Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 7.djvu/587

 A. D. 1754. Anno vicefimo feptimo Georgii II. C. 19. e.6j necefiary and conducing to the Prcfervation of the laid Great Level from drowning; and it was thereby further enacted. That the eighty-three thoufand Acres, Remainder of the faid nin.ty-fivc thou (ind Acre/ with the faid Ways, PalTages, new Rivers, Cuts, Drains, Banks and Forelands, over and above the faicl ten thoufand Acres, Refidue of the faid twelve tlioufand Acres, which were allotted in Severalty and of ■which his faid late Majefty was in Pofleflion, were thereby veiled and fettled in the faid Governor 'Bailiffs and Commonalty, and their SuccefTors, in Truft for the laid Willi am '^x o^ Bed for il^ and the' Adven- turers and Participants of the faid Earl Francis and Karl JVilliam, or either of 'them their H Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, of the Manor of Eaji Greomich, by Fealty, in free and common Socage; and the faid ten thoufond Acres were thereby velted in his then prelent Majefty, and his Afliins fubjedl and liable with the Refidue of the faid ninety-five thouland Acres, to the fameTaxes and Charees before fpecified; and it is thereby further enacted. That the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Confervatois of the faid Corporation for the Time being, or any five or more of them, whereof the faid Governor or Bailiffs, or their Succeffors, or any of them, to be two, for Maintenance and Prefervation of the faid Great Level, by convenient Outfalls to the Sea, fhould for ever thereafter be, and were thereby made and conftituted Commiffioners of Sewers for and of the faid Great Level of the Fens • and the faid Go- vernor, Bailifts and Ccnfervators, or any five or more of them, whereof the faid Governor or Bailiffs and their Succeflbrs, or any of them, to be two, are thereby enabled and impowered from thenceforth' to ufe and exercife the Power and Authority ot Commiffioners of Sewers, within the faid Great Level of the Fens, and of the Works made and to be made without the faid Great Level, for conveying the Wa- ters of the faid Great Level, by convenient Outfalls to the Sea, in fuch Manner, and with (uch other Pov/ers, Jurifdifticns and Authorities, as are therein mentioned and contained: And whereas by another AQ. of Parliament m,ade and pafl'ed in the twentieth Year of his faid late Majefty King- Charles the Second lo Car. 2. s. £.. intituled, Jn AB for the taxing and cijjcffmg of tin Lands of the Adventurers vjiihin the Great Level of the Fens, after reciting in Part the laft recited Adt, and that the Way therein mentioned of rnifingDraiiiin^- taxes upon the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, by an equal Acre-rate, had been found inconvenient ^'t was enacted. That all I'axes thereafter to be let and_impofed for the Maintenance and Prefervatioii of '^ the faid Great Level, fliould be from Time to Time afftfl'ed and taxed by the faid Governor Bailiffs and Confervators, or their SuccefibiS, or any five or more of them, whereof the faid Governor and Bailiffs for the Time being, or any of them, to be two, upon the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres, Part and Parcel of the laid ninety-five thoufand Acres, by a gradual Acre-tax of different Sorts and Values of Lands, to be received, paid and levied, by fu^h Ways and Means as in the faid recited Aft are provided ■ and that the faid eighty-three thoufap.d Acres, for raifingTaxes for Support and Maintenance of the Great Level, fliould not be rated or aflefled otherwife or in any other manner than according to a graduai' Acre-tax of different Sorts and Degrees, and according to the refpedtive Values and Rates thereby ftt and ' rated, and to he fet and rated, as is therein after appointed : And it was thereby further enadfed Th.t when and fo often as the Sum of fix thoufand one hundred and ten Pounds feven Shillings and one Penny Half-penny fhould be taxed and affeffed^ upon the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, that then the faid twelve thoufand Acres ihould be rated and aflefled at fifteen Pence the Acre, and according to that Proportion for ihe raifing of any greater or leffer Sum than fix thoufand one hundred and ten Pounds feven Shillings, and one Penny Half-penny, to be received, paid and levied, together with Penalties, in fuch and the like manner as the Taxes fet and impofed, or to be fet and impofed, upon the faid eighty-three thoufand' Acres, are thereby provided for to be received, paid, and levied : And to the end that the faid eighty- three thoufand Acres might be more equally rated by a gradual Acre-tax, not under the Number of feven Sorts, it was thereby further ena£ted. That certain Perfons in the fame Att named, or any three or more of them, were thereby conftituted and appointed to be Surveyors and Valuers of the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres, and were, with'n the Time therein limited, to digeft the faid eighty-three thoufand;' Acres into fuch Number of Sorts or Degrees of Land, not under the Number of feven Sorts and Deorees and to rate and tax fuch Degrees, and digeft the fame into Schedules in Writing, and make Returns thereof upon their Oaths, into the Fen-office, in fuch manner as in and by the faid Ait is mentioned and direfted.: And whereas the feveral Perfons by the faid laft recited A6t appointed to be Surveyors or Valuers, valued and fet out the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres, according to the DirecStions thereby given, into tievea.. different Sorts or Degrees of Land, to be rated and taxed in manner following; that is to fay. For a finjfje Tax, four Pence per Acre on the firft Sort of Land; eight Pence /<?;- Acre on the-fecond Sort; andTo,. increafing four Pence upon every Sort; the eleventh Sort to be taxed at three Shillings and eight Pence : And all greater or lefs Sums which the fjid Corporation fhould have occafion to raile, v.ere to be rated' and aC.effed in the like Proportions; which Valuations of the faid Surveyors were returned by them into the Fen-offiCe, as by the faid laft-rncntioncd Aft was direfted; and the faid eighty-three thoufand Ac; es have always fince been taxed according to the Degrees and Propo;tions thercbyfet out and allotted, calling aTax of four Pence on the firft Sort of Land, and increafing on the ten othsr Sorts in manner aforefaid, a fingle Tax; five P'ence a 1 ax and Qiiarter; fix Pence a Tax and Fialf; feven Pence a Tax and three Q^iarLers; and eight Pence a Double Tax: And whereas at a Court of the faid Corporation, held the ^"'■^■^^'T':'^' tenth Day oi March one thoufand fix hundred and ninety-feven, the faid Corporation declared that the rl"'-'^ '^^^ ^^--^ faid Great Level ftioul J be diftinguiftied by the feveral Names of the Ncrth Level, Middle Level, and South " *^' • Level; and that all that Part of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, which lay between tr,e North Side of Alcrelons Leame, and the South Side of JVilland Ri'i.'cr, fhould be accounted th,;t Part of. the ninety:.