a 186 C. 26. Anno quarto Ge or gii III. A.D. 1763. Flax /hall be offered and tendered to the Comrniffioners of his Majefty's Navy, upon landing the if they (hall notcontraft f ame; and if within the Term of twenty Days after fuch Tender the faid Comrniffioners /hall not for the fame within 20 con trac~l or bargain for the fame, it ft) all and may be lawful for the Importer or Importers, Owner beTt S o m difMfcont or O wner s 5 of t" e fajd Hemp or Flax, otherwife to difpofe of 'the fame for his or their beft Profit otherwise. and Advantage. III. And, in order to intitle the Importer of fuch Hemp and Flax to the Premium granted by this Aft, and to prevent Frauds by importing foreign Hemp and Flax, Be it further enacted by the Au- Certificate to be pro- thority aforefaid, That all and every Perfon or Perfons importing any fuch Hemp or Flax into Great duced atthePort of Im- Britain, fhall produce to the Chief Officer or Officers of the Cuftoms a Certificate or Certificates portation of fuch Hemp un $ ev the Hand and Seal of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Collector of his Majefty's Cu- and ProdtiMof 'heBri- ^" oms .» anc > Naval Officer, or any two of them, rcfiding and being within any of his Majefty's Co- tifli Colonies, &c. lonies and Plantations that before the Departure of fuch Ship or VefTel, Ships or VeiTels, the Per- fon or Perfons, Merchant, Trader or Faftor loading the fame, had made Oath before them, that the faid Hemp or Flax fo /Lipped on board (expreffing in the faid Certificate, the Number, Marks and Packages of fuch Hemp and Flax) were truly and bvd fide of the Growth and Produce of his Oaths to be adminiftered Majefty's faid Colonies and Plantations; which Oath the faid Governor, Lieutenant Governor, upon that Occafion. Collector of his Majefty's Cuftoms, and Naval Officer, or any two of them, are hereby authorized to adminifter; as lilcewife upon Oath to be made in any Port of Great Britain, by the Mafter or Mafters of fuch Ship or Veliel, Ships or Veffels, importing fuch Hemp and Flax, that the fame were truly laden on board fuch Ship or Vefftl, Ships or Veffels, within tome of his Majefty's Colo- nies or Plantations in America, and that he or they know or believe that the faid Hemp and Flax were the Produce of the faid Colonies or Plantations. IV. And, that the Officers of the Cuftoms may be the better able to difcover any Frauds intended Officers of the Cuftoms for receiving the aforefaid Premium, Ee it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That it fhall to examine whether fuch and may be lawful for the faid Officers, and they are hereby required before they make out any fuch Hemp and Flax is good Certificate, to examine the faid Hemp and Flax, by opening each Package, a:>d fluffing the fame and merchantable. jn fuch M anner as to f ee the whole Contents, or by fuch other Means as they fhall think proper^ to find out and difcover whether the faid Hemp is Water rotted, bright and clean, and the faid Flax is good and merchantable, and free from any falfe Mixture. In cafe of Doubt about V. Provided always, That in Cafe any Doubt or Difpute fhall arife between the Surveyors or the Quality of fuch as Officers of the Cuftoms, and the Owners or Importers of fuch Hemp or Flax as is imported into (hall be imported into the Port of London, as to the Quality of the fame, it fhall and may be lawful for the Comniiffioners London, of his Majefty's Cuftoms to call two or more Merchants, Manufacturers, or others well /killed in Cuftoms m"" call Lwo the Commodity, who fhall declare upon Oath, if required, their Opinion as to the Quality of the ikilful Peifons, who fame, and according to the beft of their Judgment determine whether the faid Hemp or Flax is in- Ihall give their Opinion titled to the Premium hereby granted or not: And if any Doubt or Difpute fhall arife as to the upon Oath; _ Quality of any Hemp or Flax imported into any of the Out Ports in England, Samples thereof fhall T d O U tPorts Sam les" be taken > and *" erit U P to the Comrniffioners of the Cuftoms in London; and into the Out Ports tote fern up ^0 London, i n Scotland, to the Comrniffioners of the Cuftoms at Edinburgh; in fuch Manner as the re- or Edinburgh to be in- fpeftive Comixiiffioners fhall direft, in order to be infpected and adjudged there as before fpeaed and adjudged mentioned, there. Officers to take no Fee VI. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That no Fee, Gratuity or Reward for doing their Duty, ftiall be demanded, taken or received by any Officer of his Majefty's Cuftoms, for examining, viewing or delivering fuch Hemp or Flax, with refpeft to the Premium or Reward allowed by this Act; or for the ligning any of the Certificates in order to die receiving fuch Premium or Re- cn Penalty of being in- ward, or for paying the fame; and any fuch Officer demanding or taking fuch Fee or F-eward ZhaJI capacitated, and forfeit- fo T f uch Offence forfeit his Office, and fuch Officer (hall alfo be incapable of ferving his Majefty, lng I0 ° ' his Heirs and Succeflbrs, and fhall forfeit the Sum of one hundred Pounds. Premium allowed on the VII. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any fuch Hemp or Flax of the Imp3rtation, to be repaid Growth of the Eritijh Colonies or Plantations in America /hall, after the twenty-fourth Day of on the Exportation June one thoufand feven hundred and fixty-four, be exported from Great Britain; that then, and t " ereof » in every fuch Cafe, the Perfon or Perfons fo exporting the fame /ball, before the Entry thereof, pay unto the Collector of the Cuftoms at the Port where the fame /hall be exported, or to the Chief Of- ficer of the Cuftoms there, the full Sum which is by this Aft allowed as a Premium on all fuch Hemp or Flax as he intends to export, .over and above any Duty the fame is now by Law fubjeft to pay at Exportation by any Aft. and Officer to make him- VIII. Provided always, That the faid Collector or Chief Officer of the Cuftoms, upon receiving felf Debtor for the fame, of fuch Premium from the Exporter of fuch Hemp or Flax as aforefaid, charge himfelf with the and the Comrniffioners to Money fo received, -or with the faid Premium; and the CommifTioners of his Majefty's Cuftoms are fee the fame brought to to take particular Care that the fame be duly brought to the Account of his Majefty, by fuch Col- Account, deftor or Chief Officer as aforefaid. Such Hemp and Flax as IX. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any Perfon or Perfons, their /hall be fraudulently ex- Agents or Affigns, fhall be found fraudulently to export fuch Hemp or Flax without Paying fuch ported without paying Premium to the Collector or Chief Officer of the Cuftoms in Manner aforefaid, fuch Perfon or Per- the Pranjw is forfeit- f ons fa z f or f eit anQ ] f e a u f uch Hemp and F]ax? amJ <] ou bi e the Value thereof; one Moiety ed, with double value. whereof fa al . be to the Tjf e of his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, and the other Moiety to ■the Informer or Profecutor j to be profecuted in any of his Majefty's Courts of Record at IFejhninjhr, 3 or
