6. Reciting that by the 53rd section of the said Act it is provided, that in every action or suit brought or prosecuted for anything done in pursuance thereof, as therein mentioned, the defendant shall and may, at his election, plead specially or plead the general issue, and give the said Act and the special matter in evidence, at any trial to be had thereupon, and that the same was done in pursuance and by the authority of the said Act: Enacts and declares, That in case any defendant shall plead the general issue, as aforesaid, in any

action or suit relating to the land and hereditaments comprised in the said first Schedule hereto or any part thereof, or to anything done in respect thereof, he may in like manner give the special matter in evidence, and that the same was done in pursuance and by the authority of the said Act and of this Act.

7. This Act may be cited as "The Supplemental Public Offices Extension Act, 1861."

Hunter, Fred

The Crown

John Swift and John Edward Errington, Executors of Joseph Locke, deceased; John Edward Errington. Frederic Yates

John Swift and John Edward Errington, Executors of Joseph Locke, deceased; John Edward Errington. Frederick Yates.

Sir Robert Gyll and the The Adjutant General. Secretary-at-War.

The Commissioners of Her Unoccupied.

Majesty's Works and Pub

lic Buildings.

Caroline Molesworth, Rev. John Swift and John Ed-
Ralph Colley Smith, ward Errington, Execu-
Richard Hunter,Frederick tors of Joseph Locke,
Gwatkin, John Edward deceased; John Edward
Errington.
Errington.

Caroline Molesworth, Rev. Frederick Yates.

Ralph Colley Smith,

Richard Hunter, Frederick

Gwatkin, Frederick Yates.

Caroline Molesworth, Rev. The Adjutant General.

Ralph Colley Smith, Richard Hunter, Frederick Gwatkin, Sir Robert Gyll, and the Secretary-at-War. Caroline Molesworth, Rev. Ralph Colley Smith, Richard Hunter, Frederick Gwatkin, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings.

...

Unoccupied.

The Board of Works for the Westminster Dis. trict, the Chelsea Waterworks Company, the Equitable Gas Company, the Chartered Gas Company, the London Gas Company, and the Public.

Acts, loans might be made for the erection of dwellings for labourers and their families, in such cases, and upon such conditions, as are therein mentioned and provided and that by the said Act, 13 & 14 Vict. c. 31, it is provided that the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland should not make any order for any loan under the said Acts or any of them to the same owner for a larger sum than 5,000l., or if any previous order or orders should have been made under the said Acts for a loan or loans to the same owner in respect of the same or any other lands, or to any previous owner of the same lands in respect of such land, the said Commissioners should not make such order for a loan to a larger amount than would, with the sum that had been or might be issued under such previous order or orders make up 5,000l.: and that it is expedient that, for the purpose of facilitating the erection of dwelling-houses for labourers and their families, loans may be authorized to be made under the pro

visions of the said Acts beyond the said limited sum of 5,000l.:

It is therefore Enacted as follows:

That notwithstanding that an order or orders may have been or may be made by the said Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland, under the said Acts or any of them, for a loan or loans either to the same owner in respect of the same or any other land, or to several owners in respect of the same lands, amounting in the whole to the said sum of 5,000l., it shall be lawful nevertheless for the said Commissioners to make a further loan or further loans, under the provisions of the said Act, 23 Vict. c. 19, and of the said Acts therein recited, for the purpose only of erecting dwellings for labourers and their families: Provided always, that such further loan or loans so to be made in excess of the said sum of 5,000l. shall not exceed the sum of 1,000l.

(22nd July 1861.)

By this Act,

After reciting that it is expedient that more effectual regulations should be made for facilitating the transfer of government stocks, funds, and annuities now by law transferable at the Bank of Ireland, and also to facilitate the mutual transfer of capital in certain public stocks or funds transferable at the Bank of England to certain public stocks or funds transferable at the Bank of Ireland, and in like manner from certain public stocks or funds transferable at the Bank of Ireland to certain public stocks or funds transferable at the Bank of England: And that the said Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland have heretofore closed the books for transfer of the various capital stocks and annuities created by Parliament transferable at the Bank of Ireland forming part of the unredeemed public debt for a certain number of days prior to the days fixed for the payment of the halfyearly dividend thereon respectively, in order to their convenience in calculating the dividends due to the several proprietors thereof and preparing the

warrants for the same, and during the period of such closing no transfers have been permitted except under circumstances of special necessity, and such transfers have been attended with great inconvenience by reason of the stocks so transferred carrying the right to the current half-year's dividend: And that it is desirous to increase the facilities for the transfer of such stocks:

It is Enacted as follows:

1. It shall be lawful for the said Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland to close the books for the transfer of the said several stocks and annuities on any day not exceeding fifteen days prior to that on which the dividends thereon respectively shall by law be payable; and the persons or person who on the day of the closing of such book was or were inscribed as the proprietor or proprietors of any share or shares of and in such stocks and annuities respectively, shall, as between him, her, or them and the transferee or transferees thereof, be the person or persons entitled to the then current half-year's dividend thereon; and the

person or persons to whom any transfer shall be made after the day of the closing of such books shall not be entitled to the then current half-year's dividend on such stock, but shall take and accept the same, exclusive of the right to the said halfyearly dividends.

