colonies or plantations, as well thofe under proprietors and charters, as under our immediate commiffion and government, at above the rate of fix fbillings per piece current money, for the difcharge of any contracts or bargains to be made after the faid first day of January next, the halfs, quarters, and other leffer pieces of the fame coins to be accounted, received, taken, or paid in the fame proportion; and the currency of all pieces of eight of Peru, dollars, and other foreign fpecies of filver coins, whether of the fame or baser alloy, shall, after the faid first day of January next, stand regulated, according to their weight and fineness, according and in proportion to the rate before limited and fet for the peices of eight of Sevil, Pillar, and Mexico; fo that no foreign filver coin of any fort be permitted to exceed the fame proportion upon any account whatsoever; and we do hereby require and command all our governors, lieutenant governors, magiftrates, officers, and all other our good fubjects, within our faid colonies and plantations, to obferve and obey our directions herein, as they tender our displeasure. II. And whereas notwithstanding the faid proclamation, the fame For inforcing indirect practices as are therein mentioned, are still carried on within the due exeSome of the faid colonies or plantations, and the money thereby drawn cution of profrom one plantation to another, in prejudice of the trade of her Ma- clamation, jefty's fubjects; wherefore for the better inforcing the due execution of her Majesty's faid proclamation throughout all the faid colonies and plantations, and for the more effectual remedying the faid inconveniencies thereby intended to be remedied, be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent majefty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That if any perfon within any of the faid colonies or plantations, as well thofe under proprietors and charters, as under her Majefty's immediate commiffion and government, fhall after the first day of May, which fhall be in Perfons after the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and nine, May, 1709. for the discharge of any contracts or bargains to be thereafter paying or remade, account, receive, take, or pay any of the feveral fpecies ceiving any of foreign filver coins mentioned in the before recited procla- coins at a foreign filver mation, at any greater or higher rate than at which the fame is higher rate thereby regulated, fettled, and allowed, to be accounted, receiv- than is regued, taken, or paid, every such person fo accounting, receiving, taking, or paying the fame contrary to the directions therein to fuffer 6 contained, thall fuffer fix months imprisonment, without bail or prifonment, mainprize; any law, cuftom, or ufage in any of the faid colo- and forfeit 10l, nies or plantations to the contrary hereof in any wife notwithftanding; and fhall likewife forfeit the fum of ten pounds for every fuch offence; one moiety thereof to her Majesty, her heirs and fucceffors; the other moiety to fuch perfon or perfons as fhall fue for the fame, to be recovered with full cofts of fuit, by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, in any of her Majefty's courts of juftice within any of the faid plantations, or in lated, months im Provifo. Queen may re veral fpecies hereafter, in fuch other in any of the courts of juftice of the charter or proprietary governments where fuch offence fhall be committed. III. Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby declared, That nothing in the before recited proclamation or in this act contained fhall extend, or be conftrued to compel any person to receive any of the faid fpecies of foreign filver coins, at the refpective rates in the faid proclamation mentioned. IV. Provided alfo, and it is hereby further declared, That nothing in this act contained shall extend, or be conftrued to restrain her Majefty from regulating and fettling the feveral rates of the faid fpecies of foreign filver coins within any of manner as the the faid colonies or plantations, in fuch other manner, and fhall judge ne- according to fuch other rates and proportions, as her Majesty cellary. by her royal proclamation for that purpose to be issued, thall from time to time judge proper and neceffary, or from giving her royal affent to any law hereafter to be made in any of the faid colonies or plantations, for fettling and ascertaining the current rates of fuch coins within the said colonies or plantations; but that fuch further regulations may be made, and fuch affent given, in as full and ample manner, to all intents and purposes, as the fame might have been done in cafe this act had not been made, and no otherwise; any thing herein before contained to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. CA P. XXXI. An act for the better preventing mischiefs that may happen by fire. W HEREAS many fires have lately broke out in feveral places in and about the cities of London and Westminster, and other parishes and places comprised within the weekly bills of mortality, and many houfes have frequently been burnt and confumed before fuch fires could be extinguished, to the impoverishing and utter ruin of many of her Majesty's fubjects, the rage and violence whereof might have been in great part prevented, if a fufficient quantity of water had been provided in the pipes lying in the streets, and if party walls of brick had been built between house and house, from the foundation to the top of the roofs, and less timber in the front