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Churchwardens to

call a Meeting to elect a Vestry Clerk.

of the Sum borrowed for such Purpose and the Interest thereof, so nevertheless that the Sum so borrowed shall be repaid by equal annual Instalments not exceeding Ten.

VII. And whereas in populous Parishes various Duties are by Law imposed upon and required to be performed by the Officers of 5 Parishes, and much Business is transacted at Vestry Meetings, and the Parish Officers and Vestries require the Assistance of a Vestry Clerk in respect of such Duties and Business; and it is expedient that Provision should be made for regulating the Appointment and for the Payment of such Vestry Clerks: Be it therefore enacted, That 10 the Churchwardens or other Persons to whom it belongs to convene Meetings of the Vestry in any Parish shall, within the Space of One Calendar Month from and after the making and publishing of any Order of the Commissioners so applied for, if such Order extend to the Appointment of Vestry Clerk as aforesaid, and also, in case of 15 any subsequent Vacancy in the Office of Vestry Clerk, within One Calendar Month next after such Vacancy, convene a Meeting of the Vestry of any Parish named in such Order, for the special Purpose of electing a Vestry Clerk, to perform such of the Duties hereinafter mentioned as shall be applicable to such Parish, in addition to 20 those which are or may be imposed upon Vestry Clerks by any Act or Acts of Parliament; and public Notice of such Vestry, and the Place of holding the same, and the special Purpose thereof, shall be given, in the usual Manner in which Notice of the MeetVestry Clerk ings of the Vestry is now given, at least Seven Days before the 25 Day to be appointed for holding such Vestry; and at such Meeting Meeting, and the Vestry shall proceed to elect some fit and competent Person to be Vestry Clerk, and the Person so elected shall not be removable from Office except by a Resolution passed at a Vestry to be called for that special Purpose in the Manner herein-before mentioned, and 30 and Consent with the Consent of the said Commissioners for administering the of Poor Law Laws for the Relief of the Poor in England, or by an Order under Board, or by the Order of the Seal of the said Commissioners.

to be elected at such

not to be removable

except by Resolution

of Vestry

that Board.

Duties of
Vestry

Clerk.

VIII. And be it enacted, That it shall be the Duty of such Vestry Clerk,

To give Notice of and attend the Meetings of Vestry and Committees appointed thereat :

To summon and attend Meetings of the Churchwardens and Overseers, when required, and to enter the Minutes thereof respectively:

To keep the Account of all Charity Monies which the Churchwardens or Overseers are authorized or are accustomed to distribute:

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40

To

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10

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25

30

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40

To keep the Vestry Books, and the Parish Deeds and Documents,
and the Rate Books and Accounts which are closed, and to give
Copies of and Extracts from the same to any Person entitled
thereto, such Person paying for the same at the Rate of Four-
pence for every Seventy-two Words or Figures, and to permit
any Person or Persons rated to the Relief of the Poor of the
said Parish, at all reasonable Times, to inspect the same or any
of them, on Payment of One Shilling, on pain of Dismissal for
neglecting to give such Copies or permit such Inspection :
To make out, when required by the Vestry, the Church Rate, and
procure the same to be signed and completed, and to retain the
Custody thereof, and, where there is no Collector of Poor Rates
or Assistant Overseer, to make out the Poor Rate, and procure
the same to be allowed, and to make all the subsequent Entries
in the Rate Books, and to give the Notices thereof required by
Law:

To prepare and issue the necessary Process for recovering of
Arrears of such Rates respectively before the Justices, and
procure the Summons to be served, and to attend the Justices
thereon, and advise the Churchwardens and Overseers as to the
Recovery of such Arrears:

To keep and make out the Accounts of the Churchwardens, and to present such Accounts to the Vestry or other legal Authority, to be passed, and to examine the Church Rate Collectors Accounts and Returns of Arrears:

To assist the Overseers in making out their Accounts (whenever required by them), and, subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Commissioners for administering the Laws for the Relief of the Poor, to examine from Time to Time the Accounts of the Assistant Overseers or Collectors of Poor Rates, and their Returns of Arrears:

