fore 1716.

25 Dec.

fums before mentioned, and fuch other charges as have been heretofore made thereon by authority of parliament) fhall be appropriated, referved and applied to and for the further dif charging the principal and intereft of fuch national debts and incumbrances, as were incurred before the twenty fifth day of December one thoufand feven hundred and fixteen, and are declared to be national debts, and were provided for by act or acts of parliament, in fuch manner and form as thall be directed by any future act or acts of parliament, to be discharged therewith or out of the fame, and to and for no other use, intent or purpofe whatsoever.

XXIV. And whereas in and by a certain act of parliament made 13 Geo. 1. c.3. in the thirteenth year of the reign of his faid late majesty King George the First, For redeeming fundry annuities transferrable at the bank of England, it was amongst other things enacted, That certain lottery-tickets therein mentioned, amounting to one hundred and three thousand two hundred and feventy-two pounds and ten fhillings, then lying as cash in the exchequer, on the head of the finking fund, or the annuity given for the fame, or any part thereof, might be affigned or transferred to fuch perfon or perfons, as, being proprietors of certain ftanding orders made out for certain debentures for the fufferers at Nevis and Saint Chriftophers, Should voluntarily deliver up to be cancelled the like or equal fum or fums in any of the faid debenture orders; and by the fame aft the time for taking in juch orders, in order to be cancelled, was limited to any time before the twenty fourth day of June one thousand feven hundred and twenty feven, as by the faid recited act, relation thereto being had, more fully may appear: and whereas in pursuance of the faid act, feveral of the faid standing orders were fatisfied and difcharged by and out of part of the faid fum of one hundred and three thousand two hundred and Seventy two pounds and ten fillings, fo lying as cash in the exchequer; but the time thereby limited for exchanging the fame being. too fhort, feveral perfons who were and are willing and defirous to accept of the remainder thereof in fatisfaction of the faid debenture orders, are excluded from the benefit thereof; be it therefore enacted by the authority aforefaid, That all and every the powers, authorities and directions, given in and by the faid act of parliament for or relating to the cancelling and discharging the faid ftanding debentures, by or out of the faid lottery-tickets, or the annuity given for the fame, fhall be and are hereby renewed, livered up for ratified and confirmed, and fhall remain, continue and be in lottery-ticfull force and effect, to all intents and purpofes, until the whole. of the faid fum of one hundred and three thoufand two hundred and seventy two pounds and ten fhillings, fhall be actually iffued. or applied to the cancelling and difcharging of an equal or like principal fum in the faid ftanding debenture orders.

Standing or ders for fufferers at NeChriftophers

vis and St.

may be de

kets.

Provifo.

XXV. Provided always, That the perfon or perfons who fhall accept or take the annuity given for the faid lottery-tickets in lieu and fatisfaction of any principal fum or fums, contained in any standing order or orders to be delivered up to be cancelled, fhall not be intitled to any more of the annuity attend

ing thereon, than what fhall be grown due from and after the half-yearly feast day, on which the fame is payable, which fhall be next preceding the time of delivering up and cancelling of fuch debenture order or orders; to which faid feaft-day the interest then due on fuch order or orders fhall be paid out of the produce of the fund, on which the fame is now charged or chargeable.

