FOR Prevention of the many and Great Inconveniencies and Discouragements to Trade in this Kingdom, which proceéd from the want of one Certain and Known Measure for all sorts of Grain to be Measured and Sold by, in and throughout this King­dom.

Be it therefore Enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament Assem­bled, and by the Authority of the same, That one and the same Measure shall be Vsed in and throughout this Kingdom, and Every part thereof: And that the Measure and Measures to be henceforth Vsed in this Kingdom shall be and Contain as herein after is mentioned and Appointed, and no otherwise (that is to say) The Measure Called the Peck shall be and Con­tain Two Gallons, and no more. The Mea­sure Called the Bushell shall be and Contain Eight Gallons, and no more. The Measure Called the Half Barrel shall be and Contain Sixteén Gallons, and no more. And the Bar­rel shall be and Contain Thirty Two Gallons, and no more. The said Gallon to Contain Two Hundred Seaventy Two Cubical Inches, and one fourth part of a Cubical Inch, according to [Page 4] the Gallon mentioned and Appointed in and by one Act of Parliament, made and Enacted in this Kingdom, in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of the Late Queén ELIZABETH, of Blessed Memory.

And be it also Enacted, that there shall be forthwith provided, at His Majesties Charge, one Barrel, one half Barrel, one Bushel, one Peck, and one Gallon, according to the above said Measure; which said Barrel, half Barrel, Bu­shel, Peck and Gallon shall be the Standards for the Measures in and throughout this King­dom of IRELAND: And that the said Stan­dards being marked with the Crown, and Let­ters of His Majesties Name, shall be placed, and safely kept in His Majesties Exchequer of this Kingdom, in the Custody of the Lord Treasurer of this Realm, or of the Vice-Trea­surer, his Deputy or Deputies for the time be­ing.

And be it further Enacted, That in Every County, Town, City, Liberty, Franchise, and Market-Town within this Realm, shall be pla­ced and Kept at the proper Costs and Charges of Each County, City, Liberty, Franchize, and Market-Town, Respectively, in the Custody of the Sheriff of such County, and of the Mayor, Bayliff, Sovereign, Seneschal, or Steward of any Liberty, or Mannor, or other Chief Ma­gistrate Residing in such City, or Market-Town, one Barrel, one half Barrel, one Bushel, one Peck, and one Gallon, according to the above Measures; which said Barrel, half Barrel, Bushel, Peck and Gallon shall be first Measu­red by the said Standards in the Exchequer, [Page 5] and shall be severally Sealed, Branded or Mark­ed on the Edge or Brim, with the Crown and Letters of His Majesties Name, and with such other Mark as the Lord High Treasurer of this Kingdom, or the Vice-Treasurer, his De­puty or Deputies, for the time being, shall think fit, and that for the Measuring, Brand­ing and Marking of Each such Measures the summ of Six-pence, and no more, shall be paid to the said Lord High-Treasurer, or the Vice-Treasurer, his Deputy or Deputies, for the time being, by the Person or Persons who shall bring the said Measures to be Measured, Brand­ed or Marked; which said Barrels, half Bar­rels, Bushels, Pecks and Gallons, in the Cu­stody of the said Sheriffs, Mayors, Bayliffs, Soveraigns, Seneschals, or Stewards of any Liberty, or Mannor, or other Head-Officers, be­ing Measured or Marked by the said Lord High Treasurer, or the Vice-Treasurer, his Deputy or Deputies, for the time being, shall be and Remain the Standards for such County, City, Liberty or Franchize, or Market-Town, Re­spectively.

