ABSTRACT OF PUBLIC GENERAL STATUTES.

(4 & 5 WILLIAM IV.—continued.)

CAP. 24.-An Act to alter, amend and consolidate the Laws for Regulating the Pensions, Compensations and Allowances to be made to persons in respect of their having held Civil Offices in his Majesty's Service.

[25th July, 1834.] CAP. 25.-An Act to alter and extend the Provisions of an Act passed in the eleventh year of the reign of his late Majesty George the Fourth, for amending and consolidating the Laws relating to the Pay of the Royal Navy. [25th July, 1834.] CAP. 26.—An Act to abolish the Practice of Hanging the Bodies of Crimi

nals in Chains. [25th July, 1834.] CAP. 27.-An Act for the better Administration of Justice in certain Boroughs and Franchises.

[25th July, 1834.]

S. 1. Justices of the peace acting for boroughs which are not empowered to hear and determine felonies, may commit persons charged with felonies to be tried at the general quarter sessions for the county wherein such borough shall be situate.

S. 2. Justices acting for boroughs having power to try certain felonies at the general sessions for such boroughs, may commit to the county gaol persons charged with felonies triable at the county general quarter sessions, but to which the jurisdiction of the justices for the borough does not extend.

S. 3. In towns or franchises having a recorder and a fit prison, the magistrates shall commit to such prison all persons charged with felonies triable at sessions; and the court of quarter sessions of such towns shall have authority to try such felonies.

CAP. 28.-An Act to amend the Laws relative to Marriages celebrated by Roman Catholic Priests and Ministers not of the Established Church in Scotland. [25th July, 1834.] CAP. 29.-An Act for facilitating the Loan of Money upon Landed Securities in Ireland. [25th July, 1834.] CAP. 30.-An Act to facilitate the Exchange of Lands lying in Common Fields. [25th July, 1834.]

S. 1. Persons seised, possessed of, or entitled in possession to land in any common field, as tenant in fee simple, fee tail, for life, by the curtesy, or any other estate of freehold, or for years determinable on any life, or for a term whereof 100 years shall be unexpired, and the guardian, trustee,

feoffee for charitable or other uses, husband, or committee of an infant, idiot, lunatic, or feme covert, may by such deed and with such consent as hereinafter mentioned, grant such land in exchange for other land lying in the same or any other common field, or for enclosed land in the same or any adjoining parish.

S. 2. Any such persons may grant land in exchange for such land lying in such common field.

S. 3. Land granted in exchange by persons having a limited interest shall be equal in value (or be made so by the payment of a sufficient sum of money for equality of exchange) with the land taken in exchange.

S. 4. Whenever an exchange under this act is proposed, and either of the parties has a limited interest, or is under any disability, the consent of the person next in remainder must be obtained, to be testified by signing the draft deed of exchange; in case the person in remainder shall be an infant, feme covert, idiot, or lunatic, the guardian, husband, or committee may consent to such exchange: Provided, that if the guardian, &c. shall be the person by whom the exchange is proposed, then the Court of Chancery, on petition, may appoint a protector to such infant, &c. for the purposes of this act, who may consent and sign the draft deed of exchange.

S. 5. No exchange shall be made of land held in right of any benefice, without consent of the patron and bishop, to be signified as before mentioned. Where the patronage is in the Crown, or belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall, the first lord of the treasury, lord chancellor, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, or the Duke of Cornwall, as the case may be, to consent. If the patron is a minor, idiot, lunatic, or feme covert, the guardian, &c. may consent and sign on behalf of the patron,

S. 6. No exchange to be made by any bishop, dean, archdeacon, prebendary, or other ecclesiastical corporation sole, without the consent of the archbishop, chapter, or bishop, as the case may require; the consent of the chapter to be signified by affixing their common seal to the draft deed of exchange; in the other cases, by signature.

