Poll Tax Act 1689

XVI. Commissioners Clerks 2d. per Pound.

Persons assessed refusing to pay on Demand, Officer may distrain; Proceedings thereon; Persons assessed not paying in Ten Days and where no sufficient Distress, Party imprisoned in the Common Gaol without Bail; Persons aggrieved by Rate, &c. may complain to Commissioners; Commissioners to meet to hear Complaints.

And for the carefull Writeing and Transcribing the said Warrants Estreats and Duplicates in due time Bee it further Enacted That the Commissioners Clerks who shall respectively performe the same shall by Warrant under two or more of the Commissioners Hands have and recieve from the respective Receivers Generall their Deputy or Deputyes Two pence in the Pound of all such Moneys as he shall have received by vertue of such Warrants and Estreats who is hereby appointed and allowed to pay the same accordingly And if any Person or Persons shall refuse to pay the severall Summe and Summes and Proportions appointed by this Act for such Person to pay upon Demand made by the Officer or Collector of the Place according to the Precepts or Estreats to him delivered by the said Com[m]issioners It shall be lawfull to and for such Officer or Collector (who are hereby thereunto authorized and required) for non-payment thereof to Distraine the Person or Persons soe refuseing by his or their Goods or Chattells and the Distresse soe taken to keepe by the space of Foure dayes at the Costs and Charges of the Owners thereof And if the said Owner doe not pay the Summe of Money due by this Act within the said Foure dayes Then the said Distresse to be Appraised by three or two of the Inhabitants where the said Distresse is taken and there to be sold by the said Officer for Payment of the said Money and the Overplus comeing by the said Sale (if any be) over and above the Charges of takeing and keeping the said Distresse to be immediately restored to the Owner thereof And if any Person or Persons Assessed by this Act shall refuse or neglect to pay the Summe or Summes soe Assessed by the space of Ten Dayes after Demand as aforesaid where noe such sufficient Distresse can or may be found whereby the same may be Levyed in every such Case three or more of the Commissioners by this Act appointed for any such City County or Place are hereby Authorized by Warrant under their Hands and Seals to committ such Person or Persons to the common Gaole there to be kept without Baile or Mainprize untill Payment shall be made And if any Person Certified Assessed or Rated finde him or herselfe agrieved with such Assessing or Rateing and doe within Five dayes after Demand thereof made complaine to the said Commissioners or any two or more of them (whereof one of the Com[m]issioners who Signed or Allowed his or her Rate to be one) shall and may within Five dayes next after such Complaint particularly Examine the Party soe complaining upon his or her Oath of his or her Personall Estate aforesaid and upon due Examination or knowledge thereof abate defalke increase or enlarge the said Assessment and the same soe abated increased or inlarged shall be Estreated by them into the Exchequer in manner aforesaid And to that end the said Commissioners are hereby required to meete together for the determining of such Complaints and Appeales accordingly