[Ord. 3 anno 1855.] Contracts for No. LXVII.-LXVIII. feitures, after payment of all costs, charges, and expenses which shall or may be recovered by reason of such information. 15. It shall be lawful for the Inspector-General of Police, with Provision for the approval of the Governor and the Court of Policy, to enter into lease of Ferry, contracts from time to time for the lease of the said Ferry; and during the term of such contract, all Tolls collected at the said Ferry shall be the property of such contractor, and such contractor shall be considered the Superintendent of the Ferry, and he and his servants shall be subject and liable to all the fines, penalties, and provisions of this Ordinance. Clause. 16. In the construction of this Ordinance, every word importing Interpretation the singular number only shall be applied to several persons, matters, or things; every word importing the plural number shall be applied to one person, matter, or thing, as well as to several persons, matters, or things, and the masculine gender shall be applied to a female as well as to a male. No. LXVIII. [Ord. 5 anno AN ORDINANCE TO ALTER, FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES, THE 1855.] BOUNDARIES OF THE COUNTIES OF DEMERARA AND ESSEQUEBO. Preamble. Places declared Enacted 30th April, 1855, published the 2nd May following, came into operation on publication. [P. E. WODEHOUSE, Governor.] WHEREAS it is desirable, for certain purposes, to alter the boundaries of the Counties of Demerara and Essequebo: Be it there- I. From and after the taking effect of this Ordinance, all plantaEstates and tions, estates, and other premises, situate, lying and being between to be in Deme- the Parika Creek and the Borasirie Creek, shall, for all purposes connected with the administration of Justice by the Supreme and Inferior Courts of Criminal Justice, be deemed and taken to be No. LXVIII.-LXIX. Ord. 5 anne 1855.] within the County of Demerara, and not within the County of rare and not in Essequebo, for Essequebo; anything in any Law or Ordinance to the contrary not- certain pur. withstanding.* No. LXIX. 1855.1 AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL THE LAWS RELATING TO THE [Ord. 6 anno Enacted 8th June, 1855, published the 13th following, came into operation on publication. [P. E. WODEHOUSE, Governor.] WHEREAS it is necessary to Amend the Law for the Relief of Preamble. the Destitute Poor in the Colony of British Guiana: Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor of British Guiana, with the advice and consent of the Court of Policy thereof, as follows: . clause. 1. Ordinance No. 1, of 1854, intituled "An Ordinance to repeal Repealing Ordinance No. 15, of the year 1839, intituled An Ordinance for the Relief of the Destitute Poor in British Guiana,' and to make "other provisions in lieu thereof;" and Ordinance No. 2, of 1854, intituled "An Ordinance to establish a Board for the relief of the Poor in the Parishes of St. George and St. Andrew, and for the superintendence of the Alms House in the City of Georgetown, "in the room of the Board of Church and Poor's Fund of Demerara "and Essequebo"-shall be and the same are hereby repealed, save and except as to the repeal by either of them of any previous Law or Ordinance, and except as to any act, matter, or thing done or commenced under or by virtue of them or either of them. of Commis. 2. The relief of the poor and the administration of all public Appointment moneys granted for that purpose shall be conducted by a Board to sioners. consist of five Commissioners, of whom two shall form a quorum, the In 1806 there was an Ordinance passed, on the prayer of certain petitioners, inhabitants of the Estates lying between the Parika and Bonnesique Creek (twelve to fourteen miles above the Borasirie Creek), declaring "the extension of the jurisdiction of Demerara beyond "the Creek Boerasirie to the Creek Bonnesique, thereby rendering all and every person re"siding within the same subject to the judicature of the Courts of Justice of Demerara." The Publisher is not aware that this Ordinance was ever repealed; it will be found in ita proper place in the Appendix to this Work. [Ord. 6 anno 1855.] Their title. Controul of the No. LXIX. the Chairman of such Board shall be appointed by the Governor, and the four other members shall, from time to time, be appointed by the Governor and the Court of Policy, and such Commissioners shall be designated "THE POOR LAW COMMISSIONERS." 3. The said Commissioners shall have the charge, controul, and superintendence of the Alms House in the City of Georgetown. 4. It shall be lawful for the Governor to appoint an Inspector of Appointment the Poor for the City of Georgetown, and a Surgeon for the Alms of Inspectors. House and for the Paupers generally. remove officers. 5. It shall be lawful for the Governor to remove any officer apGovernor may pointed by him under this Ordinance, and to appoint some other proper person in the room of any officer so removed, or in the room of any officer dying, resigning, or becoming incapable of discharging the duties of his office; and all persons so appointed shall be paid at such rates as shall be determined by the Governor and Court of Policy, combined with the Financial Representatives. 6. The Chairman shall, with the assistance of the Inspector, keep Chairman to the minutes and accounts, and conduct the correspondence of the keep Minutes. Board. how issued. 7. The Inspector shall issue weekly to the out-door paupers of Out-door relief Georgetown the amount of pecuniary relief which may be allowed to them respectively by the Commissioners, and shall generally perform all such other duties as shall be, from time to time, ordered by the Commissioners. 