Section 20.) General Issue.

Tender of
Amends, &c.

Defendant's
Costs.

and not elsewhere; and the Defendant shall be at liberty to plead the General Issue, and give this Act and all special Matter in Evidence thereunder; and any person to whom any such Notice of Action is given as aforesaid may tender Amends to the Plaintiff, his Attorney or Agent, at any Time within One Month after Service of such Notice, and in case the same be not accepted may plead such Tender in bar, and (by Leave of the Court) with the General Issue or other Plea or Pleas; and if upon Issue joined upon any Plea pleaded to the whole Action the Jury find generally for the Defendant, or if the plaintiff be nonsuited or discontinue, or if Judgment be given for the Defendant, then the Defendant shall be entitled to full Costs of Suit, and have Judgment accordingly; and in case Amends have not been tendered as aforesaid, or in case the Amends tendered be insufficient, the Defendant may, by Leave of the Court, at any Time before Trial, pay into Court, under Plea, such Sum of Money as he may think proper, and (by the like Leave) may plead the General Issue or other Plea or Pleas, any Rule of Court or Practice to the contrary notwithstanding

Money may be paid into Court.

Persons acting in execution of Act not to be personally liable.

Their expenses to be repaid.

Also the Section numbered 140 of the same Act:
CXL. And be it enacted, That no Matter or Thing done or Contract

entered into by the Local Board of Health, nor any Matter or
Thing done by any Superintending Inspector, or any Member of
the said Local Board, or by the Officer of Health, Clerk, Surveyor,
Inspector of Nuisances, or other Officer or Person whomsoever
acting under the Direction of the said Local Board, shall, if
the Matter or Thing were done or the Contract were entered into
bona fide for the Purpose of executing this Act, subject them or
any of them personally to any Action, Liability, Claim, or Demand
whatsoever; and any Expense incurred by any such Local Board,
Member, Officer of Health, Clerk, Surveyor, Inspector of Nui-
sances, or other Officer or Person acting as last aforesaid, shall be
borne and repaid out of the General District Rates levied under the

Authority of this Act.
Also so much of the Section numbered 148 of the same Act as
relates to obstructing the Commissioners and their Officers, or
Persons employed by them, or to defacing or injuring Boards of
Byelaws:
CXLVIII. And be it enacted, That whosoever wilfully obstructs any

Superintending Inspector, or any Member of the Local Board of
Health, or any Officer or Person duly employed in the Execution
of this Act, or destroys, pulls down, injures, or defaces any
Board upon which any Byelaw, Notice, or other Matter is in-

Penalty for
obstructing
Officers, defacing
Boards, &c.

upon Commis

(Sec. 20.21.) scribed, shall, if the same were put up by Authority of the Local or General Board of Health, be liable for every such Offence

to a Penalty not exceeding Five Pounds; (a)a Also so much of the Section numbered 150 of the same Act as relates to the Service of Notices and Proceedings on the Commissioners : CL. And be it enacted, That any Summons, Notice, Writ, or Service of Notice

Proceeding of any kind whatsoever to be served upon the Local sioners.
Board of Health may be so served by being left at or sent through
any Post Office, directed to the Local Board of Health, at their

Office, or by being delivered there to the Clerk personally ; (6)
And the Notices required to be given to Commissioners indi- On individual
vidually shall be sufficiently given if directed to them by
Name, and transmitted through the Post to their usual Place of
Abode or Place of Business (if any) within the Borough.

And with respect to the Appointment and Accountability of Officers. Officers of the Commissioners, be it enacted,

XXI. That the following Sections of “The Public Health Act, c. 63. incorpo1848,” shall be incorporated with this Act :

The Section numbered 37 of the said Act :
XXXVII. And be it enacted, That the Local Board of Health shall Power to Com-

from Time to Time appoint fit and proper Persons to be Surveyor, appointSurveyor,
Inspector of Nuisances, Clerk, and Treasurer for the Purposes of Nuisances,Clerk,
this Act, and shall appoint or employ such Collectors and other
Officers and Servants as may be necessary and proper for the
efficient Execution of this Act, and shall make Byelaws for regu- Tomake Byelaws
lating the Duties and Conduct of the several Officers and Servants
so appointed or employed ; and the said Local Board may pay, out salaries, &c.
of the General District Rates to be levied under this Act, to such
Officers and Servants, such reasonable Salaries, Wages, or Allow-
ances as the said Local Board may think proper ; and every such Removal of
Officer and Servant shall be removable by the said Local Board at Officers.
their Pleasure, subject nevertheless, in the Case of the Removal of
the Surveyor, to the Approval of the General Board of Health :
Provided always, that the same Person may be both Surveyor and Same Person may
Inspector of Nuisances ; but neither the Person holding the Office Pas
of Treasurer, nor his Partner, nor any Person in the Service or
Employ of them or either of them, shall hold, be eligible to, or Treasurer.

