Rules and Directions to be observed by the Ware-house-keeper, and by the severall
Officers of the Customes, and others that shall make any stay or seizures, or demises
of any Goods or Merchandizes for Custome-causes within the Port of London.
1. THat all Officers or others that make any seizures of any Goods prohibited, or for Custome-causes, doe forthwith after the seizing of them bring them into the States publike Ware-house neere the Custome-house, there to be kept untill the Commissioners shall give order for the delivery of them.
2. That the severall Officers respectively that shall make any stay, seizure, or demise of any Goods or Merchandize as prohibited, or for Custome-causes, if it be in the forenoon, doe forthwith repaire to Mr. Walter Sankey Register of the seizures, and Sollicitor for Custome-causes, and enter the same with him; and if it be in the afternoon, and that the said Register be not at the Custome-house, then the said Officers to enter the same with him the next day in the forenoon.
3. That the said Officers shall within the time aforsaid acquaint the Commissioners of the Customes, or some of them, with such stay, seizure, or demise of Goods, and receive their directions concerning the same.
4. That if the Commissioners or any of them given direction for prosecuting of the same in the Exchequer, then the said Officer or Officers to give instructions to the said Mr. Sankey their Sollicitor for the exhibiting of an Information, as the case shall require.
5. That if the Proprietor or Proprietors, of any such Goods seized, &c. shall procure a Licence to compound for the same, then the Officer before he treate or compound for the same Goods, doe procure the same to be apprized by vertue of a Writ of apprizement out of the Exchequer, which the said Sollicitor is hereby required to procure at the request and charge of the said Officer, as soon as may be; and the said Goods being apprized, that the said Officer bring the said Writ and Indenture of Apprizement to the Register, to be by him registred in a Booke kept for that purpose.
6. That no Officer conclude any composition for seizures without direction from the Commissioners.
7. That every officer that shall make any composition shall include in his oath upon the same License in one intire sum what money he taketh either for composition or other charges.
8. That composition being made, the officer returne his Licence upon oath into the Exchequer, and cause the same to be entred there within two dayes after such composition made.
9. That the said Licence being so entred in the Exchequer, the said officer doe within 24 hours bring it to be said Register, to be entred into a Book to that purpose.
10. That the officer having made his composition doe not suffer the Goods compounded for to be delivered, untill the Proprietor have procured his Fine to be rated, and the monies thereby due to the State to be payd to the Cashier generall, nor untill the Customes be payd for the same, with such other monies as are due for charges in the Exchequer by reason of the same suit, which monies for the charges are to be payd to the said Sollicitor for discharge therof, and that therupon it be signified unto them by a note in writing under the hand of the said Mr. Sankey that the Commissioners have ordered that such Goods be delivered.
11. To this end the Warehouse-keeper is required to take speciall notice of what Goods are committed to his keeping which are seized, the officer acquainting him therewith at the bringing them into the Warehouse; and the said Warehouse-keeper is required not to deliver, nor suffer the same Goods, nor any part thereof to be delivered, notwithstanding any usuall Warrant come to him for that purpose, untill he be certified from the Commissioners by their said Register that those Goods are to be delivered by order of the Commissioners.
12. That when any Goods seized be condemned in the Exchequer, the officer that is to have the benefit thereof, doe within twelve dayes after such condemnation enrolled in the Exchequer, and certified unto him by the said Register, pay the moyety due to the State (according as they are apprized) unto the Cashier-generall, and doe also within the time limited pay to Mr. Sankey such monies as are due in the Exchequer for the charges of the suit and condemnation.
13. That no officer of the Customes deliver any Goods by vertue of any Writ of delivery, without the direction of the Commissioners signified by their Register.
14. And that all persons making seizures before disposition be by them made of any part of the Goods and Merchandizes by them seized, doe repaire to the Commissioners of the Customes to know whether they will take the Commonwealths part in kind or not.
6 January, 1650.