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The sale of spirits (§ 42) is forbidden in any passenger ship under a penalty not exceeding 201. nor less than 51. for each offence.

Before clearing out (43) the owner or charterer, or some one on his behalf, shall enter into a bond in a form prescribed for the due performance of the requirements of this Act, and of any order in council, and also for the payment of penalties that may be incurred, such bond to be exempt from stamp duty, and any suit thereon for any breach of the requirements must be brought within twelve months of the return of the ship or the master to the United Kingdom.

§ 44 enacts that no person is to act as a passage broker in respect of passengers to North America without a license, and entering into a bond, with two sureties, for 2007., in a prescribed form, under a penalty for each offence not exceeding 50l. nor less than 201.; and § 45 prescribes the forms of license, of notice, of proceedings in cases of forfeiture, and of notice of the same to the Commissioners. Licenses taken out under the previous Act (§ 46) to be in force until Feb. 1, 1850, and no longer.

Contract tickets, in a prescribed form (§ 47), are to be given to each passenger to North America under a penalty for neglect not exceeding 107. nor less than 57.; and any owner, master, or broker (§ 48), altering or inducing any person to part with, or alter, or destroy, or render useless, such contract ticket, incurs a penalty not exceeding 51. nor less than 21.

Licensed brokers (§ 49) acting as agents and receiving money from passengers for North America without a written authority from the principals are liable for each offence to a penalty not exceeding 10%. nor less than 57., and no person unless acting as agent for a licensed passage broker to claim any fee or commission for services rendered to emigrants, under penalty not exceeding 57. nor less than 27.

§ 50 imposes a penalty on the master of any passenger ship, not exceeding 50%. nor less than 57. for any and each infringement of the provisions of the act concerning the certificate for clearing out, the passenger lists, the additional lists, the survey of the ship, the providing of boats and life buoys, the manning of the ship, the shipment and the issue of provisions and water, the providing of a cook and cooking apparatus, of a surgeon and medicines, of medical inspection before sailing, and for not relanding of diseased passengers; § 51 imposes a like penalty on the forging or falsifying the form of application for passages or the certificate in support thereof, and § 52 prescribes the process for recovering the penalties or the passage money, subsistence money, or any compensation that may become due to passengers. § 53 prescribes the payment of the penalties if recovered by a government officer into the government treasury, either at home or abroad, but the justices have power to allot a portion, not exceeding a half, to parties who may have suffered damage from the act for which the penalty is imposed. The burden of proof that a ship was not within the provisions of this act (§ 54) is to be on the persons claiming such exemption; viva voce evidence to be admitted as proof (§ 55) of any person being actually an emigration officer in any proceedings under this act; and a passenger (§ 56) suing under this act for damages or compensation money not to be deemed an incompetent witness. Tender of amends (§ 57), if sufficient, to be a good plea in any action; and ten days' notice of action (§ 58) must be given before it can be commenced, nor can an action be brought after an interval of more than three months from the time of the committal of the act for which the action is brought, and the defendant is at

liberty to plead the general issue. If the plaintiff is nonsuited, the defendant to have his costs.

In Scotland (§ 59) the sheriff substitute or steward substitute to have the like powers and to act in the same manner as justices in England.

$60 defines a colonial voyage to be from any port or place in any of her Majesty's possessions abroad (except the territories of the East India Company) to any other port or place in any of her Majesty's possessions of which the duration shall exceed three days: and $ 61 extends the provisions of this act to such voyages with certain modifications depending on the presumed length of the voyage, which the governor of the colony is empowered (62) to fix, and also to alter the articles of food and medicine; this to be done by proclamation, which is to be transmitted for confirmation or disallowance to her Majesty. The governor is also (§ 63) to make provision for the survey of ships in the colonies, and for appointing surgeons on board. §64 gives power to the Governor-General of India in council to adopt this act with certain exceptions, to make the necessary modifications, and to prescribe the mode of recovering the penalties.

SEWERS ACTS AMENDMENT. |

[12 and 13 Victoriæ, cap. 50.-July 28, 1849.] An Act for further Amending the Laws relating to Sewers. This Act, which only contains ten clauses, is chiefly for the purpose of facilitating the recovery of penalties imposed by previous Acts. The first clause, however, empowers the Commissioners of Sewers to partition districts into sub-districts; and the second enables them to make a separate rate for each district; the third, fourth, and fifth clauses empower them to nominate a new officer, to be called a dykereeve, for a district or sub-district, who is to be selected from occupiers of not less than ten acres of sewable land, who is to serve for a term not exceeding five years, without fee or reward, and whose duties and authorities are to be prescribed by the Commissioners of Sewers; the refusal to serve such office incurs a penalty not exceeding 201. and fines not exceeding 40s. in each case are imposable for any breach or neglect of the law brought before them on presentment by the dyke-reeve.