Sections 37 to 40 of 11 & 12 Vict.

rated with this Act.

missioners to

Section 21)

Penalty upon Officers, &c. interested in Contracts or taking Fees im properly.

shall in any Manner assist or officiate in the Office of Clerk; and
neither the Person holding the Office of Clerk, nor his Partner,
nor any person in the Service or Employ of them or either of
them, shall hold, be eligible to, or shall in any Manner assist or
officiate in the Office of Treasurer; and whosoever offends in any
of the Cases enumerated in this Proviso shall forfeit and pay the
Sum of One hundred Pounds, which may be recovered by any
Person, with full Costs of Suit, by Action of Debt.

Also the Section numbered 38 of the same Act:
XXXVIII. And be it enacted, That no Officer or Servant appointed

or employed by or under the Local Board of Health shall in any-
wise be concerned or interested in any Bargain or Contract made
with such Board for the Purposes of this Act; and if any such
Officer or Servant be so concerned or interested, or shall, under
colour of his Office or Employment, exact, take, or accept any Fee
or Reward whatsoever, other than his proper Salary, Wages, and
Allowances, he shall be incapable of afterwards holding or con-
tinuing in any Office or Employment under this Act, and shall
forfeit and pay the Sum of Fifty Pounds, which may be recovered
by any Person, with full Costs of Suit, by Action of Debt.

Also the Section numbered 39 of the same Act :
XXXIX. And be it enacted, That before any such Officer or Servant.

enters upon any Office or Employment under this Act by reason
whereof he will or may be intrusted with the Custody or Control
of Money, the Local Board of Health by whom he is appointed
shall require and take from him sufficient Security for the faithful
Execution of such Office or Employment, and for duly accounting
for all Monies which may be intrusted to him by reason thereof;
and every such Officer or Servant employed in the Collection of
Rates under the Authority of this Act shall, within Seven Days
after he shall have received any Monies on account of such Rates,
pay over the same to the Treasurer, and shall, as and when the
said Local Board may direct, deliver a List, signed by him, con-
taining the Names of all Persons who have neglected or refused
to pay any such Rate, and the Sums respectively due from them;
and every Officer and Servant appointed or employed by or acting
under the said Local Board shall respectively, when and in such
Manner as shall be required by such Board, make out and deliver
to them a true and perfect Account in Writing of all Monies re-
received by him for the Purposes of this Act, and stating how, and
to whom, and for what Purpose such Monies have been disposed
of, and shall, together with such Account, deliver the Vouchers
or Receipts for all Payments made by him, and pay over to the

Officers, &c. intrusted with Money to give Security, and to account.

ceedings to be

failing to account

failing to account

Section 21) Treasurer all Monies owing by him upon the Balance of Accounts ; Summary Proand if any such Officer or Servant fail to render such Account, or taken in case of to produce and deliver up such of the said Vouchers and Receipts &c. as may be in his Possession or Power, or to pay over any such Monies as aforesaid, or if for the Space of Five Days after being thereunto required he fail to deliver up to the said Local Board all Papers and Writings, Property, Effects, Matters, and Things, in his Possession or Power, relating to the Execution of this Act, or belonging to such Board, then and in every such Case a Justice shall, on Complaint (a) being made to him in that Behalf, summon the Party charged to appear and answer the Complaint before Two Justices at a Time and Place to be specified in the Summons ; and upon the Appearance of the Party charged, or upon Proof that the Summons was personally served upon him, or left at his last known Place of Abode or Business, and if it appear to the last-men- Punishment for tioned Justices that he has failed to render any such Accounts, or deliver up to produce and deliver up any such Vouchers or Receipts, or any Paper such Papers, Writings, Property, Effects, Matters, or Things as aforesaid, and that he still fails or refuses so to do, they may, by Warrant under their Hands and Seals, commit the Offender to Gaol, there to remain, without Bail, until he shall have rendered such Accounts, and produced and delivered up all such Vouchers, Receipts, Books, Papers, Writings, Property, Effects, Matters, and Things in respect of which the Charge was made ; (6) and if it for failing to pay appear that the Party charged has failed to pay over any such or Monies as aforesaid, and that he still fails or refuses so to do, the last-mentioned Justices may, by a like Warrant, cause the same to be levied by Distress and Sale of his Goods and Chattels, and in default of any sufficient Distress commit him to Gaol, there to remain, without Bail, for a Period of Three Months, unless such Monies be sooner paid : Provided always, that if the Complainant, by Deposition on Oath, show to the Satisfaction of any Justice intending to that there is probable Cause for believing that the Party charged apprehended, &c. intends to abscond, such Justice may, without previous Summons,

