Bridges. direction of such justices, at their general quarter sessions as aforesaid, to set out and ascertain the same, not exceeding in the whole one acre at any one such bridge as aforesaid, and to contract and agree with the owner or owners of such land, and persons interested therein, for the pur. chase thereof, either by a sum in gross, or by an annual rent, at the option of such owner or owners. (If they cannot agree, the justices shall impanel a jury, and assess the compensation in manner directed by 12 Geo. 3, c. 78, as to highways.) Provided that no money shall be applied to the amendment or alteration of any such bridge or bridges until presentment shall have been made of the insufficiency, inconveniency, or want of reparation of such bridge or bridges, in pursuance of some or one of the statutes made and now in force concerning public bridges.

What sort of bridges inhabitants

of counties

shall be liable to repair.

Act shall not extend to bridges repaired by

tenure.

IV. [Inhabitants of counties may sue for damages done to bridges in the name of the surveyor.]

V. And for the more clearly ascertaining the description of bridges hereafter to be erected, which inhabitants of Counties shall and may be bound or fiable to repair and maintain be it further enacted, that no bridge hereafter to be erected or built in any county, by or at the expense of any individual or private person or persons, body politic or corporate, shall be deemed or taken to be a county bridge, or a bridge which the inhabitants of any county shall be compellable or liable to maintain or repair, unless such bridge shall be erected in a substantial and commodious manner, under the direction or to the satisfaction of the county surveyor, or person appointed by the justices of the peace, at their general quarter sessions assembled, or by the justices of the peace of the county of Lancaster, at their annual general sessions, and which surveyor or person so appointed is hereby required to superintend and inspect the erection of such bridge, when thereunto requested by the party or parties desirous of erecting the same; and, in case the said party or parties shall be dissatisfied, the matter shall be determined by the said justices respectively at their next general quarter sessions, or at their annual ge neral sessions in the county of Lancaster.

VI. [Orders respecting county bridges in the county of York shall be made at the Easter sessions.]

VII. Provided always, and be it further enacted, that nothing herein contained shall extend to any bridges or roads which any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, is, are, or shall be liable to maintain or repair, by reason of tenure or by prescription, or to alter or affect the right to repair such bridges or roads.

VIII. [Public act.]

Note. This act is extended to the purchase of buildings, by the 51 Geo. 3, c. 90, 52 Geo. 3, c. 110.

52 Geo. 3, c. 110.

Bridg

es.

I. [Recites 12 Geo. 2, c. 22, s. 13 and 14, and proceeds thus]: And whereas great expense in the repairs of county bridges, ramparts, banks, cops, and other works appertaining to the same, and of the roads over the same, and of so much of the roads at the ends thereof as by law is to be repaired at the expense of any county, riding, hundred, division, liberty, or town corporate, and great inconvenience to the public, may be often in a great measure prevented by the timely and immediate repair of any inconsiderable damage, injury, defect, or sudden want of repair or amendment of the same, without the delay which must generally arise from the necessity imposed by the aforesaid act, of a presentment by the grand jury at the assize, great sessions, or general or quarter sessions of the peace, held for any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, of the want of reparation of the same; by means of which delay the aforesaid want of repair is often very much increased, to the great expense of the county, and great inconvenience of the public; and whereas it is also expedient that the justices of the peace of any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, at their general quarter sessions respectively, before any presentment shall have been made as aforesaid, as directed by the aforesaid act, of the want of repair of such roads, should be enabled, without any such presentment, to contract and agree with certain persons hereinafter mentioned, for the repairing and amending of the same; and also for keeping the same in repair, when so repaired and amended: be it therefore enacted, &c., that from and after the first day of July, 1812, Quarter sesit shall and may be lawful for the justices of the peace of sions may any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, nually two appoint anat their general quarter sessions or great sessions respec- or more justively, to be holden in the week next after the clause of tices,near, to Easter, or the greater part of them, then and there assem- superintend repairs; bled, to appoint annually two or more justices of the peace, acting in and for any division of justices in such county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, in or near which any such county bridge, or any bridge which is in part a county bridge, ramparts, banks, cops, or other works appertaining to the same, or any part or parts thereof, or the roads over the same, or so much of the roads at the ends thereof as by law is to be repaired at the expense of any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, shall be situate, to superintend the same; and, whenever it shall appear on their own inspection to be necessary, for the purpose of preventing the further decay and injury of the same, to order any immediate repairs or amendments to be done to the same, or to any part thereof; but it shall and may be lawful for any two such justices, so to be appointed as aforesaid, and any two such justices are hereby

and they

204.

Bridges empowered, by a written order, signed by their hands respectively, to order such immediate repairs to be done by such person or persons as to them shall seem fit and proper: provided that in no case the sum to be expended by them may expend in such repairs shall exceed the sum of twenty pounds; and further, that such appointments of such justices as aforesaid shall remain in force until one week after the following Easter sessions respectively; and that, in case of the death of, or removal of, or refusal to act by any such justice or justices, so appointed as aforesaid, the said court of general quarter sessions or great sessions may at any other of the four quarterly sessions appoint any other justice or justices to act for the remainder of the then current year, in the place of any such justice or justices so dying, removing, or refusing to act, as aforesaid.

The two jus tices to remain in of fice for one year, finish

ing one week after quarter ses

sions.

Quarter sessions to or der payment for repairs.

Certificate signed by one of the two justices.

