Watch-boxes, &c. Proviso for Watch Rates already imposed. This Act not to affect the Rates for paving, lighting, &c. Provision for outstanding Debts. Power to set up Watch-house, Watch-box, Arms, Accoutrements, or Necessaries as aforesaid, shall neglect or refuse to give up the same as hereinbefore required, every such Offender, being convicted thereof before any Two Justices of the Peace, shall for every such Offence forfeit and pay, over and above the Value of the Property not given up, such Sum, not exceeding Five Pounds, as the said Justices shall think meet; and where there shall be any Building in any such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place as aforesaid, a Part only of which Building shall have been heretofore used as a Watch-house, such Part shall be given up every Day from the Hour of Four in the Afternoon until the Hour of Nine in the Forenoon, for the Use and Accommodation of the Police Force to be appointed under this Act; and if any Person having the Charge, Controul, or Possession of any such Building shall neglect or refuse to give up such Part thereof for the Purposes aforesaid, or to permit free Access thereto or Egress therefrom, during any Portion of the Time above prescribed, every such Offender, being convicted thereof before any Two Justices of the Peace, shall for every such Offence forfeit and pay such Sum, not exceeding Five Pounds, as the said Justices shall think meet. XX. Provided always, and be it enacted, That any Rate for defraying the Expences of the Night Watch or Night Police in any Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place, made previous to the Day on which the Police Force to be appointed under this Act shall undertake the Charge thereof, shall be levied and collected in the same Manner as if this Act had not been passed: Provided also, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to affect or alter any Powers or Authorities for assessing and levying any Rate in any such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place, so far as such Rate may relate to paving, lighting, cleansing, or any other Object, except the Night Watch, Night Police, or any Expences incident thereto. XXI. And Whereas there are certain Parishes, Townships, Precincts, and Places in the Metropolitan Police District, in ' which Monies have been borrowed or advanced, and Debts con'tracted for the building of Watch-houses, and for various Expences connected with the Night Watch and Night Police therein, and such Monies and Debts remain unpaid, and it is expedient that the same should be discharged;' Be it therefore enacted, That all such Monies and Debts in any Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place, of which the Police to be appointed under this Act shall undertake the Charge, shall, notwithstanding any Thing herein-before contained, be chargeable upon the Rates out of which such Monies or Debts have been heretofore in Part paid, or would have been payable if this Act had not been passed; and such Rates shall be from Time to Time assessed and levied for the Payment of such Monies and Debts until the same shall be entirely discharged and satisfied. XXII. And be it enacted, That the Justices appointed under this Act, subject to the Approbation of One of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, may order such a Number of Watchboxes as they shall from Time to Time think fit to be placed or fixed in such Parts of the Highways in any of the Parishes, Town ships, Precincts, and Places within the Metropolitan Police District, as the said Justices shall deem most convenient. trict shall be ordered to levy a Police Rate upon all Per sons liable to the Poor Rate. XXIII. And be it enacted, That as soon as the Police to be The Overseers appointed under this Act shall take charge of any Parish, Town- in every Parish, ship, Precinct, or Place, whether Parochial or Extra-parochial, &c. in the Mewithin the Metropolitan Police District, it shall be lawful for the tropolitan DisJustices appointed under this Act, forthwith, and so from Time to Time, subject to the Approbation of One of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, to issue a Warrant under their Hands to the Overseers of the Poor of every such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place; by which Warrant they shall command the said Overseers, out of the Money collected for the Relief of the Poor in such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place, to pay the Amount mentioned in the Warrant for the Purposes of the Police under this Act, or to levy such Amount as a Part of the Rate for the Relief of the Poor in such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place, and that the Overseers shall pay over the Amount mentioned in the Warrant, to the Receiver to be appointed under this Act, within Forty Days from the Delivery of such Warrant to any One of the Overseers: Provided always, that the Sum to be paid for the Purposes of the Police under this Act shall not exceed in the Whole in any One Year the Rate of Eight-pence in the Pound on the full and fair annual Value of all Property rateable for the Relief of the Poor within such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place, such full and fair annual Value to be computed according to the last Valuation for the Time being acted upon in assessing the County Rate; and that the Warrant shall specify the Rate in the Pound at which the Sum mentioned therein shall be computed. or XXIV. And be it enacted, That where any Persons other than the Overseers of the Poor shall, by virtue of any Office or Appointment, be authorized and required to make and collect cause to be collected the Rate for the Relief of the Poor in any Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place within the Metropolitan Police District, such Persons, by whatsoever Title they may be called, shall be deemed to be Overseers of the Poor within the Meaning of this Act, and to be included under and denoted by the Words "Overseers of the Poor," for all the Purposes of this Act, as fully as if they were commonly called or known by the Title of Overseers of the Poor. XXV. And be it enacted, That the Overseers of the Poor of every Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place within the Metropolitan Police District, to whom any such Warrant as aforesaid shall be issued, shall pay the Amount mentioned in the Warrant out of any Money in their Hands collected for the Relief of the Poor; and if there be no such Money in their Hands, or an insufficient Sum, they shall levy the Amount required as a Part of the Rate for the Relief of the Poor, and shall for that Purpose proceed in the same Manner, and have the same Powers, Remedies, and Privileges as for levying Money for the Relief of the Poor; and such Overseers shall pay to the Receiver the Amount mentioned in the Warrant within the Time specified for that Purpose, and at the Time of making any Payment to the Receiver shall deliver to him a Note in Writing signed by them, specifying the Amount so paid, which Note shall be kept by the Receiver as a Voucher for his Receipt Not to exceed 8d. in the Pound in any One Year, according to the Valuation for County Rate. of Receipt of the be a sufficient Overseers, on of sufficient Distress, the Arrears may be re-levied on the Parish. of that particular Amount; and the Receipt of the Receiver, specifying the Amount paid to him by the Overseers, shall be a sufficient Discharge to the Overseers for such Amount, and shall be allowed as such in passing their Accounts with their respective Parishes, Townships, Precincts, or Places. XXVI. And be it enacted, That in case the Amount ordered by such Warrant as aforesaid to be paid by the Overseers in any Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place in the Metropolitan Police District, shall not be paid to the Receiver within the Time specified for that Purpose in the Warrant, the Justices appointed under this Act, upon Complaint thereof made to them by the Receiver, may issue their Warrant for levying the Amount, or so much thereof as may be in Arrear, by Distress and Sale of the Goods of all or any and in Default of the said Overseers; and in case the Goods of all the Overseers shall not be sufficient to pay the same, the Arrears thereof shall be added to the Amount of the next Levy which shall be directed to be made in such Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place for the Purposes of the Police under this Act, and shall be collected by In case of De- the like Methods; and the said Justices, in case of any Default or Neglect of any Overseer or Overseers, or in any other Case in which One of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State shall so direct, may appoint Two or more Persons to act as Overseers of the Poor within any Parish, Township, Precinct, or Place in the Metropolitan Police District, for levying the Money for the Purposes of the Police under this Act; and the Persons so appointed shall proceed in the same Manner, and shall have the same Powers, Remedies, and Privileges, and shall be subject to the same Regulations and Penalties, with reference to the levying of such Money, as if they had been appointed Overseers of the Poor by virtue of any Law or Laws now in Force. fault, &c. occasional Overseers may be appointed for levying the Po lice Rate. In Property occupied by Ambassadors, the Landlord shall pay the Police Rate. Right of inspecting County Rates, &c. XXVII. And be it enacted, That where any Messuages, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments within the Metropolitan Police District shall be occupied by any Ambassador, Agent, or other Public Minister of any Foreign Prince or State, or by the Servant of any such Ambassador, Agent, or Minister, or by any other Person not liable by Law to the Payment of the Poor's Rate, all such Money as would by virtue of this Act have been payable for the Purposes of the Police by the Occupier of such Messuages, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, if such Occupier had been rateable to the Relief of the Poor, shall in such Case be paid by and recoverable from the Landlord or Owner thereof, who shall for this Purpose be deemed the Occupier thereof, and shall be liable to all such Proceedings for Nonpayment of such Money as any Person is by Law liable to for Nonpayment of Poor Rate. XXVIII. And be it enacted, That any Justice appointed under this Act, or any Person having an Order for that Purpose under the Hand of any such Justice, may inspect any County Rate made or to be made for any County, any Part of which shall be situate within the Metropolitan Police District, and may also inspect any Returns concerning all or any of the Parishes, Townships, Precincts, and Places, whether Parochial or Extra-parochial in the said District, delivered or to be delivered in pursuance of any of the Acts relating to County Rates, and may take Copies or Extracts from any such Rates or Returns without Payment of any Fee or Reward; Reward; and if any Person having the Custody of any such Rate or Return shall wilfully neglect or refuse to permit any such Justice or other Person to inspect the same, or to take Copies or Extracts from the same, within Two Days after such Order shall have been produced and shewn to him, or a Copy thereof left at his usual Place of Abode, he shall, on Conviction thereof before any Two Justices of the Peace, forfeit and pay for every such Offence such Sum, not