of houses: for the preventing therefore the like mifchiefs for the future, be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That from and after the five and twenMarch, 1708, tieth day of March, which fhall be in the year of our Lord one churchward- thoufand feven hundred and eight, it fhall and may be lawful parith within to and for the churchwardens of each and every parish within bills of mor- the faid cities and liberties of London and IVeftminster, and other tality to fix on parithes and places within the faid weekly bills of mortality, the mains and and they are hereby required at any time or times before the pipes of any water work, first day of May, in the faid year of our Lord one thoufand stop-blocks of feven hundred and eight, or as foon after as may be, and fo for From 25 ens of each one leather ever after, to make place and fix (at the charge of fuch re- wood, or fire fpective parish) upon the mains and pipes belonging to any cocks, &c. water-work whatsoever within the places aforefaid, fuch and so many stop-blocks of wood, with a two inch plug, or fuch and fo many fire cocks to go into each main or pipe, and to be placed at fuch distances, in each or any street or place where fuch churchwardens for the time being fhall direct, and the top of fuch stop blocks to lie even with the pavement of each ftreet or place; to the intent that fuch plugs or fire cocks may always, upon occafion of any fire, be opened, and let out the water without lofs of time in digging down to the pipes; and that all and every or any fuch churchwardens fhall, and hereby have power to fix any mark or writing in the front of Mark to be any house or houses over against the places, and for the better fixed on the making known to the inhabitants where fuch stop-blocks and front of an fire cocks lie, and to keep an inftrument in each houfe where houfe, over the mark is, to open the plug or fire cock, fuch ftop-blocks against the and fire cocks to be kept in repair at the charge of each parish re cock lies. place where where the fame fhall be placed, and the plugs by the owners of the mains and pipes where the fame thall be fixed; and that each and every parith within the cities of London and Westminster, Every parish and weekly bills of mortality, fhall from time to time, and at to keep one all times, have and keep in good order and repair in fome large engine known and publick place within each parish, a large engine, and one hand and also a hand engine, to throw up water for the extinguish engine, and ing of fires, and alfo fhall provide, keep, and maintain one pipe. leather pipe and focket of the fame fize as the plug or fire cock, United pato the intent the focket may be put into the pipe to convey the rishes are as water clean and without lofs, or help of bucket, into the en- one. gine; and in default of making, placing, fixing, and continu- 7 Annæ, c. 17. continu-.. ing fuch ftop-blocks or fire-cocks on the feveral mains and Penalty on pipes, as alfo in default of having and keeping in good repair churchwarfuch large engine, hand engine, and leather pipe and focket, ens making the churchwardens of fuch parifh fo making default, and being convicted thereof, before two of her Majefty's justices of the peace, fhall forfeit and pay the fum of ten pounds; one moiety thereof to the informer, and the other moiety to the overfeers of the poor of the parifh where fuch default shall be made, for the use of the poor of fuch parish, to be recovered by warrant from two of her Majefty's juftices of the peace, by distress and sale of fuch churchwardens goods; the overplus, if any be, to be returned to the owner thereof; and that the Gratuities to turn-cock belonging to fuch water-work, whofe water fhall be be paid to found on, or first come into the main or pipe where the first turn cocks plug fhall be opened at any fire, fhall be paid ten fhillings by engine keepthe churchwardens of fuch refpective parish where fuch fire churchwardshall happen; and that the first engine keeper which brings in ens, &c. a parish engine, to help to extinguish any fire, if in good order where any fire and complete, with a focket, hofe, and leather pipe, fhall be hall happen. paid thirty fhillings; the keeper of the fecond parish engine that fhall be next brought to a fire fhall be paid twenty church ward fhillings; default. Reward not payable by 1 ens without the fhillings; and the third, ten fhillings, by the churchwardens 7 Annæ, c. 17. 1.2. II. And whereas the feveral infurance offices for infuring houses against lofs by fire, retain in their feveral services, and give coats and badges unto watermen for fervice and affiftance in extinguishing of fires, who are always ready at a call, and are provided with various forts of poles, books, hatchets, and several other inftruments and things at the charge of the faid refpective infurance offices, for the extinguishing of fires; which watermen by custom and skill venture much further, and give greater help than any other persons not used to come into danger: and whereas it hath been found by frequent experience, that fuch watermen are of great use and fervice when ever any fire happens; be it therefore enacted by the authority aforeWatermen be- faid, That the watermen for the time being, belonging to each longing to in- infurance office, within the cities of London and Westminster, free from im- and limits thereof, not exceeding thirty for each office, thall preffing. be free from being impreffed, or liable to be compelled to go to sea, or serve as marines, or foldiers