2. Reciting that it is desirable to increase the facilities for the mutual transfer of capital in the public stocks, annuities, or funds transferable at the Banks of England and Ireland respectively, and to curtail the time during which the books of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England and of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland respectively are now by law closed against such transfers: Enacts, That it shall not be lawful for any person or persons to make any transfer or transfers, for the purposes of said Act, of any stocks, funds, or annuities from England to Ireland, or from Ireland to England, respectively, during the period of three clear days preceding the day or days on which the books of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, and of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland, respectively, shall from time to time be closed for the purpose of dividend prior to the day or days fixed for payment of the same.

3. Reciting that by an Act of Her present Majesty's reign passed in the last Session of Parliament, intituled, 'An Act to make Provision as to Stocks and Dividends unclaimed in Ireland,' and reciting an Act of the 56 Geo. 3. c. 60, all the pro

visions of said last-recited Act were extended to all stocks, funds, and annuities constituting part of the national debt, and transferable at the Bank of Ireland, and to the dividends thereon, and to the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland and their officers, and to the Court of Chancery in Ireland: And that by said recited Acts power is vested in the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ireland for the time being to authorize and direct the accountant general or secretary of the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland for the time being to re-transfer any capital stock which shall have been transferred to the Commissioners forthe Reduction of the National Debt under the circumstances therein mentioned: And that it is expedient to extend the authority in the said Acts contained to the deputy accountant general and deputy or assistant secretary for the time being of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland: Enacts, That all transfers directed to be made under the provisions in that behalf contained in the said recited Acts or any of them, to and from the account of the said Commissioners, shall be as valid and effectual, if made by the deputy accountant general or the deputy or assistant secretary of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland for the time being, as if the same had been made by the accountant general or secre tary of the said governor and company for the time being.

4. The 11th and 12th sections of the 5 Geo. 4. c. 53. are hereby repealed.

(22nd July 1861.)

a ward or wards, or to annex such district or any part thereof to any one or more of the existing wards of such burgh, and to fix and arrange the limits of such extended wards, and the number of councillors to be elected for each existing and extended ward of such burgh, in such manner as he shall think fit, and to take all such proceedings for these purposes as may be necessary or expedient.

2. On such formation or annexation of wards being made and completed, a notice signed by such sheriff or sheriff substitute specifying the limits of the extended wards, and the number of councillors to be elected for each existing and extended ward of such burgh, as fixed and arranged by him, shall be published once in the Edinburgh Gazette, and once in each of two successive weeks in a newspaper published in such burgh, or, if no newspaper be published therein, in a newspaper published in the county in which such burgh is situate; and thereafter the qualified electors of all such wards, whose names shall be on the list or roll of electors of such burgh in force for the time being, shall be entitled to vote in the election of

councillors for such burgh, for as many qualified persons to be councillors in and for such wards respectively as are specified in such notice, in the manner provided by the Acts, 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 76. and 77; and all orders or deliverances made or pronounced by such sheriff or sheriff substitute in the execution of this Act shall be final, and not subject to appeal, review, or reduction in any court or by any process whatsoever.

3. In the event of the boundaries of any burgh being extended into another county than that in which such burgh is situate, it shall be lawful for the sheriff or sheriff substitute of the county in which such burgh is situate to act, in carrying into execution the provisions of this Act with respect to the district comprehended within such extended boundaries in another county, in the same manner and to the same effect as if such district had been situate in the county of which he is sheriff or sheriff substitute.

4. All expenses incurred in or with respect to the proceedings under this Act in any burgh shall be paid by the town council of such burgh.

(22nd July 1861.)

By this Act,

After reciting that it is expedient to simplify the mode of imposing the assessment for raising the funds for the relief of the poor in Scotland:

It is Enacted as follows:

From and after the 1st of January 1862, so much of section 34. of the Act, 8 & 9 Vict. c. 83, intituled 'An Act for the Amendment and better Administration of the Laws relating to the Relief of the Poor in Scotland,' as makes it lawful for any parochial board of any parish or combination of parishes in Scotland to raise one half of the funds requisite for the relief of the poor persons entitled to relief from the parish or combination by assessment upon the owners of all lands and heritages within the parish or combination, according to the annual value of such lands and heritages, and the other half upon the whole inhabitants, according to their means and substance, other than lands and heritages situated in Great Britain and Ireland, or to raise such funds by assessment, imposed as an equal per-centage upon the annual value of all lands and heritages, within the parish

VOL. XXXIX.-STAT.

or combination, and upon the estimated annual income of the whole inhabitants from means and substance other than lands and heritages situated in Great Britain or Ireland, is hereby repealed: and every parochial board of any parish or combination of parishes now raising such funds in terms of the parts of the said recited Act which are hereby repealed as aforesaid shall, before ceasing to raise such funds, and within two months after the passing of this Act, resolve to adopt the first mode of assessment specified in section 34. of the recited Act, and to classify lands and heritages equitably in terms of the 36th section of the said recited Act, and shall forthwith report such resolution to the Board of Supervision, which is hereby authorized and required to determine whether or not the classification so resolved on is equitable, and, in the event of their considering the classification thereby made is not equitable, to vary or alter the same as to them shall seem just; and until the said first mode of assessment so resolved on, with relative classification, shall have been approved of by the Board of Supervision, the assessment for relief of the poor in any parish where the classification may not be approved of shall continue to

H