enacted; and be it enacted by the King's moft excellent majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons in parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That the faid Francis lord bishop of Rochester, from and after the first day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty three, fhail be and is hereby, to all intents and purposes, deprived of all and fingular his offices, dignities, promotions, and benefices ecclefiaftical whatsoever, and that the fame, and every of them, shall from thenceforth be actually void, as if he were naturally dead; and that the faid Francis lord bishop of Rochester fhall from thenceforth for ever be difabled, and rendred incapable of and from taking, holding, or enjoying any office, dignity, promotion, benefice, or employment within this realm, or any other his Majesty's dominions, and alfo of and from using or exercifing any office, function, authority, or power ecclesiastical or spiritual whatsoever, and shall and do fuffer perpetual exile, and be for ever banished this realm, and all other his Majefty's dominions, and fhall depart out of the fame on or before the five and twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thoufand seven hundred and twenty three; and that if the faid Francis lord bishop of Rochester fhall return into or be found. within this realm, or any other his Majefty's dominions at any time after the faid five and twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and twenty three, he the faid Francis lord bishop of Rochester, being thereof lawfully convicted, fhall be adjudged guilty of felony, and fhall fuffer and forfeit as in cafes of felony, without benefit of clergy, and shall be utterly incapable of any pardon from his Majesty, his heirs or fucceffors.

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That all and every perfon and perfons, who fhall, from and after the faid five and twentieth day of fure, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty three, be aiding or affifting to the return of the faid Francis lord bishop of Rochefter into this realm, or any other his Majefty's dominions, or fhall harbour or conceal him within the fame, or any of them, being thereof lawfully convicted, fhall be adjudged guilty of felony, and fhall fuffer and forfeit as in cafes of felony, without benefit of clergy.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That if any of the subjects of his Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, except fuch perfons as fhall be licenfed for that purpose by his Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, under his or their fign manual, fhall, from and after the faid five and twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty three, within this realm or without, hold, entertain, or keep any intelligence or correspondence in perfon, or by letters, meffages, or otherwife, with the faid Francis lord bishop of Rochester, or with any perfon or perfons employed by him, knowing fuch perfon or perfons to be fo employed, fuch

F 3

perfon

• Geo. 1. ftat.

e. C. 50.

perfon fo offending, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and fhall fuffer and forfeit as in cases of felony, without benefit of clergy.

IV. And be it further enacted, That if any offence against this act fhall be committed out of this realm, the fame fhall or may be alledged, laid, enquired of, and tried in any county within Great Britain.

CAP. XVIII.

An att for granting an aid to his Majefty by laying a tax upon papifts, and for making fuch other perfons, as upon due fummons fhall refufe or neglect to take the oaths therein mentioned, to contribute towards the faid tax, for reimburfing to the publick part of the great expences occafioned by the late confpiracies; and for difcharging the eftates of papifts from the two third parts of the rents and profits thereof for one year, and all arrears of the fame, and from fuch forfeitures as are therein more particularly defcribed.

OST gracious Sovereign, whereas your Majefty in the first year of your reign was gracioufly pleafed to fignify, by a mesSage to the house of commons then in parliament affembled, your royal confent, That the two third parts of the rents and profits of the lands, tenements, hereditaments, leafes and farms of all and every perfon and perfons, who was, were or should be a popish recufant or popish recufants convict, which by the laws and ftatutes of this realm then in force were or might be feized or taken into your Majesty's hands for fuch recufancy, might be raised, levied and applied towards your Majesty's Supply for fuppreffing the unnatural rebellion then lately made: and to the end the Jaid two third parts of the faid eftates, and the yearly and other values of them, and every of them, might be better difcovered, known, defcribed and afcertained, and that the publick might have the benefit of your Majesty's gracious condefcenfion in relation to the fame, by perception of the rents and profits thereof, or by laying fome tax or charge in lieu thereof, or otherwife, as fhould afterwards be determined in parliament to be reafonable, one act was made and paffed in the faid first year of your Majefty's * Geo. 1. ftat. reign, intituled, An act for appointing commiffioners to enquire of the eftates of certain traitors, and of popifh recufants, and of eftates given to fuperftitious ufes, in order to raise money out of them severally for the use of the publick; in pursuance of which act certain commiffioners therein named were appointed (amongst other things) to enquire concerning the faid eftates, and the values of them, and the two third parts of the fame, liable to feizure for the use of the publick, and particularly what popish recufants or papifts, or perfons educated in the popish religion, or whose parentș fhould be papifis, or who should use or profefs the popish religion, fhould not take the oaths, and make and fubfcribe the declaration preferibed by any other act of that feffion of parliament, within the re

2. C, 50,

Spective

I

Spective times thereby appointed, or in default thereof should not regifter or procure to be registred, his, her or their names and eftates, in the manner and form prefcribed by fuch other act within the reSpeclive times thereby limited in that behalf, and to do fuch other matters and things, as by the faid act first mentioned were authorized by the said commiffioners to be done and performed, by which att all the monies to arife to your Majesty by, for, upon or out of the feveral and respective eftates and interefts thereby intended to be enquired into (except as therein is excepted) are appropriated to the ufe of the public, and should be applied thereunto by authority of parliament, and not otherwife: and whereas in and by another act made. and paffed in the said feffion of parliament, held in the faid firft year of your Majesty's reign, intituled, An act to oblige papifts Geo. 1. stat. to regifter their names and real estates, reciting, that the papifts 2. C. 55. within this kingdom, notwithstanding the tender regard that had been fhewn them for many years then last paft, and their enjoyment of the protection and benefit of the government, had all, or the greatest part of them, been concerned in stirring up and Supporting the then late unnatural rebellion, by which they had brought a vast expence upon this nation, and that it manifeftly appeared by their behaviour, that they take themselves to be obliged, by the principles they profefs, to be enemies to your Majefty and the prefent happy establishment, watching all opportunities of fomenting and stirring up new rebellions and disturbances within this kingdom, and of inviting foreigners to invade it; and that it was highly reasonable that they Should contribute a large share to all fuch extraordinary expences, as were or should be brought upon this kingdom by their treachery and inftigation; and to the end that by paying largely to the great expences which they had brought upon this nation, they might be deterred, if poffible, from the like offences for the future, and that this nation might have the benefit of your Majesty's most gracious condefcenfion, in giving your intereft in the faid two third parts, by feizing the fame, or by laying fome tax or charge upon their eftates in lieu thereof, in fuch proportions, and in fuch manner as should be determined to be reasonable in parliament, it was thereby enacted, That all and every person and perfons, not having taken the oaths therein mentioned before the last day of Trinity-Term one thousand feven hundred and fixteen, having any eftate or interest in any lands, tenements or hereditaments, or who afterwards should have any estate or interest in any lands, tenements or hereditaments in England, Wales or Berwick upon Tweed, who was or should be a popijh recufant or papist, or was or should be educated in the popish religion, or whofe parent or parents, was, were or should be a papist or papists, or who should ufe or profess the popish religion, should," within such several and respective times as are thereby limited, take the several oaths, and repeat and fubfcribe the declaration in the fame act prefcribed, in fuch court as is therein mentioned, or in default thereof hould register or cause to be registred the fame, within fuch time, and in fuch manner and form as are thereby directed, under the pe- Commiffionnalties and forfeitures therein expreffed: and whereas on the nineteenth day of February one thousand feven hundred and nineteen, a report, Feb. 1719.

F 4

figned

ers report 19

figned by Seven of the faid commiffioners, was presented to the then boufe of commons, with an appendix containing the names of the papifts who had before that time registred their estates, and the amount of the yearly rents, as by them refpectively fet forth; which yearly rents, fo fet forth for fuch eftates fo regiftred, do amount in the whole to three hundred eighty four thousand nine hundred and fifty pounds fix fhillings and fix pence three farthings per annum, or thereabouts, over and above large fums arising from time to time, for fines payable and paid by the leafehold and copyhold tenants to fuch of the faid papifts as have fo regifired their eftates; which fines so entred by them in the faid registers, do amount to a very great fum in the whole, and may justly be efteemed to produce a confiderable profit communibus annis, and over and above the yearly values of a great part of their regiftred eftates, whereof no values are set down by them in their faid registers, touching which yearly values last mentioned, another appendix or book was, on or about the faid nineteenth day of February one thousand feven hundred and nineteen, prefented to the then houfe of commons by the faid commiffioners, and the fame do amount to a very confiderable value in the whole, not comprehended in the faid fum of three hundred eighty four thousand nine hundred and fifty pounds fix fillings and three pence three farthings per annum; and it is highly probable that feveral perfons, who, fince the making of the act last in part before recited, ought to have regiftred their eftates, have wholly neglected fo to do, or have not duly and faithfully registred the fame, and have been guilty of fuch omiffions, frauds and concealments, that the true values of the eftates of papifts regiftred or not regiftred, or the two third parts of them, or any of them, cannot as yet be ascertained: and whereas it is notorious, that fince the making of the faid acts in part before recited, the papifts and their abettors, or many of them, have given feveral fresh inftances of their readiness and zeal in forming plots and confpiracies, and in fomenting and fiirring up rebellions and diflurbances for the wicked ends and purposes above mentioned, which confpiracies and difturbances have brought a further great expence and burthen upon your Majefty's good fubjects; and therefore it is thought reasonable, that in fatisfaction of fuch fhare as they ought to contribute towards the extraordinary expences brought upon this kingdom, and in lieu of the two third parts of the rents and profits of the said eftates to grow due to your Majesty within and for one year, commencing from the twenty fifth day of March one thousand seven hundred and twenty three, and all arrears of the faid two third parts incurred or to be incurred before the faid twenty fifth day of March one thousand feven hundred and twenty three, and in lieu of all fuch penalties and forfeitures as are hereafter in and by this aft intended to be discharged, there fhall be raised, levied and collected the full fum of one hundred thousand pounds upon fuch papists and others as are herein after defcribed, and upon their respective eftates, in fuch proportions, and in fuch manner and form as are herein after directed; and that the fame fhall be paid to your Majefty for the use of the publick: now we your Majefty's mott dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain in parliament affembled, have given and

granted,

granted, and do by this prefent act give and grant to your Majefty, the rates and affeffments herein after mentioned, and do most humbly beseech your Majesty, That it may be enacted, &c. EXP.

100,000 1, to be assessed on all papifts of 18 years of age, over and above the double taxes by the land-tax. If the full fum charged be duly paid it fhall discharge papists eftates from the two thirds of the rents thereof for one year, and from all penalties for recufancy, &c. Lands, &c. registred, fince vested in proteftants, either by taking the oaths, or by death, or alienation before 25 Dec. 1722, or vested in infants, commiffioners to certify it into the remembrancers office, and that part shall be discharged. Lands, &c. liable to rent charges, &c. Owners may de. duct the tax. Jointures, &c. out of registred estates discharged.

CAP. XIX.

An act to continue the duties for encouragement of the coinage of monies; and for relief of William late lord Widdrington; and to prevent foreign lotteries being carried on in this kingdom; and for afcertaining the duties on bound books imported; and for issuing certificates and debentures for arrears due to five regiments, to be fatisfied by annuities therein mentioned; and for difcharging the duties of rock-falt loft on the rivers Weaver and Mercy; and for limiting the times of continuance of commiffioners for forfeited estates in England and Scotland respectively; and for appropriating the supplies granted to his Majefty in this feffion of parliament; and to rectify misnomers and omiffions of commiffioners for the land-tax in the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty three.

Ma

AY it please your most excellent Majefty, whereas great benefit and advantage did accrue to England by one act of parliament, paffed in the eighteenth year of the reign of his majefly

King Charles the Second, intituled, An act for encouraging of 18 Car. 2. c. 5. coinage, and continued by another act made in the twenty fifth year

C.

of the reign of his faid majesty King Charles, intituled, An act for 25 Car. 2. c. 8. continuing a former act concerning coinage; both which faid acts were revived by an act made in the first year of the reign of his majefly King James the Second; and were continued by an act made in 1 Ja. 2. c. 7. the fourth year of King William and Queen Mary, of blessed me4 W. & M. mory; and were further continued by an act made in the twelfth year c. 24. of the reign of the faid late King William; and were further con- 12 & 13 W. 3. tinued by an act made in the Seventh year of the reign of her late C 11. majesty Queen Anne, of bleffed memory, and then extended to Scot- 7 Ann. c. 44. land and were further continued by an act made in the first year 1 Geo. 1. ftat. of your Majesty's reign, to be in force for seven years, from the first day of March one thousand feven hundred and fifteen, and until the end of the first feffion of parliament then next following, and no longer; fo that unless the faid acts be revived and continued the encouragement given thereby will ceafe, and this kingdom be deprived

for

2. C. 43.