fum

XXVI. And whereas in purfuance of an act of parliament made 1Geo.1.ftat.2. and passed in the first year of the reign of his late majesty King c.12, George the First, of glorious memory, intituled, An act for enlarging the fund of the governor and company of the bank of England relating to exchequer-bills, and for fettling an additional revenue of one hundred and twenty thousand pounds per annum upon his Majefty, during his life, for the fervice of the civil government; and for eftablishing a certain fund of fifty four thousand fix hundred pounds per annum, in order to raise not exceeding nine hundred and ten thousand pounds, for the fervice of the publick, by fale of annuities, after the rate of fix pounds per centum per annum, redeemable by parliament; and for fatisfying an arrear for work and materials at Blenheim, incurred whilft that building was carried on at the expence of her late majesty Queen Anne, of bleffed memory, and for other purposes therein mentioned, his faid late Majesty's civil lift revenues were for fome time ftated at Michaelmas yearly only, and the overplus, appearing by the faid yearly computations above feven hundred thousand pounds per annum, was once in every year brought to the account of, and made part of the fund called the aggregate fund: and whereas by an act of parliament made and passed in the ninth 9G20. 1. c. 51 year of his faid late Majesty's reign, intituled, An act for redeeming certain annuities now payable by the cashier of the bank of England, at the rate of five pounds per centum per annum, the fund called the finking fund (whereof the furplus of the aggregate fund is part) was from Michaelmas one thousand feven hundred and twenty two, directed to be computed and stated half yearly, to wit, at Lady-day and Michaelmas in every year; and the overplus of the faid civil lift revenues in the half-yearly ftates, which, fince Michaelnas one thousand feven hundred and twenty two, have been made thereof, hath been brought to the account of the faid aggregate fund, to and for the half year ended at Lady-day one thousand seven hundred and twenty feven and no further; for that his faid late Majefty dying on the eleventh day of June one thousand seven hundred and twenty feven, his civil lift revenues from and after that day ceased, and no half-yearly furplus can or ought to be computed thereon: and whereas nevertheless, fome doubts and questions have been made, whether the monies remaining in the receipt of his faid late Majefty's exchequer, at the time of his demife, or which have been fince paid. into the faid receipt, arifen of or for his faid late Majefty's civil lift revenues, become and grown due during the life-time of his said late Majefty, could be applied to the payment of the debts due to his faid late Majesty's fervants, tradesmen and others; for the obviating and clearing which doubts, be it enacted and declared by the Hh 2 autho

authority aforefaid, That it fhall and may be lawful to and for the commiffioners of his Majesty's treasury or any three or more of them now being, and the high treasurer or any three or more of the commiffioners of the treasury for the time being, and they are hereby authorized and required, from time to time, to iffue or caufe to be iffued, the monies fo arisen or to arife into the faid receipt of the exchequer, of or for the civil lift revenues of his said late Majefty, for and towards discharging and paying to his said late Majesty's servants, tradesmen and others, such fums of money as were due to them at the time of his late Majefty's demife, at fuch times and in such manner as shall be found neceffary and convenient.

CA P. IX,

An alt for granting an aid to his Majesty of five hundred thousand pounds, towards discharging wages due to feamen, and for the conftant, regular and punctual payment of Seamens wages for the future; and for appropriating the fupplies granted in this prefent feffion of parliament; and for difpofing of the furplus of the money granted for half-pay, for the year one thousand feven hundred and twenty feven. Moft gracious Sovereign,

HEREAS feveral juft and neceffary measures were, upon account of the late perplexed and disturbed fituation of affairs in Europe, entred into and concerted between your Majefty's late royal father, of glorious memory, and your good allies; and in order to preferve and restore the peace of Europe, and to fecure the trade, navigation and other valuable rights and poffeffions of thefe kingdoms, great fleets were imployed abroad in divers remote parts, whereby a great arrear or debt has been contracted for the service of the navy and particularly on the head of feamens wages; and your Majefly having now, by the bleffing of God on your care and concern for the general good, fo far obtained a fettlement of affairs abroad, as that there is no prefent occafion for imploying fo great number of feamen in your Majefty's fervice; and the immediate payment of the faid arrears of wages is judged adviseable, not only as it will fave and prevent a further great expence, but also as it will render a regular, constant and punctual payment of feamens wages more practicable and eafy for the future; which will be an encouragement to able and experienced feamen, at all times hereafter, to enter themselves voluntarily into your Majefty's fervice, when occafion shall require the fame; and your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain in parliament aflembled, having taken your Majesty's most gracious recommendation from the throne into their most ferious confideration, have for these purposes freely and unanimously given and granted to your Majesty the fum of five hundred thousand pounds, to be raised in. manner herein after mentioned; we do thereby most humbly befeech your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and con

fent

25

Dec.

fent of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons, in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That it fhall and may be lawful to and for the King's most ex- Loans or excellent majefty, by warrant or warrants under his royal fign chequer bills manual, to authorize and impower the commiffioners of his to the fum of 500,000l. to Majesty's treasury, now or for the time being, or any three or be made bemore of them, or the lord high treasurer for the time being, at fore any time or times before the twenty fifth day of December which 1728. shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty eight, to caufe or direct any loans to be taken or received at his Majesty's exchequer, from any perfon or perfons, natives or foreigners, body or bodies politick or corporate, or any number of exchequer bills to be made out there for any fum or fums of money, not exceeding in loans and exchequer bills together in the whole the fum of five hundred thousand pounds, in the fame or like manner, form, and order, and according to the fame or like rules and directions, as in and by a certain act of this prefent feffion of parliament (for continuing the duties on malt, mum, cyder and perry, for the fervice of the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty eight) are enacted and prefcribed, concerning the loans or exchequer bills to be made in pursuance of the fame act,

All clauses in the malt act to be extended to the loans and exchequer bills to be made by this act. Loans to bear intereft at 4 1. per cent. These loans and bills chargeable on the first aids granted after 29 September 1728. or on the finking fund. The monies out of the finking fund to be replaced. EXP.

the head of

fervices.

