Poll Tax Act 1697

IX. Commissioners appointed by c. 10. ante, to be Commissioners under this Act.

The said Commissioners to meet on the 20th July 1698 to put this Act in Execution; and divide themselves. Commissioners to order Constables, &c. to attend, and then to read to them their Charge; and prefix other Days for bringing in Certificates of Names, &c. of Persons residing within certain Limits, together with the Assessment; Penalty; Parish answerable for Payment by Collectors to Receiver General; Certificates, &c. returned to Commissioners, 12th Aug. 1698; Commissioners to issue Warrants, &c. for collecting; Collectors to demand Payment within Four Days after Receipt of Warrant: Times of Quarterly Payments by Collectors; Receivers to hasten Collectors; and if they make Default, Distress.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That for the better assessing ordering and levying of the several Sums of Money so as aforesaid limitted and appointed to be paid and for the more effectual putting of this present Act in Execution all and every the Persons named and appointed to be Commissioners by an Act of this present Session of Parliament intituled An Act for granting to His Majesty the Sum of One Million four hundred eighty four thousand and fifteen Pounds one Shilling and Eleven Pence Three Farthings for disbanding Forces paying Seamen and other Uses therein mentioned shal be Commissioners for putting in Execution this present Act and the Powers therein contained within all and every the several and respective Counties Ridings Cities Cinque-Ports Boroughs Towns and Places for which they are appointed Commissioners respectively by the said Act and the said Commissioners in order to a speedy Execution of this Act shal and are hereby required in their respective Counties Ridings Cities Boroughs Towns and Places to meet together at the most usual or [X1 accustomed ] Place of Meeting within such of the said Counties Ridings Cities Boroughs Towns and Places respectively on the Twentieth Day of July One thousand six hundred ninety eight and the said Commissioners or so many of them as shal be present at the First General Meeting or the major part of them may by their Consents and Agreements divide as well themselves as other the Commissioners not then present for the Execution of this Act in Hundreds Lathes Wapentakes Rapes Wards Towns and other Places within their Limitts priviledged or not priviledged in such Manner and Form as to them shal seem expedient and shal direct their several or joynt Precept or Precepts to such Inhabitants High Constables Petty Constables Bayliffs and other such like Officers and Ministers and such number of them as they in their discretions shal [X2 seem] most convenient to be Presenters and Assessors requiring them to appear before the said Commissioners at such Time and Place as they shal appoint not exceeding Eight Days and at such their appearing the said Commissioners or so many of them as shal be thereunto appointed shal openly read or cause to be read unto them the Rates in this Act mentioned and openly declare the Effects of their Charge unto them and how and in what manner they ought and should make their Certificates according to the Rates aforesaid and shal then and there prefix another Day to the said Persons to appear before the said Commissioners and bring in their Certificates of the Names and Sirnames Qualities Degrees Titles Estates Professions Imployments and Trades of all every the Persons dwelling or resideing within the Limitts of those Places with which they shal be charged and of all other things in respect whereof any Person is or may be chargable by this Act together with the Assessment of the respective Rates hereby imposed upon each particular Person according to the Rules and Directions hereof without Concealment Love Favour Dread or Malice upon [X3 Pain of] Forfeiture of any Sum not exceeding Ten Pounds to be levied as by Act is appointed and shal then returne the Names of Two or more able and sufficient Persons within the Bounds and Limits of those Parishes or Places where they shal be charged respectively as aforesaid to be Collectors of the Money due to His Majesty by this Act for whose paying unto the Receivers General to be appointed by His Majestie their Deputy or Deputies in manner following such Moneys as they shal be charged withal the Parish or Place by whom they shal be imployed shal be answerable which Certificates and Assessments shal be ascertained and returned unto the Commissioners at or before the Twelfth Day of August One thousand six hundred ninety eight and upon the Delivery or Returning in of such Certificates or Assessments unto the said Commissioners they or any Two or more of them shall forthwith issue out and deliver their Warrants of Estreats to such Collectors as aforesaid for the speedy collecting and levying of the said Assessments and all Moneys and Rates due thereupon according to the Intent and Directions of this Act of all which the said Collectors are hereby required to make Demand of the Parties themselves or at the Places of their last abode within Four Days after the Receipt of such Warrants or Estreats and to levy and pay in at such Place as the Commissioners shal appoint unto the respective Receiver General his Deputy or Deputies the Sums payable for the First of the said Quarterly Payments on or before the First Day of September One thousand six hundred ninety eight and the Sums payable for the Second of the said [X4 Quarters] on or before the First Day of December One thousand six hundred ninety eight and the Sums payable for the Third of the said Quarterly Payments on or before the First Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety eight and the Sums payable for the Fourth of the said Quarterly Payments on or before the First Day of June One thousand six hundred ninety nine and the respective Receivers are hereby impowred and required to call upon and hasten the Collectors to the said Payments and in Default thereof to levy by Warrant under the Hands X5 and Seals of any Two or more of the Commissioners upon the respective Collectors by Distress such Sum and Sums of Money as they have received and as ought by them to have been paid and are not paid by reason of their Failure in doing their Duty respectively according to the Direction of this Act

Editorial Information

X1 common O. & King's Printer's Copy.

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: thinke O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]

X3 interlined on the Roll.

X4 Quarterly Payments O. & King's Printer's Copy.

X5 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: of O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]