Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/514

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THE FIRST PARLIAMENT. payment of the taxt and ftent thereof, to the Collector general aforefaid, his Deputies and Officers in his name, having his power to receive the fame at the particular terms above-fpecified , under the pain of Re- bellion, 8cc. And if they faiiyie , &c. To denounce and efcheat , &c. And for their relief, that let- ters be direct, charging the Pro veil, Bailiffs , and Council within each Burgh, toconveen and elect cer- tain perfons to ftent their neighbours. And thefaid election being made, to charge the perfons elected; to accept the charge upon them, infetting of the faid ftent upon the inhabitants of every burgh, and to conveen andfetthe fame, and make a ftent roll thereupon , aseffeirs, within twenty four hours next af- ter their charge , under the pain of Rebellion , &c. And if they failye , &c. To denounce and ef- cheat, &c. And fuch like, the faid ftent Roll being made and fet down, as faid is, To charge the Bur- gefies, Indwellers , and Inhabitants within each burgh, to make payment of their part of thefaid ftent, to the faid Proveft and Bailiffs, conform to the taxt roll to be given out thereupon, within three dayes next after the charge, under the pain of Rebellion, &c. And if they failye, &c. To denounce, &c. and efcheat , &c. And if need be , that the faid Proveft and Bailiffs poy nd and diftrenyie therefore , as they lhall think moft expedient. IT IS alwayes provided , that no perfon whatfoever be ftented or taxt within burgh , except according to the availe , and quantity of his rent, living, goods, andgeare, which he hath within Burgh: no wayes refpecting his lands , nor poflefilons , which he hath to Landward ; for the which he will be obliged to pay taxation to other Officers . Providing alwayes , that the firft terms pay- ment of the faid taxation be ever paft , before the rtext terme be charged for. AT TOUR, HisMajefty, and his faids Eftates decerne and declare, that the charges to be given for payment of the faid Taxation , lhall be executed before the terms of payment above-fpecified , for every terms payment particularly by it felf : And that the denunciation of homing following thereupon, ihall not be execute untill the termes payment be by-paft, and twenty dayes thereafter. Which denun- ciation fo following, upon the charges given before the faids termes of payment , His Majefty and Eftates decerne and declare , tobevalidandfufficient. And his Majefty, and the faids Eftates confideringthe great abufe which hath been ufed in all time by- gone, by fundryofthe Lieges of this Kingdom, againftall good confeience, incaufing of their poor Far- merers , Tenants , and Labourers of die ground being removable , who are fubject in payment of very deare Fermes and other duties, to relieve them of the whole burden of by-gone taxations, which hath been the occafion of impoverifhing a number of the faids Farmerers, labourers, and ten ants, and bringing of them to utter wrack and ruine, whereas of reafon they mould be altogether free from payment of any, Taxations, And the fame fliould be payed by fuch as have free rents, lands, and goods of their owne. FOR REMEDIE whereof, it is ftatute and ordained that no perfons whatfoever exact or compel, his tenants , or fermerers removeable , who payes ferme , and other deare duties for the lands occupied by them, to pay any part of this prefent Taxation, or tofeek relief at their hands of the fame. And if the fame be found done by any perfons, that they fliall be called and conveened therefore, before his Majefties Juftice , and his Deputes, or before his Majefties Council as violent and Mafterful oppreflors of his Majefties fubjects , and punifhed therefore according to Juftice. AND FURTHER, the faids Eftates , befide the ordinary taxation above-written , have for the (pace of fix yeares next , and immediatly following the terme ofMartinmaf!e,i6.3 4. years, freely and vo- luntarily granted to his Majefty a yearly extraordinary taxation of the fixteenth penny of all annual rents, which any perfon or perfons within this Kingdom hath freely due and payable unto them , yearly and term- ly, ( their own annual rents , wherein they are adebted to others being firft deduced.) The firft termes payment whereof mail be, and begin at the faid Feaft and terme of Martinmafle , 1 63 4. yeares : and fo forth, yearly and termely at Martinmafle and Whitfunday , untill the faid fix yeares or twelve termes payment thereof be fully and completely out-run. And whereas his Majefty a d Eftates have by act of Parlia- ment authorized all and fundry heretable Sheriffs , Stewarts, Bailiffs, and Bailiffs of Regalities , and their Deputes * and the Provefts and Bailiffs of free Burrowes within the bounds of their jurifdictions, as likewife the Clerks within the jurifdictions where thefe Offices are not heretable : which Clerks have their Offices ( ddvitam) To collect the faid extraordinary taxation , and to make payment thereof to the Collector general of the fame taxation. THEREFORE, and for inbringing of the faid extraordinarj taxation, Ordains Letters to be direct, charging all and fundry the faids heretable Sheriffs, Stewards: Bailiffs, Bailiffs of Regalities , and their Deputes and Clerks, and the faids Provefts and Bailiffs of free Burrows , and their Clerks : as likewife the Clerks within the jurifdidions where thefe Offices are not he retable,that they and every one of them by North the water o£Dee within the fpace of fiften dayes after ever) terme of Martinmafs & Whitfunday : And that they & every one of them,by fouth the water of T)ee, within th< fpace often days after every terme of Martinmafs & Whitfunday,deliver to His Majefties faid Collector gene ral,a true & jult accompt & inventar of the whole fummes of Money due to be payed by any perfon within tin bounds of their jurifdiction, for his part of thefaid extraordinary taxation, And that they give up dv fame compt and inventar upon their Oath , folemnly fworne , that the fame is juft and true: Andtomafcl payment to His Majefties faid Collector general , or to his Deputes in his name, having his power to re ceive the fame , of the whole moneys due to be payed to his Majefty , conform to the faid compt and inven tar, within twenty dayes after each terme, under the pain of Rebellion. And in cafe the faids Sheriffs, Sk wan