Tillage Act 1685

III. Justices of Peace of Counties wherein Foreign Corn imported may, in Quarter Sessions, by the Oaths of Two Persons duly qualified, and by other Means as they shall see fit, determine the Market Price of middling English Corn in this Act mentioned.

And certify the same with the said Oaths to the Chief Officer of the Customs residing at the Port of Importation. To be hung up in some Public Place.

Now for supplying the said Defect Bee it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parlyament Assembled and by the Authoritie of the same That from and after the Feast of Saint Michaell the Arch-Angell next and from thence forward it shall and may be lawfull to and for all and every the Justices of the Peace for the severall and respective Countyes within His Majestyes Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales and the Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede wherein Forreigne Corne or Graine shall or may bee hereafter Imported And they and every of them are hereby Injoyned and Required at their next respective Quarter Sessions after Michaelmas and Easter-day yearely by the Oathes of two or more Honest and Substantiall Persons of the respective Countyes being neither Merchants nor Factors for Importing of Corne nor any wayes concerned nor interessed in the Corne soe Imported and each of them haveing a Freehold Estate of Twenty pounds per Annum or a Lease-hold Estate of Fifty pounds per Annum above all Charges and Reprizes and being Skilfull in the Prices of Corne (which Oathes all and every the said Justices are hereby impowered to Administer) and by such other Wayes and Meanes as to them shall seeme fitt to Examine and Determine the Common Market Prices of Midling English Corne and Graine of the respective sorts in the said Act mentioned as the same shall be commonly bought and sold in the said respective Counties into which any Forreigne Corne and Grain shall be Imported and to Certifie the same with two such Oaths made as aforesaid in writeing annext unto His Majestyes Chiefe Officer and Collector of the Customes for the time being Resideing in the said respective Ports or Havens where the said Corne and Graine shall be Imported to be hung up in some Publique place in the Custome-house, to which all Persons may resort for their Information.