[1705, Nor the pri- IV. Provided always, That this act, or any thing therein vileges of the contained, fhall not extend, or be conftrued to extend to the mayor and juleffening, taking away, abridging, hindring, prejudicing, or rats, &c. of Gravefend. impeaching of any grants, liberties, franchifes, cuftoms, privileges, or ufages, now or heretofore lawfully used, held, or enjoyed by the mayor, jurats, and capital inhabitants of the villages and parishes of Gravefend and Milton in the county of Kent, touching, concerning, or relating to the paffage and ferry upon the faid river of Thames, from the faid villages and parishes of Gravefend and Milton, to the said city of London, or touching or concerning the government or gubernation of the faid paffage and ferry; but that the said mayor, jurats, and inhabitants, and their fucceffors, fhall and may do and execute all and every fuch lawful act and acts, powers, and authorities, touching the faid paffage and ferry, and the government thereof, as they might or could have done, if this act had not been made; any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithstanding. 2 Geo. 2. c. 26.

From 25

March, 1706. all copies of

briefs for collecting charity money fhall be printed by the Queen's printers.

CAP. XIV.

An att for the better collecting charity money on briefs by letters patents, and preventing abuses in relation to fuck charities.

HEREAS many inconveniencies do arife, and frauds are committed in the common method of collecting charity money upon briefs by letters patents, to the great trouble and prejudice of the objects of fuch charity, and to the great difcouragement of well difpofed perfons: for remedy whereof, be it enacted by the Queen's moft excellent majefty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That from and after the five and twentieth day of March, which fhall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fix, upon the iffuing forth of letters patents for collecting of charity money, commonly called briefs, copies thereof, to the number required by the petitioners for fuch briefs, or their agents, and no more, fhall be printed by the printer to her Majefty, her heirs or fucceffors only, at the ufual rates for printing, and by fuch printer the whole number of fuch copies shall be delivered to fuch person or persons only, as fhall, by and with the consent of the petitioners for fuch brief, or the major part of them, undertake the laying or difpofing fuch printed copies, in order to the collection of the monies to be received thereon, or to fome or one of them, who, or one or more of them, shall give a receipt for the fame, expreffing the number thereof in fuch receipt, which receipt, or an attefted copy thereof, fuch printer shall forthwith deliver to the register of the court of chancery to be filed in the regifter's office, and thereupon the perfon or perfons fo undertaking fuch collection, or fome or one of them, fhall cause all the faid printed copies to be indorsed or marked

in some convenient part of such printed copy, with the name of one or more of the truftees or commiffioners named in fuch letters patents, written with his or their own hand, and the time of figning the fame, and also cause the faid printed copies to be ftamped in the manner hereafter more particularly mentioned: and the faid whole number being fo figned, shall be, with all convenient speed, by the faid undertaker or undertakers, sent and delivered to the respective church-wardens, and chapelwardens of the respective churches and chapels, and to the respective teachers and preachers of every separate congregation, and to any person who hath taught or preached in any meeting of the people called Quakers, in the counties and places to be comprized in fuch letters patents, to be read and published, and the charity thereon to be collected in the feveral churches, chapels, or places of meeting to which they belong, who fhall fo receive the fame; and that the faid church-wardens, chapelwardens, preachers, teachers, and quakers having taught, as aforefaid, immediately after fuch receipt, fhall indorfe the time of his or their receiving the fame, and fet his or their names thereto; and the faid church-wardens and chapel-wardens fhall forthwith deliver over the said printed briefs by them received, to the several minifters and curates of the faid churches or chapels, who shall receive the fame; and the faid respective mi- Ministers, &c. nifters and curates fhall on receipt thereof indorfe the time they on fome Sunrespectively received the fame, and set their respective names months after day within 2 thereto; and the faid refpective minifters and curates, teachers, receipt of preachers, and perfons called Quakers, qualified as aforefaid, copy, &c. fhall on fome Sunday, within two months after receipt of fuch fhall before copies, immediately before the fermon, preaching or teaching fermon, openly read the fhall begin, openly read or caufe to be read fuch printed briefs fame. in their respective churches, chapels, and places of meeting, Church-warto the congregation there affembled, and the refpective church- dens, &c. to wardens, chapel-wardens, and the teachers of every such sepa- money. rate congregation, and fuch perfons called Quakers, to whom Sum collected the briefs fhall have been fo delivered, as aforefaid, fhall collect to be indorted the fums of money that fhall be freely thereon given, either in on fuch printthe faid respective affemblies, or by going from houfe to houfe ed brief, and of the members of their respective congregations, as the briefs ged by mifigned fhall require in that behalf; and on every fuch collection made, the fum that fhall be collected, with the place where, and time when the fame was collected, fhall be indorfed, fairly written in words at length on fuch respective printed briefs, and figned by the minifter or curate, and the church-wardens in churches and delivered and chapels, and by the teacher and two elders, or two other takers of the fubftantial perfons of every feparate congregation; and that brief, &c. thereupon the faid respective church-wardens and chapel-wardens, and the respective teachers or preachers, or other perfons required to make the collection, as aforefaid, on request of such perfon or perfons as fhall undertake to place and disperse the briefs, as aforefaid, or of any perfon by them, or any of them lawfully authorized, shall deliver to such person or per

