The Twelfth Year of George I. - Chap. IX.

181

A.D. 1725

184

VII. And whereas several parishes in this kingdom are, and others are likely to become, non-cures, tho' there are several protestant families inhabiting therein, for want of places of publick worship, the parish-churches being in so great decay that divine service cannot therein be performed, and the said churches cannot be rebuilt or repaired, the popish inhabitants of such parish obstructing the same by their out-voting the protestant inhabitants at their vestries duly appointed for that purpose: for the preventing therefore of papists having it in their power to obstruct the rebuild and repairing churches for divine worship, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no inhabitant of any parish in this kingdom, being a papist, shall at any time hereafter be capable of giving his or their vote at any vestry or vestries in this kingdom, to be held for the purposes aforesaid.

VIII. And for the more speedy and effectual levying such money as shall be agreed upon, assessed, and ordered, at vestries for building and repairing of churches; be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the same may and shall be raised and levied by warrant under the hands and seals of two or more justices of the peace of the county, where such parish doth lie, by the church-wardens of such parish, by distress and sale of the goods of the person or person refusing or neglecting to pay the sum or sums of money duly applotted and charges on them pursuant to such act of vestry, together with the charges of such distress and sale, returning the overplus, if any shall be, any law to the contrary notwithstanding; and in case any person or persons shall think him or themselves agrieved by any such assessment or applotment to be made as aforesaid, or the levying thereof, he or they shall be at liberty to appeal to the next quarter-sessions held for the said county, who are hereby impowered to hear and finally to determine the same.

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