VI. And to the end, intent and purpose, that as well all ar- All monies, rears of seamens wages, as their growing wages, may be con- granted on stantly, regularly and punctually paid, be it enacted by the au- feamens wages thority aforefaid, That not only as to fuch monies, as have been fhall be apgranted in this feffion of parliament for the service of the navy, lied for those but also as to fuch fupplies, as fhall be hereafter granted in parliament for thofe fervices, fuch parts or proportions thereof, as shall be on the head of feamens wages, fhall from time to time be iffued and applied for thofe fervices conftantly, regularly and punctually, in manner following; that is to fay, when and fo often as any of the fhips of his Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, The method fhall have been in fea pay fix whole months, to commence or of paying the feamen, be computed from the first day of July one thousand seven hundred and twenty eight, or any time after, in case such ships shall then be in any port of Great Britain, not in order to be difcharged, or on the coaft of the fame, the captain or commander thereof shall, immediately after the end of the faid fix months, make or cause to be made out, pay lifts containing the names of the inferior officers, and able and ordinary feamen, belonging to the ship under his command, and fhall fend the faid lifts, fo made out, to the commiffioners of the navy for the time being, who are hereby directed and required to cause immediate payment to be made of two months wages to fuch inferior officers

Hh3

and

.

28 days to be reckoned to the month.

and able and ordinary feamen or to their respective attorney or attorneys duly authorized to receive the fame, deducting thereout whatever money fhall have been paid on account of the faid wages by way of advance: and in cafe any of the faid fhips, that shall have been fix months in fea pay as aforefaid, shall be then in any port of Ireland, or abroad in foreign parts, the captain or commander of such ship fhall, immediately after the end of the faid fix months, mufter his crew or company, and enter the names of fuch inferior officers and able and ordinary feamen who shall defire to have their wages paid at home in Great Britain, into pay lifts as aforefaid, and fhall fend and tranfmit the faid pay lifts to the commiffioners of the navy for the time being, who are hereby directed and required, within one month after they fhall have received the faid pay lifts, to cause payment to be made of two months wages, with fuch deduction as aforefaid, to the attorney or attorneys of fuch perfon or perfons duly authorized to receive the fame: and the faid commiffioners are hereby directed and required to give timely notice in the gazette of the time appointed by them for fuch payment: and when and so often as any of the faid fhips fhall have been twelve months in fea pay, then other pay lifts shall be made out, fent and tranfmitted, and two months wages paid thereon in the manner aforefaid; and fo from time to time, at the end of every enfuing fix months, fuch pay lifts fhall be made out and tranfmitted, and two months wages paid thereon as aforefaid, until the said ships shall be finally paid off: and for the residue of their wages, the fame fhall be paid in manner following; that is tọ fay, as to all fuch of his Majefty's fhips or veffels, as fhall return home in order to be laid up, the wages due to the officers and seamen serving on board of any fuch fhip or vessel shall be entirely paid off within two months after the arrival of such ship or vefiel in the port where the fame is defigned to be laid up: and as to all other fhips or veffels in his Majefty's fervice, the wages due to the officers and feamen fhall be paid as follows; that is to fay, when fuch fhips or veffels have been eighteen months in fea pay, then the wages due for the first twelve months thereof, deducting thereout whatever moneys shall have been before paid by way of advance or otherwise, in part or on account of the faid twelve months wages, fhall be paid within two months after or so soon after as any such ship or yeffel fhall put into any port of this realm, where his Majesty's fhips are usually paid; and fo toties quoties, as often as they shall have been eighteen months in fea pay, beyond the time to which their wages fhall have been cleared, twelve months wages more shall be paid in like manner,

VII. And it is hereby declared, That the computation of the faid months wages fhall be by reckoning twenty eight days to the month, according to the ufual courfe or practice of the navy.

Clause of ap- VIII. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority propriation. aforefaid, That all the monies coming into the exchequer either

by