and Parishes adjacent, mentioned in the weekely Bill of Mortallity; the just defence of Religion, the Priviledges of Parliament, the Lawes and Liberties of the Subject, and safety of the City of London, and of the parts and places aforesaid, and consequently of the whole Kingdom, (calling and requiring for their utmost aide herein) Have hereby Ordained and Declared; and bee it hereby Ordanied and declared by the said Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, that for the intents and purposes afore mentioned, the severall and respective summes of Money hereafter in this Ordinance expressed, shall be respectively charged, rated, taxed, and levyed upon the severall devisions, Limits, and Places hereafter mentioned, according to the Proportions and distributions in this Ordinance expressed, That is to say, upon the said Hamblets of the Tower of London and Liberties, the summe of foure thousand pounds, upon the City of Westminster and Liberties thereof and other the Liberties, Parishes, and Places adjacent in the County of Midlesex within the Forts and Lines of Communication & other adjacent Parishes and places within the said County of Middlesex, mentioned in the weekely Bill of Mortallity the summe of six thousand pounds, upon the Borough of Southwarke and Liberties thereof and all Parishes and places adjacent within the Forts or Lines of Communication, within the County of Surrey, and other Parishes and places within the said County of Surrey, mentioned in the said weekly Bill of Mortality, the summe of foure thousand pounds.

Persons charged.; Power to Sub-Committees to appoint Collectors, etc., etc.; Collectors to pay in moneys to Treasurers.; No Moneys to be issued but by order of Committee.

And be it further Ordained, That all and every person and persons whatsoever, residing, or inhabiting within any the places or divisions afore mentioned, for every estate Rcall or Personall, that every such person or persons, or any other, hath to his or their use in trust, or otherwise, shall pay towards the said summs, his and their proportionable Parte and proportion of such summe, or summs of Money as by vertue of this Ordinance shall be so imposed, charged, set, or assessed, as aforesaid, according to the true intent and meaning thereof. And that the respective Sub-Committees of the respective places above mentioned, appointed by the Committee of the Militia of London, according to the Ordinance of Parliament, dated the eighteenth of July last, shall have full power and authority, within their severall and respective limits and divisions, to direct their Warrants to such number of persons as they shall thinke fit, thereby nominating & appointing them to be Assessors within their respective limits and divisions aforesaid, which persons so nominated and appointed, shall hereby have full power and authority to assesse, taxe, or Rate, all and every such person and persons, according to the true meaning of these presents: And the said respective Subcommittees shall hereby have full power and authority, within their respective limits and divisions, to nominate and appoint Collectors, to gather and receive the Money so assessed, Which Collectors so nominated and appointed, shall and may collect and gather the Moneyes so assessed as aforesaid, and pay the same at the Severall places where the said Severall Sub-committees shall appoint, to the respective Treasurers hereafter mentioned, viz. The Collectors for the Hamblets of the Tower of London and Liberties thereof; to William Mellish Esquire, who is hereby nominated and appointed to be Treasurer for the same Hamblets and liberties: And the Collectors of the said City of Westminster, and other places above mentioned, to John Honnor Gent. who is hereby nominated and appointed to be Treasurer of the same division. And the Collectors for the said Borough of Southwarke and places above mentioned in the said County of Surrey, to Joseph Collier, Grocer, who is hereby nominated and appointed Treasurer for the same division, which said respective Treasurers are hereby authorized to issue out the said Moneys so gathered and received, according to such Warrants or directions as shall be given by the said respective Sub-committees; provided alwayes, That no monies be issued out by the said Treasurer for the Hamblets of the Tower of London, and Liberties thereof, but by order, made at the usuall place and time of meeting of the said Committee, by a full Committee consisting of seven persons at the least, whereof Foulke Wormlaiton, Loton, Edward Lole or any two of them, to be then and there personally present and subscribing thereunto: And that no Moneyes be issued out by the said Treasurer for the said City of Westminster, and other places adjacent before mentioned, but by order made at the usuall place of meeting of the said Committee, by a full Committee consisting of seven persons at the least, whereof M. William Ball, M. Josias Barners, M. Lawrence Swetnam, M. Edward Carter, M. William Haberfield, M. William Hooper, and M. William Dashwood, or any two of them to be then and there personally present and subscribing thereunto. And that no Moneyes be issued out by the said Treasurer for the said Borough of Southwarke, and places afore-mentioned, but by order made at the usuall place and time of meeting of the said Committee, by a full Committee consisting of seven persons at the least, whereof M. Richard Wright, M. Cornelius Cooke, M. George Snelling, M. Edmund Austen, M. William Hickox, M. Richard Walker, M. Samuel Lynne, and M. Robert Terrey, or any two of them, to be then, and there personally present and Subscribing thereunto.

Assessment when to be paid

And the said Lords and Commons doe hereby further ordaine and declare, That every such person or persons so Rated and Assessed, by vertue hereof, shall pay to the said respective Collectors two parts in three parts to be divided of all and every such summe or summes of money, so to bee Rated or Assessed on him or them as aforesaid, within three dayes next after notice or demand made by the persons to be appointed for the Collecting and receiving thereof, and the other third part thereof within the space of one moneth next after the publication hereof.

Arrears.; Distress.; Removal of goods by persons assessed forbidden.; Unless they be certified to have paid all rates thereon.; Punishment of such as attempt it.

