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❧ An Act of common Council.  
WHere at a court of common Council, holden at the guildhall of this City of London, on the tenth day of November, in the xxix. year of the reign of our sovereign Lady the Queen's most excellent Majesty that now is. Before the right honourable George bond Lord Mayor of the said City, and the right worshipful the Aldermen his brethren, and the commons in the same common Council assembled. It was amongst other things enacted, established, and ordered: that from after the viii. day of the same month of November, until the feast of the birth of our Lord God, which shallbe in Anno Domini, 1589. in all and every case and causes, where the seller of any cloth or clothes whatsoever, Linen or woollen, Kerseys, Fryses, Rugs, Bays, Cottons, or other clothes or things whatsoever, shallbe by virtue of any Acts, custom, usage or ordinances heretofore established or used within the said City. By common Council or otherwise for the payment of any quantity sum or sums of money whatsoever usually paid, or to be paid by any seller in the City of London, or the liberty, or the Suburbs thereof, for or by the name of Hallage: That then the buyer of all and every such Cloth or clothes, Linen or woollen, Kersyes, Fryses, Rugs, Bays, Cottons or other clothes or things whatsoever, shall by virtue of the said act be charged & chargeable to pay like quantity sum or sums of money, as hath been, is or shallbe usually paid or payable by the seller. The same to be paid to the hand or hands of such person or persons, as shallbe appointed from time to time, by the Lord Maior and court of Aldermen for the time being, or by the governors of Christ's Hospital or the more part of them, for the collection of the money which shallbe due and payable by such sellers, to be employed towards the charges of the building of Blackwel Hall. And it was likewise enacted that if any person or persons, which after the said xiii. day of this present month, shall buy or cause, or procure to be bought any such clothes, Linen, Kersyes, Fryses, Rugs, Bays, Cottons or other things whatsoever before expressed, or in true understanding or meaning intended by this act. And shall not upon demand to him or them, to be made by such person or persons, as are or shallbe appointed for collection thereof as aforesaid, before the Saturday night next after such demand, pay or cause to be paid to the same person or persons so appointed, or to be appointed, such quantity sum or sums of money as is appointed, meant and truly intended by this Act. That then every person which shall deny or fail to pay such quantity sum or sums of money, shall for every penny which he shall so deny, refuse, and fail to pay, forfeit and pay the sum of three shillings iiii. pence, to be levied by distress of the goods and Cattles of such person or persons, which shall so deny, refuse and fail, wheresoever they shallbe found by such person or persons, as are or shallbe appointed as aforesaid. And it was then further enacted by th'authority aforesaid, that if any clothes, either Linen or woollen, Kerseys or other things before expressed or intended by this Act, which shallbe brought to this City, shallbe harboured or received in any house, Shop, Chamber, or other place within this City out of Blackwell hall, or the place where clothes shallbe appointed to be sold. That then if such person or persons in whose house, Shop, Chamber, or place, the same clothes or other things as aforesaid, shallbe so harboured or received, shall not before Saturday night, next after demand, pay to the Collectors appointed for that purpose as aforesaid, or to some one of them, all such sums of money to the use aforesaid, as should have been due for Hallage of the same clothes or other things, if the same had been brought to Blackwell hall and there bought and sold: then such person or persons, shall forfeit the sum of three shillings iiii pence for every penny, which so should have been due. The same penalty to be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, commenced or exhibited, and pursued in the Queen's majesties court holden in the utter chamber of the Guildhall of this City, commonly called the majors court, by and in the name of the Chamberlain of this City, or else to be levied by way of distress by the person or persons, which are or shallbe appointed as aforesaid, all which sums of money so to be recovered either by distress or otherwise, over and above the charges of the suit, shallbe employed in and about the building of the said Blackwell hall.  
God save the Queen.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Hugh Singleton, Printer for the City of London.  
 printer's or publisher's device