enforce the same by all such and the like Ways, Means, Suits, and Proceedings, and do and perform all such Acts, Matters, and Things as may be necessary in that Behalf, as fully and effectually to all Intents and Purposes as if the said First Commissioner had been duly and legally appointed to the said Office, and was, in virtue of a legal Appointment, Constable of the said Castle of Saint Briavel's.

II. And be it further enacted, That the Office of Keeper of His Majesty's Deer within the said Forest, and all the Powers, Authorities, Rights, and Privileges of or appertaining to the said Office, shall be and the same are vested in the Commissioners for the Time being of His Majesty's Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works, and Buildings, and the said Commissioners for the Time being shall, and they are hereby authorized, empowered, and required to execute and perform all the Duties of the said Office of Keeper, and to do and perform all such Acts, Matters, and Things as may be necessary in that Behalf, as fully and effectually as any Keeper of the said Forest by virtue of any legal Appointment might or could have done before the passing of this Act.

III. And be it further enacted, That this Act may be altered, Act may be amended, or repealed in this present Session of Parliament.

CA P. IV.

An Act to amend an Act of the last Session for abolishing
Capital Punishments in Cases of Letter Stealing and
Sacrilege.
[18th March 1836.]

6

WHEREAS by an Act passed in the last Session of Parlia

W

altered this

Session,

ment, intituled An Act for abolishing Capital Punishments 5 & 6 W. 4. in Cases of Letter Stealing and Sacrilege, the Punishment of c. 81. • Death was taken away in Cases of Letter Stealing and Sacrilege; but by reason of a clerical Error in copying the same a Doubt may be entertained whether Persons guilty of such Offences are now by Law liable to any Punishment:' Be it therefore enacted by the King'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, That the same Act shall be read as if, instead of the Words How recited Act "in the said Act so specified," the Words "in the said Acts so specified" had been inserted in the said Act of the last Session; and that all Persons who may hereafter be duly convicted of any Persons conof the Offences mentioned in the said Act of the last Session shall victed of Ofand may be sentenced, by the Court or Judge by or before whom fences under the such Offenders may be tried, to Transportation for Life or for any punished at Term of Years not less than Seven, or to be imprisoned for any Discretion of Term not exceeding Three Years, with or without hard Labour, the Judge. and for any Period of solitary Confinement during such Imprisonment, at the Discretion of such Court or Judge.

shall be read.

same to be

3 & 4 W. 4. c. 73.

5 & 6 W. 4. c. 45.

CA P. V.

An Act for carrying into further Execution Two Acts of His present Majesty, relating to the Compensation for Slaves upon the Abolition of Slavery, and for facilitating the Distribution and Payment of such Compensation.

6

[18th March 1836.]

WHEREAS by an Act passed in the Fourth Year of the

Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies, for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves, and for compensating the 'Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves, the Lords of the Treasury were empowered to raise the Sum of Twenty Million Pounds Sterling in manner therein mentioned; and it was enacted, that the Money so raised should be paid into the Bank of England, to the Account of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, under the Title of "The • West India Compensation Account;" and certain Commissioners of Arbitration were thereby appointed to divide and apportion the said Money among the Owners of the Slaves to be manu⚫mitted under the Provisions of the said Act; and it was thereby enacted, that a Certificate containing a List of the Names and Designation of the several Persons in whose Favour any Sum or Sums of Money should be awarded by the said Commissioners ⚫ of Arbitration should be signed by Three or more of the said • Commissioners of Arbitration, who should transmit the same to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, who should sign the same and transmit it to the Lords of the Treasury; and the Lords of the Treasury, or any Three of them, should thereupon, by Warrant under their Hands, authorize the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt to pay the 'said Sums out of the Monies standing upon their Account in the Books of the said Bank, under the Title of "The West India Compensation Account," to the Persons named in such Certifi'cate: And whereas by another Act passed in the Sixth Year of 'the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled An Act to carry into further Execution the Provisions of an Act passed in the Third and Fourth Years of His present Majesty, for compensating Owners of Slaves upon the Abolition of Slavery, after reciting that certain Claims for Compensation under the said former Act 'might be subject to Litigation before the said Commissioners of Arbitration, and also in the Courts of the Colonies, and that the final Settlement of such Claim might be postponed to a distant Period, it was enacted, that in all such Cases the Lords of the Treasury might direct the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt to pay over into the Bank of England, in the Name of the Accountant General of the Court of Chancery or the Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer, in Trust for the Purposes therein-after mentioned, all such Sums of Money as should from Time to Time be certified by the said Commissioners of Arbitration, according to the Provisions of the said Act, to be the Subject of any Suit in any of the said Courts of

