Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 5.djvu/585

 A. D. 1724: .. Anno undecimo Georgii Regis. C. 24. 539 XII. And be it further enacted, That the Juftices of the Peace for the faid Weft-Riding of the faid f^artcrSefTions County of York fhall at their Quarter-Seffions of the Peace to he holden for the faid Well-Riding, next » catl >' to chj. r,: after Midjummer next, and afterwards at their General Quarter-Sefiions of the Peace to be holden next ^' after Eajter, yearly and every Year, choofe and appoint lb many Men of good Character and Repute '" within the faid Riding as they fhall think rcafonable, to be Searchers for the Year enfuing, and may low to each of them a Salary, not exceeding fifteen Pounds per Annum, to be paid out of the Money as (hall be received by the Treafurer of the faid Weft-Riding as before directed ; which faid Searchers lhall and may by the Direction and Authority of any one of the faid Juftices of the Peace of the faid Weft- Riding, or any Corporation within the fame, have full Power, at all feafonable and convenient Times, to enter and infpect in the Day-time, (Sundays excepted) the Mill and Mills of any Clotnier or other Perfon for milling of Cloth, and if he or they think fit and reafonable to meafure the Length and Breadth of any Cloth he fhall find there, before it be carried from thence ; and all and every fuch Searcher and Searchers, before he or they fhall enter upon the Execution of his and their faid Office, fhall take the following Oath, before any fuch Juftice of the Peace, videlicet; ' T A. B. do fwear, That I will well and truly execute the Office of a Searcher of Broad Woollen Their Oath. ' J. Cloth, within the Weft-Riding of the County of York, according to the Laws and Statutes of this XIII. And it fhall and may be lawful for every fuch Searcher and Searchers, from time to time, as They may enter Occafion fhall require, more especially when directed and required by any fuch Juftice or Juftices of the "> ;o Ho ^s» &c - Peace for the faid Riding, or any Corporation within the fame, in Writing under his or their Hands fo p rau " 5 rC n°Puiii to do, in the Day-time to enter into any Houfe or Houfes, Shop or Shops, Out-houfe or Out-houfes, f iol'. Tenter-Grounds or the Warehoufe of any Merchant or Merchants, Seller or Sellers, or any other Dealer in Cloth, or the Mills of any fuch, or any Out-houfe or Outhoufes belonging thereto, within the faid Riding, to fearch for any Woollen Broad Cloth, which fhall be ftretched and ftrained beyond the Lengths or Breadths aforefaid, or any Alteration in the Seal or Seals contrary to the Direction, true In- tent and Meaning of this prefent Act ; and for the better difcovering of fuch Abufe, to meafure or caufe to be meafured any fuch Cloth which he fhall fufpect to be fo over-ftretched or ftrained in Length or Breadth as aforefaid ; and in cafe of Refinance or Refufal by any Perfon, to permit and fufFer fuch Searcher or Searchers to enter the faid Places, or any of them, for the Purpofes aforefaid, the Perfon fo refilling or refufing fhall forfeit the Sum of ten Pounds on Conviction thereof before any fuch Juftice ; and if fuch Searcher or Searchers fhall at any Time find any Woollen Broad Cloth (after it hath been On Difcovery of tentered) without the Seal or Seals hereby directed to be put, or fuch Seal or Seals defaced, counterfeited, Ff auJs ° wn « t0 altered or pulled off, except it lhall appear that fuch Seal or Seals was or were accidentally loft or mali- cioufly taken off", and that it fhall appear the faid Cloth hath not been unduly ftretched or ftrained when put into Water, or that any of fuch Cloths appears by the Mark or Stamp, or fuch Seals to be over- ftretched or ftrained, either in Breadth or Length, beyond the Dimenfions allowed of and provided for by this prefent Aft, or that the Name and Place of Abode of the Maker of fuch Cloth fhall be cut out or altered, in fuch Cafe the Owner of fuch Cloth fhall, for every fuch Offence, forfeit the Sum of five Pounds. ,XIV. Provided, and be it enacted, That if any fuch Searcher or Searchers, appointed as aforefaid, do Penalty on' _ or fhall act therein againft his or their faid Oath or Oaths, he or they, being convicted thereof in Manner S " rc !i er u a,a ' ns aforefaid, fhall forfeit and lofe the Sum of twenty Pounds. q^£ s ^ . XV. Provided alio, That nothing herein contained fhall extend or be conftrued to extend to give any Power or Authority to fuch Searcher or Searchers (to be appointed purfuant to this Act) to fearch and Searchers not to examine fuch Broad Cloths as fhall be preffed and packed up for Exportation, unlefs fuch Searcher or "^d^or Ex- Searchers fhall be firft authorized and impowered by Warrant, under the Hand and Seal of one or more Li Ut ion. of fuch Juftice or Juftices of the Peace as aforefaid, made upon Information upon Oath of one or more credible Perfon or Perfons, that he or they have good Reafon to fufpect, and verily believe, that fome Fraud hath been committed in the Cloth fo preffed and packed up, contrary to the Direction, true Intent and Meaning of this Act : And if upon the fearching and examining fuch packed up Cloth, no fuch Fraud as aforefaid (hall be found, then and in fuch Cafe fuch Informer or Informers are hereby directed to pay unto fuch Merchant or Dealer in Cloth, whofe Cloth fhall be fo opened and fearched, after it hath been fo preffed a-nd packed up, five Shillings for every Cloth which fhall be fo unpacked, towards the Damage that fuch Merchant or Dealer fhall fuftain by fuch caufelefs or malicious unpacking; and in Default of Payment thereof, the fame to be levied in fuch Manner as any other Penalties are hereby di- rected to be levied. XVI. And be it. further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any Cloth-Dreffer or Cloth- cioth-Dreffer Worker, to whom any Cloth or Cloths fhall be committed or delivered by any Merchant or Merchants, ftretching the or any other Buyer of Cloths, to be drefled, fhall after the faid twenty- fourth Day of June be guilty of Merchants ftretching and ftraining the faid Cloths further than by this Act is prefcribed, or fhall alter, deface, coun- -°^ sLi^la terfeit or take off fuch Seal or Seals, whereby the Merchant, Buyer or Owner of fuch Cloth may be re p a y t h e ^i' tI. fubjedt to any of the Penalties contained in this Act ; that then and as often as the faid Merchant, Buyer chant the Pe- or Owner of Cloth fhall pay and undergo fuch Penalties, upon Account of the faid Cloth-Dreffers or nalties. Cloth-Workers committing fuch Abufes as aforefaid, the faid Merchant, Buyer or Owner of Cloth, Aiall be repaid by fuch Cloth Dreffer or Cloth-Worker, who fhall have committed or caufe to be com- mitted the faid Offence, all fuch Sum or Sums of Money as he or they fhall fo pay as aforefaid. Z z z 2 XVII. And
 * Realm, and according to the beft of my Skill and Knowledge." So help me God.