L 4

fons,

collect the

niiter, &c.

to the under

Penalty on minifter, &c. neglecting.

months after

delivery, to demand the

fons, making fuch request, the refpective printed briefs fo indorfed, as aforefaid, and the monies thereon collected, taking a receipt for the fame, from the person so receiving fuch monies, in fome book to be kept for that purpose, on pain that every the said minifters, curates, teachers, preachers, church-wardens, chapel-wardens, and quakers qualified and required, as aforefaid, who fhall refuse or neglect to do any of the matters or things before refpectively required of them, fhall forfeit the Undertakers fum of twenty pounds, to be recovered and applied as herein within 6 after is directed; and the faid perfon or perfons who fhall fo undertake to place, and difperfe the faid briefs as aforesaid, shall within fix months next after the respective placing or deliverfame from the ing fuch copies in the respective parishes, as aforefaid, by themchurch-war- felves, or fome or one of them, or by fome perfon or persons dens, &c. by them or the major part of them to be appointed, as aforefaid, demand from the respective church-wardens and chapelwardens of churches and chapels, and from the preacher and teacher of separate congregations, or from fuch teaching quaker to whom the faid printed briefs fhall have been respectively delivered, as aforefaid, the printed briefs fo left with him or them refpectively, and the monies refpectively by them received thereon; and on delivery and payment made fhall give to them and the mo- refpectively, as aforesaid, a receipt for the fame, on pain to forfeit the fum of twenty pounds, to be recovered and disposed of herein after is directed.

nies received

thereon,

and enter in a book the number of

printed briefs received, &c.

as

II. And to the intent a fpeedy, regular, and fatisfactory account may be rendered of the fums of money collected by vir tue of fuch briefs, be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the perfon or perfons fo undertaking to place or difperse the faid printed briefs, or the greater part of them, fhall make, or caufe to be made, a fair entry in a book for that purpose by them to be kept (to which all persons concerned may at all times refort) of the number of the printed briefs they fo received, and alfo when figned and fent away, and to what parishes and places, and the time of their receiving the fame back, and Printed copies the monies thereon collected; and the faid printed copies fo (when receiv received back, fhall be depofited and left with the register of ed back) to be the court of chancery, with whom the receipt given to the depofited with the register of printer for the fame as aforefaid, was registered, to the end it may appear that the whole number received of the said printer is duly returned, and that the fame may be from time to time made ufe of, as well by the fufferers and their agents, as by the faid undertakers and their agents or folicitors, in paffing the accounts in the method herein after prefcribed; and if the whole number of printed copies of fuch briefs fo received of the printer, fhall not be duly returned as hereby required, the undertaker or undertakers fhall, for every printed copy, which fhall be found wanting and not returned, as aforefaid, by default of them or their agents, forfeit the fum of fifty pounds, to be recovered and applied as herein after-mentioned; unless he or not returning they shall make a fufficient proof, to the fatisfaction of the court

the court of Chancery.

Penalty on undertaker

the whole number, &c.

of

of chancery, of the said briefs fo wanting being loft or destroyed by inevitable accident, and of what money was really and truly collected thereon, and fully account for, and pay the fame; and that in each parish or chapelry, and feparate congregation, a regifter fhall be kept by the minifter or teacher there, or by &c. a register fome teaching quaker, of all monies collected by virtue of fuch to be kept of briefs, therein alfo inferting the occafion of the brief, and the all monies coltime when the fame was collected, to which all perfons at all lected. times may refort without fee.

