Omissions or

to prevent the Execution of

this Act.

1 VICT. Person or Persons, Bodies Politic, Corporate, or Collegiate, through whose Lands or Premises such Deviation shall be made. II. Provided always, and be it enacted, That if any of the Misnomers not Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, and Hereditaments required for the Purposes of this Act, or the Name or Names of any of the Owners or Occupiers thereof respectively, shall happen to be omitted, misnamed, or inaccurately described in and by the Map or Plan or Book of Reference herein-before mentioned, then and in such Case, if it shall appear to any Two or more of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the City and Liberty of Westminster, and be certified in Writing under their Hands, that such Omission, Misnomer, or inaccurate Description proceeded from Mistake, the same shall not prevent or retard the Execution of this Act, but the same Premises, and every Part thereof, shall and may be purchased and sold or assessed and valued in manner herein mentioned, and conveyed, disposed of, and applied for and to the Purposes of this Act, as fully and effectually as if the same was or were properly named and described in the said Map or Plan or Book of Reference.

Commissioners of Woods, &c. empowered to

treat for Purchase of Houses,

Wharfs, &c.

Two Commissioners em

III. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners for the Time being of Her Majesty's Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works, and Buildings, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, when they shall deem it necessary, by and out of the Monies applicable to the rebuilding the said Two Houses of Parliament, and by and with the Consent and Approbation in Writing of the Lord High Treasurer or of the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Treasurer, or any Three or more of them, to treat and agree for the Purchase of any of the Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, and Hereditaments described or comprised in the said Map or Plan and Book of Reference, or in such Deviation as herein-before mentioned, and of any subsisting Leases, Terms, Estates, and Interests therein or Charges thereon, which the said Commissioners may, by and with such Consent and Approbation as aforesaid, deem necessary or expedient to be purchased for the Purposes aforesaid.

IV. And be it enacted, That all Acts, Matters, or Things authorized or necessary to be done and executed by the said powered to act. Commissioners for the Time being of Her Majesty's Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works, and Buildings, for the Purpose of carrying this Act into execution, may be done and executed by any Two of them, and the same shall be as valid and effectual and shall have the same Force and Effect as if such Acts, Matters, and Things had been done and executed by all the said Commissioners.

Hereditaments, &c. to be conveyed to Her Majesty.

V. And be it enacted, That all Hereditaments, Estates, and Interests which may be purchased in pursuance of this Act shall be conveyed, assigned, and assured to or in Trust for Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, in such Manner and Form as the said Commissioners shall direct.

VI. And

Persons em

powered to sell.

VI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for all Bodies Incapacitated Politic, Corporate, or Collegiate, Corporations Aggregate or Sole, Tenants for Life or for Years or in Tail, Husbands, Guardians, Feoffees in Trust, Committees, Executors, and Administrators, and all other Trustees or Persons whomsoever, not only for and on behalf of themselves, their Heirs and Executors and Successors, but also for and on behalf of their Cestuique Trusts, whether Infants, Issue unborn, or Lunatics, Idiots, Femes Covert, or other Person or Persons, and to and for all Femes Covert who are or shall be seised or possessed or interested in their own Right, or entitled to Dower or other Interest therein, and for every other Person or Persons whomsoever, who are or shall be seised or possessed of or interested in any such Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, and Hereditaments as aforesaid, to contract and agree for the Sale of the same and every Part thereof; and all Contracts, Agreements, Bargains, Sales, Conveyances, and Assurances, Acts and Deeds, which shall be made by such Bodies Politic, Corporate, or Collegiate, Trustee or Trustees, or other Person or Persons as aforesaid, shall be valid and effectual in the Law to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever, any Law, Statute, Usage, or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding; and all Bodies Politic, Corporate, or Collegiate, and all Persons whomsoever, so contracting and agreeing as aforesaid, are hereby indemnified for or in respect of any such Sale which he, she, or they, or any of them, shall respectively make by virtue or in pursuance of this Act; and all such Contracts or Agreements for such Sales shall be made at the Costs and Expence of the said Commissioners; and all such Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, and Hereditaments which shall be so agreed to be purchased as aforesaid shall when so purchased or agreed to be purchased, and upon Tender or Payment in manner herein-after directed of the Sum or Sums of Money agreed to be paid for the same, be vested in Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, who shall thenceforth be deemed in Law to be in the actual Seisin and Possession thereof, to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever, freed and discharged from all Rights of Way, and all other and former Estates, Rights, Titles, Interests, Claims, and Demands whatsoever; and the same shall be employed and made use of by the Commissioners, under the Direction of the said Lord High Treasurer, or of the said Commissioners for executing the said Office of Lord High Treasurer, or any Three or more of them, as and for Part of a Site for the intended new Houses of Parliament, and for making Approaches thereto, or for any other Purposes connected therewith.

VII. Provided always, and be it enacted, That it shall and Commissioners may be lawful for the said Commissioners from Time to Time empowered to pull down to direct or contract for the taking down any Houses or Build- Houses, &c. ings to be purchased or made use of for the Purposes of this and to sell the Act, and for the selling and disposing of the Materials of all ́such Houses and Buildings; and all such Materials, and the

B 3

Money

Materials.

Commissioners
to make good
Deficiencies in
Land Tax;

6

Money arising from the Sale thereof, shall be and are hereby vested in the said Commissioners; and all such Money (after paying and defraying the necessary Expences of pulling down such Houses and Buildings, and the Sale of the Materials thereof) shall and may be applied and disposed of, under the Direction of the said Commissioners, in laying out or paving the Ground on which such Houses and Buildings were erected, or in paving or making good the Pavement of the Street or Place adjoining such Ground, or for any other of the Purposes relating to the rebuilding of the said Two Houses of Parliament. VIII. And whereas the Site of the said intended Houses ' of Parliament and of the Approaches thereto comprises divers "Messuages and other Hereditaments which now stand charged and chargeable with the Payment of certain annual Sums 'towards the general Quota of Land Tax now by Law payable by the Parishes of Saint Margaret and Saint John the Evangelist, Westminster, and by the Appropriation of such Messuages and other Hereditaments to such Site there would be a propor⚫tionate Deficiency in the Land Tax Assessment for the said Parishes, and such Deficiency would fall upon and have to be 'borne by the other rateable Property in such Parish unless Provision were made to remedy the same;' be it therefore enacted, That the said Commissioners shall be and they are hereby empowered and required, by and out of the Monies applicable to the rebuilding the said Two Houses of Parliament, to purchase or redeem, under or according to the Powers and Provisions contained in the several Acts relating to the Redemption and Sale of the Land Tax in Great Britain, all such Sums as are now charged and chargeable upon all such Messuages and other Hereditaments within the said Parishes as shall be purchased, taken, used, or appropriated for the Site of the said intended Two Houses of Parliament or the Approaches thereto. IX. And whereas by reason of the Purchases to be made and other Paro- and other Proceedings to be had and taken under the Authority of this Act there may be Deficiencies in the Produce of the Rates and Assessments for the Relief of the Poor, and the 'paving, cleansing, and lighting the Streets in the Parishes of Saint Margaret and Saint John the Evangelist, Westminster;' be it therefore enacted, That after the Occupier or Occupiers of any of the Messuages or other Hereditaments to be purchased under the Powers contained in this Act shall have quitted the Possession thereof in pursuance of any Requisition or Notice from the said Commissioners, and thenceforth until the said intended new Houses of Parliament shall be completed and occupied, the said Commissioners shall, out of the Monies applicable to the rebuilding the said Houses of Parliament, pay and make good all such Sum and Sums of Money as shall thenceforth until the said Houses are occupied from Time to Time be deficient in respect of the Produce of the Assessments for Poor's Rates, and Paving, Cleansing, and Lighting Rates, within the said Parishes, by reason or means of the Want of Occupiers

and in Poor

chial Rates.

6

Occupiers in or the taking down of such Messuages or other Hereditaments, according to the Produce of such Rates and Assessments respectively (or as near thereto as Circumstances will admit) during or in respect of the Year ended the Twentyfifth Day of March One thousand eight hundred and thirtyseven, and the same shall accordingly be paid to the Collectors of the said Rates and Assessments in the said Parishes: Provided always, that nothing in this Enactment contained shall extend or be construed to extend to make any Person liable to be assessed to the Poor's Rates, or the Paving, Cleansing, and Lighting Rates, or any other Parochial Rates, within the said Parishes, in respect of any Occupation for which they would not by Law be liable, nor to prejudice the Right of any Person claiming to be exempted or not to be liable to be assessed to the said Rates or any of them.

roughfare.

