and Assigns shall and may from time to time, and at all seasonable The Amount subscribed, &c. to be certified to Commissioners for National tions entitled Tax free. forfeited. XIX. And be it further enacted, That such Subscribers duly Subscribers depositing or paying in the whole Sum so subscribed at or before duly paying the respective Times in this Act limited in that Behalf, and their their Subscriprespective Executors, Administrators, Successors and Assigns, to Annuities shall have, receive and enjoy, and be entitled by virtue of this Act to have, receive and enjoy the said Annuities by this Act granted in respect of the Sum so subscribed, and shall have good and sure Interests and Estates therein, according to the several Provisions in this Act contained; and that the said Annuities shall be free from all Taxes, Charges and Impositions whatsoever: Pro- Subscriptions vided always, that in case any such Subscribers who have already paid in part and deposited with, or shall hereafter deposit or pay to the said Cashier not completed, or Cashiers any Exchequer Bills, or any Sum or Sums of Money in lieu thereof, at the Time and in the Manner hereinbefore mentioned, in part of the Sum or Sums so by them respectively subscribed, or their respective Executors, Administrators, Successors or Assigns, shall not advance and deposit or pay to the said Cashier or Cashiers the Residue of the Sum or Sums so subscribed at the Times and in the Manner before mentioned, then and in every such Case so much of the respective Sum or Sums so subscribed as shall have been actually deposited or paid in part thereof to the said Cashier or Cashiers shall be forfeited for the Benefit of the Public, and all Right and title to the said Annuities after the Rate of Four Pounds per Centum in respect thereof shall be extinguished; any Thing in this Act contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. XX. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any Treasury may Three or more of the said Commissioners of the Treasury, or the apply Money said Lord High Treasurer for the Time being, to issue and apply paid into Exfrom time to time all such Sums of Money as shall be so paid into chequer. the Receipt of His Majesty's Exchequer of Great Britain by the said Cashier or Cashiers, in respect of the said Sum of Eight Millions, to such Services as shall then have been voted by the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in this present Session of Parliament. General to keep Books for entering Trans XXI. And be it further enacted, That Books shall be constantly Accountant kept by the said Accountant General for the Time being, wherein all Assignments or Transfers of all Sums advanced or contributed towards the said Sum of Eight Millions shall be entered and registered, which Entry shall be conceived in proper Words for that Purpose, fers. Stock may be devised. Transfers not liable to Stamp Duty. Incidents to be discharged. Allowance for the Expence of Management. Annuities un der this Act to form One Joint Stöck, and to be transferable in the Manner herein directed. Purpose, and shall be signed by the Parties making such Assignments or Tranfers, or if such Parties be absent, by their respective Attorney or Attornies thereunto lawfully authorized in Writing, under his or their Hand and Seal or Hands and Seals, to be attested by Two or more credible Witnesses; and that the several Persons to whom such Transfers shall be made may respectively underwrite their Acceptance thereof; and that no other Method of assigning and transferring the said Annuities, or any Part thereof, or any Interest therein, shall be good or available in Law: Provided always, that all Persons possessed of any Share or Interest in the said Annuities, or any Estate or Interest therein, may devise the same by Will, in Writing, attested by Two or more credible Witnesses; but that no Payment shall be made upon any such Devise until so much of the said Will as relates to such Share, Estate or Interest in the said Annuities be entered in the said Office; and that in Default of such Transfer or Devise, such Share, Estate or Interest in the said Annuities shall go to the Executors, Administrators, Successors and Assigns; and that no Stamp Duties whatsoever shall be charged on any of the said Transfers, any Law or Statute to the contrary notwithstanding. XXII. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That out of the Monies arising from the Contributions towards raising the said Sum of Eight Millions by Annuities, any Three or more of the said Commissioners of the Treasury, or the said Lord High Treasurer for the Time being, shall have power to discharge all such incident Charges as shall necessarily attend the Execution of this Act, in such Manner as to them shall seem just and reasonable. XXIII. Provided also, and be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful to and for the Governor and Company of the Bank of England to retain out of the said Contributions at the Rate of Four hundred Pounds for every Million thereof, as an Allowance for the Service, Pains and Labour of the said Cashier or Cashiers employed in receiving, paying and accounting for the same; and also for the Service, Pains and Labour of the said Accountant General for performing the Trusts reposed in him by this Act; which Allowance