August, 1649
[8 August, 1649.]
Commissioners of the Customs, &c., to accompt before the Auditor of the Prests.
Whereas the Receipts of the Customs and Subsidy rising upon
Goods and Merchandize Exported and Imported, and other
Revenues appointed for the Maintenance of the Navy, having
been by several Acts and Ordinances of this present Parliament,
committed to the care and management of several persons as
Commissioners and Collectors thereof; whose Accompts, as also
the Accompts of the Collectors for Prize-Goods, the Treasurer
and Victuallers for the Navy, the Lieutenant and other Officers
of the Ordnance and several other Officers relating to the Service
of the Navy, and the Revenues, Stores and Provisions thereof, do
for the most part of them remain unperfected, and are like still
so to do, if some speedy and effectual course be not taken for dispatch thereof in a setled and orderly way: For remedy whereof,
and to the end the Commonwealth may receive satisfaction con
cerning the Issuings and Disbursements of the said Receipts and
Revenues; and that the persons trusted therein, that have or
shall faithfully discharge the trust to them respectively committed, may be thereof fully acquitted and discharged; and contrariwise, those that have not, nor shall discharge their trust
therein, may be duly proceeded against; Be it therefore Enacted
by this present Parliament, and by the Authority thereof, That
all and every person or persons who since the sitting of this present Parliament, have been, or at any time hereafter shall be by
Parliament appointed Commissioners and Collectors of the
Customs, Subsidies, and other Revenues within England and
Wales, and the Town and Port of Berwick, Collectors for PrizeGoods, Treasurer and Victuallers for the Navy, Lieutenant, or
any other Officers of the Ordnance, and all other Officers and
persons whatsoever, relating to the Service of the Navy, or any
the Receipts thereunto set apart or assigned, and the Stores and
Provisions thereof, that have not as yet accompted, or having
begun their Accompts, shall not at the time of the passing of
this present Act, have perfected the same, shall and are hereby
required forthwith to accompt, and so from time to time for the
future, before the Auditors of the Prests that now are, or which
shall be appointed by Authority of Parliament, for all such sum
and sums of Money, Ammunition or other Stores or provisions
belonging to the Navy, Prize-goods, or other Wares or Merchandize, or other things whatsoever, belonging to the Commonwealth, by them and every of them respectively received or
collected, or to their respective charge, care or trust committed,
or come unto their hands; and of their Disbursements, Payments, Issuings and Dispositions thereof respectively, according
to the Warrants, Vouchers and Discharges in that behalf
appointed by authority an ddirection of Parliament.
Committee of Accompts to deliver the said Auditors all Accompts Inventories, &c.
And for the better enabling the said Auditors to proceed in the
taking and auditing of the said Accompts, and to charge or
surcharge all and every the said persons by this Act accomptable
with such sums of Money, and other Provisions, Stores and other
Goods, for which by the respective trusts to them committed as
aforesaid, they stand accomptable to the Commonwealth; Be it
hereby further Enacted and Ordained, That the Committee
theretofore authorized by Parliament, for taking the general
Accompts of the Kingdom, their Deputies, Sub-committee,
Registers and Clerks, the Remembrancers and Clerks of the
Exchequer, all Customers, Comptrollers, Collectors and other
Officers for the Customs, and all Cheque-Officers and Comptrollers upon any the Receipts, Collections, Provisions, Stores
and other Goods aforesaid; as also all Commissioners, Subcommissioners, Collectors; Auditors or Comptroller of the Excize, separated and distinguished for the Service of the Navy, do
forthwith, and from time to time deliver unto the said Auditors of
the Prests, all Books of Accompts, Blank Books, Inventories, Apprizements, Books of Cheque and Comptrol, and all other Writings
whatsoever, relating to the premises, as remain in their custody,
whereby the said Auditors of the Prests may be enabled to charge
the Accompts of the said several persons by this Act accomptable
respectively, with such sum and sums of Money, Provisions, Stores
and other Goods, as they and every of them ought justly to be
charged with, and for which they stand accomptable to the Commonwealth.
Accompts taken to be declared in the Exchequer; Quietus.
And be it hereby further Enacted and Ordained by the authority
aforesaid, That the said Accompts so taken and audited, and hereafter to be taken and audited by the said Auditors of the Prests,
shall be declared before the Barons of the Court of the publique
Exchequer, in such way and maner as formerly they used to be
declared before the Lord Treasurer, or Commissioners for the Treasury for the time being, Chancellor and Barons of the Exchequer;
and when declared, they shall be by the said Auditors of the Prests
transmitted to the Clerk of the Pipe, to be by him ingrossed upon the
great Roll of the Pipe, or Roll of Forein Accompts, according to
the usual course and custom of the Exchequer; and the Clerk of the
Pipe is hereby authorized and required to give such Discharges and
Quietus est to all the said Accomptants that shall finish and perfect
their Accompts, to charge the Supers depending upon any of the said
Accompts, and to do and perform all other thing and things concerning the same, as hath been heretofore usually done in the like
kinde, according to the ancient course and custom of the said Court
of the publique Exchequer; and if it shall happen that any the said
person or persons, or the Executors Administrators or Assigns
of any such person or persons that ought to accompt as aforesaid,
shall not enter upon their respective accompts before the said
Auditors of the Prests, and pay in all the moneys in their hands
unto the Treasurer of the Navy, or having entred upon the same,
shall not perfect the same, That then such proceedings shall be had
against all such person or persons aforesaid, as heretofore hath been
accustomed, according to the ancient course and custom of the
Exchequer.
Plead
Provided always, That this Act or any thing therein contained,
shall not extend to the hindring of any of the aforesaid person or
persons from pleading to their several charges, where there may be
just matter of plea, but that the same course shall be continued
therein, as heretofore hath been used, according to the ancient
course and custom of the said Court of the publique Exchequer.