at land, their names and places of abode being registered and entered with the secretary or other officer of the admiralty office. furance offices Servants who through negligence fire any houfe, &c. to forfeit 100l. or be fent to the workhouse for 18 months. All houfes III. And whereas fires often happen by the negligence and carele/nefs of fervants, be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any menial or other fervant or fervants, through negligence or carelefnefs, fhall fire or caufe to be fired any dwelling houfe, or out-houfe or houses, fuch fervant or fervants being thereof lawfully convicted by the oath of one or more credible witneffes made before two or more of her Majefty's juftices of the peace, fhall forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred pounds unto the churchwardens of fuch parish where fuch fire fhall happen, to be diftributed among the fufferers by fuch fire, in fuch proportions as to the faid churchwardens fhall feem juft; and in cafe of default or refufal to pay the fame immediately after fuch conviction, the fame being lawfully demanded by the faid churchwardens, that then and in such case such fervant or fervants fhall, by warrant under the hand of two or more of her Majefty's juftices of the peace, be committed to fome workhouse, or house of correction, as the faid juftices fhall think fit, for the space of eighteen months, there to be kept to hard labour. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, erected after That from and after the faid first day of May, which thall be 1 May, within in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and eight, bills of morta- all and every house and houses that fhall be erected and built lity, to have party walls of either upon old or new foundations, in any place or places in brick of stone, and about the cities of London and Westminster, or other parishes or places comprized within the weekly bills of mortality, fhall &c. 44 der the eaves have party walls between house and houfe, wholly of brick or Provisions for ftone, and of two bricks thick at the leaft in the cellar and ground pulling down partition walls. ftories, and thirteen inches thick upwards from the foundation 11Geo.1.c.28.quite through all the stories of each house, and eighteen inches No mundilabove the roof; and that no mundillion or cornith of timber lion or cornifh or wood under the eaves shall hereafter be made or suffered in of timber unany fuch new house or houses, but that all front and rear- hereafter to be walls of every house and houses shall be built of brick or ftone, to made in any be carried two foot and an half high above the garret floor, and new house, &c. coped with stone or brick; and if any new houfe or houses This claufe fhall, from and after the faid firft day of May, be erected and extends not to boufes on built within the places aforesaid, contrary to the true intent and London bridge meaning of this act, that then the owner of every fuch houfe, or the Thames. and head builder or workmen, who undertake fuch building or 7 Annæ, c. 17. work, thall each of them forfeit, lofe, and pay for every f. 7, 8. fuch On penalty. default the fum of fifty pounds, to be equally divided, one moiety to the informer, and the other moiety to the poor of the parish wherein fuch building fhall be erected; and to be levied by warrant under the hands and feals of two or more of her Majefty's juftices of the peace within the place where fuch building fhall be fo erected, or where fuch workmen shall inhabit, by distress and fale of the offender's goods, upon due conviction upon oath, or upon the view of one or more of fuch juftices of the peace, rendring the overplus to the owners, if any be; and for want of fuch distress the offender shall be imprisoned by warrant from the faid two juftices, who are hereby impowered and required to iffue fuch warrant, until payment, as aforefaid; and the share of fuch forfeitures appointed to go to the poor, as aforefaid, to be paid into the hands of the churchI wardens of fuch refpective parish where fuch offence fhall be committed, who are to give a receipt for the fame, and to be charged therewith, and accountable for the fame, in like manner as for other monies which they fhall receive for the use of fuch parith. On beadles to aid V. And be it further enacted, That upon the breaking out on breaking of any fire within London and Westminster, all conftables and out of any fire, beadles (upon notice thereof) fhall immediately repair to the &c. all conplace where the faid fire fhall happen, with their ftaves, and other tables and badges of their authority, and be aiding and affifting, as well and affift the in the extinguishing the faid fires, and caufing people to work inhabitants, at the engines, as alfo in preventing goods being stolen; and &c. fhall feize and apprehend all ill-difpofed perfons that they fhall find stealing or pilfering from the inhabitants; as also that the faid conftables and beadles fhall give their utmost affiftance to help the inhabitants to remove their faid goods. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, No action to That no action, fuit, or procefs whatsoever, fhall be had, be profecuted maintained or profecuted against any perfon in whofe houfe or against any chamber any fire (hall, from and after the faid firft day of May, whofe houfe, perfon in accidentally begin, or any recompence be made by fuch perfon &c. any fire for any damage fuffered or occafioned thereby; any law, ufage, accidentally VOL. XI. E e or begins, &c. |