AN ADITIONALL ORDINANCE OF THE Lords Commons ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT FOR The better taking and expediting the Accompts of the whole Kingdome ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament that this Ordinance be forthwith printed and published Hen. Elsynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com. LONDON Printed by T.W. for ED. HUSBAND Printer for the Honourable House of Commons 1645. AN ADDITIONALL Ordinance for the better taking and expediting the Accompts of the whole Kingdome FOr the better taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdome and the more speedy levying of such summes of Money as are or shall be due unto the Common-wealth upon such Accompts as are or shall be determined It is Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled That the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdome and the severall sub-Committees of Accompts within their respective limits shall have full Power and Authority and are hereby Authorized to issue forth Warrants to the High Constables Constables Petty-constables and Headboroughs of every Hundred Lath Rape Wapentake Ward and to the Church-wardens of every Parish or any of them or to any other Person or persons under the degree of a Peere of this Realme nor to any Member of the House of Commons within the Limits aforesaid whom they shall thinke meete thereby requiring the Persons to whom the said Warrants shall be directed to make strict and diligent enquirie in every Parish of this Kingdome within their severall Precincts what summe or summes of Money Plate Horse Armes Ammunition House-hold stuffe Goods of all sorts Rents and profits of Lands Wood Provisions of all kinde and Free quarter have beene received taken collected raised seized or sequestred within the said Hundred Lath Rape Wapentake Ward and Parish by way of voluntary Contribution Tax or otherwise and by whom the same hath beene received taken collected raised seized sequestred and to whom paid or delivered And the said persons unto whom the said Warrants shall be directed shall give notice thereof in writing and leave or cause the same to be left at every house within every respective Parish to informe them of all such summe or summes of Money Plate Horse Armes Ammunition Houshold-stuffe Goods Rents and profits of Lands Wood Provisions of all sorts and free Quarter that have beene received taken collected raised seized or sequestred by any person or persons and by whom paid given or contributed to any person or persons whatsoever for the use of the Common-wealth by way of Assessement or otherwise within fifty dayes after personall notice left or given under paine that every person or persons who shall wilfully or negligently faile to give in such Information within the time aforesaid without rendring a just and reasonable Cause of his or their fayler herein shall from thenceforth be disabled to demand the Benefit of the publique Faith for all such Moneys Plate Horse Armes Ammunition Provisions Contributions free Quarter as hee or they shall omit to informe of And after such information taken by the persons to whom the said Warrants shall be directed the same shall be returned in writing to the said Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdome or unto the sub-Committee of Accompts respectively for the better inabling them to charge the said Accomptants And whereas severall sequestrations have been unwarrantably fraudulently and deceitfully discharged or let or sold at under values by the severall Committees or Officers for sequestrations in the severall Counties Cities and other places of this Kingdome Be it Ordained that the Committee for the taking of the accompts of the whole Kingdome and the severall sub-Committees for the said accompts respectively shall have power and are hereby authorised to enquire thereof by Oath and if they shall find the same to be unwarrantably fraudulently and deceitfully discharged undersold or underlet they shall further enquire by what wayes and means and by whom the said discharge undersale or underletting was procured and such person or persons as shal be found faulty in the premisses shall make such satisfaction to the Common-wealth proportionable to their offence as the Committee of accompts for the Kingdom or any five of them shall adjudge and determine so as the said persons be not Peers of this Realm or Members of the House of Commons And be it further Ordained that the said Committee for taking of the accompts of the whole Kingdome and the sub-Committees for the said accompts respectively shall have authority and they are hereby authorized to inquire of all persons whatsoever that have or shall any way conceale and detaine the Estates Goods and Chattells of any person or persons sequestred or sequestrable and shall charge them for the same as accomptants to all intents and purposes so as the said persons be not Peers of this Realm or Members of the House of Commons And whereas severall accomptants to whom there is no allowance given by act Ordinance or order of one or both Houses of Parliament demand upon their accōpts severall allowances Be it Ordained that the said Committee for taking the accompts of the whole Kingdome shall have power and authority and they or any five of them are hereby authorised to make such reasonable allowances unto the said accomptants for their charges and paines as they shall thinke meet the said allowances not exceeding a penny in the pound for every pound received by such accomptant And be it further Ordered and Ordained that every person or persons found in Arreare upon any Accompt to be determined by the said Committee or any five or more of them shall immediately upon determination of the said Accompt and signification or notice thereof given to the severall person and persons aforesaid or left in writing at his or their House or usuall place of aboad by the said Committee or any five or more of them pay in or cause to be paid unto the Chamberlain of the City of London for the time being or unto such particular Treasurers as by any former Act or Ordinance are appointed to receive the same and in case no Treasurers are already appointed then unto such Treasurer as shall by vertue of this Ordinance be made in every County in this Kingdome all such summe and summes of money as shall be found and certified to be Arreare and by him or them due and owing upon their said Accompts or otherwise give such sufficient security for the payment thereof in manner and forme aforesaid within the space of forty dayes next after the said Certificate as by the said Committee for taking the accompts of the whole Kingdome or any five or more of them shall be approved of And for default thereof the said person or persons neglecting or refusing to pay or secure the said sums and arreeres as aforesaid not being a Peere or Assistant or Officer of the house of Peers or Member or Officer of the house of Commons shall be committed by the said Committee or any five or more of
their discretions shall think fit to the use of the Common-wealth unto the Chamberlain of the Citie of London aforesaid and for neglect or refusall thereof to commit the said person or persons to prison untill they shall pay the same And that the said sums of Money so paid unto the Chamberlain of the Citie of London upon the said Appeal shall not be disposed of untill the said Appeal be determined and so much shall be adjudged against the Appellant to be paid unto such particular Treasurers as are appointed to receive the same as aforesaid or to be disposed as by Order of the said Houses of Parliament shall be appointed and directed And the party that shall prosecute the Suit for the Common-wealth shall have full costs allowed unto him in case he that shall appeal shall not prevail upon his Appeal And further it is hereby Ordered and Ordained by the said Lords and Commons That all persons employed or to be employed in taking of the said Accompts by vertue of the aforesaid Ordinances their and every of their Officers and necessary Attendants and their and every of their horses shall be free from pressing and shall not be seized or taken by vertue of any Order or Ordinance for the service of the State so long as they or ahy of them are employed in or about the taking of the said Accompts And be it further Ordained That the Officers and other persons employed by the severall sub-committees in each County and Citie shall have such reasonable and fitting Allowances as shall be thought fit by the said sub-committees or the major number of them and shall be approved of by the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom or any five of them And be it further ordained That if any person or persons not being a Peer of this Realm Assistant or Officer of the House of Peers or Member or Officer of the House of Commons that shall be summoned to appear before the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom or the said Sub-committees respectively shall wilfully neglect or refuse to appear before the said Committee or sub-committee and shall afterwards for such his neglect or refusall be sent for and attached by their Messenger or Messengers That in such case it shall and may be lawfull for the said Messenger so attaching the said person or persons to take of every such person the sum of two pence for every mile he shall go or ride for the said person or persons so offending and Twelve pence for the Attachment of the said person offending And be it further Ordained That it shall and may be lawfull for the Register Accomptant or Clerk to the said Committee for the taking of the Accompts of the whole Kingdom and their Sub-committees respectively to take from every person that shall be found in arrear Three pence for every Sheet that shall be written of every Examination or Accompt and Twelve pence for every Order which the said person so found in arrear shall desire to have written or copied out for his benefit And be it further Ordained That the said Committee for the taking of the Accompts of the whole Kingdom and the said Sub-committees respectively or any two of them shall have power and authority to administer to every Register Accomptant Messenger or other Officer or person employed an Oath for their and every of their faithfull demeanour the Tenour whereof followeth I A. B. do swear That according to my best Skill and Judgement I shall faithfully diligently and truely demean my self in the Office of _____ or other Employment wherein I shall be employed by the Committee for the taking of the Accompts of the whole Kingdom or by any Sub-Committee for taking the said Accompts And it is further Ordained That the Sub-committee of Accompts of each respective County and City or any five or more of them shall have full power and authority to send into any other County or City and to cause all persons accomptable for any Moneys or Goods received or taken in the County of which they are Sub-committees not being a Peer Assistant or Officer of the House of Peers or Member or Officer of the House of Commons to appear before them for the examination of their former Accompts according to this and the severall Ordinances unlesse the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom shall give order to the contrary And be it further Ordained That if any person or persons named or to be named of any Sub-committee of Accompts according to the said severall Ordinances of Accompts or which shall be named Treasurers according to this Ordinance shall refuse to take upon them the said respective Employments or to take the Nationall-Covenant upon certificate of the severall names to the House of Commons by the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom they shall receive such punishment as the high Court of Parliament shall think fit FINIS
