CHAP. IV.

BRIDGES, BUILDING OF, &c.

BILLS for these purposes, should be begun. in the House of Commons, and the notices required by the following standing orders, must be given previously to the introduction of the bill. See forms, Appendix (D).

"On the 23d May 1786-Resolved, That before any petition is presented to this House for erecting a bridge, or for the renewal or alteration of any act of Parliament passed for that purpose, notice of such intended application to Parliament be given at the general quarter-sessions of the peace which shall be held for every and each county or district to which such bridge extends, or is intended to extend, at the Michaelmas immediately preceding the session of Parliament in which such petition is to be presented. This is made a standing order."

"On the 23d May 1786-Resolved, That this notice be given, by affixing to the door

of

of the session-house where such general quarter-sessions are held, a printed or written paper, describing the parishes to which the said bridge extends, or is intended to extend ; and that such notice be also printed in some one newspaper of the county, or if there is no such paper printed for that county, then in the newspaper of some near or adjoining county, three times at least, in the months of August and September, or either of them, immediately preceding the session of Parliament in which such petition is to be presented. This is made a standing order." "On the 23d May 1786-Resolved, That when any petition for a bridge, or for renewing or altering any act of Parliament passed for that purpose, hath been presented to the House, the committee to whom the said petition shall be referred, do examine in the first place, how far the orders contained in the two former resolutions have been complied with; and the chairman of such committee shall report the evidence upon such examination to the House, on the report of the petition. This is made a standing order."

PETI

PETITION.

The petition will be referred to a committee, before whom must be produced the newspaper in which the notices required by the above orders are printed; and the affixing the notice on the sessionhouse door, as well as the allegations of the petition, must be proved by parole evidence before the committee.

There is no other standing order of either House of Parliament peculiar to bills of this description; and the further proceedings thereon may be collected from the Introductory Chapter.

See public acts passed relating to Bridges: Magna Charta, 9 Hen. III. c. 15; 22 Hen. VIII. c, 5; 22 Cha. II. c. 12; 5 and 6 William and Mary, c. 11; 1-Anne, stat. 1, c. 18; 12 Geo. II. c. 29; 14 Geo. III. c. 33

See 1 vol. Williams' Just. title, "Bridges."

CHAP.

CHAP. V.

BILLS FOR THE MORE EASY RECOVERY OF SMALL DEBTS.

THERE is no notice required to be given of the application to Parliament for these bills, but such bills must contain certain provisions, which are required by the following standing orders of the House of Commons to be made. therein.

"On the 2d February 1787-Resolved, That

in all bills for constituting courts for the recovery of small debts, provision be made, that no person shall be committed to prison by such courts for more than twenty days, where the debt does nor exceed 20s.; nor for more than forty days, where the debt does not exceed 40s.; and that every person so committed, shall be discharged at the expiration of the said twenty days or forty days respectively, without paying any fees to any gaoler or turnkey. This is made a standing order."

"On the 2d February 1787-Resolved, That

in

in all bills for constituting courts for the recovery of small debts, there be inserted a clause, that no person shall be capable of acting as a commissioner, unless such person shall be a householder within the county, district, city, liberty, or place for which he shall act, and shall be possessed of a real estate of the annual value of 20l., or of a personal estate of the value of 500l. This is made a standing order."

"On the 2d February 1787-Resolved, That the committee to whom any bill for constituting courts for the recovery of small debts shall be committed, do examine in the first place, how far the orders contained in the two preceding resolutions have been complied with; and the chairman of such committee shall report the same to the House on the report of such bill. This is made a standing order."

The three last-mentioned orders are not extended to Ireland.

The Introductory Chapter will furnish sufficient instructions for obtaining an act of the above description. See Appendix (E) for forms of Petitions, &c.

CHAP.