Taxation (No. 3) Act 1696

IX. Officers at seasonable Times may enter Tan Yards, &c. and search.

Owner, &c. of Tan Yard, &c. refusing Entrance to Officer; Penalty £5; Tanner, &c. using private Tan Yards, &c. or not making Entries, or removing without Permit or Notice, or concealing Hides, &c; Penalty £20; Leather found in Places not entered, &c. forfeited.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That it shall and may be lawfull to and for the Officer or Officers so to be appointed att all seasonable Times in the Day time to enter into any Tan-yard Work house Warehouse or other House or Place used by any such Tanner Tawer Currier Dresser or Maker of Leather or where any such Leather shall be lodged to search and see what Quantities of Leather are taken out of the Woozes Mill Liquors or other Materials aforesaid in order to be dried or made fitt for Sale or Use And if any Owner or Occupyer of any such Tan-yard Workhouse or other House or Place aforesaid shall att any Time or Times refuse Entrance to the Officers as aforesaid they shall for every such refusal forfeit the Su[m]m of Five Pounds one Third Part thereof to the Use of His Majesty His Heires or Successors and the other two Thirds to him or them that will sue for the same to be recovered as aforesaid And if any Tanner Tawer Currier Dresser or Maker of any such Leather shall endeavour to defraud His Majesty of any Duty by this Act payable by using any private Tan-yard Workhouse Fatt Pitt or other Place for the tanning tawing steeping making dressing or drying the same contrary to this Act or by not making due Entries and giving and Account thereof as aforesaid or by removing sending or carrying away without a Permission or Notice given as aforesaid or shall fraudulently hide or conceal or cause to be hid or concealed any Leather Hides or Skins or Pieces thereof chargeable by this Act to the intent to deceive His Majesty of His just Duties due for the same That then and in every such Case the Party so offending shall forfeit the Su[m]m of Twenty Pounds one Third Part thereof to the King and the other two Thirds to him or them that will sue for the same to be recovered as aforesaid And moreover in all such Cases all such Leather which shall be found in any such private Tan-yard Workhouse Warehouse House or Place or for which no such Entry shall be made or that shall be so unlawfully removed sent or carried away without a Permission or Notice given as aforesaid or shall be fraudulently hidd or concealed shall be forfeited and shall and may be seized by any of the Officer or Officers as aforesaid to His Majesties Use.