exceeding Ten Pounds, as they shall think meet. XXIX. And be it enacted, That an Account of all Monies received and expended for the Purposes of this Act, made up to the Thirty-first Day of December in each Year, shall annually be laid before both Houses of Parliament within Thirty Days thereafter, if Parliament be then sitting, or within Thirty Days after the first Meeting of Parliament subsequent to the Thirty-first of December, and such Account shall specify the total Sum charged upon and received from every Parish, Township, Precinct, and Place for the Purposes of this Act, the Rate in the Pound at which such Sum shall have been computed, and the total annual Value of the entire Property in every such Parish, Township, Precinct, and Place, as such total annual Value shall be stated in the last Valuation for the Time being acted upon in assessing the County Rate; and such Account shall also specify the different Heads of Expenditure for the Purposes of the Police, and the Amount actually expended under each. Accounts to be laid before Parliament annually. XXX. And Whereas it is expedient to provide for those Pre- Provision for cincts and Places in the Metropolitan Police District in which no assessing and • Rate is made for the Relief of the Poor, or in which Property may Rate in those levying Police be deemed not to be rateable thereto; Be it therefore enacted, Places within That the respective Inhabitants and Occupiers of all Messuages, the MetropoLands, Tenements, and Hereditaments in any Precinct or Place, litan District whether Parochial or Extra-parochial, in the Metropolitan Police where there is District, although such Messuages, Lands, Tenements, and Here- no Poor Rate. ditaments may not be rated to the Relief of the Poor, or may be deemed not to be rateable thereto, shall nevertheless be liable to contribute to the Expences of the Police under this Act, as if the Property so inhabited or occupied were rateable and rated to the Relief of the Poor; and the Justices appointed under this Act may from Time to Time, by Warrant under their Hands, appoint a proper Person to be an Assessor, for the Purpose of assessing the full and fair annual Value of such Property, and rating the same to a Police Rate to be levied under this Act: Provided always, that the Sum to be levied as a Police Rate shall not exceed in the Whole in any One Year the Rate of Eight-pence in the Pound on the full and fair annual Value of such Property; and such Assessor shall, within Forty Days after the Delivery to him of the Warrant of his Appointment, make, sign, and return to the said Justices an Assessment for the Precinct or Place named in such Warrant; and the Assessment shall be fairly written in a Book, and shall specify, in different Columns, the Names of the respective Inhabitants or Occupiers of all Messuages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, the full and fair annual Value of the same, and the Amount of Police Rate charged on the Inhabitants or Occupiers thereof, and, when the Premises shall be unoccupied, the full and fair annual Value thereof to let; and every such Assessor shall be Allowance to allowed Mode of making the Assessment. Assessors. When Assessment is made, Notice thereof shall be given, and all Persons included in the Assessment shall have Liberty to inspect it, &c. Penalty for refusing such In spection. Collection of the Police Rate charged in such Assessment. Appeal against allowed for his Trouble and Expences such Remuneration as One XXXI. And be it enacted, That when such Assessment shall XXXII. And be it enacted, That the Justices appointed under this Act shall from Time to Time nominate One or more Person or Persons for levying the Amount of Police Rate charged in every such Assessment, who shall proceed in the same Manner, and shall have the same Powers, Remedies, and Privileges, and shall be subject to the same Regulations and Penalties, with Reference to the levying of such Police Rate, as if he or they were an Overseer or Overseers of the Poor in a Precinct or Place rated to the Relief of the Poor, and shall pay over the Amount of such Police Rate to the Receiver to be appointed under this Act, or in Default thereof shall be proceeded against in the same Manner as Overseers are by this Act to be proceeded against for Nonpayment. XXXIII. Provided always, and be it enacted, That if any Person, who shall have paid the Amount of Police Rate charged upon him by the Assessment made by an Assessor appointed under this Act, shall think himself aggrieved by such Assessment, on the Ground that such Assessment includes any Property for which he is not rateable under this Act, or that it assesses his rateable Property beyond its full and fair annual Value, or that any Person or Persons is or are omitted out of such Assessment, or that the Property of any Person or Persons is assessed below its full and fair annual Value, the Person so aggrieved may appeal to the next Court of General or Quarter Sessions which shall be holden for the County in which the Cause of Appeal shall have arisen, not less than Twenty-one Days after public Notice of such Assessment shall have been given as herein-before mentioned; provided that the Person so intending to appeal shall give to the Receiver to be appointed under this Act a Notice in Writing of such Appeal, and of the Cause and Matter thereof, Ten clear Days at the least before such Sessions; and shall also, within Three Days after his Notice of Appeal, enter into a Recognizance before some Justice of the Peace of the County, with Two sufficient Sureties, conditioned to try such Appeal at the said Sessions, and to abide the Order of the Court thereupon, and to pay such Costs as shall be by the Court awarded; |