Acts of Parliament

Charles II - extract from the Act

An Act for repairing the Highways and Sewers, and for paving and keeping clean of the streets, in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, and for reforming of Annoyances and Disorders in the streets of, and places adjacent to the said cities; and for the Regulation and Licensing of Hackney Coaches; and for the enlarging of severall strait and inconvenient Streets and Passages.

[...the first four pages refer to highway repairs and sewers...]

And for the better preserving of the said Streets, and for defraying of the residue of the charge for the pavements. Be it further Enacted, that from and after the first day of May, one thousand six hundred sixty and two, no person or persons shall presume to drive (excepting Stage Coaches) or let to hire by the hour or day, or otherwise any Hackney Coach or Coach horses, within the Cities of London and Westminster, or suburbs of the same, or within the Parishes compiled within the Bills of Mortality, withou an especial leave or licence from such Commissioners as his majesty shall appoint under the Great Seal, for the licensing and regulating of Hackney Coaches, according to the particular provisions and limitations of this Bill; and that no horse, Gelding, or Mare, to be used with such Coaches, shall be under the size of fourteen hands high according to the Standard, and that the number to be licensed, shall not exceed four hundred; and that every coach so licensed, shall have a mark of distinction by figure or otherwise, as the Commissioners shall think fit, to the end they may be known, if any complaint shall be made of them. And that no person shall be licensed to keep more than two Coaches, which Coaches shall have every of them severall figures or marks of distinct on in the same manner, as if belonging to severall persons; and that no person shall presume to put the same figure or mark of distinction upon his Coach, that is appointed for any other Coach, under the forfeiture of five pounds for every such offence, one moyety whereof shall be to the Informer, and the other moyety to be paid to the Commissioners that shall be appointed for the paving and amending the streets.

And the said Commissioners for the licensing and regulating of Coaches, are to take especiall care, not to license any person to drive or keep any Hackney Coach or Coach-Horses, that useth any other trade or occupation, and in the first place to license all such persons, as have been ancient coachmen, or such Coachmen as have suffered for their service and affections to his late Majesty, or his Majesty that now is, or the Widow or Widowes of any of them, that have Coaches of their own.

And in case the said Commissioners shall license more than the said number of Four Hundred Coaches, every of the said Commissioners to licensing shall forfeit the sum of one hundred pounds, for every such Coach so licensed above the said number, whereof twenty pounds to the Informer, and the residue to be for the repairing and paving the ways and streets, to be levied by distress, by warrant under the hands and seals of five or more of the other Commissioners, that shall be appointed for the paving and mending of the streets and high-ways.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Hackney Coachman so licensed, shall presume to take for his hire in or about the Cities of London and Westminster, above the rate of ten shillings for a day, reckoning twelve hours to the day, and by the hour not above eighteen pence for the first hour, and twelve pence for every hour after, and that no Gentleman or other person shall pay from any of the Inns of Court or thereabouts to any part of St. James or City of Westminster (except beyond Tuttle Street) above twelve pence, and the same prices from the same places to the Inns of Court or places thereabouts, and from any of the said Inns of Court, or thereabouts, to the Royal Exchange twelve pence, and if to the Tower of London or to Bishopsgate Street, or Aldgate, or thereabouts, eighteen pence, and so from the same places to the said Inns of Court as aforesaid, and the like rates from and to any place at the like distance with the places before mentioned. And if any Coachman shall refuse to go at, or shall exact more for his hire, then the several rates hereby limited, he shall for every such offence forfeit the sum of ten shillings.

And be it further enacted, that every Coach so Licensed as aforesaid, shall pay to the Commissioners that shall be appointed for the Regulating and Licensing of Hackney Coaches the yearly Rent of five pounds, and no more, whereof fifty shillings shall be paid at or before the twenty third day of May, one thousand six hundred sixty and two, and the sum of five and twenty shillings at or upon the feast day of St Michael the Archangel next coming, and Twenty five shillings at the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Christ; and from hence forward to be quarterly at the four most usual feasts of the year, by equal portions (that is to say) at the Annuntiation of the Blessed Virgin, St. John the Baptist, St. Michael the Archangel, and the Nativity of our Lord the Christ; which said sum and sums of money, the said Commissioners for the Hackney Coaches shall from time to time, pay or cause to be paid to the Commissioners appointed for the paving and amending of the streets and highways, within this Bill contained, or to such Treasurer or Receiver, as they shall appoint; and the said Commissioners for Hackney Coaches, shall likewise from time to time, certifie to the Commissioners appointed for the Paving of the Streets and Highways, the namse and dwellings of all such persons, as they shall license to drive or keep Hackney Coaches, together with the several figures or marks of distinction which are appointed to belong, and be affixed to the Several Coaches to the intent that discovery may the better be made of any abuses that shall be comitted, if any shall presume to affix the figure or mark of distinction to any Coach, which belong of right to another, and whereby the Commissioners for the Paving and Amending the Streets and Highways, shall be enabled to call the said Commissioners for Hackney Coaches to a true and due account: And in case any overplus shall be of the monies appointed by this Act to be raised fo rthe paving and mending the wayes and Streets as aforesaid, then such overplus shall be imployed towards the enlargement of such Streets or Places as are to be enlarged by vertue of this Act.

[...the remaining pages of the Act refer to roads to be paved and mended under this Act...]