Page:Public General Statutes 1896.djvu/289

1896 An Act to consolidate the Law relating to Friendly and other Societies. [7th August 1896.]

E 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, as follows:

1.—(1.) There shall continue to be a chief registrar of friendly societies (in this Act called "the chief registrar"), and one or more assistant registrars of friendly societies for England (in this Act called "assistant registrars for England"), and the chief registrar and assistant registrars for England shall continue to constitute the central office of the registry of friendly societies.

(2.) There shall continue to be an assistant registrar of friendly societies for Scotland (in this Act called assistant registrar for Scotland"), and an assistant registrar of friendly societies for Ireland (in this Act called "assistant registrar for Ireland").

(3.) Every chief registrar and assistant registrar shall be Appointed by and shall hold his office during the pleasure of the Treasury.

(4.) The chief registrar shall be a barrister of not less than twelve years standing, and one at least of the assistant registrars for England, and the assistant registrar for Ireland, shall be a barrister or solicitor of not less than seven years standing, and the assistant registrar for Scotland shall be an advocate, writer to the signet, or solicitor of not less than seven years standing.

(5.) The central office may, with the approval of the Treasury, have attached to it such assistants skilled in the business of an actuary and an accountant as may be required for discharging the duties imposed on the office by this Act.

2.—(1.) The central office shall continue to exercise the functions Functions of and powers formerly vested—

(a) as respects trade unions, in the registrar of friendly societies in England; and

(b) as respects building societies, in the registrar of building societies in England; and

(c) as respects unincorporated benefit building societies, loan societies, and societies instituted for purposes of science literature or the fine arts, in the barristers appointed to certify the rules of savings banks or friendly societies,

and shall be entitled to receive all fees payable to those registrars and barristers; and all enactments relating to those registrars and