Excise (No. 3) Act 1660

VII. Commissioners, &c. for executing Act empowered to appoint Gaugers. Gaugers may enter Houses, &c. to gauge;

and to make Return to Commissioners,; and leave Copy of Return with Brewer, &c. which is to be a Charge on Brewer, &c.; Brewer, &c. refusing Gauger Admittance.; Proceedings; Brewer, &c. in such Case selling, not having paid Duty, Penalty.

And bee it further Enacted and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid That the Commissioners who shall be appointed by his Majestie for the puting this Act in execution, and their Sub-Commissioners in their respective Circuits and Divisions shall hereby have power to constitute under their Hands and Seales such and soc many Gagers as they shall finde needfull, which Gagers and every of them shall at all times as well by night as by day, And if by night then in the presence of a Constable or other lawfull Officer be permitted upon their request to enter the House Brewhouse Distilling house and all other houses and places [X1 whatsoever] belonging to or used by any Brewer Inne-keeper Victualler or other Retayler of Beere brewing or makeing the same as aforesaid or by any Distiller of Strong waters, or Retailer of other the Liquors aforesaid, and to gage all Coppers Fatts and Vessells in the same, and to take an accompt of Beere Ale Worts Perry Sider Strong waters Aqua vite Metheglin or other the Liquors aforesaid in the said houses places and vessells from time to time brewed or made & distilled and therof to make returne or report in writeing to the said Commissioners or Sub Commissioners of Excise under whose Office and Limits such Brewer Retailer Distiller or maker of the Liquors aforesaid doth dwell and inhabit leaving a true Copy of such Returne in writeing under his Hand with such Brewer Retailer Distiller or makers of the Liquors aforesaid, And such Reports or Returnes of the said Gagers shall be a charge upon the said Brewers makers and Retailers respectively, And if any such common Brewer or Retailer shall refuse to permit any such Gager or Gagers to enter his Brew house or any other place aforementioned, or to gage or take accompt of his brewing vessells or of any such Beere Ale Worts Perry Sider Strong water Aqua-vite Metheglin or other the Liquors aforesaid such Brewer Retailer [X1 or] Distiller shall be forthwith forbidden by the said Gager or Gagers to sell carry out or deliver to any of his Customers any Beere Ale Strong water Aqua vite or other the Liquors aforesaid, And if any such Brewer Retailer or Distiller of any the Liquors aforesaid after such warning given shall sell carry or deliver out the same or any part therof not haveing paid and cleared the duty of Excise, such person and persons shall besides the forfeiture of double the value forfeit and lose the summe of five pounds as aforesaid for every offence to be leavyed and recovered upon his [X2 and] their Goods and Chattels in manner and forme as hereafter in this Act is provided;

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: or O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]