A. D. 1705* Anno quarto Ann ^ Reginse. C: 14. 203 Thames, from the faid Villages and Parifhes of Gravefend and Milton, to the faid City of London, or touching or concerning the Government or Gubernation of the faid Paflkge and Ferry; but that the faid Mayor, Jurats, and Inhabitants, and their SuccelTors, Ihall and may do and execute all and every fuch lawful AiSt and Adls, Powers and Authorities, touching the faid Pafiage and Ferry, and the Govern- ment thereof, as they might or could have done, if this Aft had not been made; any thing herein con- tained to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithftanding. 2 Geo. 2, c. z6. Farther Prtvi- Jions relating berets, nGes, i. c. 24. and 10 Geo, z, c. ji,' CAP. XIV. An Aft for the better collefting Charity Money on Briefs by Letters Patents, and preventing Abufes in Relation to fuch Charities. ' "ITT HERE AS many Inconveniencies do arife, and Frauds are committed in the common Method From i; March
- VV '^f collefting Charity Money upon Briefs by Letters Patents, to the great Trouble and Prejudice 1706. all Copies
' of the Objefts of fuch Charity, and to the great Difcouragement of well difpofed Perfons :' For Remedy °^^"^^|'°f° ■whereof, be it enacted by the Queen's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of ^^^^^ (hM^t the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Au- panted by the thority of the fame. That from and after the five and twentieth Day of March which fhall be in the Queen'sPrinters, Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and fix, upon the iffuing forth of Letters Patents for col- lefting of Charity Money, commonly called Briefs, Copies thereof, to the Number required by the Pe- titioners for fuch Briefs, or their Agents, and no more, fliall be printed by the Printer of her Majefly, her Heirs or Succefibrs only, at the ufual Rates for printing, and by fuch Printer the whole Number of fuch Copies {hall be delivered to fuch Perfon or Perfons only, as fhall, by and with the Confent of the Petitioners for fuch Brief, or the major Part of them, undertake the laying or difpofmg fuch printed Copies, in order to the Colleftion of the Monies to be received thereon, or to fome or one of them, who, or one or more of them, fhall give a Receipt for the fame, exprefling the Number thereof in fuch Receipt, which Receipt, or an attefted Copy thereof, fuch Printer fliall forthwith deliver to the Regifter of the Court of Chancery to be filed in the Regifter's Office, and thereupon the Perfon or Perfons fo un- dertaking fuch Colleftion, or fome or one of them, (hall caufe all the faid printed Copies to be indorfed or marked in fome convenient Part of fuch 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 alfo caufe the faid printed Copies to be (lamped in the Manner hereafter more parti- cularly mentioned : And the faid whole Number being fo figned, fliall be, with all convenient Speed, by the faid Undertaker or Undertakers, fent and delivered to the refpeftive Church-wardens, and Chapel- wardens of the refpeftive Churches and Chapels, and to the refpeftive Teachers and Preachers of every feparate Congregation, and to any Perfon who hath taught or preached in any Meeting of the People called fakers, in the Counties and Places to be comprized in fuch Letters Patents, to be read and pub- liflied, and the Charity thereon to be collefted in the feveral Churches, Chapels, or Places ofMeetiiig to v/hich they belong, who fhall fo receive the fame ; and that the faid Church-wardens, Chapel-vvar- dens, Preachers, Teachers, and Quakers having taught, as aforefaid, immediately after fuch Receipt, fliall 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 Ihall forthwith deliver over the faid printed Briefs by them receiv- ed, to the feveral Miniflcrs and Curates of the faid Churches or Chapels, who fliall receive the fame ; and the faid refpeftive Minifters and Curates fliall on Receipt thereof indorfe the Time they refpeftively Miniftcn, s.-c. received the fame, and fet their refpeftive Names thereto ; and the faid refpeftive Minifters and Curates, "^ J°.""= Sunday Teachers, Preachers, and Perfons called fakers, qualified as aforefaid, fhall on (omt Sunday, within two ^f^^'j.'^^^^!*™^^^ Months after Receipt of fuch Copies, immediately before the Sermon, Preaching or Teaching fhall be- copy, &".' fliall gin, openly read or caufe to be read fuch printed Briefs in their refpeftive Churches, Chapels, and Places before Sermon, of Meeting, to the Congregation there affembled, and the refpeftive Church-wardens, Chapel-wardens, openly read ths and the Teachers of every fuch feparate Congregation, and fuch Perfons called ^waX-crj-, to whom the*^""'* Briefs fhall have been fo delivered, as aforefaid, fliall colleft the Sums of Money that fhall be freely Church-wardensp 1 thereon given, either in the faid refpeftive Affemblies, or by going from Houfe to Houfe of the Members ^"^-t" "eft the [ of their refpeftive Congregations, as the Briefs fhall require in that Behalf; and on every fuch Colleftion "^y* I made, the Sum that fliall be collefted, with the Place where, and Time when the fame was collefted, ^"^J^°^j.^f*^'""' I Ihallbe indorfed, fairly written in Words at length on fuch refpeftive printed Briefs, and figned by the^^^^'j^ printed" ' Minifter or Curate, and the Churchwardens in Churches and Chapels, and by the Teacher and two El- Brief, and figned ders, or two other fubftantial Perfons of every feparate Congregation ; and that thereupon the faid re- by Minifter, &c.
- foeftive Church- wardens and Chapel-wardens, and the refpeftive Teachers or Preachers, or other Per- and delivered to
I fons required to make the Colleftion, as aforefaid, on Requeft of fuch Perfon or Perfons as fliall under- '•'= Undertakers ' take to place and flifperfe the Briefs, as aforefaid, or of any Perfon by them, or any of them law- "^ '' ^'■'^ *='^' fully authorized, fliall deliver to fuch Perfon or Perfons, making fuch Requeft, the refpeftive printed Briefs fo indorfed, as aforefaid, and the Monies thereon collefted, taking a Receipt for the fame, from the Perfon fo receiving fuch Monies, in fome Book to be kept for that Purpcfe ; on Pain that i every the faid, Minifters, Curates, Teachers, Preachers, Church-wardens, Chapel-v/ardens, and Quakers Pena'ty on Mi- I qualified and required, as aforefaid, who fliall refufe or negleft to do any of the Matters or Things be- nifter, &-c, ne- ■ fore refpeftively required of them, fliall forfeit the Sum of twenty Pounds, to be recovered and applied as sisftmg. D d 2 " herein w
