A

BILL

For the Management of the Customs.

5

[Note.-The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted in the Committee.]

Whereas an Act was passed in the Session of Parliament Preamble:

c. 51.

holden in third and fourth years of the reign of King WILLIAM the Fourth, intituled, "An Act for the Management of the 3 & 4 W. 4, Customs," whereby the laws in relation to the management of the Customs were consolidated : And whereas since the passing of the said Act divers parts of Acts for the further amendment of the law in that respect have been found necessary, and it will be of advantage to the trade and commerce of the country that the said Act and parts of Acts should be consolidated into one Act; BE it therefore Enacted, by The 10 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, and by the Authority of the same, THAT from and after the passing of this Act the same shall come Commenceinto and be and continue in full force for all the purposes mentioned 15 therein, except where any other commencement is herein particularly

directed.

1.

ment of Act.

2.

Customs, ap

And be it Enacted, That it shall be lawful for Her Majesty from Board of time to time to appoint, under the Great Seal of the United King-pointment of. dom, any number of persons, not exceeding Thirteen, to be Com20 missioners of Her Majesty's Customs for the collection and for the management of the Customs in and throughout the whole of the United Kingdom, and of any of Her Majesty's possessions abroad, and that each of such Commissioners when so appointed shall have and hold his office during Her Majesty's pleasure.

3. Commissioners subject to the control of the Treasury.

4.

Orders under the hands of Commissioners.

5.

Previous ap

pointments to remain in force.

6.

Appointment of necessary Officers of Customs.

Salaries and allowances and securities.

7.

Persons employed by Customs

And be it Enacted, That the said Commissioners so appointed, or to be appointed, by Her Majesty, shall, in all matters and things relating to the execution of their duties, be subject to the authority, directions and control of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and shall obey such orders and instructions as shall from time to time be issued to them by the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the hands of Three or more of them.

And be it Enacted, That every order, document, instrument or
writing, not being for the payment of money, required by any law 10
at any time in force, to be under the hands, or under the hands and
seals of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs, being attested
by the hands or the hands and seals of Two or more of such Com-
missioners, and every such order for the payment of money being
attested by the signatures of Three or more of such Commissioners 15
shall be deemed to be an order, document, instrument or writing under
the hands, or under the hands and seals, as the case may be, of the
Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs accordingly.

And be it Enacted, That any appointment of Commissioners of Her
Majesty's Customs in force at the time of the commencement of this 20
Act, shall continue in force as if the same had been afterwards made
under and by virtue of the authority of this Act.

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30

And be it Enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Com-
missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, or for the Commissioners
of Her Majesty's Customs, under the authority of the said Commis-
sioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, to appoint proper persons to
execute the duties of the several offices necessary to the due manage-
ment and collection of the Customs, and all matters connected
therewith, under the control and direction of the Commissioners of
Her Majestys's Customs, and to grant or allow to such persons such
salaries or other allowances, or to permit such emoluments for the
labour and responsibilty in executing the duties of their respective
offices or employments, and to require of such persons such securities
for their good conduct therein as the said Commissioners of Her
Majesty's Treasury shall deem to be reasonable and necessary, and 35
such persons shall hold their offices during the will and pleasure of
the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, or of the Com-
missioners of Her Majesty's Customs, in such cases and in such
manner as the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury shall
direct.

And be it Enacted, That every person employed on any duty or service relating to the Customs by the orders or with the con

currence

40

5

currence of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs (whether previously or subsequently expressed), shall be deemed to be the officer of the Customs for that duty or service, and that every act, matter or thing required by any law at any time in force to be done or performed by to or with any particular officer nominated in such law for such purpose being done or performed by to or with any person appointed by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs to act for, or in behalf of such particular officer, the same shall be deemed to be done or performed by to or with such particular officer, 10 and that every act, matter or thing required by any law at any time in force to be done or performed at any particular place within any port, being done or performed at any place within such port appointed by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs for such purpose, the same shall be deemed to be done or performed at the particular 15 place so required by law.

8. Officers

fee or reward not allowed

shall be dis

missed.

And be it Enacted, That if any officer, clerk or other person acting in any office or employment in or belonging to the Customs under the control and direction of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs in any part of Her Majesty's dominions, shall 20 take or receive any fee, perquisite, gratuity or reward, whether pecuniary, or of any other sort or description whatever, directly or indirectly, from any person (not being a person duly appointed to some office in the Customs) on account of any thing done, or to be done, by him in, or in any way relating to, his said office or employment, 25 except such as he shall receive under any order or permission of the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, every such officer so offending shall on proof thereof to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs, be dismissed from his office; and if any person Penalty for not being a person duly appointed to some office in the Customs) 30 shall give, offer or promise to give, any such fee, perquisite, gratuity or reward, such person shall for every such offence forfeit the sum of One hundred Pounds.

35

40

And be it Enacted, That all commissions, deputations and appointments granted to any officers of the Customs in force at the time of the commencement of this Act, shall continue in force as if the same had been afterwards granted under and by virtue of the authority of this Act; and that all bonds which shall have been given by any such officers and their respective sureties for good conduct or otherwise, shall remain in full force and effect.

offering fee.

on admission

And be it Enacted, That every person who shall be appointed Declaration to any office or employment in the service of the Customs to office. under the control and direction of the Commissioners of Her

11.

Hours of Attendance and division of Service in! those Hours

12.

Officers of
Customs not

parochial and other local Offices.

Majesty's Customs in any part of Her Majesty's dominions, shall at their respective admissions thereto make the following declaration; (that is to say)

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"I, A. B., do declare that I will be true and faithful in the
execution, to the best of my knowledge and power, of the trust
committed to my charge and inspection in the service of Her
Majesty's Customs; and that I will not require, take or receive
any fee, perquisite, gratuity or reward, whether pecuniary or of
any sort or description whatever, either directly or indirectly, for
any service, act, duty, matter or thing done or performed, or 10
to be done or performed, in the execution or discharge of any
of the duties of my office or employment on any account
whatever other than my salary and what is or shall be allowed
me by law, or by any special order of the Commissioners of
Her Majesty's Treasury, or the Commissioners of Her Majesty's 15
Customs, for the time being."

And be it Enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Com-
missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, by their warrant from time
to time, to appoint the hours of general attendance of the Com-
misioners and respective officers of the Customs, and other persons 20
in the service of the Customs, at their proper offices and places of
employment; and that it shall be lawful for the Commissioners of
Her Majesty's Customs to appoint the times during such hours at
which any particular parts of the duties of such officers and other
persons respectively shall be performed by them.

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And be it Enacted, That no Commissioner of Her Majesty's liable to serve Customs, nor any officer of Customs, or person employed in the collection or management of or accounting for the Revenue of Customs, or any part thereof, nor any clerk or other person acting under them, shall, during the time of his acting as such Commis- 30 sioner or as such officer, or of his being so employed as aforesaid, or of his acting as such clerk or other person as aforesaid, as the case may be, be compelled to serve as a Mayor or Sheriff, or in any corporate or parochial or other public office or employment, or to serve on any jury or inquest, or in the militia, any law, usage or custom to 35 the contrary thereof notwithstanding.

13. Holidays.

And be it Enacted, That no day shall be kept as a public holiday by the Customs except Christmas-day and Good Friday in every year, and any days appointed by Her Majesty's Proclamation for purpose of a General Fast or of a General Thanksgiving, and also 40 so far as regards Scotland, any days appointed for such purposes by authority of the General Assembly, and also such days as shall have

the

been