And whereas divers summs of money bee payd weekely, and other summes of money for the making and erecting of Fortifications, Posts and Chaines, and Courts of Guards, within the respective Divisions afore mentioned, are collected and not accounted for, and other parts thereof remaine arreare not yet Collected. The said Lords and Commons doe hereby Ordaine and declare, That all such persons who have Collected any of the said Monies, shall Immediatly upon Demand make their accounts and payments thereof to the Sub-committees of that Division wherein such Collection hath bin made, which SubCommittee hath hereby Power to appoint Collectors to gather the Said Arreares, and The Said Committee to dispose thereof to Such uses, and purposes as such Assessements have bin made for: and if any person or persons having received monies for the use above mentioned, and shall refuse to accompt for and pay the same in manner before expressed: or if any person or persons Assessed or to be Assessed for the raising of the severall summes of Money herein mentioned shall faile in the payment thereof, that then it shall and may bee lawfull to and for the said Collectors, and every of them respectively (calling to their assistance any of the Trained Bands, Constables or others) to levy duble the summe or summes so Assessed, or to be Assessed by way of distresse upon his or their goods and chattels, and shall and may sell the same distresse or distresses for the Services aforesaid, and the overplus to bee returned to the owner of the distresse taken. And in case noe sufficient distresse can bee found within the respective Divisions aforesaid; Then upon certificate to bee made in that behalfe, by the respective Sub Committees of the said Divisions, unto the Committee of the House of Commons, for examinations sitting at Westminster: or to the Committee of the Militia of London, or any three of them; the said Committee for Examinations or Committee for the Militia, or any three of them, shall and may commit such person or persons to safe custody, without Baile or Mainprize, whersoever he or they shall bee found, whether within the said respective Divisions, or without. And the estate or estates of him, or them, shall and may bee sequestred by the Committee of Sequestrations of such City, County, or Place, where the same estate or estates shall bee found, to bee imployed within the respective Divisions, where such Assessements on him or them as aforesaid was made, for the Services and purposes afore mentioned, untill the summe or summes so Assessed shall bee fully satisfied. And the said Lords and Commons do hereby further Ordaine and declare, That no person or persons so assessed or to be assessed as aforesaid, shall remove his or their goods from any place or places within any the Divisions aforesaid, to any other place or places without the aforesaid Forts, or Lines of Communication; by colour of any license or pretence whatsoever, unlesse the same person or persons doe produce and deliver unto the Officer or Officers of the severall Courts of Guard for the time being, a true Schedule of the goods to bee removed; together with a Certificate in writing under the hands of the Sub-committee of that Division from whence the same goods shall bee removed; mentioning that the owner of the said goods hath fully satisfied and answered all impositions, rated, imposed, or set upon him. And if any person or persons shall endeavour to doe the contrary, shall bee esteemed as a party disaffected to the Common-wealth; And forfeit the goods so to bee removed. And it shall and may bee Lawfull to and for any person or persons whatsoever, to seize the same; and to certifie the same unto the said respective Sub-committees of the said severall Divisions.

All Lands, etc., rated.; In case of Lands let, who to pay tax.; Tenant unjustly taxed to deduct sum out of rent.; Allowance to Collectors and Treasurers.; Assessors and Collectors that refuse or neglect this service to imprisoned or fined.

And be it by the said Lords and Commons further Ordained, That all Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments of all and every person & persons whatsoever, of what degree or quallity soever; or in whose possession the same are, within the Divisions aforesaid, shall bee rated, charged, and chargeable for, and towards the raising and payment of the said summe or summes of Money set and charged by this Ordinance: Yet neverthelesse with this limitation and provision, that if the land be let or set, to, or neere the yeerely vallue thereof, in the possession of any Tennant for life, lives, or years, or at Will; Such person or persons, to whom the Rent thereof belongeth to be solely charged therewith. But if the same bee let at any easie or small Rent, or under value, then the summe taxed, to bee apportioned betweene the party or parties, to whom the Rent belongeth, and the Tennant or occupier of the lands, tenements, or hereditaments, as the Taxers, or Assessors shall thinke meet. And if any such Tennant or occupier of lands, tenements, or hereditaments, shall or may bee charged with any summe of money, That it shall and may bee Lawfull, to, and for Such Tennants or Occupier of Lands, Tenements or Hereditaments, shall or may be charged with any summes of money; that it shall and may be lawfull, to and for such Tennants or Occupier, to detaine the same, from or out of his rent, due or next payable for the same land. And for the better encouragement of the said respective Collectors and Treasurers, it is ordained, That three pence in the pound shall be allowed for every summe of money which shall be collected and paid to the said Treasurers according to this Ordinance; whereof two pence shall be to the Collectors, and one penny to the Treasurer. And be it by the said Lords and Commons further Ordained, That if any Assessor or Collector shall refuse the said service, or prove negligent or faulty therein; the said Sub-Committee for the respective Divisions or Limits, where such Assessor or Collector shall refuse, or be so negligent or faulty, shall have power to commit such Assessors or Collectors to prison: or to set such fine upon him or them as they shall think fit, not exceeding the summe of twenty pounds upon the Assessor or five pounds upon the Collector; the same to be levied by distresse and sale of such offendors goods to the uses herein mentioned, in such sort as is herein before appointed.

Protection of Parliament to Committees, Assessors, etc.

And be it lastly, by the said Lords and Commons further ordained, that all and every respective Committees, Assessors, and Collectors of the respective Divisions aforesaid, and all that shall assist them in the premises, shall be protected by both Houses of Parliament: Provided that this Ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to the Peers or Members of either house, or the assistans of the House of Peers, or necessary attendants of either House.