Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 4.djvu/693

 A. D. I7I3* Anno duodecimo Ann^ Regin^e. Stat. 2. 641 thority aforefaid, That the Lords of her Majefty's Jufticiary in Scotland be hereby Fmpowered to infli£l the Ccondl of Scot- fame Puniftiments againft Jefuits, Priefts, and other trafficking Papifts, which the Privy Council of Scotiand ^^^^^^'^^'^^ '^^^^ was impov/ered to do by the aforefaid A(5l of Parliament. an Afl: paired in that Kingdom. Farther Piwijfors relating hereto, i Geo, I. Jlal. z, c. 55. 3 Geo, i. c, l3. 11 Geo. 2, c, 17. 33 Geo, 2, c. ij. C A P. XV. An Aft for providing a Publick Reward for fiich Perfon or Perfons as fliall difcover the Lon- gitude at Sea. HERE AS it is well known by all that are acquainted with the Art of Navigation, That nothing is fo much wanted and defired at Sea, as the Difcovery of the Longitude, for the Safety and Quicknefs of Voyages, the Prefervation of Ships, and the Lives of Men : And whereas in the Judgment of able Mathematicians and Navigators, feveral Methods have ah^eady been difcovered, true in Theory, though very difficult in Praftice, Ibme of which (there is Reafon to expeftj may be capable of Improve- ment, fome already difcovered maybe propofed to the Publick, and others may be invented hereafter: And whereas fuch a Difcovery would be of particular Advantage to the Trade of Great Britain, and very much for the Honour of this Kingdom ; but befides the great Difficulty of the Thing itfelf, partly for the Want of fome Publick Reward to be fettled as an Encouragement for fo ufeful and beneficial a Work, and partly for want of Money for Trials and Experiments neceflary thereunto, no fuch Inventions or Propofals, hitherto made, have been brought to PerfeiSlion ;' Be it therefore enadled by the Queen's mofb Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Com- mons, in Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the Lord High Admiral of Great CammHTioners Britain, or the firft Commiffioner of the Admiralty, the Speaker of the Honourable Houfe of Commons, appuinted for the firft Commiffioner of the Navy, the firft Commiffioner of Trade, the Admirals of the Red, White, ''■'""'Y"'"? *e and Blue Squadrons, the Mafter of the Trinity-Houfe, the Prefident of the Royal Society, the Royal J;°"f^[^'''^/„"t Aftronomer of Gr^^fiw/V/:), the Savilian, Lucaftan and Plumiam Profellbrs of the Mathematicks in 0;«/ori/ j-^jj ^i^ting toit« and Cambridge, all for the Time being, the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, Phi/ipLiOTdBifhop of Hereford, George Lord Bilhop of Briftol, Thomas Lord Trevor, the Honourable Sir Thomas Hanmer Baronet, Speaker of the Honourable Houfe of Commons, the Honourable Francis Robarts Efq; James Stanhope Efq; William Clayton Efq; and William Lowndes Efq; be conftituted, and they are hereby conftituted Commiffioners for the Difcovery of the Longitude at Sea, and for examining, trying, Commiffionors and judging of all Propofals, Experiments, and Improvements relating to the fame ; and that the laid Com- to certify the miffioners, or any five or more of them, have full Power to hear and receive any Propofal or Propofals that f^iJ'nT"'' °^ ihall be made to them for difcovering the faid Longitude; and in Cafe the faid Commiffioners, or any five trthe'com"^ or more of them, fball be fo far fatisfied of the Probability of any fuch Difcovery, as to think it proper to miffioners of the make Experiment thereof, they fhall certify the fame, under their Hands and Seals, to the Commiffioners Navy, who (hall of the Navy for the Time being, together with the Perfons Names, who are the Authors of fuch Propo- "f^'^'e out a Bill fals; and upon producing fuch Certificate, the faid Commiffioners are hereby authorized and required to ^°'?'^° ^^'" make out a Bill or Bills for any fuch Sum or Sums of Money, not exceeding two thoufand Pounds, as ^rim"nts.° "" the faid Commiffioners for the Difcovery of the faid Longitude, or any five or more of them, fhall think 14060.2.0,39. neceflary for making the Experiments, payable by the Treafurer of the Navy; which Sum or Sums the a6Geo. z. c. 45. Treafurer of the Navy is hereby required to pay immediately to fuch Perfon or Perfons as fhall be appoint- "J" Repaid by ed by the Commiffioners for the Difcovery of the faid Longitude, to make thofe Experiments, out of any [t^ Treafurer of Money that fliall be in his Hands, unapplied for the Ufe of the Navy. ' ^'^* II. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That after Experiments made of any Propofal The Commif- or Propofals for the Difcovery of the faid Longitude, the Commiffioners appointed by this K&, or the fioners to deter, major Part of them, fhall declare and determine how far the fame is found pradlicable, and to v/hat Degree ""'"^ '^°^' ^-^'^ ofExaanefs. _ _ 'rateable"' III. And for a due and fufficient Encouragement to any fuch Perfon or Perfons as fhall difcover a proper 1 r' v Method for finding the faid Longitude, Be it ena£ted by the Authority aforefaid, That the firft Author or grU Difgoverer. Authors, Difcoverer or Difcoverers of any fuch Method, his or their Executors, Adminiftrators, or Affigns, fhall be entitled to, and have fuch Reward as herein after is mentioned ; that is to fay, to a Reward, or Sum of ten thoufand Pounds, if it determines the faid Longitude to one Degree of a great Circle, or fixty Geographical Miles; to fifteen thoufand Pounds, if it determines the fame to two Thirds of that Di- itance ; and to twenty thoufand Pounds, if it determines the fame to one Half of the fame Diftance; and When tobe paid, that one Moiety or Half-Part of fuch Reward or Sum fhall be due and paid when the faid Commiffioners, or the major Part of them, do agree that any fuch Method extends to the Security of Ships within eighty Geographical Miles of the Shores, which are Places of the greateft Danger, and the other Moiety or Half- Part, when a Ship by the Appointment of the faid Commiffioners, or the major Part of them, fhall there- by aftually fail over the Ocean, from Great Britain to any fuch Port in the Weji- Indies, as thofe Commif- fioners, or the major Part of them, fhall choofe or nominate for the Experiment, without lofing their Lon- gitude beyond the Limits before mentioned. IV. And be it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid. That as foon as fuch Method for the Difco- as foon as fucU very of the faid Longitude fhall have been tried and found pradlicable and ufeful at Sea, within any of the Method ftail Degrees aforefaid. That the faid Commiffioners, or the major Part of them, fhall certify the fame accord- have been found jngly, under their Hands and Seals, to the Commiffioners of the Navy for the Time being, together with P"'^i<^fUe, the the Perfon or Perfons Names, who are the Authors of fuch Propofal ; and upon fuch Certificate the faid (],°n^rtiry"the Commiffioners are hereby authorized and required to make out a Bill or Bills for the refpetSive Sum orfame lothe Vol. IV, 4 N Sums