wardens, overfeer, or householder, of every parish, township, or place, to whom fuch schedules had been delivered by them respectively as aforefaid, to the feveral clerks of the peace at the then next Michaelmas quarter-feffions of the peace or the adjournment thereof (which adjournment the justices at fuch Michaelmas quarter-feffions are required to make, to fome convenient day within one calendar month after fuch Michaelmas quarter-feffions, in cafes where any fuch returns fhall not be made at the faid Michaelmas quarter-feffions); and every fuch high conftable, town clerk, or other proper officer, fhall forfeit for every default or neglect in the premises, a fum not exceeding ten pounds, nor less than five pounds.

And be it further enacted, That the feveral juftices of the peace, within their respective jurifdictions in England and Wales, to whom such schedule shall have been delivered, as aforesaid, shall, as foon as conveniently may be after receiving the fame, and seeing this act, appoint a time and place, or times and places, which time or times fhall be before the fifteenth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and feventy-feven, for the rector or vicar, or, in their abfence, for the officiating minifter and churchwardens or chapelwardens, or for the overfeer or fubftantial householder, as aforesaid, within their respective jurifdictions, to attend them at such meeting or meetings, for the purposes of this act, with returns and answers to the questions stated in the faid schedule; and two or more of the faid juftices fhall and are hereby required to caufe notice in writing to be given of fuch meeting to fuch minifter and churchwardens or chapelwardens, overfeer or householder refpectively by their precept, as herein before directed, twenty-eight days at least before the day to be appointed for fuch neeting, requiring their attendance at fuch meeting, for the purposes of this act; which precept shall be in the form or to the effect contained in the said schedule.

And be it further enacted, That the minifter and churchwardens, overfeer, or householder, as aforefaid, of every fuch parish, township, and place, fhall, and are hereby required to attend the juftices of the peace at fuch meeting or meetings, and then and there deliver to the faid juftices, in writing, figned by them, upon oath, a juft and true account of all charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons within their respective parishes or places, diftinguishing, as far as may be, by whom, when, and in what manner, and for what purpose given; likewife whether fuch respective donations were in land or money, and in whom now vefted, and what is VOL. V.

the

the annual produce thereofrespectively, by way of answer and return to the faid queftions, as before directed; and that every minifter and churchwarden, overfeer,or householder, as aforefaid, making default in any of the matters hereby required, fhall, for every fuch neglect or default, forfeit a fum not exceeding ten pounds, nor lefs than five pounds, at the difcretion of the justice or juftices before whom complaint thereof shall be made: and in order to enable the faid minifter and churchwardens, overfeers, or householders, to make proper answers and returns, they are hereby authorized and empowered to call for and infpect any deed, will, inftrument, or other writing, relating to fuch charitable donations, or any copy thereof, where the original cannot be had, which fhall refpectively be in the custody of any perfon or perfons to whom application fhall be made for that purpose, and to make extracts of fuch part or parts thereof respectively as shall be neceffary for the purposes of this act; and in cafe any perfon or perfons, to whom any fuch application fhall be made, shall refuse or neglect to permit fuch infpection, copies, or extracts to be made, the faid minifter and churchwardens, overseers and householders, shall make complaint thereof to the justices at their faid meeting, which juftices fhall forthwith fummon. the perfon or perfons, against whom fuch complaint fhall be made, to appear before them at a time and place to be appointed for that purpose by such fummons, before the then next Michaelmas quarter-feffions, to which time and place fuch meeting of the juftices fhall be adjourned, and to produce before the juftices at fuch meeting, fuch deed, will, or other inftrument, or copy thereof, or fhew caufe to the contrary; at which meeting the minifter, churchwardens, overfeers, and householders refpectively, making fuch complaint, fhall attend; and if fuch deed, will, inftrument, or copy, fhall be produced, the faid minifter and churchwardens, overfeers and householders, refpectively, shall then and there infpect the fame for the purposes of this act; but if the fame shall not be produced, nor any fufficient caufe fhewn to the contrary, to the fatisfaction of fuch juftices, every perfon or perfons concealing or withholding the fame fhall forfeit a fum not exceeding ten pounds, nor less than five pounds, at the difcretion of the justice or juftices before whom complaint thereof fhall be fo made.

And be it further enacted, That the faid juftices of the peace fhall, and they are hereby alfo required, at such meeting or meetings fo to be appointed by them as aforefaid, to receive and take the answers and returns to be made by

the minifter and churchwardens, overfeers and householders refpectively, pursuant to the directions aforefaid, and then and there adminifter to them refpectively the oath contained in the faid schedule; and fuch juftices, if they fee caufe, may examine fuch minifter and churchwardens, overfeers and householders refpectively upon oath, touching any of the matters contained in fuch questions and answers; and the faid juftices fhall then deliver fuch answers and returns to the refpective high conftables, town clerks, or other proper offi cers, as aforefaid, in order that the fame may be by them tranfmitted to the clerks of the peace, as herein is directed.

