THe first Meeting of the Commissioners is to be on or before the Fourteenth day of February next; There they agree to divide themselves into the several Divisions of the County. And at the same first Meeting they are to send out their Warrants into all the parts of the County, summoning Inha­bitants, High-Constables, &c. as they think fit, to appear be­fore the said Commissioners in their several Divisions, at such time and place as by their Warrant they shall appoint, within eight days after their first Meeting.

At their second Meeting they are to give in Charge the Act; which, for the better dispatch, is in brief here set down.

WHereas by an Act of this present Parliament, entituled, An Act for raising Money by a Poll, and otherwise, to­wards the Maintenance of the present War; It is provided, That all and every person and persons (Excepting only such as receive alms from the Parish, and the children of any person remaining in his or her family, who by reason of their poverty doth not contribute to the Rates for Church and Poor, and who are under the age of sixteen years) shall pay unto His Majesty the sum of Twelve pence; And that over and above the said sum of Twelve pence, all persons and Bodies Politick [Page 2] and Corporate, having personal Estate in Debts or ready Moneys, which he or they do not account desperate, over and besides such Debts as they shall bona fide owe, shall pay for every Hundred pounds thereof, the sum of Twenty shillings; Except Moneys lent, or to be lent to His Majesty upon Secu­rity of any Act passed, or to be passed by this present Parlia­ment. And that all persons having any Office or publick Im­ployment, who are taxed to the Monethly Assessment in respect thereof, their Deputies, Clerks and Substitutes, shall pay unto His Majesty the sum of Twelve pence for every Twenty shillings, which shall be rated and paid in the place where the Office is exe­cuted: And for such Offices and Imployments as are not so taxed to the Monethly Assessment, the sum of Three shillings for every Twenty shillings accruing to them by such Office in one year, allowing one third part of the profits thereof towards the charge of executing such Office. And that all persons having any yearly Pension or Stipend from His Majesty, under his Great or Privy Seal, shall pay unto His Majesty for every Twenty shillings thereof received in one year, the sum of Three shillings. And that all Serjeants at Law, Councellors, Attornies, Sollicitors, and Scriveners, and all Advocates, Proctors, and publick No­taries, and all persons practising Physick, shall pay unto his Ma­jesty for every Twenty shillings which they receive by their pra­ctice in one Year, the sum of Two shillings, allowing one third part thereof towards their Charge. And that every Servant re­ceiving yearly Wages, shall pay out of every Twenty shillings therof, the sum of Twelve pence (except for Board-wages.) All Aliens to pay double.

And that every person of the degree of a Duke of England, Scotland or Ireland, residing within this Kingdom, shall pay to his Majesty the sum of Fifty pounds: Of the degree of a Marquess of either of the said Kingdoms, Forty pounds: Of the degree of an Earl of either of the said Kingdoms, Thirty pounds: Of the degree of a Viscount of either of the said Kingdoms, Twenty five pounds: Of the degree of a Baron of either of the said Kingdoms, Twenty pounds. Every eldest Son of a Duke of England, Scotland, or Ireland, residing within this Kingdom, and being of the age of one and twenty years, Thirty pounds: Every eldest Son of a Marquess of any of the said three King­doms, Twenty five pounds: Of an Earl, Twenty pounds: Of a Viscount, Seventeen pounds Ten shillings: Of a Baron, Fifreen pounds: And every person of the degree of a Baronet of any of the said three Kingdoms, and residing within this Kingdom, the sum of Fifteen pounds: Of the degree of a Knight of the Order of the Bath, Fifteen pounds: Of a Knight Bachelor, [Page 3] Ten pounds: Of a Serjeant at Law, Ten pounds: Of an Esquire, Five pounds: Of the degree of a Gentleman, having an Estate of the value of Three hundred pounds or more, Twenty shillings, though a Minor. And every Widow respectively to pay one third part rated by this Act upon her Husbands degree, except the Widows of Ecclesiastical persons. And that every person of the degree of a Dean, shall pay the sum of Ten pounds: Of the degree of an Archdeacon, Forty shillings: Of the degree of a Canon or Prebend, his Prebend being not rated in the Ex­chequer at above Thirty pounds, the sum of Fifty shillings: And every person of the degree of a Doctor in Divinity (having a Benefice) and Doctor of Law or Physick, the sum of Five pounds.

These are therefore to require and command You, on or be­fore the First day of March next, to make and return unto Us in Writing, one perfect Certificate of the Names and Sirnames, Qualities, Dignities and Titles of all and every the Persons dwelling or residing within your respective Parishes; taking care that no person chargeable as aforesaid be omitted; and that every person be assessed for his Poll, Personal Estate in Debts or ready money, Office, Imployments, Wages, Pension from the King, and Title; or as many of these as every single per­son is subject unto; And to assess every of them accordingly, The Esti­mate what might be raised by this Bill, in the House of Commons, was 500000 li. which is to be applied unto the War. without Concealment, Love, Favour, Dread, or Malice, upon pain of forfeiture of Five pounds for every default: Together with the Names of two or more sufficient persons within your re­spective Parishes or Places, to be Collectors of the Money so as­sessed by vertue of the said Act; for whom the Parish is to be answerable. In the Execution whereof you are to be careful. And hereof fail not, at your peril.

Upon the Return of the Certificate and Assessments, then the Commissioners are to issue out their Warrants unto the Collectors to levy all the moneys charged on every person so assessed; and to require them to make Demand of the Parties themselves at the places of their last abode, within six dayes after the receipt of the Estreat; and to levy and pay the same unto the High-Collector, on or before the Eighth day of April 1667. And if the Commissioners, or any three or more of them see cause, they shall and may examine the Presenters thereof, and alter the Assessment, taking care that every per­son be assest for his best Title only, and for as many other Ca­pacities as he is chargeable withal. The said Commissioners are impowered to authorize the High-Collector to distrain the [Page 4] Sub-Collector in case of failure on his part; And to require the High-Collector to pay in the full Sum to be by him paid unto the Receiver-general, before the Fifteenth Day of April next. And the Receiver-general to pay his whole Collection before the Thirtieth day of April next. And the Commissioners are further required, That a Duplicate of the whole Sum charged within every Hundred, Parish, or Place assessed, without na­ming the persons, shall be returned into the Exchequer before the Twentieth day of April next; All Appeals being first deter­mined, wherein the Party by Oath may discharge himself: And a like Duplicate unto the Receiver-general and Head-Collect­ors, according unto their respective Collections; That all the money may be paid into the Exchequer by the time aforesaid. But for such persons as shall prove Defaulters, they are perso­nally to be returned into the Exchequer; there to be proceeded with, &c.