Taxation (No. 2) Act 1625

VI. Commissioners to be appointed by Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, and other great Officers.

Commissioners for Boroughs and Towns Corporate, not being Counties, not to execute Act out of their Boroughs or Towns.; Penalty.; Certificate thereof by the other Commissioners to the Exchequer.

And be it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid that for the assessing and ordering of the said two Subsidies to be dulie had the Lord Chauncellor of England, or the Lord Keep of the Great Seale, the Lord Treasurer of England, the Lord President of the Kings Councell, the Lord Privie Seale, the Lord Steward of the Kings houshold, the Lord Admirall of England, the Lord Chamberlaine of the Kings most honorable Houshold for the tyme being or two of them at the least (whereof the Lord Chauncellor of England, or Keep of the Greate Seale for the tyme being to be one) shall and may name and appoint of and for every Shire Riding and other places, aswell within this Realme as in Wales, and other the Kings Dominions, as also of and for every Citie and Towne being a Countie of it selfe, and of and for the Isle of Wight, such certaine nomber of p[er]sons of every of the same Shires Ridings Lathes Wapentakes Rapes Cities Townes and Isle of Wight and every other place, as they shall thinke convenient to be Co[m]missioners of and within the same place whereof they be Inhabitants: and also of and for the honorable houshold of the Kings Majestie, in what Shire or other place the said houshold shall [X1 then happen] to be, And the Lord Chauncellor or Lord Keep of the great Seale for the tyme being, and other with him before named, or two of them as is aforesaid in like manner may name and appoint of every other such Borough, Townes corporate, as well in England as in Wales, and other the Kings Dominions, as they shall thinke fitt and requisite, six, five, foure, three or two of the head Officers, and other honest inhabitants in every of the said Cities Boroughes and Townes corporate, according to the nomber and multitude of the people being in the same, The which p[er]sons (if any such be) thereunto named of the said Inhabitants of the said Boroughs and Townes corporate, not being Counties of themselves, shalbe joyned and putt in as Co[m]missioners, with the p[er]sons named for such Shires and Ridings, as the said Boroughes and Townes corporate, not being Counties in themselves, be set and have their being: which p[er]sons so named for and of the said Boroughs and Townes corporate, not being Counties, by reason of their dwelling in the same, shall not take uppon them, nor none of them to put any part of their Co[m]mission in execucion for the p[re]misses out of the said Boroughs and Townes corporate wherein they be so named onelie, nor to execute the said Co[m]mission within the Borough or Towne corporate where they shalbe so dwelling, but at such daies and tymes as the said other Co[m]missioners for the same Shire and Riding shall thereunto lymitt and appoint within the said Borough and Towne corporate not being a Countie, whereof they be so named, and not out of such Borough or Towne, and in that manner to be ayding and assisting with the said other Co[m]missioners, in and for the good executing of the effect of the said Co[m]mission, uppon paine of every of the said Co[m]missioners soe named, for every such Citie Borough and Towne corporate, not being a Countie, to make such Fine as the said other Co[m]missioners in the Co[m]mission of and for the same Shire or Riding so named, or three of them at the least, shall by their discrecions sett and certifie into the Kings Exchequer, there to be levied to the use of the Kings Majestie in like manner as if such or like so[m]mes had byn sett and rated uppon every such p[er]son for the said Subsidies.

Commissions directed out of Chancery; Schedules to Commissions.; Commissioners to divide themselves.; Commissioners not compellable to act out of Shires.

The which Co[m]missioners soe named of and for the said Citties, Boroughs and Townes not being Counties, and onelie put into the said Co[m]mission by reason of their dwelling in the same, shall not have any part or porcion of the Fees and rewards of the Co[m]missioners and their Clerks in this Act afterwards specified and allowed, And the Lord Chauncellor of England or Keep of the greate Seale of England for the tyme being, shall make and direct out of the Court of Chauncery under the great Seale severall Co[m]missions: That is to saie, For every Shire Riding Lath Wapentake Rape Citie Towne Borough Isle and houshold unto such p[er]son and p[er]sons as by his discrecion, or any of the other with him before named and appointed, as is before rehearsed shalbe thought sufficient for the sessing and levying of the said two Subsidies in all Shires and places, according to the true meaning of this Acte: which Co[m]mission for the payment of the said first Subsidie shalbe directed and delivered to the said Co[m]missioners, or to one of them, before the last day of August next co[m]ming, And the Co[m]mission for the payment of the said second Subsidie shalbe directed and delivered to the said Co[m]missioners, or to one of them before the last day of Februarie next co[m]ming, And to every of the said Co[m]missions tenne Schedules conteyning in them the tenor of this Act shalbe affiled: By the which Co[m]mission, the Co[m]missioners in every such Co[m]mission named according to this Acte, and as many of them as shalbe appointed by the said Co[m]mission shall have full power and authoritie to putt the effect of the said Co[m]mission in Execucion: And that by the authoritie of this Act, after such Co[m]mission to them directed they may by their assents and agreements sever themselves for the execucion of their Co[m]mission, in Hundreds Lathes, Wards, Rapes, Wapentakes, Townes, Parishes, and other places within the lymitts of the said Co[m]mission, in such forme as to them shall seeme expedient to be ordered, and betweene them to be co[m]muned and agreed, according to the tenor and effect of the Co[m]mission to them therein directed, Uppon which severance every p[er]son of this p[re]sent Parliament that shalbe Co[m]missioner shalbe assigned unto the Hundred where he dwelleth. Provided alwaies that no p[er]son be or shalbe compelled to be any Co[m]missioner to and for the execucion of this p[re]sent Act, but onelie in the Shire where he dwelleth and inhabiteth. And that any p[er]son assigned to the contrary thereof in any wise, shall not be compelled to put in execucion the effect of this Act or any part thereof.

Editorial Information

X1 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: happen then O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]