parishes in which there are more than thirty rate-payers on the rate book, a Rate Receipt Check Book, in the form hereinbefore prescribed; and when he shall receive the amount due for poor rate on behalf of any parish or its officers, he shall, at the time of receiving the same, and not before, give to the person paying such money a proper receipt, as directed in this order in the case of overseers, and shall insert in such receipt the true date of the receipt.

Art. 7. It shall be the duty of every collector, before he shall proceed to collect any rate, to prepare receipts in the aforesaid form, numbered both on the receipt and the note thereof with the same number consecutively throughout the book, and properly to fill in the same respectively with the names of the reveral rate-payers, and the sum to be collected from each; and to submit such receipt check book, so numbered and filled up, to the overseers of the parish for which such rate is to be collected, before he proceeds to collect the rate; and such overseers shall cause the correctness of the numbering and the correspondence of the sums, and of the names filled in, with the rate book to which they relate, to be ascertained; and on the leaf next after the last of the receipts so made out in respect of any one rate, the said overseers shall certify the fact that such receipt check book has been examined and ascertained to be correct, and shall state in words at length the number of receipts filled up for the rate then to be collected. If upon the closing of any rate there shall remain in the rate receipt check book any receipts made out for such rate unused, the collector to whom such book shall belong shall enter upon each of such receipts the reason of its not having been used, and date and sign such entry.

Art. 8. Every such collector shall every week pay over all monies collected by him, or in his hands, belonging to any parish, to the banker whom the overseers of such parish may direct, to be placed to the account of one or more of them; or, in the absence of any such direction, to one of the said overseers in person: provided that as often as at any time in the course of any week the sum or sums of money in the hands of such collector belonging to any parish or parishes shall together exceed fifty pounds, such collector shall forthwith pay over such sum or sums as is hereinbefore directed.

Art. 9. Every such collector shall keep a book to be called the Collecting and Deposit Book, according to the form numbered 8, in which shall be entered accurately, and under their true dates, all sums received and paid over by him as such collector, and also the number of every receipt given by him out of the said rate receipt check book.

Art. 10. Every such collector shall make out a Monthly Statement, containing the several particulars set forth in the form numbered 9, and such statement shall be made up to the

last day of each calendar month inclusive, excepting in the case of the month of March, when it shall be made up to the 25th, and in that of the month of September, when it shall be made up to the 29th; so that any receipts or payments on the remaining days of those months respectively shall be included in the next monthly statement; and he shall forthwith deliver a copy of such statement, signed by himself, to one or more of the overseers of the parish to which such statement relates, and every collector appointed by a board of guardians shall also deliver or cause to be delivered a copy so signed to the board of guardians at their next ordinary meeting. Provided that the board of guardians or the overseers of the parish may, if they think fit, require a statement containing the several particulars set forth in the said form, numbered 9, to be made out and delivered to them respectively every week or fortnight; and the clerk to the guardians shall preserve the copies forwarded to the board of guardians, and shall produce the same to the auditor at the next audit.

The collector shall attend any of the ordinary meetings of the board of guardians, if thereunto required by them.

Art. 11. Every collector shall at each audit produce to the auditor a statement, in the form numbered 10, showing the name of every person rated to the relief of the poor, from whom nothing shall have been received on account of the rates made during the preceding half-year, and the other particulars set forth in such form.

Art. 12. In every case in which there shall be more than one collector employed in the collection of any one rate, the provisions hereinbefore made shall apply to the portion of such rate assigned to each collector, as if such portion were one entire rate.

CHAPTER V.

Paid Officers.

Sect. 1. Paid Officers generally, p. 64.
2. Clerk to the Guardians, p. 73.

3. Treasurer, p. 79.

4. Relieving Officer, p. 80.

5. Medical Officer, p. 84.

6. Chaplain, p. 91.

7. Master and Matron of the Workhouse, p. 92. 8. Schoolmaster and Mistress, p. 99.

9. Nurse, Porter, &c., p. 100.

Their appointment.] The poor law commissioners may, by order under their hands and seal, direct the overseers or guardians of any parish or union, or of so many parishes or unions as the said commissioners in such order may specify and declare to be united for the purpose only of appointing and paying officers,-to appoint such paid officers (a), with such qualifications as the said commissioners shall think necessary, for superintending or assisting in the administration of the relief and employment of the poor, and for the examining and

(a) The word "officer," includes any "clergyman, schoolmaster, person duly licensed to practise as a medical man, vestry clerk, treasurer, collector, assistant overseer, governor, master or mistress of a workhouse, or any other person

who shall be employed in any parish or union in carrying this Act or the laws for the relief of the poor into execution, and whether performing one or more of the above-mentioned functions." 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 76, s. 109.

