Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 8.djvu/229

 A. D.I 75 7* Anno tricefimo primo Georgii ir. C. i8. 195 faid Dvkes and Drains, where the faid Gommiffioners, or the major Part of them (fuch major Part not be- Bri.i.-resanij inp- lefs than feven) at any of their faid Meetings fliall judge neceflary, and continue tlie fame in good Repair, Tunnels to i>e for the better ilTuing, running and conveying away the Waters therein ; and if any fuch Oivneror Occu- '^'[° '^"'' ^'r pier {hall refufe or ncgled to make and keep fuch his or her Dykes or Drains of the Dimenfions aforefaid, or Z/irwnell fl.^u' to rode fcour and cleanfe the fame from Weeds or other Rubbifh or Obflructions, or to make and continue ;ujgcnrc'fi:.iy, fuch Bridges and Tunnels as aforefaid, after twenty-one Days Notice to be given to him, her or them, by nnder ciniua any Officer appointed by the faid Commiflioners for that Purpofe, perfonally, or by Writing under the Penalties. Hands of two or more of the faid Commiffioners, left at the ufual Place of Abode of fuch Owner or Occu- pier then fuch Owner or Occupier fliall forfeit four Pence />^r Rod for every Rod neglefted to be fo reded, fcou'red and cleanfed, and ten Shillings for every Bridge, and ten Shillings for every Tunnel, fo neglected to be made or continued as aforefaid ; and it fliall be lawful for the faid Commiffioners, or any two or more of CommifiionerS them, and they are hereby authorized and required, ^to caufe fuch Drain, Outring, or other Dyke, to be JT^-' ""j*^ '^'-" ^ roded', fcoured and cleanfed, and fuch Bridge and Tunnel to be made, in a proper and efFeftual Manner, anTievy air"""* and by Warrant under their Hands and Seals, to authorize and impower their Collector or Colleftors, or charges, uiih any other Perfon or Perfons, to levy and raife the Money expended in doing thereof, and alfo the faid Pe- the Penalty, nalties of four Pence for every Rod, and ten Shillings for every Bridge, and ten Shillings for every Tunnel, fo neglecfted as aforefaid, by Diftrefs and Sale of fuch Goods, Chatties, and Cattle, as fhall at any Time thereafter be found upon the Grounds to which fuch Drains or Dykes, Bridges or Tunnels, fhall refpeftively belong ; fuch Penalties to be applied as is herein before dire£led concerning the Penalty for damaging any of Application of the Works to be made or erected under the Authority of this A6i: ; and the Perfon or Perfons to whom fuch ''■^'^'^ Per.zitit*. Warrant or Warrants fliall be diredted, fliall and may levy the Money fo expended, and the faid Penalties, by Diftrefs and Sale of the fame Goods, Chatties and Cattle, together with all incident Charges, in the fame Manner as the faid Rates and Taxes are herein before direded to be levied, rendering the Overplus (if any be) to the Ov/ner or Owners thereof, when demanded. XXV. Provided always, and be it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid. That if any Tunnel or ReguiatJoiis to Tunnels fliall be laid for taking Water out of the Rivers Cam, otherwife Grant, Ouze, or MildenbaU, or be obierved in Sohajn Drain, otherwife Barrotuay Load, into the faid Fen Lands, the Bottom of fuch Tunnel or Timnels lajing Tunnels j Ihall not, at any Time, be laid lower than two Feet below the Surface or Level of the loweft whole Ground in that Part of the faid Fen Lands into which fuch Water fhall be taken ; and if any Perfon (hall lay the Bot- ■ tom of any fuch Tunnel lower than two Feet below the Surface or Level of the loweft whole Ground in any fuch refpeiSlive Part of the faid Fen Lands, and fhall be lawfully convi6led thereof before any Juftice oi the Peace for the County or Place where fuch Offence fliall be committed, he or flie fo offending fliall, for every fuch Offence, forfeit, to the Ufe of the Perfon giving Information thereof, the Sum of five Pounds for Penalty 5 1. every fuch Offence, to be levied by Diftrefs and Sale of the Offender's Goods and Chatties, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal of the Juftice before whom he or flie fhall be convidfed as aforefaid. XX VL And to the End that it may appear clearly what Money has been raifed, from time to time, by Rates and AfTefT- virtue of this A61, and that the Owners and Occupiers of the faid Fen Lands and Low Grounds may be ments to be en- fatisfied that the Monies fo raifed have been duly applied ; Be it further ena(£led by the Authority aforefaid, !