August, 1648
[25 August, 1648.]
Additional Ordinance for better bringing in Sequestration-money arising out of Papists and Delinquents estates.
The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, for the
better regulating and more speedy bringing in the Monies arising
out of the Real or Personal Estates of Papists and Delinquents
already sequestered, or which hereafter shall be sequestered, and
for reforming and preventing Abuses and Miscarriages in
managing of the same, do order and ordain, and be it Ordered
and Ordained; (videlicet,)
1. That the Treasurers, Collectors, or Solicitors, or any other
Person or Persons who have received any Sequestration-monies,
shall, within Forty Days next after Notice of this Ordinance, respectively produce unto the Treasurers at Guildhall, London, (or
whom they shall appoint) their several Warrants and Acquittances, to justify their Receipts and all Payments by them
issued out of the Sequestration-monies by them received, to any
Person or Persons, excepting only for such Sum or Sums of
Money as they have paid, or caused to be paid, to the said
Treasurers at Guildhall, that so the said Treasurers may place
the same to Accompt, as appertaineth, and give them Discharge
for what they have duly paid.
2. That every Person or Persons employed, or to be employed,
as Solicitors, Collectors, or Treasurers, in or about the Sequestrations, that have not taken the Oath prescribed by the Ordinance
of the 27th May, 1643, shall take the said Oath accordingly, before they do further intermeddle with the Sequestrations, presently after Notice of this Ordinance.
3. That the said Treasurers at Guildhall have Power to dispose of Two Pence in the Pound of all such Monies as they shall
receive by virtue of this Ordinance, for and towards the Salary
and Expences of such Persons as they shall employ about the
Execution of this Ordinance.
4. That whereas divers Surcharges remain before the Committee of Accompts, or their Sub-committees, in divers Counties and
Places within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales,
upon divers Persons, Accomptants, for several Sums of Money
not by them paid in to the said Treasurers at Guildhall; that
therefore the said Committee, and all their respective Sub-committees, are hereby required, within Fourteen Days (after Notice
of this Ordinance given them), to send to the said Treasurers at
Guildhall an exact Particular of every such Surcharge as remaineth with any of them, against any Person or Persons that have
been employed about the Affairs of Sequestrations, together with
such Information as they can give concerning any fraudulent or
indirect Dealing that hath been used in or about the Premises;
and that all such Person or Persons as shall be found to have
any Sequestration-monies in their Hands shall pay or cause the
same to be paid in to the Treasurers at Guildhall, within Six
Days after Notice of this Ordinance, if they reside within the City
of London and the Lines of Communication; and all others
within Forty Miles of London shall pay in the Monies as aforesaid within Twenty Days; and such Person or Persons as do or
shall reside about Forty Miles from London shall pay, or cause
to be paid, all Sequestration-monies remaining in their Hands
unto the said Treasurers, within Forty Days after Notice hereof;
and also all other Sequestration-monies which they or any of them
shall hereafter receive, in the Places and Limits before expressed
respectively, shall be brought in to the said Treasurers at Guildhall
within the respective Times before mentioned, upon Pain of forfeiting Two Shillings and Six Pence in the Pound for every
Week he or they shall detain the same after the respective Times
herein limited, that the Assignment made by the Parliament
upon the said Treasurers may be the sooner discharged: Provided,
That this Ordinance doth not extend to any Order or Ordinance
of both or either Houses of Parliament formerly granted for the
disposing of Sequestration-monies, nor to such as have formerly
disposed such Monies for the Service of the Parliament, or to such
Persons as have or shall dispose such Monies by virtue of any
Order or Ordinance of both or either Houses of Parliament, or
for the emergent Service of the Parliament.
5. If any Solicitor, Collector, or Treasurers for Sequestrations,
perform not his or their Duty according to this and other former
Ordinances for Sequestrations (as may be feared too many will
not), there is no Power given, either to compel or question any
such, whereby the Service will be much retarded: It is therefore
hereby further Ordained, That Captain William Steavenson, as
Deputy to the Serjeant at Arms who attends the House of
Commons, shall be a Messenger, and is hereby appointed and
authorized, to bring up any Person or Persons to the Committee for Indemnity, that shall not obey this and other former
Ordinances of Parliament, as he shall be directed by the said
Treasurers at Guildhall, to answer for their Contempt of the
Authority of Parliament, and to receive condign Punishment,
according to their Demerits; and the said William Steavenson
shall have Forty Pounds per Annum Salary, to be paid him
Quarterly by the said Treasurers, besides his Riding Charges
when he shall be employed by the said Treasurers abroad in the
said Service; and in case of Sickness, or other lawful Impediment, the said Serjeant at Arms shall have Power, and is hereby
authorized, to constitute a Deputy Messenger, to be employed
by the said Treasurers in the said Service as often as Occasion
shall require.