and all acts done by any assistant Commissioner so authorized shall be as valid and effectual as if done by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis if the office had not been vacant, or (as the case may be) if the Commissioner had been present and acting. 9. The provision of the firstly-recited Act for preventing any Justice of the Peace appointed by virtue of that Act from being elected or sitting as a member of the House of Commons, or voting in certain elections of members to serve in Parlia ment, or indirectly interfering therein, shall apply to and include the said assistant Commissioners to be appointed under this Act. 10. All acts which, during any vacancy in the office of one of the Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis, have been done by the surviving or continuing Commissioner, shall be and be deemed to have been as valid and effectual as if there had been no such vacancy, and such acts had been done by both the Commissioners. CAP. III. An Act to extend the Period for which Her Majesty may grant Letters Patent of Incorporation to Joint-Stock Banks in Scotland existing before the Act of One thousand eight hundred and forty-six. By this Act, After reciting that under the provisions of the 9 & 10 Vict. c. 75. (whereby the 7 & 8 Vict. c. 113. was extended to joint-stock banks in Scotland,) Her Majesty, with the advice of her Privy Council, is empowered to grant letters patent of incorporation to any company of more than six persons who were carrying on the business of bankers in Scotland on or before the 9th of August 1845, upon the terms and in manner in the said Acts mentioned or referred to, but only for a term of years not exceeding twenty years: And that it is expedient that Her Majesty should be empowered in certain cases to grant (7th March 1856.) such letters patent of incorporation for a longer period : It is Enacted, That notwithstanding anything in the said Acts contained, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty to grant letters patent of incorporation under the said Acts to any company of more than six persons in Scotland who were carrying on the business of bankers before the said 9th of August 1845, either for a term of years or in perpetuity, but so that the same shall be liable to be dealt with by or under the provisions of any future Acts of Parliament in every respect as if this Act had not been passed. CAP. IV. An Act to apply the Sum of One million six hundred and thirty-one thousand and five Pounds One Shilling and Five Pence out of the Consolidated Fund to the Service of the Year ending the Thirty-first Day of March One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. By this Act, the Commons grant, and it is 1. There shall be applied for the service of the years ending the 31st of March 1855 and 1856 the sum of 1,631,0051. 1s. 5d. out of the Consolidated Fund. 2. The Treasury may cause 1,631,005l. 1s. 5d. of Exchequer bills to be made out in manner prescribed by the 48 Geo. 3. c. 1, 4 & 5 Will. 4. c. 15, and 5 & 6 Vict. c. 66. 3. The clauses, &c. in recited Acts extended to this Act. (7th March 1856.) 4. Interest on Exchequer bills. 5. Bank of England may advance 1,631,0057. 18. 5d. on the credit of this Act, notwithstanding the 5 & 6 Will. & M. c. 20. 6. Bills prepared by virtue of this Act to be delivered to the Bank, as security for such ad vances. 7. Monies raised by bills to be applied to the services voted by the Commons. 8. Exchequer bills made chargeable upon the growing produce of the Consolidated Fund. CAP. V. An Act for funding Exchequer Bills and raising Money by way of Annuities. This Act contains the following clauses: 1. All subscribers towards funding Exchequer bills to be entitled to 1117. 2s. 2d. 31. per cent. consols for every 100l. of such bills.-First instal ment. 2. Periods for future instalments. 3. As to payment of interest on deposited Exchequer bills. 4. Subscribers may pay money instead of Exchequer bills, paying an additional 5s. per cent. on the money paid. 5. Guardians, &c. may subscribe, &c. towards funding of Exchequer bills. 6. Periods for payment of dividends. 7. Stock to be placed to credit of subscribers in books at the Bank of England. 8. Subscribers may anticipate deposits or pay ments. 9. Annuities charged on Consolidated Fund. 10. Regulations as to payment of dividends. 11. Receipts to be assignable. 12. Subscribers' names to be entered in books at the Bank of England. (7th March 1856.) 13. Subscribers not paying up sums subscribed, to forfeit their deposits. 14. Annuities to be deemed personal estate. 15. Books to be provided for the entry and registry of transfers.-Transfers not liable to stamp duty. 16. Deposited Exchequer bills to be cancelled. 