AN ACT For taking the Accounts and Redressing of Grievances concerning the Tithes and Churchliving in Wales; And for Advancement of Religion and Learning there.  
Friday, March 16. 1659.  
ORdered by the Parliament, That this Act be forthwith Printed and Published.  
THOMAS St. NICHOLAS, Clerk of the Parliament.  
LONDON, Printed by John Streater, and John Macock, Printers to the Parliament. 1659.   

AN ACT For taking the Accounts, and Redressing of Grievances concerning the Tithes and Churchliving in Wales; and for Advancement of Religion and Learning there.  
BE it Enacted and Ordained by this present Parliament, That the Council of State be, and are hereby Impowered by Letters, Commissions, or Instructions from them Directed, under the Seal of the Council, to Authorise and Appoint such person and persons as they shall think fit within the respective Counties of Wales and County of Monmouth, thereby Improwering them, or any threé or more of them, to Take and Receive the Accounts of the Commissioners named in an Act of the two and twentieth day of February, One thousand six hundred forty nine, Entitled, An Act for the better Propagation and Preaching of the Gospel in Wales, and to Take the Accounts of all other person & persons that have been Entrusted and Employed, or have any ways intermeddled with the Letting, Setting, Receiving, Collecting, Sequestering or Disposing of all or any Church-livings with Care of Souls, Donatives, Rectories, Vicaridges, Impropriations, Rents reserved sine Curis, College Pensions and Portions of Tithes, and other Ecclesiastical Live, Benefices, Procurations, Promoations, and public Revenues whatsoever, Sequestered or Sequestrable, or in the Disposal of the Parliament, or which did or do any ways belong or appertain to the Commonwealth within the said respective Counties of Wales and County of Monmouth ever since the two and twentieth day of February, One thousand six hundred forty nine: And to Examine and Certify all Deceits, Frauds, Undervaluations, Concealments, Misimployments and Breaches of Trust of any person or persons that have had the Letting, Setting, Collecting, Sequestering, Receiving or Disposing of the said Church Live, Rectories, Impropriations, and other the ●●●mises, or have any ways intermeddled therewith.  
And for the better discovery of the truth thereof, the said Commissioners, or any threé of them are hereby Empowered to send for Persons, Papers, Witnesses, Books and Accounts, and to Examine the Accomptants, and all such Witnenes as shall be produced before them on Oath which the said Commissioners or any three of them are hereby Empowered to Administer; and to Use all other Lawful Ways and Means, and Execute all such further Powers as were heretofore given to any Committeé or Commissioners, for taking the Accounts of the Kingdom, by any former Acts or Ordinances of Parliament, for the better performance and discharge of the Service aforesaid. And the said Commissioners or any threé of them are hereby further Authorized and Required to Examine and Certify the true and real Valuations of the said Rectories, Vicarages, Impropriations, Tithes, Churchliving, and other the Premises within the said respective Counties, as the same were Farmed, Estimated, Received, or Accounted, for in the year One Thousand Six Hundred Forty Nine, and so Communibus annis to this time. And how many Ministers and Schoolmasters have been at any time since the year aforesaid Ejected and Amoved: And how many of them are fit to be restored, what Churches, Vicaradges, Rectories, and Places have since become void, and for how long time they so remamed by the Death, Ejection, or Removal of the former Incumbents, Ministers, and Schoolmasters; To whom the presentation and right of patronage to such vacant Places did and doth belong. How the respective Churches and Parishes have been supplied since the said two and twentieth day of February, One Thousand Six Hundred Forty Nine; and by whom, and how, the persons are qualified that supplied the same. And the said Commissioners, or any Three or more of them, are hereby further Empowered and Required to Examine and Certify, by whom the said Churchliving, Rectories and Vicaradges, Impropriations, and other the Premises since the time aforesaid, have been Sequestered, Farmed, Received, Collected, or Disposed of. And to what real Value the same did and doth amount unto, and how accounted; And how much thereof doth remain in the hands of any Person or Persons within the said respective Counties, due and unaccompted for to the Commonwealth; And to Certify the same with all other their proceed by Virtue of this Act. And the Commissions and Instructions aforesaid to the Council of State; and one other part thereof to the Court of Exchequer at Westminster, with a Schedule of the Debtors and Accomptants, Sum and Sums of Money due and payable from them and every of them to the Commonwealth, whereby the same may be proceeded upon according to the Course of Exchequer, against like Accomptants, to force the Payment thereof without any further Commission, Inquiry, or ●●●●●●sition thereupon to be had, which they are hereby enabled to do; Any former Act or Ordinance concerning the same to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.  
And the Council of State from time to time are hereby enabled to give further Instructions and Directions for the carrying on of the service aforesaid, and to give such allowances to the persons by them to be employed therein as they shall think fit.  
And the Council of State are hereby further empowered and required, That in all Cases where the Presentation doth or shall belong to the State either of mere right or by lapse, That they shall take speedy care for the supply of them.  
And it is hereby Enacted and Declared; That all Grants or Leases of any Glebes or Titles belonging to any Parsonage or Vicarage with Cure of Souls within the Counties aforesaid, made by the Patron and Incumbent since the Two and twentieth day of February, One thousand six hundred forty nine, to any person or persons whatsoever, shall be absolutely void to all intents and purposes against the Successor of such Incumbent, such Successor coming in upon Death, Session, Sequestration, or otherwise.  
And Be it further Enacted, That where, upon the Certificates of the said Commissioners, there shall appear any profits of Live within the Counties aforesaid, to be remaining in the hands of any person or persons, That the Council is further empowered to allow and dispose of the same to the present or succeeding Incumbent, allowing for the serving of the Cure during the vacancy, what they shall think fit.   

Friday, March 16. 1659.  
ORdered by the Parliament, That this Act be forth with Printed and Published.  
THOMAS St. NICHOLAS, Clerk of the Parliament.   

LONDON, Printed by John Streater, and John Macock, Printers to the Parliament. 1659.