A

BILL

Further to amend the Acts relating to the Offices
of the House of Commons.

[Note.-The Words and Clause printed in Italics are proposed to be
inserted in the Committee.]

5

10

15

W

HEREAS an Act was passed in the Fifty-second Year of the Preamble. Reign of King George the Third, intituled "An Act to 52G. 3. c.11. "repeal an Act passed in the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth

"Year of His present Majesty for establishing certain Regulations in "the Offices of the House of Commons, and to establish other and "further Regulations in the said Offices;" and an Act was passed

in the Third Year of King William the Fourth, intituled "An Act 2 & 3 W. 4. "for the better Support of the Dignity of the Speaker of the House c. 105. "of Commons, and for disabling the Speaker of the House of Com

"mons for the Time being from holding any Office or Place of Profit,

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during Pleasure, under the Crown;" and an Act was passed in

the Fifth Year of King William the Fourth, intituled "An Act to 4 & 5 W. 4. regulate the Salaries of the Officers of the House of Commons, and c. 70.

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"to abolish the Sinecure Offices of Principal Committee Clerks and
"Clerks of Ingrossments;" and an Act was passed in the Tenth Year

of Her present Majesty, intituled "An Act to amend the Acts relating 9 & 10 Viet. "to the Offices of the House of Commons:" And whereas under c. 77. the Provisions of the said Acts the Fees and Sums payable in the several Offices and Departments of the House of Commons, and col20 lected under the Provisions of such Acts, are paid into the Bank of England

455.

Monies

England to the Account of the Commissioners for regulating the Offices of the House of Commons, and are made applicable to the Payment of the Salaries and Expenses of the said House: And whereas it is expedient that, except as herein-after mentioned, the said Salaries and Expenses should be provided for by annual Votes, 5 and that the Monies from Time to Time paid to the said Account should be carried to the Consolidated Fund: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen'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 10 the same, That from and after the passing of this Act all the Proarising from visions of the said recited Acts concerning the Application of the Money paid to the said Account of the Commissioners for regulating the Offices of the House of Commons shall be repealed, and all the Money which shall stand to the Credit of the said Account at 15 the Bank of England on the First Day of January, the First Day of April, the First Day of July, and the First Day of October, in every Year, shall from Time to Time on the said respective Days, or within Two Days afterwards, be transferred by the Governor and Company of the Bank of England to the Account of Her Majesty's Exchequer, 20 and when so transferred shall be carried to and form Part of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Fees of the

House of

Commons to

be carried

to the Con.

solidated Fund.

Salaries of

Clerk, Clerks

II. And whereas the Salaries of the Clerk of the House of Comthe present mons, the Clerks Assistant, the Serjeant at Arms, the Deputy Serjeant 25 Assistant, &c. at Arms, and the Speaker's Secretary, have by the said recited Acts to be paid out been made the first Charge upon the Money paid to the Account of the of the Consolidated Fund. said Commissioners, and by this Act directed to be carried to the Consolidated Fund: Be it enacted, That the Salaries of the Clerk of the House of Commons, the Clerk Assistant, the Second Clerk Assistant, 30 the Serjeant at Arms, the Deputy Serjeant at Arms, and the Speaker's Secretary, shall be paid to the Persons now holding such respective Offices, while they continue to hold the same, out of the said Consolidated Fund, by equal quarterly Payments, on the Fifth Day of January, the Fifth Day of April, the Fifth Day of July, and the 35 Tenth Day of October in every Year.

Provisions of
Acts as to

the Salaries

III. And be it enacted, That from and after the Time when the Persons now holding such respective Offices as aforesaid shall respecto cease after tively cease to hold the same the Provisions of the several Acts directing and fixing the Salaries of such Offices shall cease.

Determina

tion of existing Interests.

Salaries, &c. to be paid

out of Monies

IV. And be it enacted, That, except as herein-before provided, all 40 the Salaries and Superannuation and other Allowances and Expenses

now

1

5

now payable out of the Money so paid to the said Account of the to be pro-
vided by
Commissioners for regulating the Offices of the House of Commons Parliament.
shall be paid out of such Monies as Parliament shall from Time to
Time provide for those Purposes.

V. And be it enacted, That so much of the said last-recited Act as Salaries, &c. to be paid by directs the Commissioners for regulating the Offices of the House Paymaster of Commons, to appoint a Paymaster, and as regulates the said Office, General. shall from and after the First Day of August One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine be repealed; and the Salaries, Allowances, 10 Superannuations, Charges, and Expenses of the House of Commons. shall thenceforth be paid by the Paymaster General in such Manner and at such Times as the Speaker of the House of Commons, or the said Commissioners, shall direct.

VI. And be it enacted, That the Audit by the Speaker of the House Audit by the 15 of Commons of the Accounts of the Receiver of the Fees and Sums Speaker. payable in the several Offices and Departments of the House of Commons shall be deemed and taken to be in all respects good and effectual without any further Audit of the said Accounts, and shall be a sufficient Discharge and Acquittance to the said Receiver as to all 20 Matters and Things contained in such Accounts, anything contained in any Act to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

c. 77. as to

Balance in

VII. And be it enacted, That so much of the last-recited Act as pro- Provision of vides for the Preparation of an annual Estimate of the Money which will probably remain in the Hands of the Commissioners after the Estimate of 25 Payments of the current Quarter ending on the First Day of April, Hand of and of the Fees expected to be received during the Session, and of Commisany Sum which may be required to be provided by Parliament in sioners repealed. addition to such Sum for the Payments set forth in the Estimate of Expenditure, shall be repealed.