Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/58

8 more of them, or the High Treasurer for the Time being, without any further or other Warrant, to be sued for, had or obtained in that Behalf, be issued and paid at the said Receipt of Exchequer, to the said First or Chief Cashier or Cashiers of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, and their Successors for the Time being, by way of Imprest, and upon Account, for the Payment of the said Annuities ; and that such Cashier or Cashiers, to whom the said Monies shall from time to time be issued, shall from time to time without Delay apply and pay the same and render his or their Account thereof, according to the due Course of the accordingly. Exchequer.

XI. And it is hereby also enacted, That the said Accomptant General for the Time being shall, inspect all Receipts and from time to time, inspect and examine all Receipts and Payments of the said Cashier or Cashiers, and the Vouchers relating thereunto, in order to prevent any Fraud, Negligence, or Delay.

XII. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all the Monies intended to be the Annuities to be converted into Annuities by virtue of this Act, shall be deemed, reputed, and taken to be, one Capital or Joint Stock on which the said Annuities, after the said Rate of four Pounds per Centum per Annum, shall be attending ; and that all and every Person and Persons, and Corporations whatsoever, in Proportion to the Money which he, she or they shall be intitled to as aforesaid, shall have and be deemed to have a proportional interest and Share in the said Stock, and in the Annuity attending the same, at the Rate aforesaid ; and that the said whole Capital or Joint Stock, or any Share or interest therein, and the proportional Annuity attending the same, shall be assignable and transferrable as this Act directs, and not otherwise; and that there shall constantly be kept in the Office of the said Accomptant General for the Time being within the City of London a Book or Books, wherein all Assignments of Transfers of the said whole Capital or Joint Stock, or any Part thereof, and the proportional Annuity attending the same, at the Rate aforesaid, shall be entered and registered ; which Entries shall be conceived in proper Words for that Purpose, and shall be signed by the Parties making such Assignments or Transfers ; or, if any such Party or Parties be absent, by his, her or their Attorney or Attornies thereunto lawfully authorized, by Writing under his, her or their Hands and Seals, to be attested by two or more credible Witnesses ; and that the Person or Persons to whom such Transfer shall be made, shall respectively underwrite his, her or their Acceptance thereof; and that no other Method of assigning or transferring the said Stock, and the Annuities attending the same, or any Part thereof, or any Interest therein, shall be good and avail able in Law;  and that no Stamp Duties whatsoever shall be charged on the said Transfers, or any of them.

XIII. Provided always, That all Persons possessed of any Share or interest in the said Joint Stock of Annuities, or any Estate or interest therein, may devise the same by Will in Writing, attested by two or more credible Witnesses ; but that no Payment shall be made upon any such Devise, until so much of the said Will as relates to such Estate, Share, or Interest, be entered in the said Office ; and that in Default of such Transfer or Devise, such Share, Estate or lnterest shall go to the Executors, Administrators, Successors and ssigns.

XIV. Provided also, and it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, and their Successors (notwithstanding the Redemption of all or any of their own Funds in pursuance of the Acts for establishing the same, or any of them) shall continue a Corporation for the Purposes of this Act, till all the same Annuities shall be redeemed by Parliament; and the said Governor and Company, or any Member thereof, shall not incur any Disability for or by reason of his or their doing any Matter or Thing in pursuance this Act.

XV. And it is hereby enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Fee, Reward, or Gratuity whatsoever, shall be demanded or taken for computing and marking the interest on the said Bills, or for receiving taking in, or cancelling the said Bills or Debentures, or any of them, or for granting Certificates in lieu thereof as aforesaid, or for issuing the Monies for paying the said Annuities, or any of them, or for any Transfer of any Sum, great or small, to be made in pursuance of this Act ; upon Pain that any Officer or Person offending, by taking or demanding any Fee, Reward, or Gratuity, contrary to this Act, shall for every Offence forfeit the Sum of twenty Pounds to the Party grieved; to be recovered with full Costs of Suit, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any of his Majesty's Courts of Record at Westminster, wherein no Essoin, Protection, