BE it Enacted, and it is hereby Enacted and Declared by this present Parli­ament, & the Authority thereof That the Duties & Revenue of Excise and New Impost, Customs and Subsidies, shall be, and are hereby continued to be paid every Person and Persons within the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Islands and Territories to them or any of them belonging from and after the One and Thirtieth Day of December One Thousand six hundred fifty and nine, untill the First day of March, 1659, in such Manner, and according to such Rules Rates, and Proportions as the same were paid or payable at any time within six Moneths next before the sixth day of May last past, or any time since. And that all Acts, Ordinances. Orders, and Pow­ers made and exercised under any Authority or Power whatsoever, for or concer­ning the paying, collecting, levying, and enforcing the said Duties before the Sixth day of May last past, or any time since, are hereby Enacted, Appointed, and De­clared to be in full Force for Paying Levying, Collecting, and Bringing in the said Duties, with all their Arrears, to all Intents and Purposes, as if the same had béen Enacted and made by Authority of this present Parliament.

And it is further Enacted and Declared by the Authority aforesaid, That Wil­liam Harrington, John White, James Wainwright, Esquires, Mr. George Foxcroft, and Mr. Alderman Love now one of the Sheriffs of London, or any two or more of them, and no others, are, and shall be, Commissioners and Collectors for the said Duties of Customes and Subsidies, and by Themselves, their Deputy or De­puties, to Manage and Collect the same in such manner, and according to such Authorities and Powers as in the said Acts Ordinanzes Orders, and Powers, are set forth, limited, and appointed, and shall retain unto Themselves out of the Receipts thereof, the sum of two pence in the pound for their Salaries and Pains therein. And that Tho. Atkins Alderman of London, Tho: Bulstrode, Jo. Parge­ter, Benjamin Goodwin, and Thomas Lenthall, Esquires, or any Two or more of them, and no others be, and are hereby Constituted and Appointed Commissi­oners and Governours of the Excise and New Impost to all Intents to Govern and Manage the same according to the Authorities and Powers aforesaid: And shall have, retain, and take to their own use out of the Receipt thereof, the sum of two pence in the pound for their Salary. And that all and every the Sub-Com­missioners, and other Inferiour Officers and Persons which were imployed up­on the Six and Twentieth day of December One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Nine, for Managing and Collecting the said Duties and Revenue, shall Re­main and Continue in their several Imployments in such manner, and under such Regulations Alterations and Controles as by the said Acts, Ordinances, and Powers, is Declared and Appointed. And Colonel William White Luke Ro­binson, Adam Baines, Doctor William Parker, and John Jackson, Esquires, or any Thrée or more of them and no others, are hereby Authorized and Impow­red, to Exercise and put in Execution all and every the Acts, Ordinances, Or­ders, [Page 4] Declarations and Powers, for the Paying, Collecting, or Levying the said Duties, and all Arrears thereof from time to time; And for Indempnity rela­ting to all Officers or Persons imployed, or which shall be imployed, in and about the same, in as full and ample manner as any Committée of Parliament: for Regulating the Excise, Committée for the Navy, Commissioners for Appeals, or Committée for Preservation of the Customes, were appointed to do, or might have done. And it is further Enacted and Declared by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Colonel William White, Luke Robinson, Adam Baines, Doctor William Parker, and John Jackson, Esquires, shall receive the sum of One Peny in the pound out of the Receipt of the said Duties of Customes and Subsidies; and the like sum of One penny in the pound out of the receipt of the Excise and New Impost for their Salaries and Pains, which shall be paid from time to time by the Commissioners of the Customes and Excise respectively.

Provided Neverthelesse, and be it Enacted and Declared by the Authority of this present Parliament, That no Merchant or Importer whatsoever, that hath or shall have any Import Accompt depending in the Office of Excise within the Port of London, or in any the Out-Ports of this Commonwealth, for Goods and Merchandizes formerly entred; who shall refuse or neglect from time to time to clear his said Accompts when duly summoned and required thereunto by the Commissioners for Exise and New Impost, or their Sub-Commissioners respect­ively, within their several Divisions (as by the Laws of Excize they are enjoyned be permitted or allowed by the said Commissioners, or Sub-Commissioners, to have any further Credit for the said Duty, until he or they respectively shall have duely cleared and ballanced all their Accompts, in relation to the Excise. But all and e­very such Marchants and Importers shall pay the Excise for all Goods, Merchandi­zes, and Commodities, he or they shall import from time to time, upon the first Entry, until they shall have fully cleared and paid in the Arrears and Ballance of their Accompts, as aforesaid, Any Law, Statute, Ordinance, Custome, or Vsage to the contrary notwithstanding.

Provided always, and it is hereby Declared, That no Powers or Authorities shall be Exercised by any Iustice or Iustices of the Peace whatsoever, for the Le­vying or paying of any of ths Penalties. Fines, or Forfeitures, set or imposed for, or concerning the Duty or Excise or New Impost, other then such Powers as are mentioned and contained in one Act of this present Parliament, Entituled, An Act for the speedy Raising and Levying of Moneyes by way of New Impost or Excise; But that the Commissioners and Sub-Commissioners of Excise and New Impost put the same Powers in Execution, they did might, or ought to have done, by ver­tue of the said Act, or any other Act or Ordinance of this present Parliament, Any thing to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

Provided nevertheless, and be it Enacted and Declared by this Parliament, and the Authority thereof, That such Customs and Impost be imposed and taken for; and upon the Tynn and Fishery of this Common-wealth, as have heretofore béen imposed or taken by Authority of this Parliament, at, or before the Twen­tieth Day of April, in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty Thrée, and no other: Any thing in this Act or in any other Act or Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding.