No. XXI. 42 Geo. III. c. 74. ་ ployment of the Poor, it was, among other things, enacted, that in case any money should be borrowed, under the powers of the said Act, for the building any poorhouse or workhouse, or purchasing any land necessary to be used for that purpose, the assessments for the relief of the poor should continue at the same rate they were when such poorhouse or workhouse was first established, until the debts so contracted, and the 'interest thereof, should be fully discharged: And whereas the said provision has been found highly burthensome and oppressive to such parishes 'as have adopted the provisions of the said Act, from the necessity there. has been, on account of the late high price of provisions, to impose heavy 'rates for the relief of the poor during the last two years;' Be it thereof enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the guardians of the poor of any parish, who have erected any poorhouse or workhouse under the powers of the said recited Act, shall, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, with the consent of the several persons to whom the same shall be due and payable, yearly and every year to pay off and discharge any part of the money borrowed under the powers of the said recited Act, not being less than one twentieth part thereof, besides the interest which may be payable on the sum remaining undischarged: and in case such sum so to be paid off shall not in any one year be sufficient to discharge any one of the notes for fifty pounds, issued pursuant to the directions of the said Act for securing the money borrowed under the authority thereof, the same shall, from time to time, remain in the hands of the overseer of the poor of such parish, until it amounts to a sufficient amounts to 501. sum to pay off and discharge any of the said notes; any thing contained How guar dians of the poor having erected work houses under recited Act, may pay off the money borrowed. Money shall remain in overseer's hands till it 43 Geo. III. c. 110. 42 G. 3. c. 74. in the said recited Act to the contrary hereof in anywise notwithstanding. [No. XXII.] 43 George III. c. 110-An Act to explain and amend an Act, made in the last Session of Parliament, intituled, An Act to amend an Act, made in the twentysecond Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor, so far as relates to the Payment of the Debts incurred for building any Poorhouse. -[27th July 1803.] No. XXII. WHEREAS by an Act, made in the twenty-second year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor, it was among other things, enacted, that in case any money should be borrowed under the powers of the said Act, for the building any poorhouse or workhouse, or purchasing any land necessary to be 22 G. 3. c. 83. used for that purpose, the assessments for the relief of the poor should § 20. 'continue at the same rate they were when such poorhouse or workhouse 'was first established, until the debts so contracted, and the interest thereof, should be fully discharged: And whereas by an Act, made in the forty-second year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act to amend an Act, made in the twenty-second Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor, so far as relates to the Payment of the Debts incurred for building any Poorhouse, it was enacted, that the guardians of the poor of any parish who had erected any poorhouse or workhouse, under the powers of the said 'therein recited Act, should, with the consent of the several persons to whom the same should be due and payable, yearly and every year, pay off and discharge any part of the money borrowed under the powers of the 'said recited Act of the twenty-second year of the reign of his present Majesty, not being less than one-twentieth part thereof, besides the inter'est which might be payable on the sum remaining undischarged; and in case such sum to be paid off should not in any one year be sufficient to 'discharge any one of the notes for fifty pounds issued pursuant to the 'directions of the said recited Act, for securing the money borrowed under 'the authority thereof, the same should from time to time remain in the 'hands of the overseers of the poor of such parish until it amounted to a No. XXII. 'sufficient sum to pay off and discharge any of the said notes: And whereas 43 Geo. III. 'doubts are entertained whether the said recited Act of the forty-second year of his present Majesty's reign has effectually relieved such parishes c. 110. assessments to continue unaltered, repealed. as have adopted the provision in the said Act of the twenty-second year of his present Majesty's reign, from the burthensome effects thereof;' Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in So much of this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That § 20. of 22 G. so much of the said recited Act of the twenty-second year of his present 3. c. 83. as Majesty's reign, as requires that the assessments for the relief of the poor requires shall continue at the same rate as they were when any poorhouse or workhouse was first established under the authority of the said recited Act, until the debt contracted, and the interest thereof, should be fully discharged, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed. II. And be it enacted, That such assessment shall and may from time to Assessments time be diminished to such amount as shall be deemed proper and neces- may be dimisary Provided always, that the guardians of the poor, for the time being, nished. of every such parish, shall, yearly and every year, pay off or provide for a Guardians of twentieth part at least of any monies which shall have been borrowed for the poor shall the purpose aforesaid, under the powers of the said Act of the twenty-se- annually pay cond year of his present Majesty's reign, and also shall duly keep down the off one-twentieth of money interest of all monies which shall be so borrowed; any thing in the said reborrowed uncited Acts of the twenty-second and forty-second years of his present der 22 G. 3. Majesty's reign, or either of them, contained to the contrary notwithstanding. [No. XXII. a.] 45 George III. c. 54.-An Act to amend an Act, made in the ninth Year of King George the First, for amending the Laws relating to the Settlement, Employment, and Relief of the Poor, so far as the same respects Contracts to be entered into for the Maintenance and Employment of the Poor.-[27th June, 1805.] c. 83. WHEREAS by an Act of Parliament, passed in the ninth year of the No. XXII. a. reign of his late Majesty King George the First, intituled, An Act 45 Geo. III. for the Amendment of the Laws relating to the Settlement, Employment, and Relief of the Poor, churchwardens and overseers of the poor, with the consent of the major part of the parishioners or inhabitants, are authorised, in c. 54. the manner therein mentioned, to purchase or hire a house or houses, and 9 G. 1. c. 7. to contract with any person or persons for the lodging, keeping, maintaining, and employing of the poor, and for taking the benefit of their work, labour, and service, for their better maintenance and relief; and where any parish, town, or township should be found too small, in such case to unite two or more such parishes, towns, or townships, for those purposes, with the consent of the major part of the parishioners or inhabitants, and with the approbation of a justice of the peace: And whereas great inconvenience has arisen from contracts for the lodging, maintenance, and employment of the poor of parishes, having been entered into pursuant to the said Act, with persons not being resident within such parishes respectively, nor of sufficient responsibility to ensure the faithful performance of such contracts: Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority No contract to of the same, That, from and after the passing of this Act, no contract to be valid, unless be entered into and made by the churchwardens and overseers of the poor with whom the the person of any parish, with any person or persons, for the lodging, keeping, mainsame is made taining, or employing of the poor of such parish or parishes where two or shall be resimore are united, and for taking the benefit of their work, labour, and ser- dent in the pavice, for their better maintenance and relief, by virtue or in pursuance of rish in which the said Act of the ninth year of the reign of King George the First, or of the poor shall any other law or statute whatsoever, shall be valid, binding, or effectual, be maintained; No. XXII. a. 45 Geo. III. c. 54. nor unless one or more re spectable housekeepers shall be security on behalf of the con tractor, for the due performance of the contract. Contracts entered into otherwise than according to the regulations herein contained shall be void. Removal of contractor not to vacate the security. unless the person or persons with whom the same shall be entered into respectively shall during the continuance of such contract be resident within the parish so contracting, or within the particular parish in which such poor shall be lodged and maintained, or who, in the case where two or more parishes are united, shall be so resident as aforesaid in one of such parishes, or in the parish in which such poor shall be lodged and maintained; and unless one or more responsible householders, resident in such particular parish or in one of the said parishes, and to be approved of by the churchwardens or overseers of the poor of such parish or united parishes, as the case may be, shall, at or before the time of signing such contract, by their joint and several bond, with a penalty in not less than the amount of one half of the assessment to the poor's rate of such parish or united parishes for the year next but one preceding the year in which such contract shall be entered into, give security to the said churchwardens and overseers, as the case may be, for the true and faithful observance and performance of such contract on the part and behalf of the person or persons so to be contracted with as aforesaid; nor unless such contract shall be approved of and signed by two justices of the peace acting for such county, city, riding, or district, in which such parish or united parishes, or one of them, shall be situated. II. And be it further enacted, That all such contracts as aforesaid, which shall be entered into otherwise than according to the regulations and restrictions hereinbefore contained, shall be absolutely null and void to all intents and purposes; and every such contract which shall be entered into conformably to the directions of this Act, by any churchwardens and overseers of the poor of any parish, with any person or persons who shall remove from and cease to reside in the particular parish or in one of the united parishes wherein such poor shall be lodged and maintained, before the expiration of the whole term or time for which such contract shall be intended to have continuance, shall also from the time of such removal cease and determine: Provided always, that the removal of such person or persons as aforesaid shall not vacate the security entered into by any householder or householders as aforesaid, for the true observance and performance of the contract of such person or persons so having contracted and removing, but that the same shall continue in full force for the indemnification of the churchwardens and overseers of such parish or united parishes against any loss or expence incurred in consequence of such nonperformance of such contract and of such removal: Provided always, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to are maintain any parish, township, or place where the poor are maintained under any special Act of Parliament: Provided also, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to make void any contract that shall have been entered into before the passing of this Act with any person or persons for the lodging, keeping, maintaining, or employing of the poor of any parish, by virtue or in pursuance of the said Act of the ninth year of King George the First aforesaid; any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. Not to extend where poor ed under a special Act. Contracts en tered into before passing this Act not to be affected. No. XXIII. 49 Geo. III. c. 124. 35 G. 3. c. 101. [No. XXIII.] 49 George III. c. 124.-An Act for altering, amending and explaining certain Acts relative to the Removal of the Poor, and for making Regulations in certain Cases touching the Examination of Paupers as to their Settlement; and for extending to all Parishes certain Rules and Orders in Workhouses, under an Act of the twentysecond Year of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor-[20th June, 1809.] WHEREAS by an Act passed in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act to prevent the Removal of poor Per < . < 49 Geo. III. c. 124. sons until they shall become actually chargeable, it is amongst other things No. XXIII. enacted, That in case any poor person shall be brought before any justice or justices of the peace, for the purpose of being removed from the place where he or she is inhabiting or sojourning, by virtue of any order of removal, or of being passed by virtue of any vagrant pass, and it shall appear to the said justice or justices that such poor person is unable to travel by reason of sickness or other infirmity, or that it would be dangerous for him or her so to do, the justice or justices making such order of removal or granting such vagrant pass, are required and authorised to suspend the ' execution of the same until they are satisfied that it may safely be executed without danger to any person who is the subject thereof, and that the charges proved upon oath to have been incurred by such suspension ' of any order of removal may by the said justices be directed to be paid by the churchwardens and overseers of the parish or place to which such poor person is ordered to be removed, in case any removal shall take place, or in case of the death of such poor person before the execution of such order: And by the same Act it is further enacted, that in case of an appeal against any order for the payment of such charges, if the court "of quarter sessions shall be of opinion that the sum so awarded be more than of right ought to have been directed to be paid, such court may and is hereby directed to strike out the sum contained in the said order, and insert the sum which in the judgment of such court ought to be paid; and in every such case the court of quarter sessions shall direct that the said order so amended ⚫ shall be carried into execution by the said justices by whom the order was originally made, or either of them, or in case of the death of either of them, by such other justice or justices as the court shall direct: And whereas it is expedient that the power of putting an end to the suspensions of any such order of removal or pass, and of executing the several < or other authorities aforesaid, should not be confined to the order of the 'justice or justices making such order or pass:' May it therefore please your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most In all cases excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords when any orSpiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assem- der of removal bled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of or vagrant pass this Act, in all cases wherever the execution of any order of removal or of shall be susany vagrant pass shall be hereafter suspended by virtue of the said recited pended, any Act, it shall be lawful for any other justice or justices of the peace of the other justice of county or other jurisdiction within which such removal or pass shall be made, to direct and order that the same shall be executed, and to direct the charges to be incurred as aforesaid to be paid, and to carry into execution any such amended orders as aforesaid, as fully and effectually to all intents and purposes as the said respective powers and authorities can or may be executed by the said justices who shall make any such order of removal, or by the justice who shall grant any such pass as aforesaid. the county or &c. II. And be it further enacted, That when the execution of any such How the time order of removal shall be suspended, the time of appealing against such of appealing order shall be computed according to the rules which govern other like shall be comcases from the time of serving such order, and not from the time of making puted. such removal under and by virtue of the same. III. And, in order to avoid any pretence for forcibly separating husband and wife, or other persons nearly connected with or related to each other, and who are living together as one family at the time of any order of removal made or vagrant pass granted, during the dangerous sickness or other infirmity of any one or more of such family, on whose account the execution of such order of removal or vagrant pass is suspended; be it further enacted and declared, That where any order of removal or vagrant pass shall be suspended by virtue of this or of the said recited Act, on account of the dangerous sickness or other infirmity of any person or persons thereby directed to be removed or passed, the execution of such order of removal or vagrant pass shall also be suspended for the same period with respect to every other person named therein, who was actually of the same household or family of such sick or infirm person or persons at the time of such order of removal made or vagrant pass granted. Order of removal suspended in case of sickness, may also ex tend to other persons named in the order to prevent the separation of a family. No. XXIII. 49 Geo. III. c. 124. Any magistrate may take the examination of an infirm pauper as to his settlement, and eport to petty sessions. 22 G. 3. c. 83. Two justices in petty sessions inay direct the regulations prescribed by recited Act to be observed. IV. And be it further enacted, That whenever it shall happen that any pauper is by age, illness, or infirmity unable to be brought up to the petty sessions to be examined as to his or her settlement, it shall be lawful for any one magistrate acting for the district where such pauper shall be, to take the examination of the said pauper, and to report the same to any other magistrate or magistrates acting for the said district, and for the said magistrates upon such report to adjudge the settlement of the said pauper, and make and suspend the order of removal, as fully and effectually to all intents and purposes as if the said pauper had appeared before two magistrates. V. And whereas by an Act passed in the twenty-second year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled An Act for the better Relief and Employment of the Poor, certain rules, orders, bye-laws, and regulations are appointed to be observed and enforced in every poor house established under the authority of the said Act: And whereas it is expedient that such rules, orders, bye-laws, and regulations should be extended to poorhouses and workhouses established in other parishes, it is hereby enacted, That any two or more of his Majesty's justices of the peace, may, at any petty sessions direct such rules, orders, bye-laws, and regulations, or any of them, to be observed and executed in any parishes, within their respective divisions or districts, as fully as in those incorporated by the said Act. [No. XXIV.]-50 George III. c. 49.-An Act to amend the Laws for the Relief of the Poor, so far as relate to the examining and allowing the Accounts of Churchwardens and Overseers by Justices of the Peace.-[9th June, 1810.] WHEREAS by an Act made in the forty-third year of the reign of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An Act for the Relief of the 'Poor, it is enacted, that churchwardens and overseers of the poor of every parish, shall within four days after their year, and after other overseers nominated, make and yield up to two justices of the peace a true and perfect account of all sums of money by them received, or rated and 'sessed and not received, and of all other things concerning their said 17 G. 2. c. 88. office: And whereas by an Act made made in the seventeenth year of his No. XXIV. 50 Geo. III. c. 49. 43 Eliz. c. 2. late Majesty King George the Second, for remedying some defects in the 'said recited Act made in the forty-third year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it is enacted, That the churchwardens and overseers of the poor shall yearly and every year, within fourteen days after other overseers shall be ' nominated and appointed to succeed them, deliver in to such succeeding overseers a just, true, and perfect account in writing under the hands of the churchwardens and overseers directed to account, of all sums of money by them received or rated and assessed and not received, and of all other things concerning their said office; which said account shall be verified by oath, or by the affirmation of persons called Quakers, before one or more of his Majesty's justices of the peace, which said oath or affirmation such justice or justices is and are by the said Act authorised and required to administer, and to sign and attest the caption of the same at the foot of the said account: And whereas it is expedient that two or 'more justices should be empowered to examine and correct, and to allow and approve every such account before the same shall be signed and at'tested; Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That in all cases where any such account is required to be made and yielded, and to be signed and attested as aforesaid by virtue of the poor, to be sub- said last recited Act, every such account shall be submitted by the churchmitted by them wardens and overseers to two or more justices of the peace of the county, to two or more dwelling in or near the parish or place to which such account shall relate, justices at a at a special sessions for that purpose to be holden within the fourteen days special sesappointed by the said last recited Act for delivering in such account; and such justices shall and they are hereby authorised and empowered, if they shall so think fit, to examine into the matter of every such account, and to ad Accounts of churchwar dens and overseers of the sions held un der last recited Act. |