No. CCCCI.

A Bill (or Private Act) for Regulating the Building of Houses and other erections in a Town, and for other purposes connected therewith (1).

1. Notice of an intended application to Parliament for the above purposes (2).

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a petition is intended to be presented to Parliament, in the next session thereof, for an act to regulate the building of houses in future, in the town of

county of

in the [and (if so) for widening the streets, lanes, and other public passages in the said town, removing obstructions and other annoyances therein.] AND further, that powers will be applied for in the said act, to raise money for the said purposes by levying rates or assessments upon the inhabitants of the said town.

(Solicitor).

PARLIAMENTA

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Private Act (buildings).

(1) Of Bills for these and other purposes of improvement in towns, see ante, "PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS," CHAP. II. sec. viii.

If the purpose of the act be for building a bridge, see post. TIT. ROADS; a church, post. CHURCH; gaol or the like, post. GAOL; work

house

or the like, post. POOR; if for the general improvement of a town by lighting, paving, widening streets, &c. post. IMPROVEMENTS. (2) With respect to this notice, when and how to be given, &c. see the reference supra, CHAP. II. sec. viii. pl. 1.

Other buildings.

Notice.

SUP.-VOL. III.

F

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Private Act (buildings).

Petition.

To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled (2).

The humble Petition of the several persons whose names
are hereunto subscribed, being owners of houses, build-
ings and ground in, and also inhabitants of the town
of
in the county of

,

behalf of themselves and other inhabitants thereof,

SHEWETH,

That many accidents have occurred in the said town of

on

by the injudicious mode of building dwelling and other houses and buildings hitherto erected in the said town, and in altering the same to purposes for which they were not originally designed, and other inconveniences occasioned thereby, to the inhabitants of the said town [and (if so) by reason of many of the streets, lanes, and other avenues and places there being too narrow for the present traffic in the said town, and the health of its increased population:] And whereas it would contribute greatly to the safety, convenience and advantage of your petitioners and of others frequenting the said town, and to the public at large, if the aforesaid inconveniences were remedied: That for these purposes it is requisite that restrictions and regulations should be imposed upon persons erecting houses and other buildings in the said town in future, and that it is expedient for some of the purposes aforesaid, that rates should be levied on the inhabitants of the said town, but which cannot be effected without the aid of Parliament:

Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that leave may be given to bring in a bill for effecting the purposes aforesaid, in such manner and by such ways and means, and under such regulations and restrictions as to this Honourable House shall seem meet.

Lords.

(1) See ante "PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS," Chap. II. sec. viii. pl. 2. (2) If the petition be presented to the House of Lords, as to which see ante "PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS," Chap. I. say

To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled.

3. The Form and Provisions of a Bill for the above purposes (1). The Title of the Bill (2),

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Private Act (buildings).

WHEREAS in consequence of the injudicious and insecure mode of Recital. erecting and altering houses and other buildings in the town of

erected.

, various accidents by fire and otherwise have happened or been extended, and there is great reason to apprehend that others may hereafter occur, unless certain regulations be adopted in the future erection and alteration of houses and buildings there: and whereas such regulations would also tend greatly to the convenience and salubrity of the said town and its inhabitants: May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King'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 How buildings all houses and other buildings which from and after the passing of in future to be this Act shall be erected, rebuilt, or altered within the said town of shall be erected, rebuilt, and altered in conformity with the provisions and regulations following, that is to say; that the several external walls and party walls and chimney backs of all such buildings as aforesaid, shall be of the thicknesses and dimensions specified in schedule (A.) to this act annexed, according to the respective rate of building particularized in the said schedule; and that the timber used in the roofs of such buildings shall be of the thicknesses and dimensions specified in schedule (B.) to this act annexed; and that good and well made mortar and seasoned timber shall be used in all such buildings.

wise constructed

common nuis

ance.

And be it further enacted, that if any person or persons shall build Buildings otheror rebuild, or begin to build or rebuild, or shall alter or begin to alter to be deemed a any house or other building within the said town, contrary to the provisions and regulations herein contained, and shall be thereof convicted by the oaths of two or more credible witnesses, before any two or more justices of the peace for the said town (which oaths they the said justices are hereby empowered and required to administer), then

(1) As to the requisite provisions of a bill of this nature, see ante, PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS," Chap. II. sec. viii. pl. 3.

(2) The title of the bill is to express its particular or general objects as concisely as possible, and see ante p. 45.

RY FORMS.

Private Act (buildings).