COMMONS INCLOSURE, (No. 2.)

[12 and 13 Victoriæ, cap. 57.—July 28, 1849.]

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An Act to authorize the Inclosure of certain Lands in pursuance of a Special Report of the Inclosure Commissioners for England and Wales. This is the second Inclosure Act of the session. It authorizes the inclosure of the common lands of the following twenty-one places: Cornwall-St. Ive Down. Cumberland-Calder, Crosby and Birkby, Ponsonby. Hampshire-Binsted, Rotherwick. Kent-Brasted Chart. Norfolk-Brandiston, Haverland, Swannington. Oxfordshire-Harley and Crawley. Radnorshire-Creigbyther, St. Harmon. Somersetshire -Loxton. Suffolk-Bedfield Long Green, Bradfield St. George, Brockley, Rumburgh, Sussex-Arlington, Hailsham, Hellingly.

MARRIAGES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES FACILITATING. [12 and 13 Victoria, cap. 68.-July 28, 1849.]

An Act for facilitating the Marriages of British Subjects resident in Foreign Countries.

§ 1 repeals so much of the Act 4 Geo. IV. cap. 94, which requires the marriage of foreign subjects abroad to be solemnized by a minister of the Church of England, in the house or chapel of a British ambassador or minister, or the chapel of a factory, and legalizes all marriages solemnized as by this Act directed. A notice of every intended marriage is to be given in a specified form (§ 2) to the consul of the district in which the parties may have resided for a calendar month; and the consul (§ 3) is to file the notices, register them, and suspend a copy of the notice in some conspicuous place of the consulate offices, for seven days if the marriage is to be by license, and for twenty-one days if without, for which he is to receive a fee of 10s. Duly authorized persons (§ 4) may forbid the marriage; and the like consent is required (§ 5) as is necessary to any marriage by license in England. Where there is no lawful hindrance to the marriage (§ 6) the consul on payment of a fee of 20s. may certify on the original notice, and also in the register, that license has been granted, and such certificate to be deemed a license for such marriage. Any person (§7) may, on payment of a fee of 20s., enter a caveat against a marriage, signed with their name and address, and stating the grounds; the consuls then to examine and decide as to the objection, and in case of doubt to refer it to the decision of the registrar-general in England, but in case the marriage is refused the parties have an appeal to one of her Majesty's Secretaries of State. If the marriage is not solemnized within three months from the time of the notice being given, a new notice (§ 8) is required. After seven days by license (§ 9) or twenty-one days without license, the marriage may be solemnized at the British consulate, with open doors, between the hours of eight and twelve in the forenoon, in the presence of two or more witnesses, according to the rites of the Church of England, or such other form as the parties may see fit to adopt, or may be solemnized by the consul himself according to a prescribed form, and the consul (§ 10) in either case is to receive a fee of 20s. The consul is to register (§ 11) the marriage in duplicate books of prescribed form, and transmit the duplicate copy of the same in January of each year (§ 12) to the registrar-general through the Secretary of State. After marriage (§ 13) proof of residence or consent not to be deemed necessary to establish its validity. The consul (14) may ask the several questions required to be registered touching the marriage, and in case of any fraudulent marriage under this Act (§ 15) the guilty party is to forfeit all property accruing from the marriage, as enacted by 4 Geo. IV. cap. 76; and false oaths, declarations, &c. (§ 16) are punishable as perjury; the certificate (§ 17) being deemed sufficient evidence of the oath, declaration, &c. as made. The provisions of the Registration Act are by § 18 extended to this Act. The consuls (§ 19) are to be authorized by the Secretary of State to solemnize marriages, and in his absence or where there is no resident consuls the vice-consul or consular agent. § 20 renders valid marriages that have already taken place between British subjects on board a British vessel of war, or in the presence of a British ambassador, consul, or other minister representing the nation, whether by an ordained

minister, or according to other religious ceremonies, or per verba de præsenti, except where such marriage has been already legally declared invalid, and the act (§ 21) is not to affect the question of marriages performed otherwise than is herein provided, nor to extend to the royal family.

REGIMENTAL BENEFIT SOCIETIES.

[12 and 13 Victoriæ, cap. 71.—July 28, 1849.]

An Act to dissolve Regimental Benefit Societies, and to provide for the Application of the Funds of such Societies, and of Regimental Charitable Funds.

