2jj0 C.' 25* Anno viceiimo tertio Georgii II. A. D. T- 750. 9 Geo. any Citation or Monition made in any Ecclefiaftical Court, the Sum of fix Pence ; and the faid Sums and Duties fo to be raifed a.nd collected, were thereby appointed to be under the Direction and Management of the Commiflioners of the Stamp Duties ; and fuch Provifion was made for the levying, receiving and enforcing the Payment of the fame, as in the faid A£i; is mentioned, expreffed and provided in that Bei- half : And it was thereby enadired. That the Money thereby to be raife-d and collccled, fliould be paid into the Bank of England; and the faid Court of Chaticny was thereby impowcred to borrow any Sum of Mo- ney upon the Fund thereby granted, not exceeding in the Whole the Sum of fixty thoufand Pounds : And it was thereby alfo enafted, That all the Money then depofited, or thereafter to be depofited in theBank, on Account of the Suitors of the faid Court of Chancery^ or by Order of the faid Court,< and all the Mo- nies arifing by the Rates and Duties given by the faid A£l, or borrowed thereon, and paid into the Bank, fhould be accounted and taken to be one common and general Cafh, and fliould be promifcuoufiy ifllied and ifTueable when and as the Court of Chancery fhould dire£l:, for the anfwering, paying and clearing the Debts and Demands of any of the Suitors of the faid Court : And whereas by another KSl of Parlia- ment made in the ninth Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty, intituled, An A^ for ccniinuin^, for th; Pwpofcs therein tnentioned, the additional Duties uponflamped Vellum-, Parchment and Paper, laid by an Jci pqffed in the twelfth Tear of the Reign of his late Mqjefty King George the Firjl, after taking Notice of the faid former Aft, and that upon ftating the total Deficiency of the faid four Mafters, and the Produce of the Fund made liable to, and appropriated for Payment of the fame, it _ appeared that the Deficiency {landing out on the eighth Day of March one thoufand feven hundred and thirty-five, on the Offices of the faid four Maftrers, was reduced to the Sum of twenty-four thoufand eight hundred ninety-one Pounds nine Shil- lings and ten Pence ; and that there was due from fohn Bennett Efquire, one other of the Mafters of the Mafters of the faid Court of Chancery, to Humphry BcUtl Suitor of the faid Court therein mentioned, the Sum of eleven thoufand four hundred eighty-five rounds four Shillings and five Pence, withlntereft; and that the faid John Bennett had no Eftate or Effefts left to fatisfy the faid Debt, or any Part thereof; and that it was computed that the Duties granted by the former Aft, would not be fufficient to raife the faid two Stuns of twenty-four thoufand eight hundred ninety-one Pounds nine Shillings and ten Pence, and eleven thoufand four hundred eighty-five Pounds four Shillings and five Pence, unlefs the faid Duties were farther continued, and the Time for raifing the fame enlarged, itisenafted, That the faid Duties granted by the faid former Aft, fhould be continued, and be payable and paid upon the feveral Writs and Law Proceedings therein mentioned, for the farther Term of four Years, to be computed from the fecond Day of Auguft one thoufand feven hundred and forty-two ; and that out of the Money which had arifen, and been collefted by and out of the Duties direfted to be levied by the faid former Aft, the faid Sum of eleven thoufand four hundred eighty-five Pounds four Shillings and five Pence, fhould be iffued and paid out of the general and common Cafh of the Bank, when and as the faid Court of Chancery fhould direft, in Satisfaftion of the faid Debt due from the faid John Bennett, as aforefaid : And it is thereby provided, enafted and declared. That when and as foon as the Deficiency of the Suitors Money thereby, and by the faid former Aft direfted and appointed to be anfwered and paid, and all Money to be borrowed on the Credit of the fame if neceffiiry, ftiould have been fully paid and fatisfied ; then, and from thenceforth, all the Surplus Money which IhouJd have been raifed out of the faid Duties, given, granted and continued by the faid above-mentioned Afts, over and beyond what fliould be fufRcient for anfwering fuch De- ficiency, and Money lent, fiiould be referved for the Benefit of the Publick, and fliould not be applied to any other Ufe or Ufes than fuch as fliould be thereafter direfted by Parliament : And whereas the faid Deficiency, and all the Money provided and direfted to be paid by the faid former Afts, or either of them, by and out of the Fund thereby appropriated for that Purpofe, have been fully paid and fatisficj, and there now remains in the Bank of Evglaiid as a Surplus of the faid Fund unapplied, the Sum of thir- teen thoufand fix hundred ninety-eight Pounds one Shilling and eleven Pence, fubjeft to thcDifpofition of Parliament : And whereas the Office of Keeper or Clerk of the Hanapcr in Chancery is a very ancient Of- fice, held and enjoyed by Grant from his Majefty's Royal Predecefibrs, Kings and Qiieens of this Realm, and the yearly Revenue thereof, confifting of feveral certain yearly Rents or Sums, referved upon Grants made by the Crown of the feveral Offices, commonly called the Seal or Green JVax Office, the Alienation Office, and the Sixpenny IVrit Office, in Chancery (the Grant of which laft-mcntioned Office is now ex- pired and determined) and alio of Fees paid upon Grants, Commillions and other Patents palling unaer the Great Seal, which are uncertain and contingent, hath conftantly been iffued and applied in and for the Payment of feveral ancient Fees, Salaries and Allowances belonging to the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, the Mafter of the Rolls, the Mafters in Chinicery, Clerk of the Pai! laments, and other Officers attending the Parliament and Great Seal, and of feveral Bills and Difburfements aUvaj's paid and allowed out of the Revenues of the Hanapcr Office : And whereas the Office of Mafter or Keeper of the Rolls, is an Office of great Truft and Confcquencc to the Publick, and the Revenue belonging thereto is not adequate to the Trouble, Dignity and Importance of the faid Office : And whereas the In- come or Revenue of the laid Office of ihe'Hvuipcr, hath not for feveral Years laft paft been fufficient to anfwer and pay the feveral Fees, Salaries, Allowances and Difburfements, ifluing and payable out of the fame ; and there remained due and in Arrear, at Michaelmas one thoufand invcn hundred and forty- nine, to the feveral Perfons claiming and intitled to fuch Fees, Salaries, AUov.-anccs and Difburfements refpeftively, feveral Sums of Money, amounting together to the Sum often thoufand five hundred nine^ Pounds twelve Shillings and eleven Pence ; and as the Revenue o^ the Hanapcr O&qc will, in all Pro* bability, ftill continue to be de^cient, not only the prefent Debt upon the faid Office will be loll, but the Services to which the fame for the future arc to be applied, will remain unprovided for :' Wherefore, and in order to make a Provifion for the Payment of the faid Debt, and Arrears incurred upon the Ha- naper Office ;_ Be it enaft^ed by the King's moft Excellent Majcfty,. by and with the Advice and Confent of ' the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, sad Commons, in this preli^nt l-'ariiameut ailembledj and by the Au- thority
