woodcut of English Commonwealth coat of arms, circa 1650  
Rules and Directions to be observed by the Ware-house-keeper, and by the several Officers of the customs, and others that shall make any stay or seizures, or demises of any Goods or merchandises for Custome-causes within the Port of London.  
1. THat all Officers or others that make any seizures of any Goods prohibited, or for Custome-causes, do forthwith after the seizing of them bring them into the States public Ware-house near the customhouse, there to be kept until the Commissioners shall give order for the delivery of them.  
2. That the several Officers respectively that shall make any stay, seizure, or demise of any Goods or merchandise as prohibited, or for Custome-causes, if it be in the forenoon, do forthwith repair to Mr. Walter Sankey Register of the seizures, and solicitor for Custome-causes, and enter the same with him; and if it be in the afternoon, and that the said Register be not at the customhouse, then the said Officers to enter the same with him the next day in the forenoon.  
3. That the said Officers shall within the time aforesaid acquaint the Commissioners of the customs, or some of them, with such stay, seizure, or demise of Goods, and receive their directions concerning the same.  
4. That if the Commissioners or any of them given direction for prosecuting of the same in the Exchequer, then the said Officer or Officers to give instructions to the said Mr. Sankey their solicitor for the exhibiting of an Information, as the case shall require.  
5. That if the Proprietor or Proprietors, of any such Goods seized, &c. shall procure a Licence to compound for the same, then the Officer before he treat or compound for the same Goods, do procure the same to be apprized by virtue of a Writ of apprizement out of the Exchequer, which the said solicitor is hereby required to procure at the request and charge of the said Officer, as soon as may be; and the said Goods being apprized, that the said Officer bring the said Writ and Indenture of Apprizement to the Register, to be by him registered in a book kept for that purpose.  
6. That no Officer conclude any composition for seizures without direction from the Commissioners.  
7. That every officer that shall make any composition shall include in his oath upon the same licence in one entire sum what money he taketh either for composition or other charges.  
8. That composition being made, the officer return his Licence upon oath into the Exchequer, and cause the same to be entred there within two dayes after such composition made.  
9. That the said Licence being so entred in the Exchequer, the said officer do within 24 hours bring it to be said Register, to be entred into a Book to that purpose.  
10. That the officer having made his composition do not suffer the Goods compounded for to be delivered, until the Proprietor have procured his Fine to be ranted, and the moneys thereby due to the State to be paid to the Cashier general, nor until the customs be paid for the same, with such other moneys as are due for charges in the Exchequer by reason of the same svit, which moneys for the charges are to be paid to the said solicitor for discharge therof, and that thereupon it be signified unto them by a note in writing under the hand of the said Mr. Sankey that the Commissioners have ordered that such Goods be delivered.  
11. To this end the Warehouse-keeper is required to take special notice of what Goods are committed to his keeping which are seized, the officer acquainting him therewith at the bringing them into the Warehouse; and the said Warehouse-keeper is required not to deliver, nor suffer the same Goods, nor any part thereof to be delivered, notwithstanding any usual Warrant come to him for that purpose, until he be certified from the Commissioners by their said Register that those Goods are to be delivered by order of the Commissioners.  
12. That when any Goods seized be condemned in the Exchequer, the officer that is to have the benefit thereof, do within twelve dayes after such condemnation enrolled in the Exchequer, and certified unto him by the said Register, pay the moiety due to the State( according as they are apprized) unto the Cashier-generall, and do also within the time limited pay to Mr. Sankey such moneys as are due in the Exchequer for the charges of the svit and condemnation.  
13. That no officer of the customs deliver any Goods by virtue of any Writ of delivery, without the direction of the Commissioners signified by their Register.  
14. And that all persons making seizures before disposition be by them made of any part of the Goods and merchandises by them seized, do repair to the Commissioners of the customs to know whether they will take the Commonwealths part in kind or not.  
6 January, 1650.   

Published by especial appointment of the Commissioners for the customs.  
RO. BLACKBORNE, Secr.