Act, and also Contracts and Agreements for the Construction of such other Works as the Company shall be authorized to proceed in constructing by the Consent of the Holders of Three Fifths of the Shares or Stock held by such of the Shareholders of such Company as shall signify their Assent thereto or Dissent therefrom within the Time and in the Manner hereinafter mentioned, or as they shall be authorized to proceed in constructing by an Order of the said Commissioners of Railways published in the London, Edinburgh, or Dublin Gazette, according as the Works are situated in England, Scotland, or Ireland; and all Contracts and Agreements entered into in contravention of this Enactment shall be utterly void and of no effect. of Shareholders IX. And be it enacted, That for the Purpose of ascertaining Mode of ascersuch Consent of the Shareholders as aforesaid a General Meeting taining Consent of the Shareholders of such Company shall be held within Six to the making Weeks after the passing of this Act, of which public Notice of Contracts shall be given by public Advertisement in the Manner required for new Works. or usually adopted for advertising the Extraordinary General Meetings of such Company; and a Circular Letter shall be sent by the Post, addressed to each of the Shareholders of such Company, according to his registered Address or other known Address, describing the Portion of Line or Works proposed to be executed, and stating that a General Meeting of the Shareholders of such Company will be held, at a Time and Place mentioned in such Circular, for the Purpose of determining whether a Contract for executing such Works shall be entered into or not within the Twelve Months next after the passing of this Act, and requesting such Shareholder to signify his Assent to or Dissent from the making of such Contract, according to a Form to be contained in such Circular Letter, which Form shall be to the Effect set forth in the Schedule hereto; and such Circular Letter shall request such Shareholder either to return such Form, signed by him, in a Letter addressed to the Secretary of such Company, or to attend such General Meeting as aforesaid, and deliver the same, so signed by him, to the Chairman thereof; and at the Meeting so to be held the Chairman thereof shall cast up the Number or Amount of Shares or Stock held by Shareholders assenting to the making of such Contract, and the Number or Amount of Shares or Stock held by Shareholders dissenting therefrom, whether such Assent have been signified by the Shareholder sending to the Secretary of the Company such Form as aforesaid, signed by him, or by such Shareholder attending such Meeting, and delivering in the same to the Chairman thereof; and such Chairman shall thereupon publicly announce the Number or Amount of Shares or Stock of the Shareholders assenting to the making of such Contract, and the Number or Amount of the Shares or Stock of those dissenting therefrom, and shall state whether or not the Holders of Three Fifths of the whole of such Shares or Stock consent to the making of such Contract: Provided always, that Certificate of the Chairman of Company, countersigned by the Secretary, to be Evidence of Act may be in computing the Number or Amount of the Shares of Shareholders assenting or dissenting as aforesaid no Share shall be taken into account the Holder whereof shall not have paid all the Calls then due by him upon the Shares held by him. X. And be it enacted, That a Certificate under the Hand of the Chairman of the Company, and countersigned in each Case by the Secretary of the Company, stating that such Meeting as aforesaid has been duly held, and such Circular Letter sent, and such Consent given as aforesaid, in Cases where the same is given, shall, within One Week after the Day of holding such Meeting, be deposited in the Office of the said Commissioners of Railways; and such Certificate, or a Copy thereof, certified under the Seal of the said Commissioners to be a true Copy, shall be received as Evidence in all Courts, and before all Justices and others, that such Consent was duly given within the Time aforesaid. XI. And be it enacted, That this Act may be amended or amended, &c. repealed by any Act to be passed in this Session of Parliament. The Secretary will insert these Particulars. In this Column the Shareholder will write the Word " assenting" or "dissenting," "dissenting," as the Case may be, and sign his Name thereunder. CAP. IV. An Act to apply the Sum of Eight Millions out of the Consolidated Fund to the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight. Most Gracious Sovereign, [7th March 1848.] WE E, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled, towards making good the Supply which we have cheerfully granted to Your Majesty in this Session of Parliament, have resolved to grant unto Your Majesty the Sum herein-after mentioned; and do therefore most humbly beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it 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, That there shall and may be issued and applied, for or towards making good the Supply granted to Her Majesty for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, the Sum of Eight Millions Sum of out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great 8,000,000l. Britain and Ireland, and the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or any Three or more of them, or the Lord High Treasurer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for the Time being, are or is hereby authorized and empowered to issue and apply the same accordingly. II. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, or any Three or more of them, from Time to Time, by Warrant under their Hands, to cause or direct any Number of Exchequer Bills to be made out at the Receipt of Her Majesty's Exchequer at Westminster for any Sum or Sums of Money not exceeding in the whole the Sum of Eight Millions, and such Exchequer Bills shall be made out in the same or like Manner, Form, and Order, and according to the same or like Rules and Directions, as are directed and prescribed in an Act passed in the Forty-eighth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third, intituled An Act for regulating the issuing and paying off of Exchequer Bills, and in another Act passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the Fourth and Fifth Years of the Reign of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled An Act to regulate the Office of the Receipt of His Majesty's Exchequer at Westminster, and in another Act passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the Fifth and Sixth Years of the Reign of Her present Majesty, intituled An Act for further regulating the Preparation and Issue of Exchequer Bills. There shall be out of the Con solidated Fund. The Treasury 8,000,000l. of prescribed by c. 66. III. And be it enacted, That all and every the Clauses, The Clauses, Provisoes, Powers, Privileges, Advantages, Penalties, For- &c. in recited feitures, and Disabilities contained in the said recited Acts shall [No. 3. Price 2d.] C be Acts extended to this Act. Interest on Bank of England may advance be applied and extended to the Exchequer Bills to be made out in pursuance of this Act, as fully and effectually, to all Intents and Purposes, as if the said several Clauses, Provisoes, Powers, Privileges, Advantages, Penalties, Forfeitures, and Disabilities had been particularly repeated and re-enacted in the Body of this Act. IV. And be it enacted, That the Exchequer Bills to be made out in pursuance of this Act shall and may bear an Interest not exceeding the Rate of Three-pence Halfpenny per Centum per Diem, upon or in respect of the whole of the Monies respectively contained therein. V. And be it declared and enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the Governor and Company of the Bank of 8,000,000l. on England, and they are hereby empowered, to take, accept, and receive the Exchequer Bills authorized to be made out in pursuance of this Act, and to advance or lend to Her Majesty, the Credit of this Act, notwithstanding c. 20. 5 & 6 W. & M. at the Receipt of the Exchequer at Westminster, upon the Credit of the Sum granted by this Act out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, any Sum or Sums of Money not exceeding in the whole the Sum of Eight Millions, any thing in an Act passed in the Fifth and Sixth Years of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary, intituled An Act for granting to Their Majesties several Rates and Duties upon the Tonnage of Ships and Vessels, and upon Beer, Ale, and other Liquors; and for securing certain Recompences and Advantages in the said Act mentioned to such Persons as shall voluntarily advance the Sum of One million five hundred thousand Pounds towards carrying on the War against France, or in any other Act or Acts, to the contrary notwithstanding. Bills prepared by virtue of this Act to be delivered to the Bank, as Security for such Advances. Monies raised by Bills to be applied to the Services voted by the Com mons. Exchequer VI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, to cause such Bills as shall be prepared by virtue of this Act to be delivered from Time to Time to the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, in such Proportions as the Public Service may require, as Security for any Advance or Advances which may be made to Her Majesty by the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England under the Authority of this Act. VII. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to issue and apply from Time to Time all such Sums of Money as shall be raised by Exchequer Bills to be made out in pursuance of this Act 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. VIII. And be it enacted, That the Principal Sum or Sums of Money to be contained in all such Exchequer Bills to be made forth by virtue of this Act, together with the Interest that may Produce of the become due thereon, shall be and the same are hereby made chargeable upon the growing Consolidated Fund. chargeable and charged upon the growing Produce of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Ireland in the next succeeding Quarter to that in which the said Exchequer Bills have been issued; and it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury for the Time being, or any Three or more of them, and they are hereby authorized, from Time to Time, by Warrant under their Hands, to direct the Comptroller General of the Receipt of the Exchequer at Westminster, in such Manner as they shall think necessary, to grant a Credit on the Exchequer Funds in the Bank of England unto such Person or Persons as shall be named in the said Warrant, which Credit shall be chargeable on and paid out of the growing Produce of the said Consolidated Fund of the next succeeding Quarter to that in which the said Exchequer Bills have been issued, for any Sum or Sums of Money not exceeding in the whole a Sum sufficient to discharge and pay off the Principal Sum or Sums of Money contained in such Exchequer Bills then outstanding, and which may have been made out and issued by virtue of this Act, together with all such Interest as may be due thereupon. CAP. V. An Act to suspend for Five Years the Operation of certain Parts of an Act of the Tenth Year of Her present Majesty, for making further Provision for the Government of the New Zealand Islands; and to make other Provision in lieu thereof. [7th March 1848.] WHEREAS by an Act passed in the Tenth Year of the Reign of Her Majesty, intituled An Act to make further 9 & 10 Vict. Provision for the Government of the New Zealand Islands, c.103. 'certain Powers were vested in Her Majesty, to be executed 6 6 by Letters Patent to be from Time to Time issued under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, or by Instructions. under Her Majesty's Signet and Sign Manual, approved in Her Privy Council, and accompanying or referred to in such Letters Patent: And whereas in pursuance of the said Act 'Her Majesty did, by Letters Patent bearing Date at Westminster the Twenty-third Day of December in the Year aforesaid, and by certain Instructions made and approved as required by the said Act, and bearing even Date with and accompanying the said Letters Patent, execute certain of the Powers by the said Act vested in Her Majesty for the better Government of the said Islands, reserving by the said Letters Patent full Power and Authority to Herself, Her Heirs and Successors, from Time to Time to amend, and for that Purpose to add to or if necessary to repeal, the said Letters Patent and Instructions: And whereas it is expedient that certain of the Provisions of the said Act, Letters Patent, and Instructions should not for the present be carried into effect, but Doubts have been entertained whether the said Act is sufficient to enable Her Majesty to suspend the • Operation C 2 6 |