June, 1657
An Act for limiting and setling the prices of Wines.
9 June, 1657.]
Price of Spanish Wines.; Gascoigne or French Wines.; Forfeiture for selling at higher rates; How they shall be disposed.
Be it Enacted by his Highness the Lord Protector and this present
Parliament, and by the authority of the same, That for one year,
to be accompted from the fifteenth day of August, One thousand
six hundred fifty seven, No Canary Wines, Muscadels, or Alligants,
or other Spanish Wines, shall be sold by Retail, at any Rate, Proportion, or Price, exceeding Eighteen pence the Quart. And that no
Gascoigne or other French Wines whatsoever, shall be sold by
Retail, at any Rate, Proportion, or Price, exceeding Seven pence the
Quart. And that no Rhenish Wines whatsoever shall be sold by
Retail, at any Rate, Proportion or Price, exceeding Twelve pence
the Quart. And according to these Rates, Proportions and Prices,
for greater or lesser quantities, by Retail, all and every the aforesaid
Wines shall and may be sold and at no other Rate, Proportion, or
Price, exceeding the same respectively, upon pain and penalty that
every person within England, Scotland, and Ireland, who shall
utter or sell any of the said Wines by Retail; that is to say, by the
Pint, Quart, Pottle, or Gallon, or by any other greater or lesser
Retail-measure, at any Rate, Proportion, or Price, exceeding the
Rates, Proportions and Prices hereby respectively Limited and
Appointed, do and shall for every such Pint, Quart, Pottle, Gallon,
or other greater or lesser Retail-measure so sold, forfeit the sum of
five Pounds; All which aforementioned forfeitures shall and may
be recovered by Original Writ of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information;
In which Suit or Suits no Wager of Law shall be admitted, nor any
Protection or Essoign allowed. The one third part of all such
Forfeitures shall be to the use of his Highness the Lord Protector
and his Successours, and the other two third parts to the use of such
person and persons as shall sue and prosecute for the same.