Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 5.djvu/426

 380 C. 1 8. Anno o&avo Georgii Regis. A. D. 1721. Peifons exempt- ed from former Payments upon Payment of the Sum? required by the Aa. The Confu! Ge- ner ll. &c. to call a General Meeting of the Briti/h Mer- chants and Fac- tors, the Majo- rity of whom thai! order ail Matters relating Eo the Prcmiffes. Publick Aft, •General Iffue. V. Provided, and be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all Perfons liable to pay the four Reis. per Mill Reis herein before mentioned for the Purpofes aforefaid, fhall, after Payment made of the Sums required by this Aft, from time to time, to be paid as aforefaid, be exempted and difcharged from Payment of the faid four Reis per Mill Reis for the future. VI. And be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Confui General for the Time being, ap- pointed or to be appointed for your Majefty's Subjects trading to Portugal, or his Deputy Coni'ul or De- puty Confuls refiding at Lifbon, or elfewhere, in any of the Dominions of the King of Portugal reflectively, fhall, from time to time, as he or they fhall fee Occafion for effecting the Purpofes _ of this Aft, call and fummon a General Meeting or Affembly of the Britifh Merchants and Factors refiding at Lifbon, or elfe- where in the Dominions of the King of Portugal refpeftively, and he and they are hereby obliged and re- quired, from time to time, to call and fummon fuch General Meetings or Affemblies as often as fhall be defired by Writing under the Hands of any five or more of the Britifh Merchants or Factors aforefaid, and the Majority at fuch Meetings or Affemblies lhall, from time to time, order and determine all Matters and Things relating to the PremilYes. VII. And be it enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That this Ail fhall be efteemed and taken in all Courts of Juftice, and elfewhere, to be a publick Act, and fhall be -taken Notice of as fuch, without J'pecial pleading of the fame : And if any Action lhall be brought, or Suit commenced againft any Perfon or Perfons, for any Thing done in Purfuance of this Act, or in Relation to the Premiffes, the Defendant or Defendants in fuch Action may plead the General Iffue, and give this Aft, and the Special Matter in Evidence at any Trial to be had thereupon, and that the fame was done in Purfuance, and by the Autho- rity of the faid Aft; and if the fame (hall appear to have been fo done, then the Jury fhall find for the Defendant or Defendants, or if the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs fhall become nonfuited, or fuffer a Dif- continuance of his, her or their Action or Aftions, or if a Verdift fhall pafs againft the Plaintiff or Plain- tiffs, or if upon Demurrer Judgment fhall be given againft the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs, the Defendant or Cull Cofo. Defendants fhall have full Cofts, and fhall have fuch Remedy for the fame, as any Defendant or Defen- dants hath or have for Cofts in other Cafes by Law. CAP. XVIII. An Act to prevent the Clandeftine Running of Goods and the Danger of Infection thereby ; and to prevent Ships breaking their Quarentine ; and to fubject Copper-Ore of the Pro- duction of the Britifh Plantations to fuch Regulations, as other enumerated Commodities of the like Production are fubject. c I. T"* ORASMUCH as the Laws already made to prevent the fecret landing of prohibited and un- ' f cuftomed Goods have been found infufficient for that Purpofe, it being notorious that fuch in- ' famous and pernicious Praftices are ftill continued in open Defiance of the Laws, to the great Diminu- ' tion of the publick Revenues, the Difcouragement of honeft Traders, and during the Time of Infeftion ' abroad, to the endangering the Health and Lives of many thoufands of his Majefty's innocent Subjects, ' by bringing into this Kingdom, from infefted Places, Goods apt to retain Infeftion : And whereas by ' an Aft pafied in the fifth Year of his prefent Majefty's Reign, intituled, An Act again/1 clandeftine Run- - ning of. uncuflomed Goods ; and for the more effectual preventing of Frauds relating to the Cuftoms, It was ' enacted, That any Ship, Veffel or Boat of the Burthen of fifteen Tuns, or under, wherein any Brandy, ' Arrack, Rum, Strong Waters or Spirits of any Kind whatfoever fhould be imported or brought into ' Great Britain, or into any Port, Harbour, Haven or Creek thereof (except as therein is excepted) fuch ' Ship, Veffel or Boat, with all her Tackle, Furniture and Apparel, or the Value thereof, fhould be for- ' feited and loft, and fhould and might be feized, recovered, broke up and fold, as therein mentioned, ' which Forfeiture is, by an Aft paffed in the fixth Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty, intituled, An ' ASi for preventing Frauds and Abufes in the publick Revenues of Excife, Cuftoms, Statnp-DutitS, Pojl-Office ' and Houfe- Money, extended to Veffels of thirty Tuns : And whereas to elude the Intent of the faid Laws ' many Perfons do now carry on a clandeftine Trade by importing thofe Goods in Ships and Veiiels above ' the Burthen of thirty Tuns :' For the Prevention thereof, Be it enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Content of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That if any Foreign Brandy, Ar- rack, Strong Waters or Spirits of any Kind whatfoever fhall, from and after the twenty-fifth Day of March one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-two, be imported or brought into Great Britain, or into any Port, Harbour, Haven or Creek thereof, in any Ship, Veffel or Boat of the Burthen of forty Tuns or under, according to the Admeafurement prefcribed in the laft-mentioned Aft (except only for the Ufe of the Seamen then belonging to and on board fuch Ship, Veffel or Boat, not exceeding two Gallons for each fuch Seaman) every fuch Ship Veffel or Boat, with all her Tackle, Furniture and Apparel, as alfo all fuch Brandy, Arrack, Strong Waters or Spirits, or the Value thereof, fhall be forfeited, and fhal] and may be feized by any Officer or Officers of the Cuftoms, and fhall and may be profecuted and divided in fuch Manner and Form, as is prefcribed in the faid Acts concerning Ships, Veffels and Boats of fifteen or thirty Tuns as aforefaid ; any Law or Cuftom to the contrary notyyithftanding. 3 II. And for the Conti- nuance of this Aft fee 2 Geo. a. t. 28. feft. 6. 8 Geo.i. c. 21. j 5 Geo- 2. c. 33. 20 Geo. 2. c.47, dTidzjGe?.2.c.J%. _5 Geo. 1. c. II. 32 Car. 2 . c. 4. 1 3 tsf 14 Car. a. c. 11. 25 Car. 2. c. 6 2 W. & M. St. 2. c. 4. 4 & 5 W. & M. c. 5 & 15. 6 IV.® M. c. 1. 6£f 7 Kj.r.y. 6 Geo. 1. c. 21. ic{. 29. After 29 March 1722. no Bran- dy, &c. to be imported in any -Veffel lefs than 40 Tuns. Tenaltyi