■A.D. 1694. Anno qiiinto Gulielmi & Mari^. C. 21. *573 1 Vellum, Parchment, or Paper, not marked or ftamped according to this Aft, or upon Velltim, Parchment, ="■' Money for I or Paper, marked or ftamped for a lower Duty, as aforefaid; that then, and in every fuch Cafe, there fhall'*^'^"™?' be due, anfwered, and paid to their Majeflies (over and above the Duty aforefaid) for every fuch Deed, i Inftrument, or Writing, the Sum of live Pounds ; and no fuch Record, Deed, Inftrumcnt, or Writing, fhall be pleaded or given in Evidence in any_ Court, or admitted in any Court to be good, ufcful, or avail- Mod. Cafes in able, in Li.w or Equity, until as well the faid Duty, as the faid Sum of five Pounds, {hall be firft paid toLaw jSj. ' their Majefties Ufe, and a Receipt produced for the lame, under the Hand or Hands of fome of their Ma- jefties Officers, which fhall be appointed to receive the Duties above mentioned, and until the Vellum, - j Parchment, or Paper, on which fuch Deed,^ Inftrument, or Writing, fhall be written or made, fhall be j marked or ftamped with a lawful Mark or Stamp ; and their Majefties Oflicer or Officers laft mentioned ^ are hereby enjoined and required, upon Payment or Tender of the faid Duty and Sum of five Pounds unto him or them, to give a Receipt for the fame, and to mark or ftamp the faid Vellum, Parchment, or Paper, with the Mark or Stamp that fliall be proper for fuch Deed, Inftrument, or Writing refpeftively ; and if < any Perfon or Perfons whatfoever ftiall at any Time or Times_ hereafter counterfeit or forge any Stamp or Counterfeit or ■ Mark to refembie any Stamp or Mark which fliall be provided or made in purfuance of this A£t, orS^le of coun- fhall counterfeit or reiemble the Impreffion of the fame upon any Vellum, Parchment, or Paper, thereby ^'^^'^ I'aper, , to defraud their Majefties, their Heirs and Succeflbrs, of any the Duties hereby granted, or fliall utter, ""^^ i vend, or fell any Vellum, Parchment, or Paper, with fuch counterfeit Mark, or Impreffion thereupon, I knowing fuch Mark or Impreffion to be counterfeited, then every fuch Perfon fo offending, being thereof convi6ted in due Form of Law, Ihall be judged a Felon, and fhall fuff"er Death as in Cafes of Felony, without the Benefit of Clergy. XII. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That the Commiffioners to be conftituted by Commimoners their Majefties, their Heirs or Succeflbrs, under the Great Seal of England, as aforefaid, fliall and may ™ay apF"'"' ' i appoint a fit Perfon to attend in any Court or Office, to take Notice of the Vellum, Parchment, or'^"^'T"^ '" _ ; Paper, upon which any the Matters or Things aforefaid fliall be ingrofled, written, or put, and of the "^""^ """' ^' Marks or Stamps thereupon, and of all other Matters and Things tending to fecure their Majefties Du- j ties arifing by this Aft, and that the Judges in the feveral Courts, and fuch others to whom it may apper- judges (hall tain, at the Requeft or Requefts of the laid Commiffioners, to be appointed by their Majefties as aforefaid, make Orders. • or of any two or more of them, fliall make fuch Orders in the refpedlive Courts, and do fuch other Matters and Things, for the better fecuring of the faid Duties, as fliall be lawfully and reafonably i defired in that Behalf: And that every Perfon, who fliall be commiffionated by their Majefties, and every Officers to taks ■ Perfon to be employed by or under thofe cornmiffionated by their Majefties, for the marking or ftamp- *e foUowing i ing of Vellum, Parchment, or Paper, as aforefaid, before his a£ting in the marking or ftamping of the^^"' j faid Vellum, Parchment, or Paper, fliall take the Oath following; that is to fay, ; 'i
- "J J. B. do fwear. That I will faithfully execute the Truft repofed in me, purfuant to an Ai£t of J
- _][_ Parliament, intituled, j^n ASl for granting to their Majejiies feveral Duties upon Vellum, Parchment^ j
' and Paper, for four Tears, towards carrying on the War agalnfl France, without Fraud or Concealment ; I ' and fliall from Time to Time true Account make of my doing therein, and deliver the fame to fuch ' ' Perfon or Perfons as their Majefties, their Heirs or Succeflbrs, fliall appoint to receive fuch Account, j ' and fhall take no Fee, Reward or Profit, for the Execution or Performance of the faid Truft, or the ^ . ' Bufinefs relating thereunto, from any Perfons, other than fuch as fhall be paid or allowed by their . ' ' Majefties, their Heirs or Succeffors, or by the Commiffioners of their Majefties Treafury, or three ' ' of them nov/ being, or by the I'reafurer of the Exchequer, or three or more of the Commiffioners , i ' of the Treafury for the Time being.' ! Which Oath fhall and may be adminiftred to any fuch Commiffioner or Commiffioners by any twogy whom, or more of the fame Commiffioners which fhall be appointed under the Great Seal^ as aforefaid; and adminiftred. . j any of the faid Commiffioners fliall and may adminifter the like Oath (?nutat.s 7nutandis) to the Sub- ] Commiffioners, or other Perfons which fhall be employed under them in the faid Bufinefs of marking ■'. or ftamping. XIII. And be it enafted. That the faid Commiffioners or Officers, to be appointed by their Majefties Commiffioners „ ' as aforefaid, and all Sub-Commiffioners, and Officers, to be employed or intrufted by or under them, as to rbiurve the | aforefaid, fliall, from Time to Time, in and for the better Execution of their feveral Places and Trufts, ?'"^ °^ ! oiferve and perform fuch Rules, Methods, and Orders, as they refpeftively fhall from Time to Time '"^ reanry,^^ ; receive from the faid Commiffioners of the Treafury now being, or from the Treafurer of the Exchequer, . or Commiffioners of the Treafury for the. Time being ; and that the faid Commiffioners, to be appointed . ! by their Majefties as aforefaid, Ihall take efpecial Care that the feveral Parts of this Kingdom, and the and -take care Dominion of Wales, and Town of Birzuick upon T'we:d, fliall, from Time to Time, be fufficiently fur- that the Cc.mtry '. -nifhed with Vellum, Parchment, and Paper, ftamped or marked as aforefaid, fo as their Majefties Subj,e<Jts ^. [p'^^'J'i^^^^^^ may have it in their Eleiftlon to buy the fame of the Officers or Perfons to be employed by the faid Coni-^'j. miffioners, at the ufual or moft common Rates above the faid Duty, or to bring their own Valium, Paichment, or Paper, to be ftamped as aforefaid, or to furnifh themfelves or others that fhall have done h e fame XIV with Parchmeptj
