Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 7.djvu/667

 A. D. 1756. 'Anno viceiimo 110110 Georgii II. C. g. 647 faid Acl obliged and requiretl to do,- with regard to Ships fo infected coming into the faid Harbour of New Grithfiy. C A P. IX. An Ad for eftablifning a. Fund for Payment of the Bonds of the Governor, Bailiffs and Commonalty of the Company of Confervators of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Level ; and for exchanging the prefent Bonds of the faid Corporation for other Bond5, payable out of the Revenues of the Middle and South Levels, Part of the faid Great Level -, and for enabling the faid Corporation to borrow further Sums for the Ufe of the faid Great Level. P K. H E R E A S by an Adt of Parliament made in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of King :o Car. s. c 17 Charles the Second, intituled, An Ait for fettling the Draining of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Level, taking Notice that Francis Earl oi Bedford, according to a Law of Sewers,, made at King's Lynn in the fixth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Firlt, had undertaken the Draining of the laid Great Level, fituate within the Counties oi- Northampton, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lin- coln, Cambridge and Huntington, and the Ille of Ely, and bounded as in the faid Act is particularly- mentioned and ckfcribcd ; and that he the faid Earl was to iiave for his Recompence ninety-five thoufand Acres of the Grounds within the laid Level, with convenient Highways and Paffagcs to the fame ; and that William Earl of Bedford, Son and tieir of the faid Earl Francis, with divers of his Ad- venturers and Participants, had proceeded in the completing and finilhing of the faid Works ; but that the fame could not be preferved without confiant Care, great Charge and orderly Government ; it was therefore, amongft other Things, enacted, That the faid William Earl of Bedford, and the Ad- venturers and Participants of the faid Earl Francis and Earl William, or either of them, their Heirs and Aflrgns, in fuch Manner as in the faid Adl is contained, fl^ould be a Body Politick and Corporate, in Deed and Name, and have Succelfion for ever, by the Nan-se of The Governor, Bailiffs and Com- monalty of the Company of Confervators of the Great Level of the Fens ; with Power to lay Taxes upon the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres only (twelve thoufand Acres whereof had been defigned and in- tended for his late IVlajefi y Kin^ Charles the Firft, and had been fet forth and allotted by Bounds in Severalty) for the Support, Maintenance and Prefervation of the faid Great Level, and to levy the fame with Penalties for Non-payment, and to do ah other Things in order to the Support, Main- tenance and Prefervation of the i'aid Great Level and Works made, and to be made, in fuch Manner as in the faid A6t is mentioned : And whereas by another Aft made in the twentieth Year of the lo Car. i, c S. Reign of King Charles the Second, intitided. An Act for the taxing atid affeffvig of the Lands of the Adventurers vjithin the Great Level of the Fens, it was enadted, That eighty-three thoufand Acres, Parcel of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, ihould from Time to .Time be taxed and affeffed by a gradual Acre Tax, of different Sorts and Valiies of Lands ; and that the faid twelve thoufand Acres, Refidue of the faid ninety-five tho'afand Acres, fliould be rated at a Medium of the whole Tax, to- be from Time to Time aifelTed upon the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres : And to the End that the fuid eighty-three thoufand Acres inight be more equally taxed by a gradual Tax, certain Perfons in the fame Atft named were appointed Surveyors and Valuers of the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres ; and were, within the Time limited by the faid A&, to digeft the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres into a Number of Sorts and Degrees, not under- the Number ot. feven Sorts and Degrees, and to rate and tax fuch Degrees, and digefb the fame into Schedules in Writing, and make Returns thereof, upon their Oaths, into the Fen Office, in fuch Manner as by the laid Adt is prefcribed : And whereas by Valuations made by the feveral Perfons appointed by the faid A&. of the twentieth of King Charles the' Second, and duly returned into the Office of the faid Corpors don in London, the faid eighty-three tho-afand Acres were fet out and digefted into eleven different Sorts and Degrees of Land, and the feveral Sums to be rated and affeffed upon each of the faid Sorts and Degrees, as their refpei'five Proportions of the Taxes to be paid to the faid Corporation were by the faid Valua- tions fettled and limited ; and the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres have always fince been taxed by a gradual Acre-tax, according to> the Degrees and Proportions fo fet out and allotted, and the fjid twelve thoufand Acres at a Medium of fuch I'ax ;a fingle Tax upon the faid eighty-three thoufand Acres, together with the Produce of a proporrionable Tax upon the faid twelve thoufand Acres, amounting to the Sam of five thoufand -and fifty-one Pounds feven Shillings and two Peiice : And ;- Geo. 2. c. 19, whereas by another Aft made in the twenty- feventh Year of theReign of his preicnt Majefty, inti-^ tuled. An A£t for difckarging the- Corporation'of the Governor, Bailiffs and Commonalty of the Company of Omfervntors of the Great Level of the Fens,- commonly called'^ti^ioxA hz'A, from a I)ebt due to the Duke «/" Bedford and Earl of Lincoln ; and for enabling the Proprietors of Lands in the North Level, Pari of ^ the [aid Great Level, to rcife Money 'to difckart'e the Proportion of the faid North Level in the Debts of tf fupport and preferve the feveral Works for draining the faid Great Level, had been obliged to borrow Money,