III. And for the better indorfing what money is collected on the back of the printed briefs, and for the more regular examination thereof, and for the preventing the counterfeiting printed copies of the briefs, by which great frauds have been put in practice; be it en

In each parish,

the back of

acted by the authority aforefaid, That on the back of every Form of inprinted copy of fuch brief, there fhall be printed the form of dorfement to indorsement, with the neceffary blanks for time, place and fum be printed on of money, to be filled up by the refpective perfons aforefaid; and each printed copy of fuch brief fhall before it be brief, with every printed carried to the refpective parishes wherein the collection is to proper blanks, be made, be ftamped or marked with a proper ftamp to be &c. and made for that purpose, and kept by the regifter of the court, ftampt, &c. of chancery, who is to fee that no greater number of printed copies be ftampt or marked therewith, than is in the receipts given to the printer, and left with the register, as aforefaid, (pecified and declared; and if any perfon or perfons fhall forge Penalty on or counterfeit fuch ftamp, fuch perfon being thereof lawfully counterfeiting convicted, fhall be publickly fet on the pillory for the space of stamp.

one whole hour.

ceived within

IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, Undertakers That the faid undertaker or undertakers, fhall within two to account for months after the monies refpectively received, and after due all monies renotice thereof to the fufferers (who are to be admitted to con- two months trovert the fame) account before one of the mafters of the court after receipt, of chancery, to be for that purpose appointed by the lord chancellor, lord keeper, or commiffioners for the cuftody of the great feal of England for the time being, for all the monies by them received on account of fuch letters patents and briefs, and fhall produce before him an exact account of the respective printed briefs by them delivered out, and received back, and left with the register, as aforefaid, and thereupon the faid mafter fhall proceed to make his report of what fhall be found due on fuch account; and the faid report being confirmed by the faid court of chancery as ufual, fhall be a charge on the faid undertaker or undertakers, and shall be carried into execution against him or them, as if decreed in a fuit there depending;

in taking which account fuch mafter fhall make all juft allow- and be allowances to fuch undertakers, for their trouble and pains of ma- ed for their nagement, over and befides the charges to be expended for the pains. faid letters patents and copies thereof; and fuch mafter fhall alfo have power by the common methods of the court of chancery, to examine into all frauds and ill practices that fhall be

committed

&c. found

Frauds, to be guilty of

fined.

Committed by the faid undertakers or their agents, or any others concerned for or under them in fuch collection, and report the Undertakers, fame to the court; which report being confirmed by the faid court, it shall be in the power of the lord chancellor, lord keeper, or commiffioners aforesaid, for the time being, to impofe fuch fine and cofts on every fuch offender, as the nature of the cafe fhall require; which faid fine, and all other forfeitures incurred by the faid undertakers or their agents, shall be only for the benefit of the sufferers, for whofe benefit fuch briefs fhall be granted, and shall and may be recovered by the order of the faid court of chancery, founded on fuch report fo confirmed, as aforefaid, and carried into execution, as the decrees of that court ufually are.

Provifo con

V. Provided always, That where any penalties are by this cerning penal- act inflicted on any perfon or perfons, other than the undertakers, their agents, deputies, fubftitutes, or fervants, fuch penalties shall be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information.

ties,

No perfons to farm or purchafe charity

money on briefs, &c.

on penalty.

VI. And whereas there hath been an evil practice in farming and purchasing for a fum of money, the charity-money that should or might be collected on fuch briefs, to the very great hindrance and difcouragement of alms-giving on fuch occafion; be it therefore enacted by the authority aforefaid, and it is hereby declared, That all farming and purchafing of fuch charity-money is unlawful, and that from and after the aforefaid five and twentieth day of March, if any person or persons shall purchase or agree for any charitymoney to be collected on any briefs or letters patents, or by any inftrument of covenant or agreement, by way of farming, fhall or may pretend to appropriate fuch charity-money, or any part thereof to his or their use, contrary to the intent and meaning of fuch letters patents, by which fuch charity-money fhall be collected, and contrary to the intent and meaning of this act, fuch purchase and inftrument of covenant and agreement, shall be void, and each perfon agreeing to purchase the benefit of fuch brief, fhall forfeit the fum of five hundred pounds, to be applied for the benefit of the sufferers in such letters patents mentioned, and to be recovered, as before last mentioned.

CAP. XV.

An act for making the river Stower navigable, from the town of Maningtree in the county of Effex, to the town of Sudbury in the county of Suffolk.

River Stower to be made navigable from Maningtree in Effex, to Sudbury in Suffolk. Powers granted to the undertakers. Commiffioners appointed for determining differences. Any nine of them impowered to act. Perfons declining commiffioners mediation, theriff of the county to impanel a jury; who, on oath, are to inquire and affefs damages, &c. Such affeffment to be binding. On payment of fum affeffed, &c. Undertakers, &c. may act in pursuance of fuch final order. No commiffioner to act in any cafe where concerned. In case of death of commiffioners, or refufal to act, the number fhall be fupplied. Undertakers to receive for goods, merchandizes, &c. viz. For every chalder of coals 5 s. every ton weight of other goods, &c. 5 s. On nonpayment, un

dertakers