number of foreign fhips fo to be bought and licensed, shall not exceed the number of twenty; and that fuch fhips which fhall be fo bought by license of her Majesty, as aforefaid (having been equipped, set out, and employed as privateers, during the continuance of the prefent war) fhall (after the fame war ended) be to all intents and purposes deemed and taken as fhips of British And at the built, and have all the privileges of fhips built in any part of end of the Great Britain, and be capable of being ufed and employed ac- war be deemcordingly; the faid act made in the faid twelfth year of the reign (hips. of his late majesty King Charles the Second, intituled, An act 12Car.2.c. 18. for the increafe and encouragement of Shipping and navigation, or any other ftatute or law to the contrary notwithstanding. ed British XXII. Provided always, and be it further enacted and de- Queen's fubclared, That it shall and may be lawful to and for all her Ma- jects may trade to any jesty's fubjects of this kingdom, to trade into any part of America, part of Ameto which they might lawfully have traded before the making of rica. this act, and not otherwise. XXIII. Provided always, That nothing in this act shall any Act not to ways extend, or be conftrued to take away or prejudice any of prejudice the the eftate, rights, or privileges of or belonging to the governor Hudson's Bay and company of adventurers of England trading into Hudson's company. Bay. A Anno Regni ANNÆ Reginæ feptimo. T the parliament fummoned to be held at Westminster the eighth day of July, Anno Dom. 1708. in the feventh year of the reign of our fovereign lady Anne, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Queen, defender of the faith, &c. and by feveral writs of prorogation begun and bolden on the fixteenth day of November, 1708.a being the first feffion of this prefent In the record parliament. a it is added, and farther conti nued by feveral adjournments till the twenty first day of April, in the eighth year of her Majefty's reign. CAP. I. An act for granting an aid to her Majefty, to be raised by a land tax in Great Britain, for the fervice of the year one thousand seven hundred and nine. 4 s. in the pound. EXP. CAP. II. An act for the speedy and effectual recruiting her Majefty's land forces and marines, for the fervice of the year one thousand feven hundred and nine. EXP. CAP. III. An act for charging and continuing the duties upon malt, mum, cyder, and perry, for the service of the year one thousand seven hundred and pine. XIII. AND Inferior offi- XIII. A have arifen and may arife, whether on the death or demife ND whereas feveral doubts have been made, and disputes cers commif. fions not demise. of his late majesty King William the Third (of glorious memory) the vacated by the commiffions granted to the collectors, fupervisors, gagers, or other inlate King's ferior officers of the exeife, before his faid late Majefty's demife, fhall have continuance longer than fix months after the death or demife of bis faid late Majefty: for fettling whereof, be it declared by the authority aforefaid, That no commiffion to any fub commiffioner, collector, fupervisor, gager, or other inferior officer, that hath been conftituted in pursuance of any commiffion under the great feal of England, by the chief commiffioners and governors of and for the receipt of the excife, fhall be determined, or made void by reafon of the death or demife of his faid late Majefty; but that every fuch commiffion doth remain in full force and virtue, until the authority and conftitution of fuch officer were or fhall be revoked or annulled by the chief commiffioners of the excife for the time being. EXP. deemed natu Purchasers of annuities on 6 Ann. may have their quarterly payments due between Christmas, 1708. and 30 Sept. 1710. advanced, allowing difcount at 41. per cent. CAP. IV. An act for punishing mutiny and desertion, and false musters, and for the better payment of the army and quarters. W CAP. V. An act for naturalizing foreign proteftants. HEREAS the increase of people is a means of advancing the wealth and firength of a nation; and whereas many ftrangers of the proteftant or reformed religion, out of a due confideration of the happy conftitution of the government of this realm, would be induced to tranfport themselves and their eftates into this kingdom, if they might be made partakers of the advantages and privileges which the natural-born fubje&ts thereof do enjoy; be it enacted, &r. All perfons taking the oaths, and making and fubfcribing the declaration III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, Children of natural-born That the children of all natural-born fubjects, born out of the fubjects born ligeance of her Majefty, her heirs and fucceffors, fhall be deemed, abroad, to be adjudged, and taken to be natural-born fubjects of this kingral-born fub- dom, to all intents, conftructions, and purposes whatsoever. