The Sixth Year of George I - Chap. III.

502

A.D. 1719

An Act for continuing and amending an Act, intituled, An Act to make the Militia of this Kingdom more useful.

Whereas it is greatly necessary for the security of this kingdom, that an act, intituled, An Act to make the militia of this kingdom more useful, should be continued: 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 the said act, and every clause and clauses therein contained, shall be continued and be of full force to all intents and purposes for and during two years, to be accounted from the twenty fourth day of June one thousand seven hundred and twenty, and to the end of the next session of Parliament after the expiration of the said two years, and no longer.

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the captains of the several troops and companies of the militia of this kingdom shall, and may, and are hereby required to keep in one convenient place all such arms and accoutrements as now are, or shall, or may hereafter be delivered out by the lord lieutenant, or other chief governor or governors of this kingdom, for the use of the militia thereof, to be there kept for the use of the said several troops and companies, when they shall have occasion for the same.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person, who is a commissioned officer of the land forces on the establishment of this kingdom, or in any county within this kingdom, shall be held, or obliged to inlist, array, muster,

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serve, pay, or contribute, as a private man in the militia of the city of Dublin, or of any other county of a city, or county of a town, within this kingdom; any thing herein, or in the said former act, contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding: so as such commissioned officer in the standing army or militia, governor, or deputy governor, of a county, enter his and their names with the town-clerk of the respective cities and counties of towns where such commissioned officer of the land forces as aforesaid, or militia, governor, or deputy-governor of a county shall reside, for which no fee or reward shall be taken.

IV. And whereas it has been found by experience, that the drawing out of the militia of this kingdom for exercise on the several days appointed by act of Parliament, proves chargeable to several of the private men, who attend the said service, for want of some reasonable competency towards their refreshment: and whereas the papists of this kingdom are disabled by law to act in the militia, and bear no share of the expence and trouble attending the same: be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the better encouragement of the militia to draw out and attend the said publick exercise on the said days according to the said act, it shall and may be lawful to and for the justices at every general assizes, to be held for the several counties in this kingdom, and for the justices of the peace at the quarter sessions for the county of Dublin, by presentment of the grand jury to charge, raise, and levy (if they think fit) upon the popish inhabitants of such county a sum, not exceeding twenty shillings sterling, for the refreshment of each troop or company, who shall appear and attend the said service on each and every of the said days appointed by the said act, to be applotted equally and indifferently on all such popish inhabitants within such county; and to be levied by such ways and means as other publick money is usually applotted, raised, and levied, in pursuance of presentments made at the assizes or sessions for charging, levying, and raising, other publick money; and the same, when levied, to be paid over to such person and persons as the governor or governors, or deputy- governor or governors, of each county respectively shall nominate and appoint to receive and apply the same to the purposes aforesaid.

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