A. D. 1747. Anno viceiimo Georgii II. C. 50. 77 ters fur the faid City and Liberty o^, JVeftminfiei and other Places aforefaid, as in and by the faid K&. is ' cxprefled and declared : And whereas his Majefty, on or before the eighteenth Day of September one thou-
- fand feven hundred and forty-fix, did appoint TZ^sw?^^ PW/s Pvlerchant, and ^^'////W; yfr?!ff/<7' Firnmonger,
' to be Principal Coal-meters for the City and Liberty of Wejlndnftsr aforefaid, and afterwards, by his
- Grant or Letters Patent under the Great Seal o'i Great Britain., bearing Date the eiginh Day oi Novcmher
' one thoufaiid feven hundred and forty-fix, reciting the faid Afl: of Parliainent herein before recited, did ' grant unto Thomas Paulin and JFilliam Arnold the faid Land Coal-meters Office for the City and Liberty , ' o'i JFeJfmlnJier, to have and to hold the faid Office unto them the faid Thomas PauUri and William Arnold ' jointly and feverally, together with all Powers, Privileges, Advantages and Emoluments thereunto be-
- longing, and as arc granted in and by the faid recited Act of Parliament, for and during his R'lajefty's
' Royal Will and Pleafure : And whereas the faid Thomas Paulin, fcon after his being nominated and ap- ' pointed by his Majefty to be one of the Principal Land Coal-meters for the City and Liberty of IFrJbnin- 'J'i'tr aforefaid, to wit, the twenty-fixth Day of iSt'/i^ifm/'t'r one thoufand feven hundred and forty-fix (which ' was before his Majefty's Grant had paiTed the Great Seal) took the Oath required by the faid Aft of Par- ' liamcnt, for the true Execution of the faid Office; and upon the twenty-ninth Day of the faid Month of ' September one thoufand feven hundred and forty-fix, entered upon the faid Office, and put the laid AiEt of ' Parliament in Execution, as one of the Principal Land Coal-meters for the faid City and Liberty of JVeJl-
- minjier : And whereas it may be doubted, whether the A<£l:s done by tiie faid Thomas Paulin, between the
' faid twenty-ninth Day oi September and the faid eighth Day of November (on which laft mentioned Day ' his Majefty's faid Letters Patent bear Date) can be juftified by the fi:rici: Rules of the Common Law;' Therefore, for obviating the faid Doubt, Be it enabled by the King's moft Excellent Majefly, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That all and every Adf, Matter or Thing, done or commit- Aflsdoneby ted by the faid Thomas Paulin, as one of the Principal Land Coal-meters of the City and Liberty oi Weft- ^|- Pa«li" as iTiinJler, between the faid twenty-ninth Day of 5t'/i/fm/'t'r and the faid eighth Day of November following, '""Pf^°f'* according to the Purport of the faid A<3:, in his Duty and Office of a Principal Land Coal- meter of the faid ^aSepr. anJJi City and Liberty of Wcftminjler, fhall be deemed, and are hereby declared to be good and valid Afts ; and Nov. 1746. ao- all Adiions, Suits, Profecutions and Moleftations whatfoever, if any there be againft the faid Thomas Pan- dared valid. lin, for or by reafon of any fuch Act, Matter or Thing by him done as aforefaid, are and fliall be difcharged and made void by this prefent A£t; and if any Aftion or Suit hereby difcharged, or intended to be difcharg- ed, fhall be commenced or profecuted, the faid Thomas Paulin may plead the General liTue, and give this Acl General ifTue, and the Special Matter in Evidence; and if the Plaintiff fnall become nonfuit or forbear further Profecu- tion, or fufrer Difcontinuance, or if a Verdidt pafs againft him, the faid Thomas Paulin fliall recover his Double Cofts, for which he fiiall have the like Remedy as in Cafes where Cofts by Law are given to Defen- Double Cods. dants. CAP. L. An Aft for taking away the Tenure of Ward Holding in Scotland, and for converting the fam^ into Blanch and Feu Holdings ; and for regulating the Cafualty of Non-entry in certain Cafes; and for taking away the Cafualties of Single and Life-rent Efcheats, incurred there by Horning and Denunciation for Civil Caufes ; and for giving to Heirs and Succeflbrs there a fummary Procefs againft Superiors; and for difcharging the Attendance of ValTals at Head Courts there; and for afcertaining the Services of Tenants there; and for allowing Heirs of Tailzie there to fell Lands to the Crown for eredting Buildings and making Settlements in the Highlands.
- ^7HEREAS it hath been found by Experience, that the Tenure of Lands in that Part of Great
' VV Britain called Scotland, by Ward Holding, and the Confequences of the fame, being the Cafualties. ' of Ward Marriage and Recognition, have been much more burthenfome, grievous and prejudicial to the ' VafTals Proprietors of the Lands held by that Tenure, than they have been beneficial to the Superiors ;' Be it therefore enafted 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 aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the Tenure of Lands or Heretages in Scotland by Ward Holding, whether fimple or tax- TenureofWar^j;.,. ed Ward, and the Cafualties confequent upon the fame by Ward Marriage and Recognition, be taken Holding taken. away and difcharged, and they are hereby taken away and difcharged, from and after the twenty-fifth Day ^^'■'■yi of March in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and forty-eight; any Law» Statute, Cuftom or Ufage to the contrary hereof in any wife notwithftanding. II. And be it enatted, That all Tenures of any Lands or Heretages in Scotland, that are now held or lia- converted into- . ble to be held of his Majefty by Ward Holding, whether fimple or taxed Ward, are hereby enafted to be Elmch HoldiKg, turned into Blanch Holding, for Payment of one Penny Scots at the Feaft or Term of IPliitJunclay yearly, ft peiatur tantum, and as often as fuch Lands or Heretages fhall fall in Non-entry, the fame fliall be no lon- ger fubje6t or liable to the annual Payment of the new Extent or Retour Duty of fuch Lands or Heretages, but inftead thereof fhall be fubjcft and liable to the annual Payment of the Sum of one Pound Scots for every one hundred Pounds Scots, of the valued Rent of fuch Lands or Heretages, according to which they are now liable to pay their rcfpeiSive Proportions of his Majefty's Cefs or Land Tax; and fo. proportionably for any lefTer Quantity than one hundred Pounds Scots Valuation. III. And in order to afcertain the ^lantum of fuch Non-entry Duty, it is hereby enaiffed. That from For regulating" and after the faid tv/enty-fifth Day of March, in all Services upon the Brief of Mortanceftry of any Heir J^e Cafuaiiy of ox ■'*