To attend the Audit of Accounts of the Overseers, and conduct all Correspondence arising therefrom:

To assist the Churchwardens or Overseers in preparing and making out all other Parochial Assessments and Accounts, and in examining the Accounts of the Collectors of such Assessments: To ascertain and make out the List of Persons liable to serve on Juries, and to cause them to be printed and duly published, and returned to the Justices:

To give the Notices for Claims to vote for Members of Parliament, and to make out Lists of Voters, and get the same printed and published, and duly returned, according to Law, and to attend the Court for revising them, and to prepare, make out, and publish the Burgess Lists and the Lists of Constables :

379.

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To

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To make all Returns required of the Churchwardens or of the
Overseers by Law or proper Authority:

To advise the Churchwardens and Overseers in all the Duties of
their Office, and to acquaint them of all new Enactments
affecting their Office; and also to perform such other Duties and 5
Services of a like Nature as the said Commissioners for adminis-
tering the Laws for the Relief of the Poor in England, from
Time to Time, at the Request of the Churchwardens or Over-
seers of any such Parish, or otherwise, shall prescribe and direct
to be performed by such Vestry Clerk.

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IX. And be it enacted, That the Amount of Salary or other Remuneration to be paid to the Vestry Clerk, as well as the Days and Times on which and the Persons by whom the same shall be payable, shall be fixed by the said Commissioners, and altered from Time to Time as there shall be Occasion; and such Salary or Remu- 15 neration shall be chargeable upon and paid out of the Monies to be raised for the Relief of the Poor of any such Parish; and, where the said Commissioners shall deem requisite, such Vestry Clerk shall give such Security and to such Persons as the said Commissioners shall by their Order under Seal direct : Provided always, that where, 20 under the Provisions of any local Act or Acts of Parliament, any Person or Persons shall be paid for the Performance of any of the Duties of Vestry Clerk, or for assisting in the Performance of any of the Duties of Churchwardens or Overseers of the Poor, nothing herein contained respecting the Duties of the Vestry Clerk 25 shall apply to or be deemed to apply to the Performance of such Duties while the same are so performed, or while Payment shall be made for the Performance of them as aforesaid.

X. And be it enacted, That nothing herein contained shall exempt or discharge, or be construed to exempt or discharge, any Church- 30 warden or Overseer of the Poor from the Performance of any Duty required of him by Law, nor oblige him to avail himself of the Assistance of any Vestry Clerk to be appointed as aforesaid in the Performance of his Duties, unless he shall think fit so to do.

XI. And be it enacted, That in this Act the following Words 35 and Expressions shall have the several Meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in the Subject or Context repugnant to such Construction; (that is to say,) "Parish" shall mean every Place having separate Overseers of the Poor, and maintaining its own Poor; "Churchwarden" shall mean also Chapelwardens or other 40 Persons discharging the Duties of Churchwardens in any Place

separately

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separately maintaining its own Poor; Vestry" shall mean the Inhabitants of the Parish lawfully assembled in Vestry, or for any of the Purposes for which Vestries are holden, except in those Parishes in which there is a Select Vestry elected under an Act

5 passed in the Fifty-ninth Year of the Reign of King George the

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c. 60.

Third, intituled "An Act to amend the Laws for the Relief of the 59 G.3. c.12. Poor," or elected under an Act passed in the Second Year of the Reign of His late Majesty, intituled "An Act for the better Regu- 1 & 2 W. 4. "lation of Vestries, and for the Appointment of Auditors of Accounts, 10" in certain Parishes in England and Wales," or elected under the Provisions of any local Act of Parliament for the Government of any Parish by Vestries, or under or by virtue of any prescriptive Custom or otherwise, in which Parishes it shall mean Select Vestry; "Lands shall mean Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, of whatsoever 15 Nature or Tenure; Words importing the Masculine Gender shall include the Feminine; Words of the Plural Number shall include the Singular; Words of the Singular Number shall include the Plural.

XII. And be it enacted, That this Act may be amended or Act may be 20 repealed by any Act to be passed in this present Session of Par- amended, &c.

liament.

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