A. D. 1698. Anno nono 8c decirao Gulielmi III. C. 20, 21. 699 C A p. XX. An AB: to naturalize the Children of fuch Officers and Soldiers, and othei-s the natuial born Subjc>5 of e X P. this Realm, who have been born Abroad during the War, the Parents of luch Children having been in the Service of this Government. CAP. xxr. An A£t for the better preventing the counterfeiting, clipping, and other diminifliing the Coin of this Kingdom.
- TT 7HEREAS the preventing the Currency of clijit and unlawfully diminiflied, and counterfeit Mo- i Hak'iP. C.
- VV ney, is a moreefeclual Means to prei'erve the Coin of this Kin.;dom intire and pure than the mod si^-
' rigorous Laws for the Punifhment of fuch as diminifh or counterfeit the fame : And v/hereas by the
- known Laws of this Kingdom no Perfon ought to pay, or knowingly tender in Payment, any countcr-
' feit or unlawful diminiflied Money, and all Perfons not only may refufe to receive the fame, but may,
- and by the ancient Statutes and Ordinances of this Kingdom have been required to deflroy and deface stat. de Monet.
' the fame ; and more efpecially the Tellers in the Receipt of the F.xchequer, by their Duty and Oath of parv. 2oEdw. i,
- Office, are required to receive no Money but good and true ; and to the end the fame might the better *• S-
' be difcerned and known, by the ancient Courfe of the faid Receipt of the Exchequer all Money ought to '* ^' ^" '^'^'
- be received there by Weight as well as by Tale : For the reftoring of Vi/hich Courfe, together with
' other Things, an A6t was made in the lafl: Seffion of this prefent Parliament, intituled, yf;z Ail for ^^^ 8 & 9 V. 3. ' better Obfervat'ion of the Courfe anciently ifedin the Receipt of the Exchequer, whereby amongft other Things '•^S-
- it is enabled, That the refpedlive Tellers of the faid Receipt of Exchequer, when any Money fliall be
' brought to the faid Receipt of the Exchequer, to be there paid, fliall without Delay receive it, weighing
- the fame in intire Sums or otherwife, and making due Entry of the Weight and Tale thereof, according
- to the ancient Courfe ; but no Provifion is made in the faid Aft, that the faid Tellers fhall refufe to re-
' ceive the faid Money, in cafe it fhall not be of its due Weight : And the former and ancient Laws being
- grown into Defuetude, whereby unlawfully diminifhed and counterfeit Money receive a Currency, and
- wicked and traiterous Perfons are encouraged to diminifh and counterfeit the fame : Now to the End the
- Kingdom, after fo vaft a Charge and Expence for the Reformation of the Silver Coin, and refloring it to
- its due Weight and Purity, may not relapfe into the fame Evil, from which it hath been fo lately deli-
' vered with great Difficulty and Hazard, and that counterfeit and unlav^rfully diminiflied Money, which
- already begins to increafe, may be defaced and deftroyed,' Be it' declared and enafled by the King's iMar.fcjf.t.
moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and <:■ 6. Commons, in Parliament affembled, and by Authority of the fame. That it is and fliall be lawful to and nE!. <-. 3. for any Perfon, to whom any Silver Money fliall be tendred, any Piece or Pieces whereof fhall be dimi- Any Perfon may nilhed, otherwife than by reafonable wearing, or that by the Stamp, Impreffion, Colour, or ^^eight there- ^"^"^'jjj^^jj'^^^j. of, he fltiall fufpeft to be counterfeit, to cut, break, or deface fuch Piece or Pieces ; and if any Piece fo counterfeit Mo- . cut, broken, or defaced, fhall appear to be counterfeit, the Perfon tendring the fame fhall bear the Lofs ney. thereof; but if the fame fliall be of due Weight, and appear to be lawful Money, the Perfon that cut, Perfon tendring •broke, or defaced the fame, fhall, and is hereby required to take and receive the fame at the Rate it was fuch Money to •coined for ; and if any Qiieftion or Difpute fhall arife, whether the Fiece fo cut be counterfeit, it fliall be bear the Lofs, heard and finally determined by the Mayor, Bailiff or Bailiffs, or other Chief Officer of any City or Town *^'^' Corporate, where fuch l ender fliall be made ; and if fuch Tender fliall be made out of any City or Town Mayor, &<:. to Corporate, then by the next Juflice of the Peace of the County, inhabiting or being near the Place where determine Dif' fuch Tender fhall be made ; and the faid Mayor, or other Chief Officer, and JuTlice of the Peace fhall P"*'^^, iiave full Power and Authority to adminifler an Oath as he fhall fee convenient, to any Perfon, for the de- and admin'fler termining any Qiieflions relating to the faid Piece. an Oath. II. And be it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid. That the Tellers of the Receipt of the Ex- officers of the chequer, and their Deputies and Clerks, and Receivers General of every Branch of His Majefly's Reve- Ex-chequer, Re- nue. Aids, Impofitions, Duties, and Taxes, given or granted, or to be hereafter given or granted, fhall ceivers General, and are hereby required, to cut, break, or deface, or caufe to be cut, broken, or defaced, every Piece of '^■<;- fs^qi'ired to counterfeit, or unlawfully diminiflied. Silver Money, that fhall be tendred in Payment to them to the Ufe f"'J;^^'gf°j^7 of His Majeffy, His Heirs or Succeffbrs, or for any Part of the Revenue, Aids, Impofitions, Duties, or ' Taxes of His Majefly, His Heirs or Succellbrs; and the better to difcover Silver Money that is counterfeit, or unlawfully diminifhed, from that which is good and true, the Tellers and Receivers Gsneral, and their refpeftive Deputies and Clerks, fliall weigh in whole Sums, or otherwife, all Silver Money by them re- ceived; and if the fame, or any Piece thereof, fliall, by the Weight or otherwife, appear to be counter- itid to weigh all feit, or unlawfully diminiflied, the fame fhall not be received by or fiom them in the faid Receipt of the Silrer Money Exchequer, nor be allowed them upon their refpedive Accounts. received. III. AnA be it further cnafted by the Authority aforefaid, That an A£t m.ade the lafl Seffion of this pre- g^, y;- fent Parliament, intituled, A}i ASi for the better preventing the counterfcitifxg the current Coin of this Kingdom, ,5. continued', and every Article and Claufe therein contained, fliall from henceforth continue and be of force until the SeefanheriJr.r., five and twentieth Day of March, which fl.iall be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred/"'- '• c. 9. ar.d and one, and from thence to the End of the next Seffion of Parliamenr. i5C-v«.a, t.z%. 4U 2 CAP,
