686 C. 19. Anno fecundo Georgii IT. A. D. 1729. Overplus of" Half-pay, for the Compaf- liunate Lift. Claufe for giving further Time to Clerks and Ap- prentices to pay Duties. Concerning Ap- prentices Inden-. tares fee farther 1 8 do. z. C, 22. zoGeo. 2, c. 45. IzGco, 2, c. 23. aforefaid, That To much of the faid Sum of fifty-eight thoufand Pounds, as is or fliall- be more than sufficient to fatisfy the faid reduced Officers according to the faid Rules, by the faid Act prefcribed to be obferved in the Application thereof, or any Part of fuch Overplus, fliall or may be difpofed of to fuch Officers who are maimed, or loft their Limbs in the late Wars, or to fuch others, as by Reafon of their long Service or otherwife, his Majefty fhall judge to be proper Objects of Charity, or to the Widows or Children of fuch Officers, according to fuch Warrant or Warrants, under his Majefty's Royal Sign Manual, as fhall be figned in that Behalf; any Thing in this Acl or the faid former Acl to the contrary notwithstanding. ' XVII. And for the Relief of any Perfon or Perfons, who through Neglect or Inadvertency have omitted c to pay the feveral Rates and Duties, or any Part thereof, upon Monies given, paid, cantracted or agreed ' for, with or in Relation to any Clerk, Apprentice or Servant, which hath been put or placed to or with ' any Mafter or Miftrefs, to learn any Profeffion, Trade or Employment, and to have fuch Indentures, or ' other Writings, which fhall contain the Covenants, Articles, Contracts or Agreements relating to the Ser- ' vice of fuch Clerk, Apprentice or Servant, ftampt within the Times by the feveral Acts of Parliament for ' thofe Purpofes refpectively limited, or who have alfo in like Manner omitted to infert, and write in Words ' at Length, in fuch Indentures or other Writings as aforefaid, the full Sum or Sums of Money, or any Part _ ' thereof received, or in any wife directly or indirectly given, paid, agreed or contracted for, with or in ' Relation to every fuch Clerk, Apprentice or Servant as aforefaid :' Be it enacted by the Authority afore- faid, That upon Payment of the Rates and Duties upon Monies, or fuch Part of fuch Monies fo neglect- ed or omitted to be paid as aforefaid, on or before the twenty-fourth Day of June one thoufand feven hun- dred and twenty-nine, to fuch Perfon or Perfons to whom the fame ought to be paid, and tendring the faid Indentures or other Writings, to be itamped at the fame Time, or at any Time on or before the twenty- ninth Day of September one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-nine (of which timely Notice is to be given in the London Gazette) the fame Indentures or other Writings, fhall be good and available in Law and Equi- ty, and may be given in Evidence in any Court whatfoever, and the Clerk, Apprentice or Servant therein named, fhall be capable of following and exercifing their refpective intended Trades or Imployments, as fully as if the Rates and Duties fo omitted had been duly paid, and the full Sum or Sums received or agreed for as aforefaid, had been inferted ; and the Perfons who have incurred any Penalties by the Omiffion9 aforefaid, fliall be acquitted and difcharged of and from the faid Penalties ; any Thing in any of the faid for- mer Acts to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. CAP. XIX. An Aft for regulating, well ordering, governing and improving the Oylter Fifhery in the Ri- ver Medway, and Waters thereof, under the Authority of the Mayor and Citizens of the City of Rocbefier in the County of Kent. P R. H E R E A S Time out of Mind there has been an Oyfter Fifhery in the River Medway in the Coun- ty of Kent, and in many of the Creeks and Branches thereof within the Jurifdiction of the Mayor and Citizens of the City of Rocbejler, which Oyfter Fifhery hath Time out of Mind been free and common to all Oyfter Fifhermen and Dredgers, "after having ferved feven Years Appenticefhip to any Fifherman or Dredger before free of the faid Oyfter Fifhery; and the Mayor and Citizens of the faid City, and their Predeceffors, have Time out of Mind, yearly and oftner, upon the Application of the faid Oyfter Dredg- ers, as Occaiion hath required, held a Court commonly called An Admiralty Court, amongft other Things, for the ordering and regulating the faid Oyfter Fifhery ; and at fuch Courts the faid Fifhermen and Dredgers conftantly attend, purfuant to a Summons for that Purpofe ferved on them by the principal Water-Bailiff of the faid Mayor and Citizens ; and upon the Return of a Panel by the faid Water-Bailiff of the moft fuf- ficient Men amongft the faid Dredgers, to the faid Court, the Perfons fo returned are fworn to be of the Jury of the faid Court ; and the Jury fo fworn at fuch Court have Time out of Mind ufed to make Orders for regulating the faid Oyfter Fifhery, with Fines and Penalties for the Breach of fuch Orders, and have appointed the Times when Oyfters fhould be dredged and taken, and what Part of the faid Fifhery it was proper to dredge and catch Oyfters in, and alfo the Times when no Oyfters fhould be dredged or takeiij which is commonly called Opening and /hutting the Grounds ; and have alfo by luch Orders appointed the Quantity of Oyfters each Dredgerman fhould take in a Day, which is commonly called Setting the Stint ; and have alfo made Orders for the Prefervation of the Brood and Spat of Oyfters, and have prefented the Perfons guilty of the Breach of fuch Orders, and have likewife prefented and fined fuch Oyfter Diedgers as have been fummoned, and who have not attended at fuch Courts ; and fuch Fines and Penalties belong to and have been collected and received to theUfe of the faid Mayor and Citizens by their proper Officers; and the Water-Bailiffs and Officers of the faid Mayor and Citizens have Time out of Mind ufed and exer- cifed a Power and Authority of entring and going on board of the Boats and Veflels of the faid Fifhermen and Dredgermen, and of viewing and meafuring the Oyfters they have had on board fuch VefTels and Boats, in order to difcover if there hath been any Breach of the Orders of the faid Court; and when they have found any Quantity of Oyfters caught more than the Stint, or any Brood of Oyfters or Spat, have feized and thrown fuch Brood, and other Oyfters which have been caught more than the Stint, back again into the faid River and Creeks : And whereas by antient Ufage and Cuftom no Perfons ought to ufe the Trade of dredging for Oyfters within the faid Oyfter Fifhery, but fuch as have ferved feven Years Apprenticefhip to fome Dredgerman free of the faid Oyfter Fifhery; and that fuch Apprentices might the better be known, at the Beginning of their Apprenticefhip fuch Apprentices have ufed to be enrolled before the Mayor of the faid City, and at the End of fuch Apprenticefhip the Names of fuch Apprentices who fo ferved their Times ufed to be e-ntred in a Book kept by the faid Mayor and Citizens for that Purpofe, and at the Time of fuch Entry they paid to the faid Mayor and Citizens an ancient Fee of fix Shillings and eight Pen e; ' and
