during that time shall not have been in the receipt of parish relief, with preference for those persons who have been reduced by misfortune from better circumstances, and who may be incapacitated from work or labour by age, illness, or infirmity. The inmates shall, so far as conveniently may be, be men and women in equal numbers, but the Trustees shall be at liberty, under special circumstances, to vary those proportions. 8. Every almsperson shall be removable by the Trustees for any reasonable cause, and may also be suspended by the Trustees from the receipt of any emolument or benefit under the Charities during such time as the Trustees shall think fit or expedient. 9. Every almsperson to be hereafter appointed shall be paid out of the income of the Consolidated Charities, so far as the same shall be sufficient for the purpose, a weekly stipend of 7s., and also a donation of 27. at Christmas. 10. The Trustees, with the consent of the Charity Commissioners, shall have power from time to time to vary the number of the almspeople and the weekly stipends and other gifts or benefits to be paid or given to them respectively out of the income of the Charities, and to make regulations for the better government of the almshouses and inmates generally, which regulations shall be binding on all the inmates and other persons concerned. 11. Notwithstanding the provisions herein-before contained, the Trustees shall be at liberty to continue to any deserving poor persons who shall not have been in the receipt of parochial relief during the then next preceding period of one year any periodical payment or gift heretofore made to them out of the income of any of the Charities hereby consolidated. 12. The Trustees, instead of pulling down or selling the existing buildings known as "Harrison's Almshouses," shall be at liberty, with the sanction of the Charity Commissioners, to repair and retain the same for permanent occupation as part of the almshouses contemplated by this scheme. As to KENDRICK'S ALMSHOUSES, SIR THOMAS VACHELL'S ALMSHOUSES, and HALL'S ALMSHOUSES, and the several subsidiary foundations and endowments heretofore created or appropriated for the maintenance or benefit of the same almshouses respectively or the respective inmates thereof, and also as to RICHARD JOHNSON'S CHARITY. 13. The Trustees of the Municipal Church Charities of the Consolidated said borough of Reading for the time being shall be the Trustees Church Almsof the said several last-mentioned Charities, which shall be called house Charities. "The Consolidated Church Almshouse Charities of Reading." 14. The said Trustees shall cause the sum of 201. consolidated 31. per cent. bank annuities to be transferred into the names of the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds, out of the funds of the said last-mentioned Charities, for the purpose herein-after mentioned, and the remaining stocks of all denominations be longing 24 & 25 VICT. longing to the same several Charities shall be transferred into the names of the said Official Trustees, by whom the same shall be placed to the account of " The Church Almshouse Charities of Reading," and the yearly dividends and income to arise from such last-mentioned stocks, and from the other property belonging to the said Charities, shall be paid to and received by the said Trustees of the said Charities, and shall be carried into one fund, out of which the Trustees, after providing for the payment of repairs, insurance, salaries, and other necessary outgoings and expenses of management, shall pay to the present respective inmates of the said almshouses known respectively as Kendrick's, Vachell's, and Hall's Almshouses, so long as they shall respectively retain their appointments, such weekly stipends and allowances as the amount of such dividends and income will from time to time permit and the Trustees shall consider fit and expedient. 15. Any surplus annual income of the said Charities which shall remain after providing for the payments aforesaid shall be accumulated for the formation of a building fund, and shall for that purpose be invested from time to time in the purchase of 31. per cent. consolidated bank annuities, or in any other stocks in which trust funds may be legally invested, in the names of some four of the said Trustees. 16. When the building fund shall amount to a sufficient sum, the said Trustees shall be at liberty, with the consent of the Charity Commissioners, to purchase or acquire a site in or near the borough of Reading for the erection of new almshouses, and, with the like consent, to erect thereon such suitable almshouses for the accommodation of so many poor people, not exceeding 12 in the first instance, as to them may seem expedient, and upon the completion of such new almshouses the then surviving or continuing inmates of the present almshouses (if any) shall be transferred thereto. 17. The inmates of the almshouses shall in future be selected and appointed from time to time by the Trustees thereof, at proper meetings of their body, from poor persons of good character, being members of the Church of England, who shall have resided in the borough of Reading at least three consecutive years next before their election, and during that time shall not have been in the receipt of parish relief, with preference for those persons who have been reduced by misfortune from better circumstances, and who may be incapacitated from work or labour by age, illness, or infirmity. The inmates shall, so far as conveniently may be, be men and women in equal numbers, but the Trustees shall be at liberty, under special circumstances, to vary those proportions. 18. The provisions of the 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th clauses of this scheme relating to the Consolidated General Almshouse Charities shall be applicable to the Consolidated Church Almshouse Charities, as if the same provisions were here repeated. As As to the several Charities known respectively as THOMAS Educational 19. The said Trustees of the Municipal Church Charities of Consolidated the Borough of Reading for the time being shall be the Trustees Municipal of the several last-mentioned Charities, which shall be called Charities. "The Consolidated Municipal Educational Charities of the Borough of Reading. 20. The said Trustees shall cause the sum of 337. 6s. 8d. consols to be transferred into the name of the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds, out of the funds of the said last-mentioned Charities, for the purpose herein-after mentioned. The remaining stocks of all denominations belonging to the same Charities shall be transferred into the name of the said Official Trustees, to an account to be called "The Account of the Reading Consolidated Municipal Educational Fund," and all monies now belonging to or which may hereafter be received by the said Trustees in respect of Sir Thomas White's Charity, whether as accruing income or in respect of the repayment of loans or otherwise, shall be invested by them from time to time in the purchase of 31. per cent. consolidated bank annuities, in the name of the said Official Trustees, to be carried to the same account. 