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That all perfons born out of the ligeance of her Majefty, her heirs or fucceffors, who fhall qualify themselves in the courts of Chancery, Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, or Exchequer, within the kingdom of Ireland, or at fome general quarter feffions of the extend to fre- peace, to be held for the county where he or they do or fhall inhabit, refide, or fettle within the faid kingdom, in like man jects; explained by 4 Geo. 2. C. 21. This act to land. ner ner as perfons are by this act required to do within the kingdom of Great Britain, all and every fuch perfons fhall be deemed, adjudged, and taken to be her Majefty's natural-born fubjects of the faid kingdom of Ireland, to all intents, conftructions, and purposes, as if they, and every of them, had been, or were born within the faid kingdom of Ireland. CAP. VI. An act for explaining and making more effectual that part of an act paffed in the fifth year of her prefent Majesty's reign, concerning the buying and felling of cattle in Smithfield, and for giving leave for bringing up calves dead to London as formerly. WH 7HEREAS by an act paffed in the fifth year of her prefent 5 Ann. c. 340 Majefty's reign, intituled, An act for the continuing the laws therein mentioned relating to the poor, and to the buying and felling of cattle in Smithfield, and for fuppreffing piracy, it is, amongst other things, enacted, That from and after the nine and twentieth day of September, one thousand feven hundred and feven, no perfon ufing the trade of a butcher, fhould fell or offer to Jale, in any market, or elsewhere, either by himself, or any fervant or agent whatfoever, within the cities of London or Weftminster, or within ten miles thereof, to any person or perfons exercising or using the trade of a butcher, any fat cattle or sheep, either alive or dead, upon pain to forfeit the value of the cattle, or of each sheep fo fold or offered to fale, as aforefaid: and whereas fome doubts have arifen concerning the extent of that claufe; therefore for the avoiding of any dif pute or question that may arife concerning the conftruction thereof, be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That the faid claufe, or any thing therein contained, One butcher shall not be taken or conftrued to extend to the felling of calves, may fell to another any fheep, or lambs dead by one butcher to another, but that it dead calves, fhall and may be lawful to and for any perfon, ufing the trade of a butcher, to fell or offer to fale in any fhop, ftall, or market in lambs. London, or elsewhere, either by himself or any fervant or agent whatsoever, within the places in the said act mentioned, calves, fheep, or lambs dead, in fuch manner as they might have done before the making of the said act; any thing in the faid act, or any other law or statute to the contrary notwithstanding. CAP. VII. An act for enlarging the capital stock of the bank of England, and for raising a further supply to her Majesty, for the fervice of the year one thousand feven hundred and nine. sheep, or AY it pleafe your most excellent Majesty, whereas by or in For applicapurfuance of an act of parliament made in the fifth year of tion of duties the arifing by this act. See 12 Ann. ft. 1. c. 11. C. 20. the reign of their late majefties King William and Queen Mary, of glorious memory, intituled, An act for granting to their Majefties feveral rates and duties upon tonnage of fhips and veffels, and upon beer, ale, and other liquors, for fecuring certain recompences and advantages in the faid act mentioned, to fuch perfons as fhall voluntarily advance the fum of fifteen hundred thousand pounds, towards carrying on the war against France, the corporation or body politick of the governor and company of the bank of England was erected and established with fuch capacities, 3 Geo. 1. c. 8. powers, privileges, benefits, and advantages, and fubject to fuch reAtrictions, and in fuch manner and form as are therein mentioned; and in pursuance of the fame act the fum of one million two hundred thousand pounds was advanced and lent to their faid late Majefties, for which there is now payable to the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, the yearly fum of one hundred thousand pounds out of certain rates and duties of excife, which were thereby granted to their faid late Majefties, their heirs and fucceffors; in which act it was provided, That at any time upon twelve months notice, after the first day of Auguft, in the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and five, upon repayment by parliament of the faid fum of one million two hundred thousand pounds, and of all the arrears of the faid yearly fum of one hundred thousand pounds, then the faid one hundred thousand pounds per annum, and the faid corporation, fhould abfolutely ceafe and determine: and whereas by another act made in the eighth year of the reign of his faid late majefy King William the Third, intituled, An act for making good the deficiencies of several funds therein mentioned, and for enlarging the capital ftock of the bank of England, and for raising the