them unto such prison as they shall thinke fit there to remain without Baile or mainprize untill he or they shall pay in the severall summes of money or give such security for payment thereof as aforesaid And if any such person or persons be Peers or Assistants or Officers of either House of Parliament then their names to be certified to such House as they shall belong unto respectively that such further course may bee taken therein as shall seeme meet And be it further Ordained That if it shall appear to the said Committee or said Sub-Committees by the acknowledgement of the Accomptant or otherwise that there remains any Sum of Money or Goods in the hands or possession of any Accomptant not being a Peer or Assistant or Officer of the House of Peers or Member or Officer of the House of Commons or any other person or persons to his use that the said Committee or any five or more of them or any of the said Sub-committee or any five or more of them shall before the said Accompt determined have hereby power to order the payment of the same Moneys and to make sale of all such goods to the use and benefit of the Common-wealth within such time as shall be by them limited or in default thereof to proceed against the said Accomptants as in the precedent Clause is directed against such persons whose Accompts are determined And be it further Ordained That if it shall appear by proof to the said Committee of Accompts or any Sub-Committee of Accompts that any person or persons who is accomptable by vertue of the Ordinances for taking of the Accompts of the whole Kingdom or any of them shall go about or endeavour to depart the Kingdom or convey away hide or obscure his or their Estates to prevent the payment of what shall be found justly due from him or them unto the Common-wealth that then the said Committee of Accompts or Sub-Committee in every County or any five or more of them respectively shall and may by Warrant under their hands to be made to such person or persons as they shall think fit cause the person and estate of such person or persons not being a Peer or Assistant or Officer of the House of Peers or Member or Officer of the House of Commons to be seized and secured untill such time as he or they shall put in good and sufficient Security to be taken by the said Committee or Sub-committee or any five or more of them respectively that he or they shall and will truely pay and satisfie all such sum or sums of Money as shall be found due from him or them unto the Common-wealth upon the determining of his or their Accompts And be it further Ordained That if any person or persons not being a Peer or Assistant or Officer of the House of Peers or Member or Officer of the House of Commons shall be found indebted and arrear upon the foot of his or their Accompt and shall be imprisoned or otherwise absent himself from the place of his usuall abode or dwelling by the space of one moneth after notice of his or their Arrear given according to this Ordinance that then the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom or Sub-committees respectively shall and may send for any person or persons in whose hands power or knowledge the Estate reall or personall of such person so found in arrear shall be and examine the said person or persons upon Oath which by vertue of the said Ordinances the said Committee or Sub-committee respectively shall have power to administer for the discovery of the Estate reall or personall of such person or persons so indebted and having discovered the same the said Committee of Accompts or any five or more of them shall have power to nominate some fit persons who shall hereby have power and are authorized to seize and make sale of the Estate reall and personall Rights and Credits of such person so found in arrear in as ample manner as is usuall in the case of Bankrupts the said sale to be by Deed inrolled in the Court of Chancery and to be good and effectuall in Law to all Intents and Purposes against the said party so found in arrear and all claiming by from and under him without good and valuable consideration and to cause such Moneys so raised to be paid to the respective Treasurers in this Ordinance named And be it further Ordained That the Sub-committee of every County of this Kingdom or the major part of them shall from time to time have power and authority to name one fit and able person in every County to be Treasurer of that County and the said person so named being approved of and allowed by the Committee for taking the Accompts of the whole Kingdom shall receive the severall sums of Money that shall be found arrear from any person or persons within the said County and shall disburse the same as the same is or shall be Ordered by the Houses of Parliment And the said Treasurer shall exhibite upon his Oath unto the said Sub-committee a Bill of such necessary charges as he shall be at in the receiving paying carrying of the Money received by him according to direction of such Order or Orders which charges so by him disbursed he shall and may lawfully retain upon his allowance of the said Bill And be it further Ordered and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid That if any person or persons shall finde him or themselves agrieved with the determination of any such Accompt as aforesaid then every such person and persons so agrieved after he or they have deposited or sufficiently secured in such sort as the Court of Chancery shall think fit such sum and sums of Money as are found in arrear and by him or them due and owing upon his or their said Accompt unto the Chamberlain of the Citie of London for the time being shall and may within thirty days after such Accompt shall be determined and notice thereof to him or them given or left and such payment or securing of the said Money as aforesaid exhibite his or their Appeal into the Court of Chancery for redresse therein and that upon the said Appeal the said Court of Chancery may by such ways and means as to the Lord Keeper or Commissioners of the Great Seal for the time being shall seem meet the circumstances of the case considered within six moneths after the delivery of the said Appeal in a Summary way without formality of proceedings proceed to the examination hearing and determining thereof and upon hearing thereof shall and may adde or diminish alter or enlarge the said determining of the said Accompt as to them shall be thought to stand with equity and good conscience and shall and may tax and award such person and persons as they shall finde to complain or appeal without any just or reasonable cause to pay such costs and sums of Money as they in