Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 4.djvu/256

 204' C. 14. Anno quaito Ann^ Reglnse', A. D.I 705. Undertakers vrithin fix Months after Delivery^ to de- mand the fame from th: Churchward- ens, &c. aSd the Monies received ihiiieoji, and enter in a B )ok the Num- ber of printed Briefs received, &c. Printed Copies (when received back) to be de- pofitcd with ti^e Rcgifter of the Court of Ciiaa- cery. Penalty on Un- dertaker not re- turning the whole Num- ber, &c. In each Pariih, &C-. a Regifter to be kept of all Monies col- leftcd. Formof Indorfe- jncrit to be print- ed on the back of every printed Brief, with pro- per Blanks, ^-c, and ftampt, &c. Penalty on coun- terfeiting Stamp. Undertakers to account for all Monies received within two Months after Receipt, and te allowed for their Pains, Undertakers, tec. found guilty of Frauds, to be fined. hereirt after is dsTcQ.ed ; and the faid Perfon or Perfons who fliall fo undertake to Place, and difperfe the faid Briefs as aforefaid, (liall within fix Months next after the refpecftive placijig or delivering fuch Copies in the refpeftive Parities, as aforefaid, by themfelves, or fome or One of them, or by fdme Perfon or Per- fons by them or the major Part of them to be appointed, as aforefaid, demand from the refpe£tive Church- wardens and Chapel-wardens of Churches and Chapels, and from the Preacher and Teacher of feparatd Congregations, or from fuch Teaching Quaker to whom the faid printed Brief fhall have been refpec- tivelydelivered, as aforefaid, tlie printed Briefs fo left with him or them refpe(Stively, and the Monies refpeclively by them received thereon ; and on Delivery and Payment made fliall give to them refpe<?cive]y, as aforefaid, a Receipt for the fame, on pain to forfeit the Sum of twenty Pounds, to be recovered and difpofed of as herein after is directed. 11. And to the Intent a fpeedy, regular, and fatisf;x£1:ory Account may be rendered of the Sums of Money colle6led by virtue of fuch Briefs, be it ena£ted by the Authority aforefaid. That the Perfon or Perfons fo undertaking to place or difperfe the faid printed Briefs, or the greater Part of them, fhall make, or caufe to be made, a fair Entry in a Book for that Purpole by them to be kept (to which all Per- fons concerned msy at all Times refort) of the Number of the printed Briefs they fo received, and alfo when figned and feat av^ray, and to what Pariflies and Places, and the time of their receiving the fame back, and the Monies thereon collefted; and the faid printed Copies fo received back, fhall be depofited and left with the Regifter of the Court of Chancery, v/;th whom the Receipt given to the Printer for the fame as aforefaid, was regiftred, to the end it may appear that the whole Number received of the faid Printer is duly returned, and that the fame may be from time to time made ufe of, as well by the Sufferers and their Agents, as bv the faid Undertakers and their Agents or Solicitors, in paffing the Ac- counts in the Method herein after prefcribed ; and if the whole Number of printed Copies of fuch Briefs fo received of the Printer, fliall not be duly returned as hereby required, the Undertaker or Undertakers fhall, for every printed Copy, which fhall be found-wanting and not returned as aforefaid, by Default of them or their Agents, forfeit the Sum of fifty Pounds, to be recovered and applied as herein after men- tioned ; unleis he or they fliall make a fufficient Proof, to the Satisfaftion of the Court of Chancery, of the faid Briefs fo wanting being loft or deflroyed by inevitable Accident, and of what Money was really and truly collefted thereon, and fully account for, and pay the fame; and that in each Parifli or Cha- pelry,. and feparate Congregation, a Regifter fliall be kept by the Minifter or Teacher there, or by fome Teaching Quaker, of all Monies collefted by virtue of fuch Briefs, therein alfo inferring the Occafion of the Brief, and the Time when the fame was colledled, to which all Perfons at all Times may refort without Fee. ' III. And for the better indorfing what Money is collected on the back of the printed Briefs, and for ' the more regular Examination thereof, and for the preventing the Counterfeiting printed Copies of the ' Briefs, by which great. Frauds have been put in Praftice ;' Be it enatSed by the Authority aforefaid. That on the back of every printed Copy of fuch Brief, there fliall be printed the Form of Indorfement, with the neceflary Blahks for Time, Place and Sum of Money, to be filled up by the refpedtive Perfons aforefaid ; and each printed Copy of fuch Brief fhall before it be carried to the refpeftive Parifhes wherein the Collefl'ion is to be made, be ftamped or marked with a proper Stamp to be made for that Purpofe, and kept by the Regifter of the Court of Chancery, who is to fee that no greater Number of printed Copies be ftampt or marked therewith, than is in the Receipts given to the Printer, and left with the Re- j'ifter as aforefaid, fpecified and declared ; and if any Perfon or Perfons fhall forge or counterfeit fuch- Stamp, fuch Perfon being thereof lavvrfully convifted, fhall be publickly fet on the Pillory for the Space. of one ^vhoJe Hour. IV. And be it further enabled by the Authority aforefaid. That the faid Undertaker or Undertakers, fhall within two Months after the Monies refpeftively received, and after due Notice thereof to the Suf- ferers (who are to be admitted to controvert the fame) account before one of the Mafters of the Court of Chancery, to be for that Purpofe appointed by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Keeper, or CommifRoners for the Cuftody of the Great Seal of England for the time being, for all the Monies by them received oiv account of fuch Letters Patents and Briefs, and fhall produce before him an exa<St Account of the re'fpec- tive printed Biiefs by them delivered out, and received back, and left v/ith the Regifter as aforefaid, and thereupon the faid Mafter fhall proceed to make his Report of what ihall be found due on fuch Account j- and the faid Report being confirmed by the faid Court of Chancery as ufuai, fiiall be a Charge on the faid Undertaker or Undertakers, and fhall be carried into Execution againft him or them, as if decreed in a Suit there depending ; in taking which Account fuch Mafter fhall make all juft Allowances to fuch Un- dertakers, for their Trouble and Pains of Management, over and befides the Charges to be expvended for the faid Letters Patents and Copies thereof; and fuch Mafter fliall alfo have Power by the common Me- thods of the Court of Chancery, to examine into all Frauds and ill Practices that fhall be committed by the faid Undertakers or their Agents, or any others concerned for or under them in fuch Collection, and report the fame to the Court ; which Report being confirmed by the faid Court, it fliall be in the Power of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Keeper, or Comm.iflioners aforefaid, for the time being, to impofe fuch Fine and Cofts on every fuch Offender, as the Nature of the Cafe fhall require; which faid Fine, and all other Forfeitures incurred by the faid Undertakers or their Agents, fhall be only for the Benefit of the SufFere;s, for whofe Benefit fuch Briefs fhall be granted, and fhall and may he recovered by the Order of the faid Court of Chancery, founded on fuch Report fo confirmed as aforefaid, and carried into Execu- tion, as the Decrees of that Court ufually are. V. Provided