PARLIAMENTA the said house or building so built or rebuilt, or begun to be built or rebuilt, or so altered or begun to be altered, contrary to the provisions and regulations of this act, shall be deemed a common nuisance, and shall be so declared and adjudged to be by the said justices; and the person or persons so convicted, whether the builder or owner or occupier, or such of them as the said justices shall require, shall enter into a recognizance, in the form annexed to this act, in such sum as the said justices shall appoint, for abating the said nuisance, or amending the said building according to the provisions and regulations contained herein, within such convenient time as the said justices shall order and direct: Provided always, that the proceedings for every such conviction shall be commenced within three months after the house or building shall have been finished, or the alterations completed.

Buildings contrary to the act to be taken down.

Surveyors to be appointed.

And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any two or more justices of the peace for the said county to order, by warrant under their hands and seals, in the form to this act annexed, any houses or buildings so built or rebuilt, or begun to be built or rebuilt, or so altered or begun to be altered, contrary to the provisions and regulations of this act, and which shall, under and by virtue of this act, be declared and adjudged to be a common nuisance, to be abated or taken down, and to order the person or persons authorized to abate or take down the same, to sell and dispose of the materials thereof, and out of the monies arising from the sale thereof, to pay to themselves and all persons by them employed for the purposes aforesaid, the reasonable charges of abating or taking down such nuisance, and to pay the surplus of the monies arising by such sale (if any be), to the owner or owners of such materials, or to such person or persons as the said justices shall order and direct, for and on behalf of such owner or owners; and if the monies arising by such sale be not sufficient to pay such charges, the deficiency shall and may be recovered from and levied on such owner or owners, in like manner as penalties are by this act directed to be recovered and levied.

And be it further enacted, That the justices of the peace assembled at any general court of quarter sessions of the peace, to be holden for the said town, or at any adjournment thereof from time to time, shall and may nominate and appoint such and so many discreet persons, skilled in the art of building, as they the said justices shall think fit, to be surveyors of buildings, and to see that the several provisions and regulations of this act are well and truly observed in and throughout the said town: and that it shall be lawful for the said justices so assembled as aforesaid, and they are hereby required, to administer

to the said surveyors of buildings an oath for the true and impartial execution of their office in that behalf, and to appoint the several districts which shall be under their respective surveys; which oath shall be in the form or to the effect following; (that is to say)

PARLIAMENTA

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Private Act (buildings).

or's oath.

'I 4. B., being one of the surveyors of buildings appointed in pur- Form of surveyof an Act of Parliament passed in the

suance

year of the reign of &c., intituled an Act [here set forth the title of the act], do 'swear, that I will diligently, impartially, and faithfully execute the 'said office of surveyor of buildings, and to the utmost of my abilities ' endeavour to cause the provisions and regulations in the said act prescribed to be strictly observed, and that without favour or af 'fection, prejudice or malice, to any person or persons whomsoSo help me GOD.'

6

6

ever.

veyor's abode.

And each surveyor of buildings so appointed shall from time to time Notice of surleave notice in writing with the town-clerk of the said town, at his office there, of the place of his the said surveyor's abode or residence. And be it further enacted, That before any building shall be begun Notice of new to be built or rebuilt, or any alteration of the external or party walls be given to surbuildings, &c. to or chimney backs of any building be begun to be made, (except as veyor. hereinafter mentioned,) the owner or owners, or occupier or occupiers, or some person in his, her, or their behalf, shall give twenty-four hours' previous notice thereof to the surveyor of buildings for the time being within whose district the same shall be, by delivery of such notice to the said surveyor, or leaving the same at his dwelling-house, and such surveyor shall view and inspect the said building and alterations from time to time, and see that all the provisions and regulations in this act contained are well and truly observed. Provided always, That in case the intended alteration shall only relate to the opening of any doorway or window in any dwelling house, no such notice shall be requisite.

sur

In case surveyor cannot attend,

temporary sub

stitute.

Provided always, and be it further enacted, That in case the veyor of buildings for any district to whom such notice as aforesaid he is to provide a shall be given, or to whom any notice of the completion of any building, or the alteration of the same as hereinafter mentioned, shall be prevented by illness or other unavoidable accident, from viewing and inspecting any building, or in case such surveyor shall happen to be interested, directly or indirectly, in the building mentioned in such notice, then and in such case such surveyor shall cause such notice to be transmitted to some other surveyor of buildings appointed under this act, and such last mentioned surveyor, upon the receipt of such