S. 7. Exchanges to be made according to the form given in the schedule, and to be valid without livery of seisin.

S. 8. In case of exchange of copyhold land, the deed of exchange to be entered on the court rolls.

S. 9. Fees to steward for entering not to exceed sixpence for every law folio.

S. 10. In case of exchange of church lands, the deed to be entered in the proper ecclesiastical registry.

S. 11. Office copies of deeds of exchange entered in such registries to be evidence in all courts.

S. 12. A draft of the intended deed of exchange, containing a correct description of the several lands, and signed by the respective parties, and also by the persons whose consent is required, and accompanied by an estimate of the value of the lands to be exchanged, and when either party shall be under disability, then accompanied also by a copy of the several limitations contained in the deed or will under which such person shall be

entitled, to be deposited with the clerk of the peace of the county in which the greater part of the land may be situated, and notice of such deposit to be published three times, in three successive months, in a county newspaper. In case of corporations aggregate, affixing the common seal to be sufficient instead of signature.

S. 13. Persons interested objecting to the exchange may state the objection in writing, and deposit the same with the clerk of the peace not less than fourteen days before holding the assizes.

S. 14. Justices of the peace to make a table of fees to be taken by the clerks of the peace for their duties under this act, in manner directed by the 57 Geo. 3, cap. 91.

S. 15. The clerk of the peace to cause the draft deed of exchange, estimate, and statement of objection to be laid before the senior judge of the assizes to be holden next after the expiration of three months from the deposit of the draft deed. Such judge to appoint a barrister of not less than five years standing to consider the same.

S. 16. Barrister may summon witnesses and administer an oath.

S. 17. Barrister to satisfy himself by the production of deeds, examination of witnesses, or other evidences, of the value of the lands to be exchanged, and that no party to the exchange is under disability, or, if so, that the person stated to be next in remainder has such estate, and that the required notices and consents have been given: such barrister to hear and determine all objections.

S. 18. Barrister to certify accordingly; and to suggest such alterations as he shall think expedient for better protecting the rights of interested parties.

S. 19. Where difference in value shall not exceed one-fifth, barrister may insert a provision in the exchange for payment in money of such difference; no exchange to be made under this act where the difference in value shall exceed one-fifth.

S. 20. Certificate with draft deed, &c. to be laid before the judge, who shall make order thereupon; the draft deed, when confirmed or altered by such order, to be engrossed and executed by the necessary parties, and afterwards be binding on all parties interested in the lands exchanged: provided, that before making final order the judge may institute further inquiry.

S. 21. Barrister shall further certify in what proportions the costs and charges ought to be borne; and the judge shall make an order for payment as he may think right: in case of disagreement respecting the amount of costs, such costs shall be taxed by the master or secondary of the King's Bench.

S. 22. Provides for remuneration to the barrister.

S. 23. If a party under disability' shall be entitled to money to be paid for equality of exchange, the money (if exceeding 207.) shall be paid into the Bank of England, in the name of the accountant general, to be placed

In the printed copy of this act the words "shall be under any disability, the money directed to be paid," or words to that effect, seem to be omitted.

to his account ex parte the person entitled to the rents and profits of the land, to be applied under direction of the court, on petition of the party entitled, either in purchase or redemption of the land tax, or in discharging any incumbrance on the land, or on other land settled to like uses, or in the purchase of other lands to be conveyed to like uses; in the mean time to be invested in the funds, and the dividends to be paid to the person entitled; but if not exceeding 200., then the money to be paid to the person entitled to the rents and profits of the land, or in case of infancy, &c, to the guardian, &c. as the case may be.

S. 24. Land given in exchange to be exonerated from the uses, trusts, powers, conditions, limitations and restrictions, charges and incumbrances, then affecting the same, and become subject to the same uses, &c. as affected the land taken in exchange.

S. 25. After exchange, party not to be evicted from land taken in exchange; but the person claiming a right through any prior title, or defect of title, to have the same remedies for recovering possession of the land granted in exchange.

S. 26. General saving of rights of the crown, bodies politic, corporate and collegiate, not being owners of the land, nor consenting to the exchange.