auditing, allowing or disallowing of accounts in such parish or union or united parishes, and otherwise carrying the provisions of this Act into execution; and the said commissioners may define and direct the execution of the respective duties of such officers, and the places or limits within which the same shall be performed, and direct the mode of the appointment, and determine the continuance in office or dismissal of such officers, and the amount and nature of the security to be given by such of them as the said commissioners shall think ought to give security; the commissioners also, if they think fit, may regulate their salaries, &c. (b). Under this section, however, it was holden that the commissioners had no authority to order the guardians of an union to appoint a collector of rates for any particular parish in the union (c); they have since, however, had authority to make such an order, given to them by statute, and all such orders were thereby confirmed (d). But in unions under Gilbert's Act, it has been holden that the commissioners have authority to order the guardians to appoint an auditor and clerk to the guardians, these being officers within the meaning of the above section, but they cannot assign to them other duties than such as are above mentioned (e). And the statute has been holden to apply to parishes under local Acts as well as to those which are not so, and the poor law board may make an order for the appointment of paid officers accordingly (f). The commissioners, however, cannot themselves appoint, nor can they order any other than the guardians to appoint, any of these paid officers (g).

No person shall be eligible to hold any parish office, or have the management of the poor in any way, who shall have been convicted of felony, fraud, or perjury (h).

The commissioners may also by their order remove any master of any workhouse, or assistant overseer, or other paid officer of any parish or union, and require others to be appointed in their stead; and the person so removed shall not afterwards be appointed to any paid office without the consent of the commissioners (¿).

As to the appointment of paid officers generally, the consolidated order of the poor law commissioners, 24th July, 1847, provides:

Art. 153. The guardians shall, whenever it may be requisite,

(b) 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 76, s. 46. See R. v. Poor Law Commissioners, 11 Ad. & El. 558. R. v. Braintree, 10 Law J. 76, m.; 1 Q. B. 130.

(c) R. v. Poor Law Commissioners, in the matter of St. Andrew's Parish, MS. H. 1839; S. C. 9 Ad. & El. 901.

(d) 2 & 3 Vict. c. 84, s. 2.
(e) R. v. Poor Law Commis-

sioners, in the matter of Allstonefield Union, MS. H. 1840; 11 Ad. & El. 558.

(f) R. v. The Poor Law Com-
missioners, 20 Law J. 236, m.
(g) R. v. Hunt, 9 Law J. 86, m.;
12 Ad. & El. 130.

(h) 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 76, s. 48.
(i) Id.

or whenever a vacancy may occur, appoint fit persons to hold the under-mentioned offices, and to perform the duties respectively assigned to them, namely:

1. Clerk to the Guardians.

2. Treasurer of the Union.

3. Chaplain.

4. Medical Officer for the Workhouse.

5. District Medical Officer.

6. Master of the Workhouse.

7. Matron of the Workhouse.
8. Schoolmaster.

9. Schoolmistress.

10. Porter.

11. Nurse.

12. Relieving Officer.

13. Superintendent of Out-door Labour.

And also such assistants as the guardians, with the consent of the commissioners, may deem necessary for the efficient performance of the duties of any of the said offices.

Art. 154. The officers so appointed to or holding any of the said offices, as well as all persons temporarily discharging the duties of such offices, shall respectively perform such duties as may be required of them by the rules and regulations of the commissioners, in force at the time, together with all such other duties, conformable with the nature of their respective offices, as the guardians may lawfully require them to perform.

Provided always, that every regulation applying to any officer holding his office under this order, shall apply to any of the like denomination appointed by the guardians, although such officer may have been appointed before this order shall have come into force.

Art. 155. Every officer and assistant to be appointed under this order, shall be appointed by a majority of the guardians present at a meeting of the board, consisting of more than three guardians, or by three guardians, if no more be present. Every such appointment shall, as soon as the same has been made, be reported to the commissioners by the clerk.

Art. 156. No appointment to any of the offices specified in Art. 153 shall be made under this order, unless a notice that the question of making such appointment will be brought before the board has been given and entered on the minutes, at one of the two ordinary meetings of the board next preceding the meeting at which the appointment is made, or unless an advertisement, giving notice of the consideration of such appointment, shall have appeared in some public paper by the direction of the guardians at least seven days before the day on which such appointment is made: provided that no such notice or advertisement shall be necessary for the appointment of an assistant or temporary substitute.