17. Monies received under this Act to be paid into the Exchequer. 18. Bank to certify amount of bills funded and of stock created. 19. Payments to be made for incident charges, and to the Bank for services performed. 20. Appropriation of money payments. 21. Three per cent. annuities shall be added to the joint stock of the three per cent. consols. 22. Punishment for forgery of receipts, &c. 23. Bank to continue a corporation. 24. Penalty on persons taking fees for receipts or payments. 25. General issue. 26. Provisions of the 22 Geo. 3. c. 45. not to extend to subscribers under this Act. CAP. VI. An Act for raising Five Millions by way of Annuities. This Act contains the following clauses : 1. Contributors entitled to 1117. 2s. 2d. 3l. per cent. consols for every 100l. contributed, &c. 2. Contributors who have made deposits to pay the remainder of subscriptions by instalments. 3. Power to guardians to contribute for infants. 4. Dividends on stock when to be payable. 5. Time at which contributors, after payment of deposit, &c., may assign and transfer stock. 6. Contributors may make payments in anticipation of instalments. 7. Annuities payable and transferable at the Bank. (7th March 1856.) 8. Money to be issued out of the Consolidated Fund for payment of annuities and charges in respect of 5,000,000l. ; 9. And shall be charged upon the said fund. 10. The Bank to appoint a cashier and an accountant general, and the Treasury to order money to be issued to the cashier for payment of annuities. 11. Cashier to give receipts for subscriptions, which may be assigned before the 24th of April 1856.-Cashier to give security for paying the money he receives into the Exchequer. 12. Treasury may apply the money paid into the Exchequer. An Act to apply the Sum of Twenty-six Millions out of the Consolidated Fund to the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six. An Act for the Regulation of Her Majesty's Royal Marine Forces while on shore. 1. Lord High Admiral, &c. may make articles for the punishment of mutiny, desertion, &c. 2. Offences against former Mutiny Acts and Articles of War.-Limitation as to time. 3. Provisions of this Act to extend to Jersey, &c. 4. The ordinary course of law not to be interfered with. 5. No person tried by civil power to be punished by court-martial for same offence except by cashiering. 6. Marines to be subject to the discipline of the navy while on board ship. 7. Lord High Admiral, &c. may grant commissions for holding general courts-martial, &c. 8. As to general courts-martial. 9. District or garrison courts-martial. 10. Divisional and detachment courts-martial. 11. Courts-martial on line of march or in transport ships, &c. 12. As to courts-martial in special cases out of the Queen's dominions. 13. Officers of the marine and land forces may sit in conjunction on courts-martial, 14. If no superior officer of land forces is present in command of a district, &c. an officer of marines may convene a court-martial. 15. President of court-martial. 16. Proceedings at trial. 17. Swearing and summoning witnesses. 18. Previous convictions to be put in evidence. 19. Report of proceedings of courts-martial. 20. No second trial, but revision allowed. 23. Commutation of death for transportation, or other punishment. 24. Embezzlement punishable by transportation or penal servitude. 25. Transportation of offenders. 26. In the colonies. 27. Disposal of convict after sentence of transportation. 28. Power to inflict corporal punishment. 29. Power to inflict corporal punishment and imprisonment. 30. Power to commute corporal punishment. 31. Forfeiture of pay and pension by sentence of court-martial. 39. Forfeiture of pay on conviction of desertion or felony. 33. Forfeiture of pay when in confinement; or during absence on commitment under a charge, or in arrest for debt; or when prisoner of war; or when convicted of desertion or absent without leave; or when absent without leave not exceeding five days. 34. Forfeiture of pay and liquor for habitual drunkenness. 35. Forfeiture of pay for drunkenness on duty. 36. Stoppages. 37. Discharge with ignominy. 38. Marking deserters. 39. Power of imprisonment by different kinds of courts-martial. 40. Imprisonment of offenders already under sentence for previous offence. 41. Term and place of imprisonment. 42. Proviso for removal of prisoners. 43. Custody of prisoners under military sentence in common gaols. 44. Their subsistence in common gaols. 45. Expiration of imprisonment in common gaols. 46. Military prisons established under Act for punishing mutiny and desertion in army to be deemed public prisons. 47. Musters, and penalty on false musters. 48. Verifying of muster rolls. 49. Trials for desertion after subsequent reenlistment. 50. Apprehension of deserters. 