publick credit, the faid corporation was enlarged and established with divers other powers, privileges, benefits, and advantages, and subject to fuch other reftrictions and rules as are therein particularly expreffed; in which act last-mentioned it was provided and enacted, That at any time upon twelve months notice, after the first day of Auguft, which should be in the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and ten, and not before, and upon repayment by parliament of the faid fum of one million two hundred thousand pounds, and of all arrears of the faid one hundred thousand pounds per annum, and also upon payment of all the principal and interest monies which should be owing to the faid governor and company of the bank of England, upon all fuch tallies, Exchequer orders, or parliamentary funds, which the faid governor and company should have remaining in their hands, or be entitled to at the time of fuch notice to be given, as aforefaid, then, and in fuch cafe, and not till then, the faid one hundred thousand pounds per annum, and also the faid corporation, should cease and determine: and whereas by an act made in the fifth year of your 5 Annæ, c. 15. Majesty's reign (intituled, An act for continuing the duties upon houses, to fecure a yearly fund for circulating Exchequer bills, whereby a fum not exceeding fifteen hundred thousand pounds is intended to be raised for carrying on the war, and other her Majefty's occafions) feveral duties upon houfes therein mentioned or referred unto, are continued from the last day of July, one thousand 8 & 9 W. 3. €9 C. 20. Jeven hundred and ten, and from thenceforth made payable to your Majefty, your heirs and fucceffors for ever, for the purposes in that act expreffed, fubject to the provifo or condition of redemption therein contained; and the duties fo continued, together with fuch remainder and arrears of houfe money, as are therein mentioned, are thereby charged with the yearly fund, after the rate of four pounds ten fhillings per centum per annum, to be paid to the faid governor and company of the bank of England, for circulating all fuch Exchequer bills as fhould be issued by or in pursuance of that act; and by the fame act a power was given for making forth Exchequer bills for any fum not exceeding fifteen hundred thousand pounds for your Majefty's fupply; and it was thereby enacted, that like bills fhould be made out quarterly for fo much as fhould be computed to be due and owing upon and for the faid allowance of four pounds ten fillings per centum per annum, until the feaft of St. Michael the archangel, one thousand feven hundred and ten inclufively, in the manner therein mentioned; and it was thereby enacted, that the faid governor and company, after the faid Exchequer bills, or any of them, fbould be iffued upon that act, as aforesaid, fhould, from time to time, exchange all fuch Exchequer bills as they should be required to exchange by any person or perfons whatsoever for ready money; and that the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, fhould continue and remain a corporation until all the faid Exchequer bills fhould be redeemed and cancelled in the manner in that act mentioned; and in the fame at there is contained a provifo, that at any time, upon one year's notice and payment of the principal money to be due on the faid Exchequer bills, and of fo much as fhould be due for the faid allowance, after the rate of four pounds ten fillings per centum per annum, for circulating the faid Exchequer bills, then, and not till then, the faid Exchequer bills fhould be cancelled and discharged, and the faid allowance after the rate of four pounds ten shillings per centum per annum, fhould ceafe and determine; and fo much of the faid duties on houfes as fhould have been applied for the payment of the faid four pounds ten fillings per centum per annum, in cafe the fame had continued, fball from thenceforth be underflood to be redeemed by parliament, and should not be illued, paid, or applied to any ufe or purpose whatsoever but by authority of parliament; and it is alfo thereby enacted, that the faid governor and company might call in from their respective members proportionably, any fums of money as they fhould think necessary for the faid circulation; and that until all the Exchequer bills by that act directed to be iffued, should be paid off, difcharged, and cancelled, no more or other bills of the like nature fhould be made out and iffued at the receipt of her Majefty's Exchequer, either with or without the authority of parliament, unless with the confent of the faid governor and company; and that nothing in that act contained should hinder the redemption of the faid original fund of one hundred thousand pounds per annum, or of any other funds granted or to be granted by parliament, upon which the faid governor and company had or should have lent any monies, and which were redeemable by parliament, but that the fame might be redeemed from the faid governor and company, according to former acts for that pur |