Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 5.djvu/546

 I coo C. 1 8. Anno decimo Georgii Regis. A.D. 1723. Serge : Strapping or narrow Sort. The Magifl rates of Head Bo- roughs to m. ke a Stamp, and appoint aStamp' Matter. Rock and Wheel equally worked, and of the fame Finenefs from one End of the Piece to the other: And that every Piece of Rock and Wheel Serge fhall be made of equal Goodnefs and Strength, and fhall be of the Breadths and Lengths following ; that is to fay, A Scotch Ell in Breadth at leaft, and forty-two Scotch Ells in Length ; and that every Piece of Serge, commonly called the Strapping or narrow Sort, fhall be three Quarters of a Scotch Ell in Breadth, and/orty-two Scotch Ells in Length ; and that every Half-Piece of each Sort of the laft mentioned Serges fhall be proportionable in Length to a whole Piece, and none of the Serges before. mentioned fhall be made or wrought of unfcoured Yarn. II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Magiftrates of the Chief or Head Boroughs Royal of every Shire, County or Stewartry in Scotland refpedtively (who are hereby declared to be fole Judges within their refpedtive Bounds and Jurisdictions, of all Pains and Penalties herein af- ter mentioned) fhall be and are hereby impowered, from time to time, to make or caufe to be made, a Stamp or Stamps bearing the Arms of the refpedtive Boroughs, and fhall appoint one or more fit Per- fon or Perfons to infpedt and ftamp all fuch Serges as are before mentioned, as fhall be brought to be ftamped, of the Lengths, Breadths and Qualities as aforefaid, which Perfon or Perfons fo nominated and appointed, fhall before he or they fhall be admitted into the Office of Stamp-Mafttr, be obliged, and he and they are hereby required, to take an Oath De Fide/i, and fhall likewife give fuch Security for his faithful and due Execution of the faid Office, in fuch Manner, and in fuch a Penalty, as the faid Ma- giftrates fhall diredt and appoint. Refcfing to ex- III. Provided and be it enacted, That in cafe the Perfon or Perfons, as fhall be fo appointed Stamp- ecute : that office Mafter or Stamp-Mafters, fhall without any lawful Excufe to be allowed by two or more Juftices forfeits 5 1. £ t j le p eace f t he refpedtive Counties, or the major Part of the Town Council of the refpedtive Sterling. Boroughs, negledt or refufe to adt and execute the faid Office ; fuch Perfon and Perfons fhall re- fpedtively forfeit and pay fuch Fine or Fines for {o neglediing or refufing to adf. and execute the faid Office, as the faid Juftices, or any two or more of them, or the Major Part of the Town Council of the refpedfive Boroughs, fhall fet upon him or them, not exceeding the Sum of five Pounds Sterling for every fuch Negledt or Refufal. IV. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Juftices of the Peace fhall, in their refpedfive Counties and Stewartries, or in Cafe they fhall make Default, the Commiffioners of Supply fhall be and are hereby impowered and required, from time to time, at their quarterly Seffions to be holden by the faid Juftices, or annual Meetings of the faid Commiffioners in Scot/and to appoint a Stamp or Stamps to be made and kept for the Purpofes aforefaid, at fome proper Place where fuch Serges are fold, within the refpedfive Counties, as the faid Juftices of the Peace, or Commiffioners of Supply, fhall think proper. V. And be it further enadted, That no Stamp-Mafter fo appointed as aforefaid fhall for himfelf, or by any other Perfon or Perfons, trade, traffick, buy, fell, difpofe of, or ftamp, any fuch Serges, which are not made of well forted Yarn, equally wrought, and of equal finenefs from one End of the Piece to the other, and of fuch Breadths, Lengths, and Qualities as aforefaid, he or they fo negledfing or of- fending therein, fhall forfeit and pay for every Piece of fuch Serge the Sum of twenty Shillings Sterling, and fhall be made incapable of ferving in fuch Office for the future ; and if any Perfon or Perfons fhall, after the faid twenty-fourth Day of June one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-four, affix any Stamps, without the Authority aforefaid, or fhall counterfeit the fame, fuch Perfon or Perfons fo of- fending fhall refpedtively forfeit the Sum of five Pounds Sterling, or fufFer fix Months Imprifonment if found infolvent. VI. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid, That all Weavers, and fuch other Perfon or Perfons, as fhall work and make Serges for Sale as aforefaid, fhall and they are hereby required to carry, or caufe the fame to be carried to the Stamp-Office, there to be infpedted and fealed by the Stamp or Seal-Mafter, to whom they fhall pay the Sum of one Shilling of Scotch Money for fealing or ftamping of each Piece, and no more, and Half-part thereof for any Half-piece ; and if any Perfon or Perfons Serges°not fealed whatfoever, fhall fell and deliver, buy and receive, tranfport or export, or expofe to fale, any fuch Serges, forfeited, and without having a Stamp fo affixed thereto, fhall forfeit and pay the Sum of twenty Shillings Sterling j aos. and the Goods fo found without the Stamp fo affixed, fhall alfo be confifcated ; the one Moiety fhall go and be to the Informer, and the other Moiety to the Ufe of the Stamp-Office, to be difpofed of as the Magiftrates fhall diredt and appoint. VII. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any Weaver or Weavers, or other Perfon or Perfons whatfoever, lhall make, work, or caufe to be made or wrought any of the Serges before mentioned, not conformable, or contrary to the Regulations and Reftridtions aforefaid, and fhall offer the fame to be fealed, the Owners of fuch Serges fo offered to be fealed, fhall refpedtively for- feit and pay the Sum of twenty Shillings Sterling, and the faid Serges fo offered to be fealed, fhall be confifcated, and fhall be difpofed of in fuch Manner, and to fuch Ufes, as the faid Juftices, or any two or more of them, or the faid Magiftrates fhall order and diredt ; and fuch Weavers or Manufacturers, as fhall make fuch Serges, or caufe the fame to be made, fhall alfo pay the Value of fuch Serges fo made, to the Owners thereof refpedtively, befides the Sum of twenty Shillings Sterling diredted to be paid as a Fine as aforefaid. VIII. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Deans of Gilds of the feveral Had Boroughs of the refpedtive Counties fhall, and they are hereby appointed to be the fole Judges within the refpedtive Boroughs ; and the faid Dean of Gild, with the Heretors or Proprietors of all and every publick Fair or Market, or any having their Authority, are hereby declared jointly Judges of the Offences committed againft this prefent Adt j and in Default of the faid Dean of Gild, or of the faid Ma- 1 fter The Juftices in their Counties to appoint a Stamp. No Stamp Ma- fter to Traffick in Serges, or Stamp them, not of the pro- per Lengths, Breadths, and Qualities. Penalty. Weavers to carry their Serges to the Stamp-Office to be fealed, The Price of Sealing, Penalties on Weavers work- ing Serges not conformable to thofe Regula- tions. Deans of Gilds fole Judges in their Boroughs. And they and the Proprietors of Fairs jointly Judges,