method of assigning and tranferring the title to such annuities shall be good or available in law. Provided, that such annuities shall be transferred entire, and not in parts or shares; and that the original nominee (in case of life annuities) shall never be varied or changed, notwithstanding any transfer of any such right, title, or interest: provided also, that all persons possessed of any right, title, or interest in such annuities may devise the same by will as personal estate, but that no payment shall be received from any devisee until so much of such will as relates to such estate or interest in such annuities be entered in such books. § 37.

All registers, transfers, and receipts, &c. are to be exempt from stamp duty. § 38.

Unclaimed Annuities.-The governor and company of the Bank shall cause to be made up, to the 5th January in each year, an account of all life annuities granted by the said commissioners in pursuance of any act heretofore in force, and of all annuities for lives or years, of whatsoever kind, granted in pursuance of this act, which shall have remained uoclaimed for the space of three years; and all such annuities so remaining unclaimed, together with the unclaimed half-yearly arrears thereof, and also all annuities for lives or years which shall have expired, and all half-yearly arrears thereof, shall cease to be charged upon the consolidated fund. Provided, that nothing shall extend or be construed to extend to defeat or prejudice the rights of any person entitled to any such annuity to claim the half-yearly arrears and future payments thereof: provided also, that in respect of any life annuities, such claim shall be supported by the production of the proper certificates and affidavits or affirmations in proof of the life of the nominee upon whose life such life annuity depended, or upon the personal appearance of such nominee, as required by this act; and in every such case it shall be lawful for the said commissioners to reinstate the said annuities for lives or years so claimed, and to charge the same from time to time upon the consolidated fund, and also all arrears thereof; and the said governor and company are hereby required, out of any sums which shall have been paid to them, and carried in their books to the account of the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, to pay the said nnuities, and all arrears thereof accordingly. § 39.

Producing false Certificates &c. Penalty on.-If any certificate, affidavit, or affirmation shall be produced, which shall contain any untrue statement of the age of any person proposed or appointed to be a nominee, with intent to obtain an annuity on the continuance of the life of any person under the age of fifteen years, or to obtain any higher rate or amount of annuity during the life of any nominee than would be allowed under the provisions of this act, according to the true age of such nominee, then in every such case all Bank Annuities or Long Annuities which may have been transferred, and all money which may have been paid on account of the purchase of such annuity shall be forfeited, and all right and title to any annuity which would or might otherwise have been pay

able in respect thereof shall cease and determine; and the person by whom or on whose behalf such Bank Annuities or Long Annuities shall have been transferred, or such money shall have been paid, shall forfeit treble the amount of every sum which may have been received on behalf of such person, on account or in respect of any such annuity, and also the further sum of five hundred pounds. § 40.

Forging Register, Certificate, Transfer, &c. Felony.-If any person shall forge, counterfeit, or alter, or shall cause or procure to be so done, or shall knowingly or wilfully act or assist in so doing, any register of the birth or baptism or death or burial of any person to be appointed a nominee under the provisions of this act, or any copy or certificate of any such register, or the name of any witness to any such certificate, or any affidavit or affirmation required to be taken, or any certificate of any justice of the peace or magistrate, or of any officer acting under the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, of any such affidavit or affirmation having been taken before him, or any certificate of any governor or person acting as such, or minister or consul, or chief magistrate of any province, town, or place, or other person authorized to grant any certificate of the life or death of any nominee; or shall forge counterfeit, or alter, or shall cause to be so done, or shall knowingly or wilfully act or assist in so doing, any certificate of any officer of the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, or of any cashier or clerk of the Bank of England, or the name of any person in or to any transfer of auy Bank Aunuities or Long Annuities, or in or to any certificate or other instrument for the payment of money for the purchase of any annuity under the provisions of this act, or in or to any transfer or acceptance of any such annuity in the books of the Bank of England, or in or to any receipt or discharge for any payment due or to become due thereon, or in or to any letter of attorney or other authority or instrument to authorize or purporting to authorize the transfer or acceptance of any Bank Annuities or Long Aunuities, or any life annuity, or any annuity for years of whatsoever kind, under the provisions of this act, or authorizing or purporting to authorize the receipt of any life annuity, or any annuity for years of whatsoever kind, granted under this act, or any payment due or to become due thereon; or if any person shall wilfully, falsely, and deceitfully personate any true and real nominee, or shall wilfully utter or deliver or produce, to any person acting under the authority of this act, any such forged register or copy of register, or any such forged certificate, affidavit, or affirmation, knowing the same to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, with intent to defraud his majesty, or with intent to defraud any person whomsoever; in every such case every person so offending shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death. § 41.