51. Penalty on marines straggling or attempting to desert from head-quarters. 52. Temporary custody of deserters in gaols. 53. Fraudulent confession of desertion. 54. Punishment for inducing marines to desert. 55. Extension of furlough in case of sickness. 56. Marines liable to be taken out of Her Majesty's service only for felony and certain misdemeanours, or for debts amounting to 30% and upwards; but not liable to be taken out of Her Majesty's service for not maintaining their families or for breach of contract. 57. Officers not liable to take parish apprentices. 58. Officers not to be sheriffs or mayors. 59. Enlisting and swearing of recruits. 60. Dissent and relief from enlistment. 61. Offences connected with enlistment. 62. Penalty on officers offending as to enlistment. 63. Apprentices enlisting to be liable to serve after the expiration of their apprenticeship. 64. Claims of masters to apprentices. 65. No apprentice claimed by the master shall be taken away without a warrant.-Punishment of apprentices enlisting. 66. Servants enlisting to be entitled to a portion of their wages. 67. Removal of doubts as to attestation of marines. 68. Admiralty may order pay to be withheld. 69. Billeting of marines. 70. Allowance to innkeepers. 71. Carriages. 72. Rates for carriages. 73. Providing for supply of carriages, &c. in cases of emergency. 74. Justices of Peace to direct payment of sums expended for carriages, &c. 75. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland may depute persons to sign routes. An Act to amend the Acts relating to the Advance of Public Money to promote the Improvement of Land. (14th March 1856.) ABSTRACT OF THE ENACTMENTS. 1. If Commissioners think an advance expedient, they may issue a provisional certificate, with the sanction of the Treasury.-Expenses of investigation may be charged upon the land, if Commissioners shall think fit. 2. Expenses of assistant Commissioner and others may be by way of per-centage. 3. Commissioners, when satisfied of the execution of the works, may issue certificate for an advance under this Act. 4. Power to Treasury to direct advances to be made. 5. Commencement of rent-charge. 6. In case of advances in respect of lands in Scotland Commissioners to deliver certificate to owner of said land. 7. Certificates of advance to be deposited. 8. Upon apportionment, part of lands may be freed from rent-charge. 9. Commissioners may issue and advance notwithstanding deviation. 10. Construction of "Commissioners." 11. Power for Commissioners to appoint, in certain cases, a substitute for owner. 12. Act to apply to all cases, whatever date of provisional certificates. 13. Acts to be read together. 14. Short titles. By this Act, After reciting the 9 & 10 Vict. c. 101, 10 Vict. c. 11, 11 & 12 Vict. c. 119, 12 & 13 Vict. c. 100, 13 & 14 Vict. c. 31, and 14 & 15 Vict. c. 91: It is Enacted as follows:- 1. Sections 8. and 17. of the said Act, 9 & 10 Vict. c. 101, shall be repealed, and the said Act shall be read as if the following enactment had been therein inserted instead of the said section 17; that is to say, if the Commissioners shall think that an advance in respect of the whole or of a proportional part of the cost of such works would be expedient, they may apply to the Commissioners of the Treasury for their sanction for them to issue to the owner of land by whom such application shall have been made, or, in case his interest shall have determined, to the owner of such land for the time being, a provisional certificate, and such provisional certificate shall declare that upon its being shewn to the satisfaction of the Commissioners that the proposed works have been executed ac cording to the plan and specification annexed to the report of the Commissioner, assistant Commissioner, surveyor, or engineer respectively, in a substantial and durable manner, the Commissioners will cause an advance to be issued to an amount not exceeding the amount of the whole or of such proportional part as in such provisional certificate shall be expressed of the expenses which shall have been actually incurred in such drainage, but limited not to exceed a certain sum in such provisional certificate to be expressed: Provided always, that in case the Commissioners, upon the investigation of such application, shall be of opinion that the amount and permanence of the improvement which will be effected by the proposed drainage in the annual value of the land will be such that all or a part of the expenses of the investigation of the application, and of the expenses of inspecting and ascertaining the due execution of the works, should be a charge on the land to which the application shall relate, the Commissioners may by the provisional certificate direct that all or such part as in |