Land Tax Act 1696

XXX. Commissioners to sign and deliver back to Creditor a Duplicate of such Specification under Hand and Seal.

Which shall be Evidence for Creditor; Neglecting, &c. to deliver Specification; Penalty; Debts not contained in Specification not recoverable, and Security not Evidence in Law or Equity before 25th March 1699, unless Duty and Penalty first paid.

And it is hereby enacted That the said Co[m]missioners upon their Receipt of such Particulars or Specifications of Debts as aforesaid shall signe and deliver back to the Parties bringing the same true Copies or Duplicates thereof under the Hands and Seales of the said Co[m]missioners or any Two or more of them and attested by Two or more credible Witnesses whereby the Party or Parties (if hee she or they should have occasion) may make it appeare that hee she or they did truely and bona fide charge themselves for or in respect of the several Debts therein contained Which said true Copies or Duplicates so delivered back and so signed and attested as aforesaid shall be received and allowed for sufficient Evidence in all Courts and Places that hee she or they did so charge themselves as aforesaid And in case any Person or Persons Bodies Politick or Corporate so required by this Act to deliver Specifications or Particulars in Writing of such Debts as aforesaid shall refuse or neglect so to doe within the time hereby prescribed contrary to the true Meaning of this Act That then and in every such Case all and every such Person or Persons Bodies Politick or Corporate refusing or neglecting shall for such Offence over and above the Duties hereby intended to be charged on such Debts forfeit and pay twice as much as such Duties for any such Debts for which such Particulars or Specifications ought to have been given or which shall be omitted therein do or should amount unto to be sued for att any time before the Five & twentieth Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety nine (to wit) One Moiety thereof to the Use of His Majesty and the other Moiety thereof to him or them that will sue for the same by Action of Debt or of the Case Bill Suit or Information wherein no Essoign Protection Wager of Law or more than one Imparlance shall be granted or allowed And moreover that any such Debt upon Mortgage Statute Merchant or of the Staple Recognizance Judgment Bond Bill Obligatory Specialty or other Bill or Note or any other Security for Money att Interest not contained in such Particular or Specification shall not be recoverable and the Specialty or Security for the same shall not be pleaded or given in Evidence or be otherwise made use of in any Court either of Law or Equity before the said Five and twentieth Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety nine unlesse the said Duty payable to the King for such Debt and the said Penalty of Twice as much be first satisfied (that it to say) if there be no Action Bill Suit or Information co[m]menced or depending by any Informer or Prosecutor then both the Duty and the Penalty shall be first paid to His Majesty His Heires or Successors into the Receipt of the Exchequer And if there be any such Action Bill Suit or Information depending then the said Duty and One Moiety of such Penalty shall be first paid to the King as aforesaid and the other Moiety of the said Penalty to the said Informer or Prosecutor