1.

When Names

of Electors, commencing with the same

Alphabet, amount to 500 or more, the Returning Officer to provide so many Booths

that not more than 500 Voters shall be obliged to poll at One Booth.

place of polling); and it is by the said Act provided, that in case the number of Voters in any Two or more baronies or half-baronies in any county shall not exceed the number of Six hundred Voters, it shall and may be lawful for the Returning Officer or Officers, and he and they are thereby required to provide that the poll for such baronies and half-baronies shall be taken in one place of polling only:'

5

And whereas it has been found that great inconvenience has arisen, and many persons are wholly prevented from voting at Elections, in consequence of a greater number of Voters being assigned to vote in the booth or polling-place, beginning with the first letter of their names, 10 than possibly can do so within the time prescribed by law for holding of such Elections;

20

E 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, 15 and by the Authority of the same, THAT at all future Elections in Ireland for Members to serve in the Imperial Parliament, it shall and Letter of the may be lawful for the Returning Officer or Officers, and he and they are hereby required, when it appears by the Clerk of the Peace's book of any county, county of a city, county of town or borough in Ireland, that the number of registered Electors for any such county, county of a city, county of a town or borough, whose names shall begin with the same letter of the alphabet, shall amount to Five hundred or more, to provide, as nearly as may be, in alphabetical order, according to the second letter of their names, Two or more polling-places for such Voters in any such county, city, town or borough in Ireland, returning Members to serve in the Imperial Parliament, so that it shall not be necessary for more than Five hundred Voters to poll at any one place of voting, notwithstanding that their names may begin with the same letter of the alphabet; and it shall and be lawful for the Returning Officer or Officers, and he and they are hereby required to provide as many convenient and commodious places as may be necessary for the purpose, and to appoint as many additional Deputies and Poll Clerks as shall be necessary to take the poll in such additional places of polling, not exceeding 35 One Deputy and One Poll Clerk for each place of polling.

2.

Penalty if Returning Officer does not comply with the

Provisions of the Act.

3.

Act may be amended.

may

And be it Enacted, That if any Returning Officer or Officers shall refuse or neglect to carry out the provisions of this Act, he or they shall be liable to all the penalties which are imposed by the said Act of the second and third of WILLIAM the Fourth, on any Officers upon a breach or neglect of his or their duty or duties.

Officer or

And be it Enacted, That this Act may be altered or amended in this Session of Parliament.

25

30

40

CONTENTS OF THE BILL

To Consolidate and Amend the Laws relating to the Removal of the Poor.

I. REPEALS:

Section 1. Repeal of so much of former Acts of Parliament as relates to the removal of poor persons settled in England.

II. CHARGEABILITY:

Section 2. Declaration, that unsettled persons are to be relieved at the charge of the Parish' where they are destitute, as if they were settled there, until they are lawfully removed, or their destitution there is lawfully at an end.

3. Board of Guardians empowered to charge relief in doubtful cases, subject to warrant of removal, or appeal to the Commissioners.

4. The books of Overseers and Relieving Officers made prima facie evidence of chargeability.

5. The Commissioners, with the consent of the majority of the Board of Guardians, may make houseless poor a Union charge.

III. REMOVAL:

Section 6. Persons chargeable to a Parish' in which they are not settled, declared liable to be removed to the parishes of their settlement.

Restrictions on Removal:

Section 7. But persons are not to be removed from one parish to another parish in the same Union. Their settlements may, however, be ascertained by order of justices. 8. Persons exempted from the liability to be removed after Five years' residence in parish, without relief.

9. Also, widows for Twelve Months after the death of their husbands.

10. Also, children and wives, when the father, mother, step-father or husband is not removable.

11. Also, persons chargeable through temporary sickness or disability from

accident.

Procedure in Removals:

Section 12. Power to Overseers to admit settlements, and agree to amicable removals. 13. Summons of persons liable to be removed; their examination; the warrant for their removal. Proviso for the examination of persons who cannot attend the summons.