X. And be it enacted, That when and so soon as the said Parliament Commissioners shall have purchased the Houses, Buildings, Place to cease Erections, and Hereditaments in the said Street or Place called to be a ThoParliament Place, herein-before authorized to be purchased for the Purposes aforesaid, the said Street or Place shall from thenceforth and for ever thereafter cease to be a public Way or Passage, and the Soil and Freehold thereof shall thereupon be vested in Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, freed and discharged from all public and private Rights of passing and repassing over and along the same, and shall and may be made use of and applied by the said Commissioners for the Purposes of this Act.

shall not agree,

XI. And be it enacted, That if any Owners or Proprie- If Parties retors, Occupiers, Bodies Politic, Corporate, or Collegiate, Ec- fuse to treat or clesiastical or Civil, Corporations Aggregate or Sole, Trustees, a Jury to be Femes Covert, or any other Person or Persons, seised, pos- summoned. sessed of, or interested in any Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, Tenements, or Hereditaments, or any Share or Shares, Estate or Estates, Interest or Interests therein, or Charge or Charges thereon, which the said Commissioners are hereby empowered to purchase, take, and use for the Purposes aforesaid, shall neglect or refuse to treat, or shall not agree in the Premises, or by reason of Absence or Disability shall be prevented from treating with the said Commissioners, or with the Person or Persons authorized by them, for the Sale and Disposal of their respective Estates and Interests therein, or cannot be found or known, or shall not produce and evince a clear Title to the Premises they may be in the Possession of, or to the Interest they shall claim therein, to the Satisfaction of the said Commissioners, then and in every or any such Case the High Bailiff of the City and Liberties of Westminster, or his Deputy, as the Case may be, or in case such High Bailiff or his Deputy shall be anyways interested in the Matter in question, then some one of the Coroners of the County of Middlesex not interested therein, shall, upon the Warrant of the said Commissioners, in manner herein-after mentioned, and he and they

is and are hereby required and authorized, to cause it to be inquired into and ascertained upon the Oaths of a Jury of Twelve indifferent Men of the said City of Westminster (which Oaths the said High Bailiff or Deputy or Coroner is and are hereby empowered and required to administer) what Damages. will be sustained by and what Recompence and Satisfaction shall be made to such Owners, Occupiers, or other Person or Persons interested, for the Value of such Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, Tenements, or Hereditaments, and of the proportionable Value of the respective Estates and Interests of every Person or Persons seised or possessed thereof or interested therein, or of or in any Part thereof, and assess and award the Sum or Sums of Money to be paid to such Person or Persons, Party or Parties respectively, for the Purchase of such Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, Tenements, or Hereditaments, and of such respective Estates and Interest therein, and also for Goodwill, Improvements, or any Injury or Damage whatsoever that may affect any such Person or Persons, Party or Parties, provided such Goodwill shall be estimated by what in the Opinion of such Jury the same would have been worth in case the Alterations and Improvements intended by this Act had not been in contemplation, and also for or on account of the taking of such Houses, Wharfs, Buildings, Ground, Tenements, or Hereditaments for the Purposes or under and by virtue of the Authority of this Act; and in order thereto the said High Bailiff, Deputy, or Coroner is and are hereby empowered and required, from Time to Time as Occasion shall require, to summon and call before the said Jury, and examine upon Oath, all and every Person or Persons whomsoever who shall be thought necessary and proper to be examined as a Witness or Witnesses touching or concerning the Premises (which Oath the said High Bailiff, Deputy, or Coroner is and are hereby empowered to administer); and such High Bailiff, Deputy, or Coroner respectively shall order and cause the said Jury to view the Places in question, if there be occasion, and use all other lawful Ways and Means, as well for his and their own as for the said Jury's better Information in the Premises, as the said High Bailiff, Deputy, or Coroner shall think fit; and after the said Jury shall have inquired of, ascertained, and settled such Damage, Recompence, and Satisfaction, the said High Bailiff, Deputy, or Coroner shall thereupon order the Sum or Sums of Money so assessed by the said Jury to be paid by the said Commissioners to the said Owners or Occupiers of or other Persons interested therein, according to such Verdict or Inquisition of the said Jury; which said Verdict or Inquisition and Order so had and made shall be final, binding, and conclusive, to all Intents and Purposes, upon and against all Bodies Politic, Corporate, or Collegiate, Ecclesiastical or Civil, Corporations Aggregate or Sole, as well as all other Parties and Persons whomsoever; and for the summoning and returning of such Jury or Juries the said Commissioners are

hereby