Recruiting Act 1756
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1756 c. 4 |
| Year | 1756 |
(29 Geo. 2) C A P. IV.
'W H E R E A S for recruiting his Majesty's Land Forces and Marines it is necessary that a new Supply of Men be forthwith raised within the Kingdom ofGreat Britain , by common Consent and Grant in Parliament;' Be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That within and throughout the several and respective Counties,Shires, Stewartries, Ridings, Cities, Boroughs, Cinque Ports, Parishes, Towns and Places ofGreat Britain , a speedy and effectual Levy of able-bodied Men to serve his Majesty as Soldiers shall be forthwith had, made, practised and put in Execution, according to the Rules and Directions of this present Act.
II Justices, Commissioners of the Land Tax, and Magistrates of Burghs, to put this Act in Execution.
II. And it is hereby further enacted, That the Justices of the Peace of every County, Shire, Stewartry, Riding, Liberty or Place withinGreat Britain , and all and every the Persons who were named or otherwise appointed to be Commissioners for putting in Execution an Act of Parliament made and passed at Westminster in the twenty-eighth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act for granting an Aid to his Majesty by a Land Tax to be raised in Great Britain, for the Service of the Year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-five; and for the Relief of the Inhabitants of the County of Lincoln, in respect of Arrears of the Land Tax , or any subsequent Act or Acts of Parliament for that Purpose, within the several and respective Counties, Shires, Stewartries, Ridings, Cities, Boroughs, Cinque Ports, Towns and Places therein particularly expressed, who are still living, and have duly qualified themselves according to the said Acts, or shall duly qualify themselves according to this present Act in that Behalf, shall be Commissioners for putting in Execution this present Act, and the Powers therein contained, within and for the same Counties, Shires, Stewartries, Ridings, Cities, Boroughs, Cinque Ports, Towns and Places of Great Britain , for which they were so named or appointed respectively; and that all and every the other Persons who are named or otherwise appointed to be Commissioners for putting in Execution an Act passed in the present Session of Parliament, intituled, An Act for granting an Aid to his Majesty by a Land Tax to be raised in Great Britain, for the Service of the Year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-six; and for the Relief of the Inhabitants of the City and County of the City of Lincoln, in respect of Arrears of the Land Tax , within or for the said Counties, Shires, Stewartries, Ridings, Cities, Boroughs, Cinque Ports, Towns and Places, or any of them respectively, or such of the Persons last mentioned, as shall also duly qualify themselves according to this Act in that Behalf, shall also be Commissioners for putting in Execution this present Act, and the Powers therein contained, within and for the same respective Counties, Shires, Stewartries, Ridings, Cities, Boroughs, Cinque Ports, Towns and Places of Great Britain for which they are so named or appointed respectively; and that all and every the Justices of the Peace and Magistrates of Corporations and Burghs in any Part of Great Britain , who are or shall be in any of his Majesty's Commissions of the Peace, or in the Magistracy of such Corporation or Burgh, at any Time during the Execution of this Act, who shall duly qualify themselves according to this present Act in that Behalf (although not specially named or appointed Commissioners by the said Act) shall be likewise Commissioners for putting in Execution this present Act, and all the Powers therein contained, within the Limits of their Commissions and Jurisdictions respectively; all which Commissioners by this Act intrusted with the Execution of the same, are hereby strictly enjoined and required to use their utmost Care and Diligence that his Majesty's Service, in making such Levies as aforesaid, be not disappointed or neglected.
III High Sheriffs, &c. upon Notice form the Secretary at War, to issue Precepts for summoning the Commissioners to meet.
III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the High Sheriff of every County, or his Deputy, immediately upon receiving Notice for that Purpose from the Secretary at War, shall send Precepts to their respective Bailiffs, or others who are usually employed to summon Juries, directing them to summon the several Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of the Land Tax within their respective Divisions, to attend at the usual Place of Meeting in every Division upon a certain Day in the said Precepts named, within the Time limited by the Secretary at War (Notice of which Day shall be sent to the War Office upon the issuing of the Precepts by the Sheriff) to qualify themselves for the Execution of this Act; and the said Commissioners shall then and there appoint the several Times and Places for the succeeding Meetings in each of their respective Sub-divisions during the Continuance of this Act; and the said Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of the Land Tax shall at such Meeting issue their Precepts to the High Constables, Headboroughs or other proper Officers for the respective Hundreds, Lathes, Rapes, Wapentakes or other Sub divisions within the said Counties, Shires, Stewartries, Ridings or Divisions as aforesaid; which Precept shall contain an Account of the Times and Places appointed for the succeeding Meetings, and shall be returnable on a Day therein to be named within twenty Days, and not less than fourteen Days, from the Time of issuing thereof; and such High Constables, Headboroughs or other proper Officers are hereby required forthwith to signify the Times and Places appointed for such Meetings, to the several Commissioners residing within their respective Districts; and the said Commissionersassembled at such first Meeting to qualify themselves as aforesaid, shall also give Notice of the Time and Place of all and every succeeding Meeting to be appointed as aforesaid, to such military Officer or Officers as shall be directed to attend this Service, who shall demand the same.
IV Sheriffs to be allowed the Expences.
IV. Provided always, and it is hereby enacted, That all reasonable Charges or Expences incurred by any Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff in the Execution of this Act, shall be allowed in the Accounts of such Sheriff at the Receipt of his Majesty's Exchequer.
V Times, &c. of Meeting for London and Westminster, to be settled at the Quarter-Sessions, &c.
V. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Justices of the Peace for the Cities ofLondon and Westminster in their Quarter-Sessions, together with such Commissioners for the said Cities as may be present at the said Quarter-Sessions, shall and may set down and appoint the several Times and Places of Meeting of the said Commissioners within the said Cities respectively, provided there be not more than three Meetings appointed on one Day within each of the said Cities, nor more than two Days in one Week; of which Meetings the respective Clerks of the Peace for the said Cities shall give timely Noticeto the Admiralty and Office of his Majesty's Secretary at War, in order that the said Commissioners may be attended by proper Officers for receiving such impressed Men as aforesaid.
VI Three Commissioners impowered to levy such Men as are herein described;
VI. And it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Commissioners, or any three or more of them, in their respective Places or Stations, shall be and are hereby authorized and impowered to raise and levy, and to cause to be raised and levied, at any Time or Times during the Continuance of this Act, within their several Limits and Jurisdictions, such able-bodied Men as do not follow or exercise any lawful Calling or Employment, or have Mot some other lawful and sufficient Support and Maintenance,to serve his Majesty as Soldiers; and to require and command all and every the High Constables, Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, Petty Constables, Headboroughs and Tithingmen, and other Parish and Town Officers, or any of them within their respective Limits and Jurisdictions, to be aiding and assisting to them the said Commissioners, or any three or more of them, in the Performanceof this his Majesty's Service; and for that Purpose the said Commissioners, or any three of them, are to meet in their respective Subdivisions according to the Appointment of the Justices and Commissioners as aforesaid, and to issue out their Warrants under their Hands and Seals, thereby requiring and commanding such Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, Petty Constables, Headboroughs, Tythingmen or other Parish or Town Officers, or else requiring and commanding the said High Constables to issue their Precepts to such Churchwardens, Overseers, Petty Constables, Headboroughs, Tythingmen and other Parish and Town Officers as aforesaid, every or any of them, to make or cause to be made a General Search within their respective Parishes, Townships, Constablewicks or other Places, for all such Persons as they can find, who are or shall appear to them to be within the Description of this Act, and to bring all such...
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