Receiving Annuity after the Death of Nominee, Penalty on.~ If any person shall, for his own use, or the use of any other person, receive any one or more payments (otherwise than as autho

rized by this act), in respect of any annuity, after the death of any single or surviving nominee on the continuance of whose life such annuity was payable, or after the death of either nominee in case the annuity shall have been granted upon the joint continuance of the lives of two joint nominees, and after and beyond the time on which such annuity ought wholly to cease in consequence of the death of such nominee, knowing such nominee to be dead, and contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act; every person so offending shall forfeit treble the amount of all money so received, and also the further sum of five hundred pounds. § 42.

Recovery and Application of Penalties.-All penalties and forfeitures imposed by this act shall be recoverable, if incurred in England, in the name of his majesty's attorney general, by information in the Court of Exchequer; or if incurred in Ireland, in the name of his majesty's attorney general, in the court of Exchequer at Dublin; or if incurred in Scotland, in the name of his majesty's advocate general, in the Court of Exchequer in Scotland; and such penalty and forfeiture shall belong to the consolidated fund. Provided, that it shall be lawful for the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt to cause such reward as they shall think fit (not exceeding one moiety of any such penalty or forfeiture, after deducting all charges and expences incurred in recovering the same) to be paid to any person who shall appear to them to be entitled thereto as informer. § 43.

False Swearing.-If any person, in any affidavit, shall wilfully or corruptly swear or affirm any matter or thing which shall be false or untrue, every such person shall be liable to such pains and penalties as by any laws now in force any persons convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury are subject and liable. to. § 44.

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Forms of Certificates, and Construction of Evidence. All certificates or other instruments required for carrying this act into execution shall be in sach form and under such regulations as the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, or the comptroller general or assistant comptroller acting under the said commissioners, shall direct and approve: provided, that in all cases whatever relating to the purchase or receipt of any annuity for lives or years of whatsoever kind, it shall be lawful for the said commissioners, or for the comptroller general or assistant comptroller acting under the said commissioners, where any evidence shall be produced by any person for the purchase or receipt of any annuity, not strictly conformable to the provisions of this act, to admit such evidence for the purposes of this act respecting the same as shall or may appear to the said commissioners, or the said comptroller general or assistant comptroller, to be satisfactory; and also to correct, rectify, and amend any contract for any such annuity, or certificate or other instrument, in cases wherein any mistake or accidental error shall or may have been made in the execution of this act. § 45.

No Fees to be taken.-No fee whatever shall be received or taken by any officer acting under the commissioners, for granting any certificate, or for any thing to be done in pursuance of this act. § 46.

Clerks, &c. The commissioners may appoint such clerks and officers as may be necessary for carrying this act into execution, and as may be approved of by the Treasury. § 47.

The lord high treasurer, or the commissioners of his majesty's treasury, or any three or more of them, may order and direct to be issued and paid, out of the fund upon which the establishment of the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt is chargeable, any sum of money for the payment of salaries to officers and clerks, and for discharging such incidental expences as shall necessarily attend the execution thereof; and may settle and appoint such allowances as may be proper for the labour of the cashier or other officer of the Bank of England in execution of this act. § 48.

Sections 49, 50, authorize three or more commissioners to act; and direct an account to be annually laid before parliament of the amount of Bank and Long Annuities transferred, and of money paid for annuities, and the gross amount of annuities granted, within the year ending on the 5th January.