This is a short Act which declares that from its passing all regimental benefit societies are to cease; the funds are to be paid into the Bank of England to the account of the paymaster-general; from this fund annuities are to be purchased for such discharged soldiers as are entitled to pensions, and the remainder is to be equitably divided among the members of the societies who may be entitled thereto, and to be vested in their names in the military savings banks of their respective regiments established under the provisions of the 5 and 6 Vict. cap. 71, to be paid to any one on his discharge, or earlier on the recommendation of his commanding officer that it may be for his advantage so to receive it.

PROTECTION OF WOMEN.

[12 and 13 Victoriæ, cap. 76.—July 28, 1849.]

An Act to protect Women from fraudulent Practices for procuring their Defilement.

The first clause enacts that "if any person shall, by false pretences, false representations, or other fraudulent means, procure any woman or child under the age of twenty-one years to have illicit carnal connexion with any man, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall, being duly convicted thereof, suffer imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, with hard labour."

$2 enacts that "where any prosecutor or other person shall appear before any court on recognizance to prosecute or give evidence against any person charged with any offence against this Act, every such court is hereby authorized and empowered, whether any bill of indictment for such charge shall or shall not be actually preferred, to order payment of the costs and expenses of the prosecutor, and witnesses for the prosecution, in the same manner as courts are now by law authorized and empowered to order the same in cases of prosecutions for felony." § 3 gives costs as in cases of felony.

INCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND).

[12 and 13 Victoriæ cap. 77.—July 28, 1849.]

This is an important and a long Act of 55 clauses, but as it involves chiefly legal proceedings which it will require a professional man to conduct, we only select a few of its provisions to show its general nature. Commissioners with a secretary and the necessary offices are appointed, who form a court of record to carry it into execution.

§ 16 enables an owner of land, or of a lease or leases of land for not less than 60 years unexpired, subject to incumbrance, to apply within three years from the passing of the Act to the commissioners to direct a sale of such property; or (§ 17) the incumbrancer may apply, within the same term, for a like sale; but where the interest and annual payments in respect of charges payable out of the annual income (22) do not exceed half the net annual income, the commissioners are not to make an order for the sale of the property on the application of the incumbrancer. The sale is to be made (§ 23) subject to existing tenancies, leases, or under-leases, and may also be made subject to such annual charge as the commissioners may direct. The sale is to be made under the direction of the commissioners (§ 24), and the conveyance or assignment signed by two of them under their seal to be sufficient. Where an incumbrancer (§ 26) becomes the purchaser, the commissioners may authorize him to retain the amount of his incumbrance, and to pay the balance into the Bank of Ireland. Where application is inade(§ 43) for the sale of an undivided share of any property, the commissioners may direct a partition, and allot the portions to the respective parties in severalty, and §§ 44 and 46 empower them to effect changes of property for the objects of this Act even where such property is not liable to be sold under its provisions.

STAMPS, &c. ALLOWANCES.

[12 and 13 Victoriæ, cap. 80.—August 1, 1849.]

An Act to repeal the Allowances on the Purchase of Stamps, and for the Receiving and Accounting for the Duties on Gold and Silver Plate, and to grant other Allowances in lieu thereof.

By this Act all former allowances on the purchase of stamps, and on the payment of the stamp duty on gold and silver plate, are repealed, and instead thereof it is declared that from and after Oct. 10, 1849, the following allowances only are to be granted :

"To any person who at one and the same time shall produce at the office of the commissioners of Inland Revenue in London or Dublin to be stamped, or shall purchase of the said commissioners at their office in London, Edinburgh, or Dublin, vellum, parchment, or paper stamped with stamps (not being labels for medicines), under the yalue respectively of 107. each, but to the amount or value in the whole of 301. or upwards, 17. 10s. for every 1007., and so in proportion for any greater or less sum not under 30%.

"To any person who shall at one and the same time purchase of the commissioners of Inland Revenue, at their office in London or Edinburgh, stamped labels for medicines the duty whereon shall amount to 50%. or upwards, 51. for every 100l., and so on in proportion for any greater or less sum not under 50%.

"For receiving the duty for and in respect of gold plate or silver plate made or wrought in Great Britain or Ireland, paying the same, and making out the Accounts according to the directions of the several Acts of Parliament in that behalf made, 17. for every 1007. so received, paid, and accounted for, and so in proportion for any greater or less sum.'

The allowances are to be under the care and charge of the commissioners of Inland Revenue, and all former powers, provisions, regu lations, and directions, to remain in full effect,

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