21. The yearly dividends and income to arise from all such stocks, and from the other property belonging to the said lastmentioned Charities, shall be paid to and received by the Trustees of the same Charities, and shall be carried by them into one fund, which (after the payment thereout of repairs, insurance, salaries, keeping in proper repair the vault of Sir John Simeon in the church of Saint Giles, and other necessary outgoings and expenses of management,) shall be divided by the said Trustees annually into three equal parts; and one of such third parts shall be applied by the said Trustees, at their discretion, for or towards the support or benefit of the National Schools, now or hereafter to be established in connexion with the three parish churches in Reading, and with the other churches or chapels in Reading in communion with the Church of England, regard being had in the apportionment and distribution thereof to the number of children for the time being attending each of the said schools; and the remaining two third parts shall be applied by the said Trustees in equal shares for or towards the support or benefit of the two schools in Reading known respectively as the Green Girls School and the Blue Coat School; provided nevertheless, that the Trustees, with the consent of the Charity Commissioners, may from time to time vary the proportions in which the said two third parts shall be divided between the said two last-mentioned schools, and that the payment to be so made towards the support of the aforesaid Green Girls School shall not confer upon the said Trustees any right of interfering in the government or manage ment of the same school. [No. 16. Price 2d.] Consolidated As to the several Charities known respectively as JOHN 22. The said Trustees of the Municipal Church Charities of the borough of Reading for the time being shall be the Trustees of the said several last-mentioned Charities, which shall be called "The Consolidated Charities for Female Servants at Reading." 23. The said Trustees shall cause the sum of 271. 16s., 37. per cent. consolidated annuities to be transferred out of the funds of the said last-mentioned Charities into the name of the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds, for the purposes herein-after mentioned. The remaining stock of all denominations belonging to the same Charities shall be transferred into the name of the said Official Trustees of Charitable Funds, and shall be placed by them to an account to be called "The Account of the Consolidated Charities for Female Servants at Reading," and the yearly dividends and income to arise from such stock and the other property belonging to the said Charities shall be paid to and received by the Trustees of the said Charities, and shall be carried by them into one fund, which, after the payment of insurance, repairs, salaries, and other necessary outgoings and expenses of management, shall be distributed by the said Trustees annually at Easter in gifts of not less than 107. nor more than 207. each to meritorious female servants, being members of the Church of England, who shall have served for a period of not less than five consecutive years in one continued service with some respectable householder within some one of the three parishes of Reading, and shall produce certificates of good character and conduct, to the satisfaction of the Trustees. Any surplus income of the said Charities which shall not be required for distribution in manner aforesaid in any one year may be carried over by the Trustees to the next year's account; but in case it shall be found difficult or expedient to expend the whole of the income of the said Charities for the time being in such distribution, the Trustees may, with the sanction of the said Board, apply the surplus income thereof in any other manner for the benefit of poor deserving women, being members of the Church of England residing in the said borough of Reading. Consolidated Gifts to Parish Officers of Saint Lawrence. 24. The said several sums of 201., 331. 6s. 8d., and 277. 16s. consolidated bank annuities, making together 811. 2s. 8d. consols, to be transferred as aforesaid into the name of the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds, shall be placed by the said Official Trustees to an account to be called "The Account of the Consolidated Gifts to the Parish Officers of St. Lawrence in Reading," and the dividends shall be paid or remitted by the the said Official Trustees to the vicar for the time being of the said last-mentioned parish, who shall pay thereout annually and shall retain the residue of the same dividends for his own use. As to Elizabeth Deane's Charity. 25. The sum of 1564. 17s. 5d. reduced 31. per cent. annuities, forming the endowment of this Charity, shall be transferred to the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds, who shall pay or remit the dividends thereof from time to time to the chaplain for the time being of the county gaol at Reading, to be by him applied, at his discretion, for the benefit of poor prisoners on their discharge from such gaol. As to Richard Aldworth's Charity. 26. The annual expenditure out of the income of this Charity in providing clothing and bread for distribution amongst 20 poor aged persons shall henceforth be discontinued, and the proportion of the annual income of the Charity heretofore applicable to the purposes of such expenditure shall be applied to the educational objects of the same foundation. As to the whole of the Charities comprised in this Scheme. 27. The Trustees of the said several Charities respectively, with the consent of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, shall have power from time to time to make regulations for the conduct and government, for the better management and application of the same Charities respectively and the recipients thereof. 28. If any doubt or question shall arise as to the proper construction or application of any of the provisions of this scheme or the management of the Charities, application may be made by the Trustees to the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales for their opinion and advice thereon, which opinion and advice, when given, shall be binding on the Trustees; and any provision in this scheme which may require explanation or modification may be explained or modified accordingly, by an order either of the Court of Chancery or of the Board of Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, to be made upon the application of the Trustees to the said Court or Board; provided that no alteration shall be made by any such order involving a deviation from the main objects and principles of this scheme. |