Limitation of Actions.-Actions against persons for any thing done in pursuance of this act must be brought within three calendar months; and defendant may plead the general issue, and give this act and the special matter in evidence, and, if plaiutiff fail, shall have treble costs. § 51.

REDUCTION OF NATIONAL DEBT.

CAP. 27.-An Act to amend the several acts for regulating the reduction of the national debt. [1st June, 1829.

Account of Surplus Revenue to be made up every Quarter by the Treasury. Whereas by the 9 Geo. IV. c. 98. întituled An act to amend the acts for regulating the reduction of the national debt, it is amongst other things enacted, that until the 5th July, 1829, there shall be issued out of the consolidated fund, to be placed to the account of the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, to be applied towards the reduction of the national debt, such sum of money as (together with the interest on all capital stock whatever which on the 5th July, 1828, was standing in the names of the said commissioners, either on account of the sinking fund, or on account of stock transferred to them for the purchase of life annuities) shall not exceed the sum of three millions; and whereas it has been resolved by the Commons' House of Parliament, that in lieu of the sum of three millions so directed to be issued, there shall be issued from and after the 5th July, 1829, out of the consolidated fund, to the said commissioners, to be by them applied towards the reduction of the national debt, such annual sum as shall appear to be the actual surplus revenue of the United Kingdom beyond the actual annual expenditure thereof; it is therefore enacted, That for the ascertaining the actual annual amount of such surplus revenue, the lords commissioners of his majesty's treasury shall, within thirty days next after the passing of this act, with respect to the quarter of the year ending on the 5th April,

and within thirty days next after the 5th July and the 10th October in this present year 1829, and within thirty days after the 5th January, the 5th April, the 5th July, and the 10th October, in every subsequent year, cause an annual account to be prepared, shewing the actual receipt and expenditure of the United Kingdom in the four quarters, for the whole of the year immediately preceding such several quarterly days; and the one fourth part of the sum which by every such annual account shall appear to be the amount of the whole actual annual surplus revenue for such year, shall be the sum which shall be issued out of the consolidated fund to the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, to be applied towards the reduction of the national debt during the quarter of the year then next immediately ensuing the quarter within which such annual account shall be made up; and the commissioners of the tseasury, or any three or more of them, shell certify the amount of the actual anuual surplus revenue of every such year respectively to the said commissioners for the reduction of the national debt; and such last-mentioned commissioners shall thereupon publish in the London Gazette the sum which under the provisions of this act will be so applicable in such ensuing quarter of the year. § 1. .

But the several sums directed to be paid into the Exchequer on the 15th April, and on the 15th July, 1828, under the provisions of the 4 Geo. IV. c. 22. intituled An Act to confirm an agreement entered into by the trustees under an act of the last session of parliament, for apportioning the burthen occasioned by the military and naval, pensions and civil superannuations, with the governor and company of the Bank of England, shall not be deemed for the purposes of this act as part of the revenue of the United Kingdom, nor be included as such in the first annual account directed to be prepared under the provisions of this act. § 2.

Such Surplus Revenue to be issued to Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt.-And one fourth part of the sum which from time to time shall appear by every such annual account to be the actual surplus revenue of the year immediately preceding, shall be charged upon the consolidated fund, and shall be issued and paid, in and for the quarter of the year then next ensuing the quarter within which such annual account is hereinbefore directed to be made up, either into the Bank of England or into the Bank of Ireland, to the account of the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, as the said commissioners shall direct, to be by them applied towards the redemption of the national debt, in such proportions, and at such times in each quarter in every future year, as the said commissioners shall require, according to the provisions and directions of any act in force respecting sums issued from the said exchequer towards the reduction of the said national debt. § 3.

Stock &c. in the names of the Commissioners to be cancelled.-And all capital stock whatever (except such capital stock, standing in the names of the said commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, as by an act of the fourth year of his present majesty, for