A. D. 1728, Anno primo-GcouGi 1 II. Stat. 2. C. 9. 653 ' England, at the Rate of five Pounds per Centum per Annum, the Fund called The Sinking Fund (whereof ? the Surplus of the Aggregate Fund is Part) was from Michaelmas one thoufand feven hundred and twenty- ' two, directed to be computed and (rated half-yearly, to wit, at Lady-Day and Michaelmas in every Year; ' and the Overplus of the faid Civil Lift Revenues in the half yearly States, which firJce Michaelmas one ' thoufand feven hundred and twenty-two, have been made thereof, hath been brought to the Account of ' the faid Aggregate Fund, to and for the half Year ended at Lady-Day one thoufand feven hundred and ' twenty-feven and no further ; for that his faid late Majefty dying on the eleventh Day of June one thoufand
- feven hundred and twenty-feven, his Civil Lift Revenues fiom and after that Day cealed, and no half-
' yearly Surplus can or ought to be computed thereon : And whereas nevertheless, fomc Doubts and Que- ' ilions have been made, whether the Monies remaining in the Receipt of his faid late Majcfty's Exchequer,
- at the Time of his Demife, or which have been fince paid into the faid Receipt, arifen of or for his faid
' late Majefty's Civil Lift Revenues, become and grown due during the Life-time of his faid late Majefty, ' could be applied to the Payment of the Debts due to his faid late Majefty's Servants, Tradefmen and
- others ;' For the obviating and clearing which Doubts, Be it enafted and declared by the Authority afore -
faid, That it fhall and may be lawful to and for the Commiffioners of his Majefty's Treafury or any three Debts of the lata or more of them now being, and the High Treafurer or any three or more of the Commiffioners of the Rci^n bov. Treafury for the Time being, and they are hereby authorized and required, from time to time, to iffue or P lil1> caufe to be iffucd, the Monies fo arifen or to arife into the faid Receipt of the Exchequer, of or for the Ci- vil Lift Revenues of his faid late Majefty, for and towards Difcharging and Paying to his faid late Majefty's Servants, Tradefmen and others, fuch Sums of Money as were due to them at the Time of his late Ma- jefty's Demife, at fuch Times and in fuch Manner as fhall be found neceflary and convenient. CAP. IX. An Act for granting an Aid to his Majefty of five hundred thoufand Pounds, towards difcharg- ing Wages due to Seamen, and for the conftant, regular and punctual Payment of Seamens Wages for the future; and for appropriating the Supplies granted in this prefent Seffion of Parliament •, and for difpofing of the Surplus of the Money granted for Half-pay, for the Year one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-feven. Moft gracious Sovereign, '• W7 HE RE AS feveral juft and neceflary Meafures were, upon Account of the late perplexed and ' V V difturbed Situation of Affairs in Europe, entred into and concerted between your Majefty's late ' Royal Father, of Glorious Memory, and your good Allies ; and in order to preferve and reftore the Peace ' of Europe, and to fecurethe Trade, Navigation and other valuable Rights and Poffeffions of thefe King-
- doms, great Fleets were impioyed abroad in divers remote Parts, whereby a great Arrear or Debt has been
' contracted for the Service of the Navy, and particularly on the Head of Seamens Wages ; and your Ma-
- jefty having now, by the Bleffing of God on your Care and Concern for the general Good, fo far obtained
- a Settlement of Affairs abroad, as that there is no prefent Occafion for imploying fo great a Number of
' Seamen in your Majefty's Service ; and the immediate Payment of the faid Arrears of Wages is judged ' advifeable, not only as it will fave and prevent a further great Expence, butalfo as it will render a regu- ' lar, conftant and punctual Payment of Seamens Wages more practicable and eafy for the future ; which ' will be an Encouragement to able and experienced Seamen, at all times hereafter, to enter themfelves vo- c luntarily into your Majefty's Service, when Occafions fhall require the fame ; and your Majefty's moft
- dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament affembled, having taken your
' Majefty's moft gracious Recommendation from the Throne into their moft ferious Confederation, have for ' thefe Purpofes freely and unanimoufly given and granted to your Majefty the Sum of five hundred tbou- ' fand Pounds, to be railed in manner herein after mentioned ; we do thereby moft humbly befeech your ' Majefty that it may be enacted,' And be it enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament af- fembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That it fhall and maybe lawful to and for the King's moft Loans or jxchei Excellent Majefty, by Warrant or Warrants under his Royal Sign Manual, to authorize and impower the qu cr Bills to the Commiffioners of his Majefty's Treafury, now or for the Time being, or any three or more of them, or Sumof5oo,oooi. the Lord High Treafurer for the Time being, at any Time or Times before the twenty -fifth Day of De- tobermde be- ccmbcr which fnaH be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-eight, to caufe or f?;~ * direct any Loans to be taken or received at his Majefty's Exchequer, from any Perfon or Perfons, Natives ' or Foreigners, Body or Bodies Politick or Corporate, or any Number of Exchequer-Bills to be made out there for any Sum or Sums of Money, not exceeding in Loans and Exchequer-Bills together in the whole the Sum of five hundred thoufand Pounds, in the fame or like Manner, Form, and Order, and according to the fame or like Rules and Directions, as in and by a certain Act of this prefent Seffion of Parliament (Jor continuing the Duties on Malt, Mum, Cyder and Perry, for the Service of the Year one thoufand fe- ven hundred and twenty-eight) are enacted and prefcribed, concerning the Loans or Exchequer-Bills to be made in purfuance of the fame Acl:. " All Claufes in the Malt A£t to be extended to the Loans and Exchequer-Bills to be made by this Act. « " Loans to bear Intereft at 4/. per Cent. Thefe Loans and Bills chargeable on the firft Aids granted after " 29 September 1.7ZS} or on the Sinking Fund. The Monies out of the Sinking Fund to be replaced.' 9 EXP. 3 VI. And