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it shall and may be lawful for the justices of the peace of any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, at the general quarter sessions or great sessions which shall next happen, after such repairs so ordered to be made by such justices so appointed as aforesaid shall be completed, or the greater part of them then and there assembled, to order the payment of such sum or sums of money, not exceeding ten pounds, as shall be sufficient to pay for such repairs, to be made out of the county rate, to such person or persons who shall have so repaired the same by such order of such justices as aforesaid, although no presentment shall have been made by any grand jury at the assize, great sessions, or general quarter sessions of the peace of any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty in which such repairs shall have been done, of the want of such reparation, as by the said act of the 12th year of his late majesty King George the Second, above recited, was directed: provided nevertheless, that before such payment be ordered to be made as aforesaid, a certificate be returned to such justices of the peace so assembled at such last-mentioned sessions, signed by two at the least of such justices so appointed as aforesaid, who shall have so ordered such repairs as aforesaid, stating the nature of such repairs, and the defects, damage, or injuries, which they had so ordered to be repaired, and their reason for so ordering such immediate repairs, as aforesaid: provided, also, that such justices of the peace, so assembled as last aforesaid, be satisfied by the parties concerned, that the charges made by them for such repairs are reasonable and just.

55 Geo. 3, c. 143.

I. [Empowers surveyors of county bridges, and other persons employed under contracts, to take stones for the

repair of county bridges, with the consent and order of Bridges. two justices of the peace. Provides that quarries situated in gardens and pleasure-grounds, shall not be used without consent of the owners, and that satisfaction shall be made for stone, and damage done, and lastly provides that, in case of refusal to treat, the justices at general or quarter sessions shall cause the value of the stones, and amount of the damage done, to be ascertained by a jury.]

II. [Enacts that justices of the peace may require sheriffs or bailiffs to return juries.]

IV. [Persons aggrieved may appeal to justices assembled in general quarter sessions.]

contract for

V. And whereas it is expedient that the powers contained Enabling in an act passed in the forty-third year of his present justices to majesty, intituled, "An Act for remedying certain Defects the repair of in the Laws relative to the Building and Repairing of County county Bridges, and other Works, maintained at the Expense of the bridges, &c. Inhabitants of Counties in England," for authorizing the justices of the peace of any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, at their general quarter session of the peace, to contract for maintaining and keeping in repair roads over county bridges, and so much of the roads at the ending thereof as by law is to be repaired at the expense of counties, although no presentment shall have been made of the want of repair, as directed by an act passed in the twelfth year of his late majesty King George the Second, intituled, "An Act for the more easy assessing, collecting, and levying of County Rates," should be extended to the bridges as well as to the roads at the end thereof: be it further enacted, that from and after the day of passing this act, it shall and may be lawful to and for the justices of the peace of any county, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, at their general quarter sessions respectively, to contract and agree, or to authorize any other person or persons to contract and agree with any person or persons, for the maintaining and keeping in repair any county or hundred bridge, and the road over such county or hundred bridge, and so much of the road at the ends thereof as are by law liable to be repaired at the expense of any such county, hundred, city, riding, division, town corporate, or liberty, or any part of the same; and the said justices are hereby empowered to order such sum or sums of money as may be contracted for and agreed to be paid for the repairing, amending, and supporting such bridges, and the roads over the same, or the ends thereof, to be paid (in cases where the county is liable to the repair thereof) by the treasurer of the county out of the county rate, or (in cases where the hundred is liable to the repair of the same) by the bridgemaster (or other public officer charged with the repair of bridges) of the hundred by

Bridges. which such bridge is liable to be repaired, for any term not exceeding seven years, nor less than one, although no presentment of the insufficiency, decay, or want of repair of the same shall have been made, and although no public notice shall have been given by the said justices, at their respective general or quarter session, of their intention to contract for the repair of such bridges, or the roads at the ends thereof, as respectively directed by the said act of the twelfth year of his late majesty King George the Second: provided nevertheless, that, before any such contract shall be made, the said justices shall cause notices to be given in some public paper, circulated in such county, city, riding, hundred, division, town corporate, or liberty, of their intention to contract.

The penalty for procuring of wilful perjry.

PERJURY.

1. FERJURY IN GENERAL, 468.

2. PERJURY UNDER PARTICULAR STATUTES, 480.

5 Eliz. c. 9.

1. [Recites so much of 32 Hen. 8, c. 9, as relates to perjury.]

II. Sithence the making whereof, for that the said penalty is so small towards the offenders in that behalf, the said offence of subornation, and sinister procurement of false witnesses, hath nevertheless greatly increased and augmented, and by reason of the wilful perjury committed by the same suborned witnesses, divers and sundry of the queen's majesty's subjects have sustained disherison and great impoverishment, as well of their lands and tenements, as also of their goods and chattels.

III. Be it therefore enacted, &c., that all and every such person and persons, which at any time after the tenth day of April next coming, shall unlawfully and corruptly procure any witness or witnesses by letters, rewards, promises, or by any other sinister and unlawful labour or means whatsoever, to commit any wilful and corrupt perjury, in any matter or cause whatsoever now depending, or which hereafter shall depend, in suit and variance, by any writ, action, hill, complaint, or information, in any wise touching or con. cerning any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or any goods, chattels, debts, or damages, in any of the courts before mentioned, or in any of the queen's majesty's courts of record, or in any leet, view of frank pledge, or lawday, ancient demean court, hundred court, court baron, or in the court or courts of the stannery, in the counties of Devon and Cornwall; or shall likewise unlawfully and corruptly procure or suborn any witness or witnesses, which shall from and after the said tenth day of April be sworn to testify in perpetuam rei memoriam; that then every such