Dr.

I.-GENERAL BALANCE SHEET, on 31st December, 18

3.

RESERVED FUND

4.

Balance at credit thereof (Account F.)

5.

(82)

THE SALE OF GAS ACT, 1859.

Interpretation of words

"meter" and "person."

Fixing unit of

measure.

Models of

measures to be

made and verified under the

direction of the treasury.

22 & 23 VICT. CAP. 66.

An Act for regulating Measures used in Sales of Gas.

[13th August, 1859.]

WHEREAS it is expedient that the measurement used in sales of gas for lighting, heating, and other purposes should be hereafter regulated by one uniform standard, and that all meters should be stamped as hereinafter provided: be it therefore enacted by the Queen'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, as follows:

I. In construing this act the word "meter" shall mean gas meter, and shall include every kind of machine used for measuring gas; and the word "person" shall include corpo

rations.

II. After the passing of this act, the only legal standard or unit of measure for the sale of gas by meter shall be the cubic foot containing 62.321 pounds avoirdupois weight of distilled or rain water weighed in air at the temperature of sixty-two degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, the barometer being at thirty inches, except as relates to contracts made before the passing of this act by which a different unit of measure is adopted, which contracts may not be renewed.

III. Within three months next after the passing of this act, models of gasholders measuring the said cubic foot, and such multiples and decimal parts of the said cubic foot as the lord high treasurer or the commissioners of her majesty's treasury of the United Kingdom for the time being shall judge expedient, and, from time to time after the expiration of the aforesaid period of three months, models of such further multiples and decimal parts of the said cubic foot as the lord high treasurer or the said commissioners shall from time to time think expedient, shall be carefully made, with proper balances, indices, and apparatus, for testing the measurement

and registration of meters, and such models shall be verified under the direction of the lord high treasurer or the said commissioners, and when so made and verified shall be deposited in the office of the comptroller general of the exchequer at Westminster; and copies of the models so from time to time deposited, verified as aforesaid, shall be sent to the lord mayor of London, and the chief magistrate of Edinburgh and Dublin, and to the chief magistrate of such other cities and boroughs and to such other places and persons in her majesty's dominions as the said lord high treasurer or the aforesaid commissioners may from time to time direct; and the said lord high treasurer or the said commissioners shall appoint a competent person or persons to design and make, subject to the approval and by direction of such lord high treasurer or the said commissioners, stamps of a uniform design to be used for stamping meters throughout the United Kingdom, with only such variations of numbers or marks thereon as shall be sufficient to distinguish each inspector's district.

Models to be deposited.

Copies of the models of gasholder to be provided by general or

order of

sessions in

Scotland.

IV. In England, at some general or quarter sessions of the peace within nine months next after the passing of this act, the justices of the peace of every county, riding or division, or county of a city or county of a town, in general or quarter sessions assembled, and in such boroughs as may adopt this quarter act, as hereinafter provided, the town council at the meeting England, and by meetings of next after such adoption, and in Scotland the justices of the justices in peace at a meeting to be called for the purpose by the sheriff of each county, and the magistrates of each royal burgh, within nine months after the passing of this act, and so from time to time at any subsequent general or quarter sessions or meeting so called, shall determine the number of copies of the said models of gasholders, with proper balances, indices, and apparatus as aforesaid, which they shall deem requisite for the testing of meters within their respective jurisdictions, and shall direct that such copies, verified and stamped at the exchequer, together with such number of stamps for stamping meters as they shall deem requisite, shall be provided for the use of the same, and shall fix the places at which such copies and stamps shall be deposited, and shall appoint a sufficient Appointment. of inspectors. number of inspectors of meters for the safe custody of such copies and stamps, and for the discharge of the other duties hereinafter mentioned, and shall allot to each inspector a

separate district, and from time to time, when necessary, shall subdivide and re-allot such districts, and all such districts shall be distinguished by the number or mark applied thereto on such stamps, and they shall direct what reasonable remuneration shall be paid to such inspectors for the discharge of such duties as they shall have been ordered by such justices or town council or magistrates as aforesaid to perform, and they are hereby empowered to suspend or dismiss any inspectors so appointed, or to appoint additional inspectors, as occasion may require: provided always, that nothing herein contained shall extend to compel any town council in England or royal burgh of Scotland, except such as are county towns, wherein gas is used, to provide copies of the said models and stamps, or to appoint an inspector or inspectors for the performance of the duties prescribed by this act; and that it shall be lawful for the justices of the peace in any county, and for the magistrates of any royal burgh within such county, where they shall agree, to unite the whole or a portion of the county with such royal burgh, and to appoint one inspector therefor, and to provide at their joint expense copies of the said models and stamps to be used within such united districts; provided always, that in every borough in England where there is a town council, not being a manufacturer or seller of gas, it shall be lawful for such town council, within six months after the passing of this act, after one month's notice duly given in the manner in which notices are usually published by such town council, to adopt this act, if the majority of the members present at any council meeting at which the subject is appointed to be considered shall so determine; and if no resolution to that effect shall be passed within such time, then the justices aforesaid, at their next practicable general or quarter sessions after the expiration of such six months, shall, in reference to any borough not so adopting this act, carry this act into effect; and in all boroughs as aforesaid in which the town council is a manufacturer or seller of gas, the justices of such boroughs shall have such and the like powers of adopting and carrying into effect the provisions of this act within such boroughs as by this act are given to town councils not being manufacturers or sellers of gas.

These powers are by the 24 & 25 Vict. c. 79, "An Act to amend the Metropolis Gas Act," so far as relates to the metropolis, transferred to the Metropolitan Board of Works. See post.

holders to be

V. In Ireland the town council or town commissioners of Models and every borough and town, such town council or commissioners copies of gasnot being manufacturers or sellers of gas, shall, at a meeting provided by of the town council or commissioners to be held within nine town commistown councils, months after the passing of this act, and so from time to time sioners, &c. and inspectors at any subsequent meeting, determine the number of copies of appointed. the said models of gasholders, with proper balances, indices, and apparatus as aforesaid, which they shall deem requisite for the testing of meters within their towns or boroughs respectively, and shall direct that such copies, verified and stamped at the exchequer, together with such number of stamps for stamping meters as they shall deem requisite, shall be provided for the use of the same, and shall fix the places at which such copies and stamps shall be deposited, and shall appoint a sufficient number of inspectors of meters for the safe custody of such copies and stamps, and for the discharge of the other duties hereinafter mentioned, and shall allot to each inspector a separate district, and from time to time, when necessary, shall subdivide and re-allot such districts, and shall direct what reasonable remuneration shall be paid to such inspectors, and they are hereby empowered to suspend or dismiss any inspector so appointed, or to appoint additional inspectors from time to time as occasion may require; and in all boroughs and towns in which the town council or town commissioners shall be manufacturers or sellers of gas, the justices of such boroughs and the grand jury of the county in which such boroughs or towns not having a separate commission of the peace shall be situate respectively shall have such and the like powers as by this act are given to the town council and town commissioners, not being manufacturers or sellers of gas, for carrying into effect the provisions of this act within such boroughs and towns: provided always, that the jurisdictions of such town council and town commissioners, justices, and grand juries respectively shall extend to all meters out of such boroughs or towns for measuring gas manufactured at any gasworks by which any such borough or town shall be supplied with gas.

Westminster to

VI. The copies of the said models so directed by the said Officers of the justices, magistrates, or town council to be verified and exchequer at stamped at the exchequer shall be compared with the models deposited with the comptroller general of the exchequer as

stamp copies of

models.