And be it further enacted, That there fhall be paid and allowed for the trouble and expenfes of the feveral perfons employed in the transactions aforefaid, for every return which fhall be fo made and tranfmitted to the clerks of the peace, pursuant to the directions aforefaid, the fums following, and no more; (viz.) to the clerk of the peace, for the return which fhall be made from every parith, township, or place, the fum of one thilling; to the high conftable, town clerk, or the other proper officer, for the like, the fum of one fhilling; to the clerks of the juftices of the peace, for the like, the fum of fixpence ; and that the juftices of the peace, at their respective quarter feffions which shall be held next after Michaelmas, one thoufand feven hundred and feventyfeven, fhall, and are hereby required to make an order upon their respective treasurers, to pay the fame out of the rates to be made and collected for the refpective counties, ridings, divisions, precincts, fokes, franchises, liberties, cities, towns, and counties corporate.

And be it further enacted, That the feveral forfeitures and penalties inflicted by this act fhall, if not immediately paid, be levied by diftrefs and fale of the offender's goods and chattels, by virtue of a warrant under the hand and feal of any juftice of the peace having jurifdiction where fuch offender fhall dwell, rendering to the faid offender the overplus (if any) after the charge of fuch diftrefs and fale fhall be deducted; and in cafe fufficient diftrefs fhall not be found, then it shall be lawful for fuch justice to commit fuch offender to the common gaol, there to remain without bail or mainprize for a term not exceeding twelve calendar months, nor less than fix calendar months, at the difcretion of fuch justice, unless the faid forfeiture and charges fhall be sooner paid; and the faid forfeitures, when recovered, shall be paid and applied one half to the informer, and the other half to the faid refpective treafurers,

Z-2

treasurers, in aid of the rates aforefaid; and any perfon shall be deemed a competent witnefs for the execution of any of the purposes of this act, notwithstanding his paying, or being. liable to pay to fuch rates.

SCHEDULE.

QUESTIONS, to which Anfwers are to be returned by virtue of an act paffed in the feventeenth year of his Majesty King George the Third, intituled, " An act for procuring accounts of all "charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons, in the Several parishes and places within that part of Great-Britain "called England."

FIRST QUESTION. WHAT charitable donations are there, for the benefit of poor perfons, within your parish (or place); by whom, when, in what manner, and for what particular purpofe, were they given, to the best of your knowledge, införmation, and belief?

SECOND QUESTION.

Were the respective donations in land or money; in whom are they now vested; and what is the annual produce thereof, respectively?

FORM of the OATH.

YOU fhall fwear, that the answers and return now made by you, to the queftions contained in the Schedule hereunto annexed, is a full and true anfwer to the faid questions, to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief.

THE RETURN TO BE ANNEXED TO THE SCHEDULE. To be indorfed by the high conftable, town clerk, or other proper officer, receiving the returns from the juftices.

ANSWERS returned to the questions in the schedule annexed, from the parish (or place) of

in the

hundred, rape, wapentake, lathe, precinct, foke, franchise, liberty, city, town, or county corporate, of

(as

the cafe fhall be), the

day of

Precept

Precept to the high constable, &c, appointing a day and place for taking the anfwers and returns, and requiring the attendance of the minifter and churchwardens.

to

wit.}

To the conftable, or town clerk, of

or

within the hundred (riding, divifion, liberty, city,
town, as the cafe fhall be) of
in the faid
county, in order to carry into execution an act made
in the feventeenth year of the reign of his Majesty
King George the Third, for procuring returns of all
charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons.

You are hereby required, with all convenient fpeed, to give, or caufe to be given, notice to the rectors and vicars, or officiating minifters, of every parifh within your district aforefaid; and in places where there fhall be no minifter or churchwarden, to the overfeer or overseers of the poor; and if no overfeer, to fome fubftantial inhabitant of fuch place, by delivering to each of them a printed copy of the Schedule to the faid act, with the time and place for the meeting filled up in the Precept, as herein appointed, that they are required to appear at

next, at the hour of

on the day of in the forenoon, then and there to deliver upon oath, a juft and true account of all charitable donations for the benefit of poor perfons within their respective parishes or places; diftinguishing, as far as may be, by whom, when, and in what manner, and for what purposes given; likewife whether fuch refpective donations were in land or money, and in whom now vested, and what is the annual produce thereof respectively; on pain of forfeiting a fum not exceeding ten pounds, nor less than five pounds, for every neglect and default; and that they are authorized and empowered by the faid act to call for, and infpect, any deed, will, or inftrument, or other writing, relating to such charitable donations, or any copy thereof where the original cannot be had, which thall refpectively be in the cuftody of any perfon or perfons to whom they fhall make application for that purpofe, and to make extracts of fuch part or parts thereof refpectively as fhall be neceffary for the purposes of the faid act; and that in cafe