in respect of the Service, Pains and Labour of the said Cashier or Cashiers and Accountant General of the said Governor and Company shall be for the Use of the said Governor and Company, and at their Disposal only. XXIV. And be it further enacted, That all the said Annuities after the Rate of Four Pounds per Centum per Annum, created by virtue of this Act, shall be deemed, computed and taken to be One Capital or Joint Stock; and that all and every Person and Persons, and Bodies Politic and Corporate whatsoever, shall have and be deemed to have a proportional Interest and Share in the said Stock, and in the Annuity attending the same at the Rate aforesaid; and that the whole Capital or Joint Stock, or any Share or Interest therein, and the proportional Annuity attending the same, shall be assignable and transferable as this Act directs, and not otherwise; and that there shall be constantly kept in the Office of the said Accountant General for the Time being within the City of London a Book or Books wherein all Assignments or Transfers of the said Capital or Joint Stock, or any Part thereof, and the proportional Annuity attending the same at the Rate afore No Stamp The Annuities created by this said, shall be entered and registered, which Entries shall be conceived in proper Words for that Purpose, and shall be signed by the Parties making such Assignments or Transfers; or if any such Party or Parties be absent, by his, her or their Attorney or Attornies thereunto lawfully authorized, by Writing under his, her or their Hands and Seals, to be attested by Two or more credible Witnesses; and that the Person or Persons to whom such Transfer or Transfers shall be made shall respectively underwrite his, her or their Acceptance thereof; and that no other Method of assigning or transferring the said Stock, and the Annuities attending the same, or any Part thereof, or any Interest therein, shall be good and available in Law, and that no Stamp Duties whatsoever shall be charged on the said Transfers, or any of them. XXV. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, and they Act may be reare hereby empowered and required to accept and receive Four ceived in PurPounds per Centum Annuities created by this Act, as the Con- chase of Life sideration for the Purchase of Life Annuities; and for the Purpose Annuities, of ascertaining the Price of such Four Pounds per Centum Stock or Annuities, the Cashier or Cashiers of the Bank of England shall, and they are hereby required, on every Day on which any of the said Four Pounds per Centum Annuities shall have been bought at the Bank of England, to cause an Account to be made out of the Average Price thereof, according to the Regulations prescribed by any Act or Acts now in force for ascertaining the Average Price of Three Pounds per Centum Bank Annuities, for enabling the Purchase of Life Annuities; which said Account shall be transmitted to the Officer appointed by the said Commissioners, to enable him to ascertain the respective Amounts of the Life Annuities which may be purchased by the Transfer of such Four Pounds per Cen tum Annuities as aforesaid. XXVI. And be it further enacted, That when any of the said Four Pounds per Centum Annuities shall be transferred to the said Commissioners for the Purchase of Life Annuities, that such Four Pounds per Centum Annuities shall be first converted, by the Computation of the said Officer, into Three Pounds per Centum Consolidated or Reduced Bank Annuities (at the Option of the Purchaser), according to the Average Price of those Stocks, to be ascertained as hereinbefore directed, and the Life Annuities to be granted thereon shall be calculated and ascertained upon the Amount of Three Pounds per Centum Bank Annuities, including Fractions (if any) produced by such Conversion, according to the Provisions, Rules and Regulations prescribed by any Act or Acts now in force, enabling the said Commissioners to grant Life Annuities. XXVII. And be it further enacted, That if any Person or Per- Persons counsons shall forge or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be forged or ceipts, &c. terfeiting Recounterfeited, or shall willingly act or assist in the forging or guilty of Fecounterfeiting any Receipt or Receipts for the Whole of or any lony. Part or Parts of the said Subscription towards the said Sum of Eight Millions, either with or without the Name or Names of any Person or Persons being inserted therein, as the Subscriber or Subscribers thereto, or Payer or Payers thereof, or of any Part or Parts thereof, or shall alter any Number, Figure or Word therein, Death. Bank to con ation till the Annuities here. by granted cease. therein, or utter or publish as true any such false, forged, counterfeited or altered Receipt or Receipts, with Intent to defraud the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or any Body Politic or Corporate, or any Person or Persons whatsoever; every such Person or Persons so forging or counterfeiting, or causing or procuring to be forged or counterfeited, or willingly acting or assisting in the forging or counterfeiting, or altering, uttering or publishing as aforesaid, being thereof convicted in due Form of Law, shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall suffer Death as a Felon, without Benefit of Clergy. XXVIII. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That the tinue a Corpor- said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, and their Successors, notwithstanding the Redemption of all or any of their own Funds in pursuance of the Acts for establishing the same or any of them, shall continue a Corporation for the Purposes of this Act until the Annuities by this Act granted shall be redeemed by Parliament as aforesaid; and that the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or any Member thereof, shall not incur any Disability for or by reason of their doing any Matter or Thing in pursuance of this Act. No Fee for receiving Subscriptions, or paying or trans ties. XXIX. And be it further enacted, That no Fee, Reward or Gratuity whatsoever shall be demanded or taken of any of His Majesty's Subjects, for receiving or paying the said Subscription ferring Annui- in Exchequer Bills or Money, or any of them, or for any Receipt concerning the same, or for paying the said Annuities or any of them, or for any Transfer of any Sum, great or small, to be made in pursuance of this Act, upon Pain that any Officer or Person offending by taking or demanding any such Fee, Reward or Gratuity, shall for every such Offence forfeit the Sum of Twenty Pounds to the Party aggrieved, with full Costs of Suit, to be recovered by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information in any of His Majesty's Courts of Record at Westminster, wherein no Essoign, Protection, Privilege or Wager of Law, Injunction or Order of Restraint, or any more than One Imparlance, shall be granted or allowed. Penalty 201. XXX. And be it further enacted, That if any Person or Persons shall be sued, molested or prosecuted for any Thing done by virtue or in pursuance of this Act, such Person or Persons shall and may plead the General Issue, and give this Act and the special Matter in Evidence in his, her or their Defence or Defences; and if afterwards a Verdict shall pass for the Defendant or Defendants, or the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs shall discontinue his, her or their Action or Prosecution, or be nonsuited, or Judgment shall be given against him, her or them, upon Demurrer or otherwise, then such Defendant or Defendants shall have Treble Costs awarded to him, her or them, against any such Plaintiff or Plaintiffs. XXXI. And be it further enacted, That this Act may be altered, amended or repealed by any Act or Acts to be passed in this present Session of Parliament. CAP. CA P. XL. An Act to authorize the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's WH $4. HEREAS a new Bridge is now building in pursuance of an 4 G. 4. c.50. Act passed in the Fourth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act for the rebuilding of London 'Bridge, and for improving and making suitable Approaches 'thereto; and it was provided by the said Act, that if it should appear to the Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled, that any Alteration ought to be made in the Plan of the said Bridge referred to in the said Act, and the same should be approved of by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, the said Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled were required to make such Alteration accordingly: ⚫ And Whereas in the Progress of the Works for the building of the said Bridge it appeared that great additional Accommodation would be afforded to the Public if the intended new Bridge were 'constructed so as to increase the Width of the Footways and Carriageway over the same: And Whereas the Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council 'assembled caused a Representation of an Alteration in the Plan ' of the said new Bridge, in order to increase the Width thereof for the Purposes aforesaid, to be made to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, who have signified their Approval thereof: And Whereas it is estimated that the additional Expences of such Increase of the Width of the said Bridge will amount to the Sum of Forty two thousand Pounds or thereabouts, and it is expedient that Provision should be made for defraying such Expence: And Whereas it will be necessary to raise considerable Sums of Money for Payment of the Expences of building the said Bridge, and of improving and making suitable Approaches thereto, upon the Credit of the Messuages, Lands and Hereditaments in the City of London and in the Counties of Surrey, Kent and Essex, vested in the Mayor and • Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, as Trustees for • maintaining and repairing London Bridge, and commonly called The Bridge House Estates: And Whereas the said Mayor, Al⚫ dermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled have caused Application to be made to the Lords • Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to advance and pay them the Sum of Forty two thousand Pounds for discharging the • additional Expences to be occasioned by the increased Width of the said Bridge, and also to advance and lend such other Sums of Money towards the Expences of building the said Bridge, and of improving and making the said Approaches, to be secured to be repaid, with Interest, out of the Profits of the said Bridge House Estates, to the Satisfaction of the said Lords ⚫ Commissioners, as they shall from time to time think proper ' and |