Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 8.djvu/550

 5i6 C. 32. Anno tiicehmo tertio Georgii II. A. D. 1759/ ana entered. Rights of the Lords of Manors referved. in that Diftrlct or Divifion only ; and that the Money, which (hall be raifed on fuch Part of the faid Fen Lands and Low Grounds as lie within the fecond Diftrict or Divifion, fhall be applied to the Ufes and Purpofes of draining and improving the Lands in that Diftrict or Divifion only. Accounts how to be kept XXXIV. And to the End it may appear clearly what Money has been raifed from lime to time by virtue of this Act, and that the Owners and Occupiers of the faid Fen Lands and Low Grounds may be fatisfied that the Monies fo raifed have been duly applied ; Be it further enacted, That once in every Year, on one of the Days herein before appointed for tlie Meeting of the faid Commif-i fioners, Lifpection fhall be had by the faid CommilTioners, or any feven or more of them, in their, refpective Diltricts, of the Receipts and Difburfements of fuch Money as fhall have been raifed by; virtue of this Act, to the twenty-fifth Day oi March then next preceding; and all Accounts relating to the fame fhall be then, or within ten Days after, made up and fettled by the faid Commiffioners, or any kQn or more of them then afl'embled at fuch Meeting as aforefaid ; at which Times the re- fpective Collector or Collectors, Receiver or Receivers of the faid Rates and Sums of Money to be raifed as aforefaid, are hereby required to attend with proper Books of Accounts of their refpective Receipts and Difburfements, and all Vouchers for the fame; and upon Confideration and Exami- nation thereof upon Oath (which Oath any of the faid Comniiflioners is hereby impowered to ad- minlfter) the faid Commiffioners, or any kwcw or more of them, are hereby impowered to allow and pafs the faid Accouiits as they fliall think fit, or fuch Part or Parts of the ^mwq as they fhall fee julf and reafonable: And fuch Account or Accounts for the faid firft Diilrict or Divifion, or fuch Parr or Parts of them as fhall be allowed by the faid Commiirioners, or any feven or more of them, under their Hands, fhall be fairly entered in three feveral Books to be kept for that Purpofe ; one of which fhall remain with the Commiffioners for that Diftridt or Divifion, one fhall be kept in the Parifh Church of Tritiity in Ely^ and the other in the Parifh Church of Litthport aforefaid : And fuch Account or Accounts for the faid fecond Di(l:ri6l or Divifion, or fuch Part or Parts of them as fnall be fo allowed by the faid Commiffioners or any feven or more of them, under their Hands, fhall be fairly entered in two fcveral Books, to be likewife kept for that Purpofe ; one whereof fhall remain with the Commiffioners for that Diftri6l or Divifion, and the other fhall be kept in the Parifh Church of M'lldejihall aforefaid : And any of the faid Books fhall and may be infpe£ted and perufed, without Fee or any other Reward, at any Time, at feafonable Hours, by any Perfon reauiring the fame, being an Owner of any of the faid Fen Lands or Low Grounds in the Diftriil or Divifion to which fuch Book does belong. XXXV. Provided always, and be It hereby enabled. That all fuch Right or Rights as any Lord or Lords of any Manor or Manors, Liberties, Hundred, or Half Hundred, have heretofore had within his or their refpe£tive Manor or Manors, Liberties, Hundred, or Half Hundred, within or without the faid Boundaries, to Waifs, Eftrays, Felons Goods, Privileges of Arrefts, Efcheats, and all Royalties, not prejudicial to Draining, be thereby faved to them, their Heirs, Succeflbrs and Affigns feverally and refpedlively; any Thing in this Adl to the contrary thereof notwith- flanding. XXXVL Provided always, and it is hereby further enacfled, That this Acl, or any thing therein contained, fhall not extend, or be conftrued to extend, to invalidate, IcfTen, diminifh, alter, or take away any of the Rights, Powers and Authorities vefted in the Governor, Bailiffs and Commo- nalty of the Company of Confervators of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Levels or in the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Confervators, by virtue of an A<fl made in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, intituled, An Ail for fettling the Dmining of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Level, or by virtue of any other A*^: or Statute whatfoever ; but that all Rights, Powers and Authorities whatfoever, which by virtue of the faid A(St of the fifteenth of King Charles the Second, or of any other A61 or Statute whatfoever, now are vefted in the faid Governor, B.nilifFs and Commonalty, or in the faid (jovernor. Bailiffs and Confervators, or any of them, fhall for ever hereafter remain, continue, and be in the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Commo- nalty, 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. it was, among 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, al- loted as a Recompence for the draining of the faid Great Level, for the Support, Maintenance and Prefervation of the faid Great Level, and to levy the fame, with Penalties for Nonpayment; and that the faid Governor, Bailifls and Confervators fliould have Power to fell fo much of fuch Parts and Proportions of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres, upon which any Tax fliould be in Arrear, or Penalties, in fuch Proportion as the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Confervators fhould judge to be fufRcient to raife fuch Taxes and Penalties : And whereas feveral Parcels of the faid ninety-five thoufand Acres of Land were, at different Times, put up to Sale, in purfuance and according to the Dircdlions of the before recited A£t of the fifteenth of King Charles the Se- cond, ond of one other Act palfed in the twentieth Year of the faid King Charles the Second, intituled, An A£l for the taxing and affjjing of the Lands of the Adventurers within the Great Lev I of the Fens, in order to raife the Taxes and penalties in Arrear for and in refpeit of the faid L^inds ; but the fame not being thought worth the Taxes and Penalties due thereon, fuch Lands could not be fold, io as to raife fuch Penalties and Taxes j and the faid Governor, Bailiffs and Confi-rvators, having Rights of the Corpora- tion ot Bedtord Level referved. Recital of Arts 1 5 & 20 Car. 2. c 17. rcbting to Bedford Level Cor-
 * XXXVII. And whereas by the faid Ad of the fifteenth Year of King Charles the Second,
 * directed