'any

<

any of the said Colonies respectively, or of any Claim before the " said Commissioners against which any counter Claim should have 'been filed, and such Sums should be carried to new Accounts in the Books of the said Bank of England, under the Title of "The litigated West Indian Compensation Account of the Court of Chancery," or "The litigated West Indian Compensation Account of the Court of Exchequer," as the Case might be; and < such Monies when so paid in should be placed to the Account of the Number of the Claim as stated and specified in the said Certificate of the said Commissioners; and such Monies, and the half-yearly Dividends arising from the Investments thereof, and also the Dividends on all future Investments, as they should < arise and become due, should be invested from Time to Time by the said Accountants General in their Names respectively, under the Authority of the said Act, in Three per Centum Consolidated Bank Annuities, to the said respective Accounts; and the said • Bank Annuities purchased with the said Compensation Monies < so invested as aforesaid, and the said Accumulations, should be ⚫ paid and transferred to the Person or Persons to whom the same ⚫ should be directed to be paid or transferred by any Adjudication or Award of the said Commissioners of Arbitration, duly certified according to the Provisions of the said recited Act, or by the ‹ Decree, Order, or Judgment of the Court in the Colony made in the said Suit there depending, or any Court of Appeal: And whereas large Sums of Money certified by the said Commis'sioners of Arbitration, in pursuance of the Provisions of the ⚫ last-mentioned Act, to be the Subject of Litigation before them or in the Courts of the several Colonies, have been invested by the Accountant General of the Court of Chancery in Three per Centum Consolidated Bank Annuities, in conformity with the Provisions of the said recited Act, and further Sums may be in like Manner invested in the Name of the Accountant General of the Court of Chancery or the Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer, and it is expedient to enlarge the Powers of the said • Commissioners of Arbitration, and of the said Courts, and of the 'said Accountants General respectively, as to the Sums so invested :' Be it therefore enacted by the King'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, That in all Cases wherein Claims Commissioners for Compensation under the Provisions of the before-recited Acts of Arbitration, shall have been the Subject of Litigation before the said Commis- or Colonial Courts, or sioners of Arbitration, or in the Courts of the several Colonies, Court of Apor in any Court of Appeal, it shall be lawful for the said Compeal may award missioners and the said Courts respectively, and they are hereby or decree Comauthorized, if they shall think fit, in making their Awards or pensation to be Decrees in respect of such litigated Claims for Compensation, to made in Money award or decree, as the Case may be, that the Whole or any Part or in Stock. of the Three per Centum Consolidated Bank Annuities purchased or to be purchased by the said Accountant General of the Court of Chancery or the Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer, and standing to the Credit of the Number of the Claim as stated and specified in the Certificate of the said Commissioners, with or without all or any Part of the Accumulations arising from the Investment

B 3

Accountants General in Chancery and Exchequer to sell Stock and pay Proceeds, or transfer the

Stock accordingly.

Compensation
Monies in

respect of liti

rated Claims in

Investment thereof, or such Portion or Portions of the said Bank Annuities as may be equivalent to any Sum or Sums of Money to which the Parties may be declared entitled by the Awards or Decrees aforesaid, shall and may be transferred to the Party or Parties in whose Favour any such Award or Decree may be made, or otherwise as by such Award or Decree may be directed; or it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Arbitration, and the Courts of the several Colonies, and the said Courts of Appeal respectively, if they shall think proper so to do, to award or decree that any Sum or Sums of Money shall and may be raised by the Sale of the said Bank Annuities or a competent Part thereof, and be paid to the Party or Parties in whose Favour any such Award or Decree may be made, or otherwise as by such Award or Decree may be directed; any thing in the said recited Acts, or in the general Rules framed by the said Commissioners of Arbitration under the said Acts, to the contrary notwithstanding.

II. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Accountant General of the Court of Chancery and for the said Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer, in all Cases where any such Award or Decree as aforesaid shall be made directing the Payment of any Sum or Sums of Money to be raised by Sale of all or any Part of the said Bank Annuities, to sell the said Bank Annuities so standing in their Names respectively in the Books of the Bank of England, and appertaining to the Account of the particular Number of the Claim to which the said Award, Decree, Order, or Judgment shall apply, with or without the Accumulations thereon, as the Case may be, or such Portion or Portions thereof as it may be necessary or proper to sell for the Purpose of raising the Sum or Sums of Money so awarded or decreed as aforesaid, and to pay the net Proceeds arising from such Sale to the Party or Parties authorized to receive the same; and in Cases where such Award or Decree shall be made for the Transfer of Stock, it shall be lawful for the said Accountants General respectively to transfer the said Bank Annuities standing to the Account of the particular Number of the Claim to which such Award or Decree may apply, or any Portion or Portions thereof, with or without the Accumulations thereon, as the Case may be, to the Party or Parties legally entitled to the same, in satisfaction of any such Award or Decree so made for the Transfer of Stock as aforesaid; and in case any Award or Decree as aforesaid shall direct and require the Transfer of such Amount of the said Bank Annuities as may be equivalent to any Sum or Sums of Money specified in such Award or Decree, the Amount of the said Bank Annuities so to be transferred as equivalent to and in satisfaction of any such Sum or Sums of Money shall be calculated and ascertained by the said Accountant General respectively, according to the Average Price of the said Bank Annuities on the Day on which the said Award or Decree shall bear Date; any thing in the said recited Acts, or in the general Rules framed by the said Commissioners of Arbitration under the said Act, to the contrary notwithstanding.

III. And whereas, in conformity with the before-recited Act passed in the Fifth and Sixth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, the Sum of One million seven hundred and thirty-four thousand

<

to the Ac

<thousand three hundred and fifty-three Pounds Twelve Shillings Barbadoes may and Seven-pence Capital of Reduced Annuities, bearing Interest be transferred after the Rate of Three Pounds Ten Shillings per Centum per countant Gene• Annum, has been placed to the Credit of the Commissioners for ral in Chancery < the Reduction of the National Debt, in the Books of the Governor or to the Acand Company of the Bank of England, in order to provide for countant the Payment of the several Sums which may be awarded to the General in Exchequer ; 'several Persons in the Colony of Barbadoes entitled to Compen'sation under the said recited Act of the Third and Fourth Year of His present Majesty's Reign: And whereas the Claims for Compensation of some of the Persons in the said Colony of < Barbadoes may become the Subject of counter Claim or Litigation before the said Commissioners of Arbitration, or in the Courts of the said Colony, or in any Court of Appeal; and it is 'expedient that Power should be given to transfer the Amount of ' such litigated Claims to the Name of the Accountant General ' of the Court of Chancery or the Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer, to abide the final Settlement of such Claims;' be it therefore enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to direct the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt from Time to Time to transfer or cause to be transferred into the Name of the Accountant General of the Court of Chancery or the Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer, at the Bank of England, such Portion or Portions of the said Reduced Three Pounds Ten Shillings per Centum per Annum Annuities, standing to the Credit of the said Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt in the Books of the said Bank of England, under the Title of "The Compensation Account of the Colony of Barbadoes," as shall appertain to any Claims which may from Time to Time be certified by the said Commissioners of Arbitration to be the Subject of any counter Claim before them, or of any Suits in the Courts of the said Colony of Barbadoes, or in any Court of Appeal, and to direct the Payment, to the Account of the said Accountants General respectively at the Bank of England, by the said Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, of the Amount of any Interest that may have accrued and become due upon any such Claims previously to the Tenth Day of October One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, from which Time the Interest on the said Reduced Three Pounds Ten Shillings per Centum per Annum Reduced Annuities is to commence and be payable; and it shall be lawful who may invest for the said Accountants General respectively to invest the Amount the Interest of any such Interest in the like Reduced Three Pounds Ten and Dividends arising there

Shillings per Centum per Annum Reduced Annuities, and also to

invest therein the future half-yearly Dividends arising from such Reduced Annuities as the same shall arise and become due; and all such Reduced Annuities so transferred to or purchased by the said Accountant General of the Court of Chancery or the said Accountant General of the Court of Exchequer may be held by them respectively, in the Books of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, in Trust for the Purposes of the said recited Acts or of this Act, and shall be liable to such and the like Provisions in respect to the Sale and Payment of the Proceeds thereof or to the Transfer thereof by the said Accountants General respectively,

B 4

from.