^'^'^ ^" P'"?' .That the faid Commiffioners, or any feven or more of them, fliall caufe a Book of Affeffment to be made l"d'^'ifo aS- and kept, and all Rates and Afleflments made as aforefaid under this A6t, to be fairly entered therein ; and counts of Re- alfo a Book of Account to be made and kept, and an Account of all the Receipts and Difburfments relating ceipts and Dif- to all Monies received or difburfed by virtue of this Aft, to be fairly entered iji the fame ; and that no Ac- i'-'ifements. counts fliall be paffed or allowed, unlefs the fame fliall be kept and made up in fuch Books as aforefaid ; and that twice in every Year, videlicet, on the laft Thurjday in September, and on the laff Thurfday in March in Acco-jnts to he every Year, the faid Commiffioners, or any feven or more of them, aflembled as aforefaid, fliall carefully auJiicd on Oath • infpeil and examine all Receipts and Difburfements of fuch Monies as fhall have been raifed, received and ^-"^^-y"'')' ; difburfed, by virtue of this Act, and all Accounts and Vouchers relating to the fame ; at v/hich faid Times .-t v.hich Times the Collector or Colle£tors, Receiver or Receivers, of the R.ates and Sums of Money to be raifed as afore- the CoUcflors faid, are hereby required to attend with his or their Books of Affeffment, Receipts and Difburfements, and ■'""^ Receivns all Vouchers for the fame ; and upon Conffderation and Exam.ination of the faid Accounts upon Oath v/i^th^their" (which Oath any one of the faid Commiffioners is hereby impowcred in that Cafe to adminifter) the faid Vcrfcheis, &c. Commiffioners, or the major Part of them, fuch major Part being not lefs than feven, are hereby impovvered and ordered to allow and pafs the faid Accounts, or ("uch Part or Parts of the fame as they fliall fee juft and reafonable ; and fuch Account or Accounts, or fuch Part or Parts of the lame as fliall be allowed by the faid ^-cconnts, af er Commiffioners, or any feven or more of them as aforefaid, under their Hands, fliall be fairly entered in two ^^''^ "lli^^^l^' feveral Sets of Books to be kept for that Purpofe, one Set whereof fhall be kept by the faid Commiffioners, 2 Sets'otTookj and the other Set fhall remain in the Parifli Church of Soham aforefaid; and the faid Books fhall and may &c. be infpefted and perufed at any Time, at feafonable Flours, by any Perfon or Perfons (being an Owner or Owners of any of the faid Fen Lands and Low Grounds) requiring the fame, without Fee, or any other Reward. XXVn. And to the End that the faid Banks, or any other Banks to be raifed by virtue of this Aft, may be the better preferved ; Be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That if the Owner or Owners, Moles ia Lands Occupier or Occupiers, of any of the faid Fen Lands or Low Grounds adjoining or near to fuch Bank or adjoining to Banks, fhall neglect or refufe to catch or deftroy the Moles in fuch Lands, after ten Days Notice given to «"Vf ^/^* him, her or them, for that Purpofe, by any Officer appointed by^any two of the faid Com.miffioners ; then ow4eis o'f'hc it fhall be lawful for the faid Commiffioners, or any feven or moi^e-of them, to employ fome Perfon or Per- faid Lands • fons to catch and deftroy the fame, and by Warrant or Precept under their Flands and Seals, (which War- rant or Precept fuch Commiffioners, or any feven or more of them, are hereby impowered and required from time to time to make, as Occafion fhall require) to levy the ufual Charge of catching fuch Moles, o ^'^'^^^"R'"' by Diftrefs arid Sale of the Goods, Chatties, or Cattle, which ilirdl be found upon the Grounds and Pre- t'."^"' ^" t>^ '=- ' f -n- Vied on their.. C c 2 milics