S. 27. Defines the meaning of certain words used in this act.

S. 28. This act to extend to England and Wales.

CAP. 31.-An Act for transferring certain Annuities of Four Pounds per centum per annum into Annuities of Three Pounds and Ten Shillings per centum per annum, and for providing for Paying off the Persons who may dissent to such Transfer. [25th July, 1834.] CAP. 32.-An Act for reducing the Tonnage Rates payable in the Port of London. [25th July, 1834.] CAP. 33.-An Act to repeal so much of several Acts as requires Deposits to be made upon Teas sold at the Sales of the East India Company.

[25th July, 1834.] CAP. 34.-An Act to repeal the Laws relating to the Contribution out of Merchant Seamen's Wages towards the Support of the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich, and for supplying other funds in lieu thereof.

[25th July, 1834.] CAP. 35.-An Act for the better regulation of Chimney Sweepers and their Apprentices, and for the safer Construction of Chimneys and Flues.

[25th July, 1834.] CAP. 36.-An Act for establishing a New Court for the Trial of Offences committed in the Metropolis and parts adjoining. [25th July, 1834.]

S. 1. The lord mayor of London, lord chancellor, judges, aldermen, recorder, and common serjeant of London, and such others as his majesty may appoint, to be judges of a court to be called the "Central Criminal Court."

S. 2. His majesty may issue a commission of oyer and terminer and gaol delivery for London and Middlesex, and certain parts of Essex, Kent, and Surrey.

S. 3. For the purposes of this act the said new district to be deemed one county; the venue in all indictments to be laid thus, " Central Criminal Court, to wit."

S. 4. Sheriffs of London, Middlesex, Essex, Kent, and Surrey, to obey all process issued by said judges; and, when required, to summon and return juries from the said city, counties, or parts thereof respectively, who, whether taken wholly from one county, or indiscriminately, may try all offences cognizable by said judges. Jurors from Essex, Kent, or Surrey, who shall have served under this act, to be exempt for twelve calendar months from serving on juries within their respective counties.

S. 5. His majesty, by order in council, may appoint places of confinement for prisoners, &c.

S. 6, 7, 8. The Penitentiary at Milbank to be one of the prisons under this act to which persons sentenced to imprisonment beyond the limits of the act may be removed; and the regulations in all Penitentiary Acts to apply to the prisoners confined there under this act.

S. 9. Convicts may be imprisoned either in the county gaol or in Newgate.

S. 10. Until such order in council is made, justices and coroners in Essex and Kent to commit offenders to Newgate; in Surrey, to Horsemonger Lane or Newington.

S. 11. Justices and coroners to specify in the commitment that persons are committed under this act; and to take examinations, informations, and recognizances as required by 7 Geo. 4, c. 64. The sheriff or gaoler of Surrey to remove prisoners committed under this act to Newgate six days before the sitting of the court.

S. 12. Two judges may order payment of costs and expenses of prosecutors and witnesses to be paid by the county in which the offence would have been tried but for this act: the treasurer of the county, or his agent, to attend the court, to pay orders.

S. 13. No bill of indictment for any misdemeanor (except perjury, or subornation of perjury,) which may be presented at any sessions for Westminster, Southwark, or any of the counties, shall lie to the grand jury under this act, unless the prosecutor has been bound by recognizances under this act, or unless the person accused shall be committed or bound to appear under this act.

S. 14. Provisions for the support of prisoners committed to Newgate from Essex, Kent, and Surrey.

S. 15. Sessions to be holden under this act in London, or the suburbs, at least twelve times a year.

S. 16. Indictments cognizable under this act found at the sessions of the peace, may be removed by certiorari to be tried under this act.

S. 17. Courts of quarter sessions not to try certain offences committed within the limits of this act.

S. 18. Recognizances for prosecuting, giving evidence, or for appearance, in case of removal of the indictment by certiorari, shall be obligatory on persons entering into them to prosecute, &c. before the court consti