And be it further Enacted, That the said Sheriffs, Mayors, Bayliffs, Soveraigns, Se­neschals, or Steward of any Liberty, or Man­nor, and other Officers, in whose Custody such Standards are hereby Appointed to Remain, shall have full power to Measure and Compare all such Barels, half Barrels, Bushels, Pecks and Gallons, as shall be brought, or offered to them, or any of them to be Measured or Mar­ked; And if upon Measuring the same, they or any of them shall find the said Measure so [Page 6] brought or offered, Respectively, to be agreéable to, and to Contain Equal Qantities with the said Measures Marked by the said Lord High-Treasurer, or Vice-Treasurer, his said Deputy or Deputies, for the time being, That then the said Sheriffs, Mayors, Bayliffs, Soveraigns, Seneschal, Steward, or other Chief Officers, or any of them, shall Mark, or Brand the said Mea­sures so brought to them on the Rim or Edge of them, Respectively, with the Crown and Letters of His Majesties Name; and also with a Mark or Brand to be appointed by each County, City, Liberty or Franchize, or Market-Town, Respe­ctively: And that for the Measuring and Mark­ing of Each such Measure, shall be paid by the Person or Persons bringing or offering the said Measure or Measures to be Sealed or Marked, the Sum of Six-pence, and no more.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority a­foresaid, That from and after the Twenty Sixth Day of March, which will be in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand, Six Hundred, Ninety Six, no Measures shall be Vsed for Measuring any sort of Grain in this Kingdom, or in any part thereof, but such as shall be first Measured and Compared by the said Standards in the Exchequer, or by one of the said Standards Remaining in the Custody of such as hereby are Appointed to have the Custody of them in the Respective Counties, Cities, Liberties, Franchizes, and Market-Towns within this Kingdom, and shall be Branded and Marked, as aforesaid: And that whosoever after the said Twenty Sixth Day of March next, shall Sell or Measure any sort of Grain, Corn, Mault, or Oat-Meal, in any place or places whatsoever [Page 7] within this Kingdom, by any Measure or Mea­sures Containing any Greater or Lesser Quan­tity then as aforesaid, or by any Barrel, half Barrel, Bushel, Peck or Gallon which hath not beén Measured by, and is not of Equal Con­tent with the said Standard in the Exchequer, or by, and with the said Standards Remaining in the said Counties, Towns, Cities, Liber­ties, Franchizes, or Market-Towns, or some of them, or that hath not beén Marked, as aforesaid, by some one in whose Custody the said Standards are by this Act Appointed to Remain, shall Forfeit for Every such Offence the summ of Ten Pounds, whereof the one Moyety shall be to the Poor of the Parish where such Offence is, or shall be, Committed; and the other Moyety to the Informer, and that upon Information given upon Oath, or other­wise, to any Iustice of the Peace of any Coun­ty, Mayor, Bayliff, Soveraign, or other Chief Magistrate of any City, Liberty, or Franchize, or Town Corporate, the said Seneschal, Iu­stice of the Peace, Franchise, Mayors, Bayliffs, Soveraign, Seneschal, aforesaid, or other Chief Magistrate to whom such Information is Gi­ven, shall immediately Issue his Warrant, Re­quiring the Party or Parties Complained of to appear before him; And if upon Examination it shall appear by the Oath or Oaths of one or more Credible Witnesses to the said Iustice of Peace, Mayor, Bayliff, Soveraign, Seneschal, aforesaid, or other Chief Magistrate; that the said Party so Complained of, hath Sold, Delivered, or Re­ceived any sort of Corn, Grain, Mault, or Oat-Meal, by any Barrel, half Barrel, or other Measure [Page 8] not Marked, Sealed, or Branded by the She­riff, Mayor, Soveraign, Seneschal, or some o­ther Person who hereby have Power, and are Appointed to make Seal, or Brand the same, That then the said Iustice, Mayor, Bayliffs, Soveraign, or other Chief Magistrate within his and their Respective Precincts, shall Issue a Warrant to the Constable of the Parish where such Offender Resides, Requiring him to Levy by Di­stress and Sale of the Goods of the Person so Offend­ing the said summ of Ten Pounds, whereof the one moyety shall be given to the Poor of the Pa­rish, as aforesaid, where such Offender doth Reside, and the other moyety to the said Informer.

And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person, who hereby hath power to Measure and Mark any Barrel, half Barrel, or other Measure brought to him, shall Mark, Seal, Brand, or allow any Barrel, half Barrel, or any other Measure which shall or doth Contain more or less, Respectively, then the said Standards Remaining in his Custody, the said Person so Doing shall Forfeit for Every such Barrel, half Barrel, or other Measure so Sealed, Marked, Branded or Allowed by him, the summ of Fifty Pounds; The one Moyety to the King, and the other Moyety to the Vse of him that will sue for the same, to be Re­covered by Action, Suite, Bill or Plaint, in any of His Majesties Courts of Record, at Dublin, wherein no Essoyne, Protection or Wager of Law shall be Allowed, nor any more then one Imparlance.

And be it likewise Enacted, That Every Bar­rel, half Barrel, and other Measure whatsoever [Page 9] of any sort of Corn, Grain, Mault, or Oat-Meal shall be Sold, Delivered and Received, Stricked without Heaps, and without Pressing or shaking Down: And not in any other manner, upon pain of the Forfeiture of Five Pounds to him that will Sue for the same, to be Recovered by Action, Suite, Bill, or Plaint, in any of His Majesties Courts at Dublin, wherein no Essoyn, Protection, or Wager of Law shall be Allowed, or any more then one Imparlance.