Por failing to pay ver monies.

Party charged

abscond may be

(a.) Mr. Lawes suggests that the complaint under this section is an information within Jervis' Act, 11 & 12 Vic. c. 43, sec. 6.

(..) Mr. Lawes writes that this "and" will be construed "or;" the intention of the section does not seem to require it, or is the alteration required to give the section full effect. If it were required, it is more than doubtful in a penal section whether any alteration would be admitted. Mr. Gael in his work on “Law Composition" page 172, gives the case of an Act of Parliament being passed to correct an error of the kind, where it was almost necessary to the sense, to make a similar alteration in the reading. In the case of Waterhouse v. Keen, 6 D. and Ry. 257, "and" was construed “or," but that was the case of a remedial statute. This is the case of a penal section; though it may be conceeded, that it would be for the benefit of the Offender, if the word " and" were read “or,'' as it might raise a doubt, if he had committed both offences, viz., failed to account or deliver up books, &c., and failed to pay the monies, whether two commitments might inue arrainst him.

Surety not to be relieved thereby.

an Officer of

(Sections
21. 22. 23.)

by Warrant under his Hand and Seal, cause him to be forthwith
apprehended ; and in such Case the said Party shall, within
Twenty-four Hours after Apprehension, be brought before the
same or some other Justice, who may order that he be discharged
from Custody, if such Justice think that there is no sufficient
Ground for Detention, or that he be further detained until he be
brought before Two Justices at a Time and Place to be named in
the Order, unless Bail to the Satisfaction of the Justice be given
for the Appearance of the Party before such Two Justices: Pro-
vided also, that no such Proceeding shall be construed to relieve
or discharge any Surety of the Offender from any Liability what-

soever. Guaranter

And the Commissioners may accept the Security of any GuaSociety may bo Surety. rantee Society for the Fidelity of any Officer :

Also the Section numbered 40 of the same Act. Power to appoint

vint XL. And be it enacted, That the Local Board of Health may from Health..

Time to Time, if they shall think fit, appoint a fit and proper Person, being a legally qualified Medical Practitioner or a Member of the Medical Profession, to be and be called the Officer of Health, who shall be removable by the said Local Board, and shall perform such Duties as the said General Board shall direct ; and the same Person may be Officer of Health for Two or more Districts; and the Local Board or Boards of Health of the District or Districts respectively for which any such Officer is appointed may pay to him, out of the General District Rates to be levied under this Act, such Remuneration by way of annual Salary or otherwise as the said Local Board or Boards may by Order in Writing determine and appoint, and (in case of a joint Appointment for Two or more Districts) in such Proportions as the said General Board may by Order in Writing determine and appoint: Provided always, that the Appointment and Removal of the Officer of Health shall be subject to the Approval of the said

General Board. Paviors, &c. may XXII. That the Commissioners may from Time to Time ap

point such and so many Paviors, Artificers, Workmen, Labourers, Carters, and others, and also purchase or hire such Waggons, Carts, or other Carriages, Machinery, and Implements, as they judge necessary for carrying this Act into execution.

And with respect to the Contracts, Deeds, Notices, and Docu

ments by and to the Commissioners, be it enacted, Sections 85, 149, XXIII. That the following Sections of “The Public Health 12 Vict. c. 63.and Act, 1848” shall be incorporated with this Act :

Remuneration.

Approval of General Board.

be appointed.

Contracts.