Replaces 13 & 14 Car. 2, c. 12, s. 1, as to power to remove; as to complaint to One Justice, R. v. Westwood, 2 Bott., 782; summons, R. v. Wykes, 2 Bott., 818; hearing by Two Justices, ib.; examination of infirm persons, 49 Geo, 3, c. 124, s. 4; and of prisoners, 59 Geo. 3, c. 12, s. 28.

14. Board of Guardians may apply for warrant of removal after notice to the Overseers. Proviso for saving the power of Overseers to apply for such warrant.

15. Paid officer may be appointed to conduct removals and regulations to be made with reference to his duties.

16. No removal to be made until after Forty Days' notice, unless the removal be previously submitted to. In case of appeal, the removal not to be made until such appeal is ended.

Replaces 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 79.

17. Overseers, or persons employed by them, may execute the warrant of removal. Replaces 54 Geo. 3, c. 170, s. 10.

18. Persons procuring removals for the purpose of causing chargeability to another Parish without warrants, made subject to penalties.

19. Delivery of Paupers under warrants of removal, at the Workhouse of a Parish or Union, to be regarded as delivery to the Overseers.

Suspension of Warrants of Removal:

Section 20. Suspension of the Removal; recovery of the charges incurred by such suspension.

21. Appeal where such charges exceed Ten Pounds.

v. Ever

These two Clauses replace 25 Geo. 3, c. 101; as to sick persons, R. don, 2 Bott., 878; and as to the whole family, 49 Geo. 3, c. 124, s. 3; as to Justices' jurisdiction, 49 Geo. 3, c. 124, s. 1; as to notice of the warrant and suspension, 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 84.

22. Overseers may abandon a warrant of removal, paying the costs caused to the other party.

23. The Clerk of the Justices to transmit a duplicate of every warrant of removal and the original depositions to the Clerk of the Peace.

24. The Clerk of the Peace, on application, to furnish copies to the Overseers of the parish to which the removal is directed to be made.

IV. APPEAL AGAINST WARRANT OF REMOVAL:

Section 25. The Parish aggrieved by a Warrant of Removal may appeal, giving notice of the grounds of their appeal. Appeal to be respited only on affidavit of special circumstances. Warrants of removal made before the passing of this Act may still be appealed against, as if the Act had not been passed.

Replaces 13 & 14 Car. 2, c. 12, s. 2, and 3 Will. 4, c. 11, s. 10; and as to statement of periods of appeal, 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 81.

26. Appeals against warrants of removal from parishes out of the Union not to be entered without the consent of the Board of Guardians. Expenses of removal to be controlled by the Board of Guardians.

27. Overseers may have access to the Pauper touching his settlement.

Replaces 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 8o.

28. Summoms of Witnesses.

29. Quarter Sessions held fourteen days after notice of appeal, to hear the appeal; no grounds to be gone into, but such as have been set forth in the Respondents' and Appellants' statements.

Replaces 8 & 9 Will. 3, c. 30, s. 6, giving, however, jurisdiction to sessions of places, not counties; restrictions to the grounds of removal and appeal, 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 81.

30. On the trial of the appeal, the duplicate of the warrant, and the original depositions transmitted to the Clerk of the Peace, may be referred to for certain purposes.

31. Costs incurred by reason of notice of removal, or of appeal, and costs of trial, and costs caused by statements of frivolous or vexatious grounds of removal or appeal, to be awarded and certified by the Court; recovery of such costs. Replaces 8 & 9 Will. 3, c. 30, s. 3, and 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 82.

32. Costs may be taxed by the proper officer at any time, although the Court be not sitting.

See Regina v. Long, 1 Q. B. 740.

V. MAINTENANCE OF PAUPERS UNDER WARRANTS OF REMOVAL AND DURING APPEAL: Section 33. The cost of relief and maintenance of persons under warrant of removal incurred from the time that notice of chargeability was sent, till the time when the warrants might lawfully be executed, to be repaid to the parish. Proviso saving the provisions in Clause 15, respecting suspended warrants. Replaces 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 76, s. 84.

VI. CERTIORARI:

Section 34. Certiorari taken away.

VII. SERVICE OF NOTICES:

Section 35. Notices of Removal, Appeal, &c. may be sent by Post.

VIII. GUARDIANS