8. The said Commissioners may sue and be sued by or under the Power to sue. style and designation of "The Poor Law Commissioners,” and no action or suit which may be brought, commenced, or prosecuted, by or against "The Poor Law Commissioners" shall abate or be discon tinued by the death of any of them: Provided always, that such Commissioners shall always be reimbursed and paid out of the funds of the Colony all damages, costs, charges, and expenses which they shall be put to or become chargeable with, by reason of any such action or suit, and no such Commissioner shall be personally answer able or liable for the payment of the same or any part of the same. No. LXIX. [Ord. 6 anno 1855.] Commission. ers. 9. The said Commissioners may summon before them such per- Powers of sons as they may think necessary for the purpose of being examined upon any matter concerning the administration of the laws relating to the relief of the poor, or any other matter placed by law under their control, or for the purpose of producing and verifying upon oath any books, contracts, agreements, accounts, maps, plans, surveys, valuations or writings, or copies of the same, in anywise relating to such matter, and not relating to or involving any question of title to any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, not being the property of any Parish; and may examine upon oath any person whom they shall so summon, or who shall voluntarily come before them to be examined upon any such matter, or instead of administering an oath, such Commissioners may require the party examined to make and subscribe a declaration of the truth of the matter respecting which he shall have been or shall be so examined. except St. 10. There shall be in each Parish a Local Board of Guardians Local Boards to be applied for the relief of the destitute poor of such Parish. The Poor Law in all Parishes Commissioners shall be deemed to be the Local Board for the Parishes George's and of St. George and St. Andrew in Demerara; the Board of Church St. Andrew's. and Poor's Fund of Berbice shall be the Local Board for the Parish of All Saints; and in all other Parishes the President and Members of the Vestry shall constitute the Local Boards thereof respectively; and the President of each such Local Board shall be the medium of communication with the Poor Law Commissioners; and in the case of every Parish, except the Parishes of St. George and St. Andrew, and of All Saints, it shall be lawful for the Governor, if he shall find it necessary so to do, to app int the Stipendiary Magistrate of the District to be a Member of the Vestry thereof, for the purposes of this Ordinance only, anything in any Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding; and in any such case the Stipendiary Magistrate shall, in case of the absence, inability, or failure or refusal to act of the President, act as such President for the purposes of this Ordinance. of servants in II. The Commissioners shall have power to appoint, subject to the Appointments approval of the Governor, a Superintendent of the Alms' House, a the Alms Matron of the Alms' House, and such other assistants and servants House. as may be indispensable for the efficient management and superintendence thereof, at such rates of salary as may be recommended by the [Ord. 6 anne 1855.] No. LXIX. Rules to be published. the Commissioners, and approved of by the Governor and Court of Policy, combined with the Financial Representatives; and such Su perintendent and Matron shall reside in the Alms' House. 12. The Commissioners are hereby empowered and required from Commissioners time to time to make and issue all such rules as they shall deem neces empowered to make Rules. sary for the good government of the Alms' House; for regulating the duties of the Surgeon, Inspector, Superintendent, Matron, and all other assistants and servants; for the repression and punishment of insubordinate and disorderly conduct on the part of the inmates, and the imposing of fines for the misconduct of assistants and servants; for the guidance of the Local Boards of Guardians, and of any officers employed by them in the administration of relief to the poor, or in carrying into effect the provisions of this Ordinance; and also from time to time to alter, vary, repeal, suspend, or renew the said rules, or any of them, at their discretion; and such rules, alterations, variations, repeals, suspensions or renewals shall be laid by the Commissioners before the Governor and Court of Policy for approval; and upon such approval being signified by resolution, such rules, alterations, variations, repeals, suspensions, or renewals, shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall be printed for circulation, and shall thenceforward be binding upon all persons to whom they apply, and shall be of equal force and effect as if they had formed part of this Ordinance: Provided always, that if no meet. ing of the Court of Policy be held within ten days after such rules, alterations, variations, repeals, suspensions, or renewals, shall have been sent by the said Commissioners to the Secretary of the said Court, it shall be lawful for the Governor to make order for provisionally carrying the same into effect, until the next meeting of the said Court. for tenders. 13. The Commissioners shall, once in each year, or oftener, if Advertisement necessary, advertise for tenders for all supplies needed for the sup port of the inmates of the Alms' House, or for their dietary at so much per head, per diem, according to a prescribed scale, as to the said Commissioners may seem best. Contracts for 14. All contracts for such supplies shall be made with the ReSupplies to be made with the ceiver-General on behalf of the Colony; and all such supplies of General. whatever description shall be subject to survey, and rejection if need Receiver be, |