STATUTES, PROCLAMATIONS, RULES, ORDERS, ETC. 90? 



XVI. And it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, 

 That if any Person or Persons shall give or grant any false Certifi- 

 cate, docket, or Clearance, for any of the Purposes required or 

 directed by this Act, such Person or Persons shall forfeit the Sum 

 of five hundred Pounds, and be rendered incapable of serving his 

 Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, in any Office whatsoever; and if 

 any Person or Persons shall counterfeit, erase, alter, or falsify, any 

 Certificate, Cocket, or Clearance, required or directed by this Act, 

 or shall knowingly or willingly make use of any false Certificate, 

 Cocket, or Clearance, or of any Certificate, Cocket, or Clearance, so 

 counterfeited, erased, altered, or falsified, such Person or Persons 

 shall, for every such Offence, forfeit the Sum of five hundred Pounds, 

 and such Certificate, Cocket, or Clearance shall be invalid and of no 

 Effect. 



XVII. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That 

 the several Forfeitures and Penalties inflicted by this Act, shall and 

 may be prosecuted, sued for, and recovered, and be divided, paid, and 

 applied, in like Manner as other Penalties and Forfeitures inflicted 

 by any Act or Acts of Parliament, relating to the Trade or Revenues 

 of the British Colonies or Plantations in America, are directed to be 

 prosecuted, sued for. or recovered, divided, paid, and applied, by two 

 several Acts of Parliament, the one passed in the fourth Year of his 

 present Majesty, intituled, An Act for granting certain Duties in the 

 British Colonies and Plantations in America ; for continuing, amend- 

 ing, and making perpetual, an Act passed in the sixth Year of the 

 Reign of his late Majesty King George the Second, intituled 'An Act 

 for the better securing and encouraging the Trade of his Majesty's 

 Sugar Colonies in America; ' for applying the Produce of tuch Du- 

 ties, and of the Duties to arise by virtue of the said Act, towards de- 

 fraying the Expenses of defending, protecting, and securing, the said 

 Colonies and Plantations; for explaining an Act made in the Twenty- 

 fifth Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, intituled, 'An 

 Act for the Encouragement of the Greenland and Eastland Trades, 

 and for the better securing the Plantation Trade; ' and for altering 

 and disallowing several Drawbacks on Exports from this Kingdom, 

 and more effectually preventing the clandestine Conveyance of Goods 

 to and from the said Colonies and Plantations, and improving and 

 securing the Trade between the same and Great Britain; and the 

 other passed in the eighth Year of his present Majesty's Reign, inti- 

 tuled, An Act for the more easy and effectual Recovery of the Penal- 

 ties and Forfeitures inflicted by the Acts of Parliament relating to 

 the Trade or Revenues of the British Colonies and Plantations in 

 America. 



XVIII. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, 

 That if any Action or Suit shall be commenced against any Person 

 or Persons, for any Thing done in pursuance of this Act of Parlia- 

 ment, the Defendant or Defendants in such Action or Suit may plead 

 the General Issue, and give the said Act and the Special Matter in 

 Evidence, at any Trial to be had thereupon, and that the same was 

 done in pursuance of and by the Authority of this Act; and if it 

 shall appear so to have been done, the Jury shall find for the Defend- 

 ant or Defendants; and if the Plaintiff shall be non-suited, or dis- 

 continue his Action after the Defendant or Defendants shall have 

 appeared, or if Judgment shall be given upon any Verdict or De- 



