Distillation Act 1698

VII. Officer suspecting concealed Stills, &c. on Affidavit thereof,

may in the Day-time, and with Constable, &c. break open Doors and search;; and seize such Stills, &c; And if the same not claimed within 20 Days, then forfeited, and may be sold; How Proceeds of Sale disposed of; If such Stills, &c. claimed, then Claimant to pay Penalty of £200.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That in case the Gaugers or Officers of Excise or any of them shall know or have cause to suspect any such Private or concealed Still Back or other Vessell Spiritts Low Wines Wash or other Materialls preparing for Distillation to be sett up or kept in any House or Place and shall make Affidavit before one or more Justice or Justices of the Peace for the County or Place where he shall soe know or suspect such Private or concealed Still Back or other Vessell Spiritts Low Wines or Materialls preparing for Distillation are or shall be soe sett up or kept and shall in such Affidavit declare the Grounds of such his Knowledge or Suspition then and in such case it shall and may be lawfull for such Officer or Officers in the Day time and in the Presence of a Constable or other lawfull Officer of the Peace (who are hereby required to be aiding and assisting therein) by Warrant from such Justice or Justices of the Peace before whom such Affidavit shall be made to be directed to such Officer or Officers of Excise (which Warrant the said Justice or Justices of the Peace are hereby authorized and required to grant) to breake open the Door or any Part of such House or Place where he or they shall soe know or suspect such Private or concealed Still Back or Vessell Spiritts Low Wines or Materialls for Distillation are soe sett up or kept and to enter into such House or Place and to seize all such Stills Backs or other Vessells and also all such Spiritts Low Wines Wash or other Materialls for Distillation that shall be found therein and to detaine and keepe the same in such House or other Place where he or they shall find the same soe kept private or concealed and in case the same shall not within Twenty Daies next after such Seizure be claimed by the true and lawfull Owner thereof then the said Stills Backs and other Vessells Spiritts Low Wines and Materialls for Distillation shall be absolutely forfeited and shall and may be sold at the next generall Day of Sale to be appointed by the Commissioners of Excise or their Officer or Officers respectively after the said Twenty Daies are expired one Moiety of the Proceed thereof (all necessary Charges being first deducted out of the whole) to be paid to the Use of His Majesty His Heires and Successors and the other Moiety to the Party or Parties who shall soe discover and seize the same and in case such Stills Backs and other Vessells Spiritts Low Wines and Materialls for Distillations shall within the said Twenty Daies be claimed by any Person or Persons whatsoever the Person or Persons soe claiming the same shall forfeite and loose for every such Warehouse Storehouse or other Place in which any such Still Back or other Vessell shall be found and alsoe for every such Still Back and other Vessell found therein the Sum of Two hundred Pounds.