July, 1648
[11 July, 1648.]
Whereas the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled
have been necessitated to take up and anticipate several great
Sums of Money, for the Service of the Parliament, upon the
Credit of the Receipts of the Excise, established and still in
Force by several Ordinances of Parliament, and, upon Occasion
of such Loans made unto them, have declared that they
would continue the same Receipts of the Excise until Principal
and Interest were fully discharged, which cannot be yet compassed, by Reason that the Receipts of the Excise have for many
Months past been very much obstructed, and so fallen very
much short of what was expected if the same could have been duly
levied; and foreseeing that, besides the satisfying of those
Engagements, it will be necessary to continue the same Receipts
of the Excise, the better to enable them to go through the
great Work of establishing the Peace of the Kingdom, upon
which they are at present engaged: And for the better easing
of the People, upon whom the Charge of so great a Work
must otherwise lie and be raised with much Difficulty and Inconvenience, and in a far more burdensome Manner; the Lords
and Commons in Parliament assembled do hereby ordain,
That the several Receipts of the Excise and new Impost
now in Force, formerly appointed by Ordinance of
the 11th of September, 1643, commonly called The Grand
Excise, so much of the Ordinance dated the 9th of January,
1643, concerning Foreign-made Salt imported, the additional
Excise and New Impost appointed by Ordinance dated the 8th
of July, 1644, and the last additional Ordinance for levying Excise upon Lead, Gold, Silver, and Copper Thread, Gold Silver,
and Copper Wire, &c., dated the 24th of November, 1645, and
all other Orders, Declarations, and Ordinances of Parliament now
in Force, made in Explanation, for the better regulating all and
every the said Receipts, be yet continued, from and after the Nine
and Twentieth Day of September, in the Year of our Lord
1648, until the 29th Day of September which shall be
in the Year of our Lord God 1650, to be managed by
such Persons, and in such Manner, as both Houses
of Parliament shall think fit; whereof as all Persons
whatsoever are hereby required to take due Notice, and yield
Obedience thereunto accordingly, so the said Lords and
Commons do declare, That whensoever they shall find the Affairs
of this Kingdom to be in such a Condition (which they shall
especially and earnestly endeavour) as may admit of the utter
Abolishing or Lessening thereof, they will upon all Occasions embrace the same, and show how ready they are to give all possible
Ease unto the People.