Rebuilding of London Act 1666

IV. Lord Mayor, &c. to declare the Streets and Lanes.

Marks and Stakes; Removing them; Penalty £10 or Imprisonment.; Poor Offender to be publickly whipped.; Reward to Informer.

And for avoiding any uncertainety to the Builders or others herein Bee it further enacted That the Lord Maior Aldermen and Common Councill of the said Citty for the time being shall on or before the first day of Aprill next ensueing declare which and how many shall hereafter be accounted and taken to be By lanes, which and how many shall hereafter be deemed Streets or Lanes of note and high and principall Streets by Act of Coo[m]mon Councill to be passed for that purpose, which Declaration being made as aforesaid, all and singular the said Streets and Lanes (hereby intended to be rebuilt) shall by Order of the said Lord Maior Aldermen and Common Councill or such persons as they under the Coo[m]mon Seale of the said Citty shall order and appoint be marked or staked out and distinguished to the end the Breadth Length and Extent thereof may be the better knowne and observed. And if any person or persons whatsoever shall wittingly or willingly without good Authority plucke up or remove any of the said Stakes or Marke stones thereby to obscure or confound the bounds of such Streetes or Lanes or any of them and shall be thereof legally convicted by the Oath of one Witnesse (other then of the Informer) to be taken before any one or more Justices of the Peace of the said Citty, That then the said Justice or Justices shall or may send such Offender to the Coo[m]mon Goale of the said Citty there to remaine by the space of three Moneths without Baile or Mainprize unlesse he shall pay or cause to be paid to the use of the Maior Coo[m]monaltie and Citizens of the said Citty the summe of ten pounds to be imployed in and towards the repaireing of the publique Buildings of the said Citty Provided alwayes That where any such Offence shall be committed by any person or persons of low and meane condition whom the said Justice or Justices of the Peace shall in, his conscience beleive to be unable to satisfie the said Penaltyes That then and in such case the said Justice or Justices of the Peace shall and may by Order and Warrant under his or their Hands and Seales cause such Offender to be openly whipped neere unto the place where the Offence shall be committed till his body be bloudy. And that it shall and may be lawfull for the said Justice or Justices of the Peace to reward the said Informer out of the Pecuniary Penalty to be incurred according to his discretion not exceeding a Third part of the said Penaltie.