Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 8.djvu/169

 A. D. 1757- Anno tricefimo Georgii IL C. 35;. 135 ' Virtue of this Ad:, and that the Owners and Occupiers of the faid Fen Lands and Low Giouiios uiay Year, on one of the Days herein before appointed for the Meeting of the faid Commiffioners, Infpec- "'" ^"'^ ^^'^'■ tion {hall be had by the faid Cominiflioners, or any five or more of them, of the Receipts and Difburfe- g^jlt^^'a^^^," * ments of fuch Money as ftiall have been raifed by Virtue of this Aft, to the twenty-fifth Day of March ai'iyj^andThe then next preceding; and all Accounts relating to the fame fhall be then, or within ten Days after, Vouch?rs to be made up and fettled by the faid Commiffioners, or any five or more of them, then afl'embled at fuch produced, &c. Meeting as aforefaid ; at which Time the refpe6tive Colle6lor or Colledlors, Receiver or Receivers of the faid Rares and Sums of Money to be raifed as aforefaid, are hereby required to attend with proper Books of Accounts of their refpedtive Receipts and Disburfements, and all Vouchers for the fame ; and upon Confideration and Examination thereof upon Oath (which Oath any one of the faid Commiffioners is hereby im powered to adniinifler) the faid Commiffioners, or any five or more of them, are hereby im- powercd to allow and pafs the faid Accounts as they fiiall think fit, or fuch Part or Parts of the fame as they fhall fee jufl: and reafonable ; and fuch Account or Accounts, or fuch Part or Parts of them as (liall Accounts wlien be fo allowed by the faid Commiffioners, or any five or more of them, under their Hands, (hall be fairly gJltg^^j'* •'^'* ^^ entered in three feveral Books to be kept for that Purpofe ; one whereof fhall remain with the faid Com- Books &c. "^^"^ miffioners, one^^all be kept in the Parifli Church of Saint Mrjry in Feltwell^ and the other in the Parifli Church of Soiii>}ef-y aforefaid ; and any of the faid Books fliail and may be infpefted and perufed without Fee or any other Reward, at any Time at feafonable Hours, by any Perfon requiring the fame, being an Owner of any of the faid Fen Lands and Low Grounds. XXV. Provided always, and be it further enacted. That this Aft, or any Thing herein contained, Rights of the fhall not extend or be conftrued to extend to invalidate, lelTen, diminifli, alter or take away any of the Confervators of Rights, Powers and Authorities vefted in the Governor, Bailiifs and Commonalty of the Company of ^'^'^*°''^ ^^^^' Confervators of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Levels or in the faid Governor, Bailiffs and ^efemdcothem; Confervators, by Virtue of an Aftmade in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, intituled, Jn ASi for fettling the Draining of the Great Level of the Fens^ called Bedford Level j or by Vir- tue of any other Aft or Statute whatfoever ; but that all Rights, Powers and Authorities whatsoever, which by Virtue of the faid Aft of the fifteenth of King Charles the Second, or of any other Aft or Statute whatfoever, now are vefled in the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Commonalty, or in the faid Go- vernor, Bailiffs and Confervators, or in any of them, fhall for ever hereafter remain, continue and be in the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Commonalty, and in the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Confervators, and every of them, as fully and amply, to all Intents and Purpofes as if this Aft had never been made. ' XXVI. And whereas by the faid Aft of the fifteenth Year of King Charles the Second it was, 15 Car. 2. c. 17, amongft other Things enafted. That the Governor, Bailiffs and Confervators of the faid Great Level fhould have Power to lay Taxes upon the ninety-five thoufand Acres of Land (allotted as a Recom- pence for the Draining of the faid Great Level) for the Support, Maintenance and Prefcrvation of the faid Great Level, and to levy the fame, with Penalties for Non-payment; and that the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Confervators fhould have Power to fell fo much of fuch Parts and Proportions of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, upon which any Taxes fhould be in Arrear, or Penalties, in fuch Propor- tions as the faid Governor, Bailifi-'s and Confervators fhould judge to be fufficient to raife fuch Taxes and Penalties : And whereas feveral Parcels of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres of Land, lying with- in the faid Bounds herein before defcribed, were at different Times, put up to Sale in Purfuance and according to the Directions of the before recited Aft of the fifteenth of King Charles the Second, and of one other Aft pafied in the twentieth Year of the faid King, intituled, An Ail for- the Taxing 20 Car. t, c. S» and AJfeJfing of _ the Lands of the Adventurers within the Great Level of the Fens ; in order to raife the Taxes and Penalties in Arrear, for and in refpeft of the faid Lands; but the fame not being thought worth the Taxes and Penalties due thereon, fuch Lands could not be fold, fo as to raife fuch Penalties and Taxes; and the faid Governor, Bai]ifi:'s and Confervators having direfted their Officers, from time to time, to bid for fuch Lands as could not be fold for the Amount of the Taxes and Penalties refpec- tiveiy due thereon, they the faid Officers became the Purchafers of fuch Lands, and have either con- veyed the fame to the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Con:monalty, or declared fuch Purchaf:-s to have teen made in Truft for the faid Corporation ; and the Lands fo purchafed have remaiiied veiled in the faid Corporation, and are called Invcjied Lands^ and have been annually rated and allefled to the Taxes laid upon the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, according to their refpeftive Proj^ortions, in Purfuance of the faid Afts of the fifteenth and twentieth Years of King Charles the Second ; but fuch Taxes not having been raifed or paid, the faid Corporation have, from time to time, let fuch Inveiied Lands, or fuch Parts of them, as they could find Tenants for, at fuch Rents as could be procured for the fame ; but the Profits ariiing from the Lands fo let, have been very fmall and inconfiderable, and much lefs than the Taxes with which fuch Laiids have been affefTed : And whereas it will be for the Benefit of the faid Corporation, that the faid Inveffed Lands fnbuld be, fold for the belt Price that can he gotten for the fame, difcharged of all Arrears of Taxes ah'efled or to be afTeflTed thereon, before the faid Lands fhall be fold, by Virtue of the faid A6ts of the fifceenth and twentieth Years of Bling Charles tiie Second; but fubjeft neverthelefs, in like Manner as the reft of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, to the Taxes to be afi'effed by Virtue of vr.e faid Afts, after the faid Lands fiiall be fo fold ; and that i. the, mearx. Time, aiid until fuch L^nds.caa. be fold, the faiAC^orporation fhould be enabled to pay the '- Rates
 * XXIV. And to the End it may appear clearly what Money has been raifed, from time to time, by
 * be fatisfied that the Monies ^o raifed have been duly applied;' Be it further enabled, That once in every Accounts of Re-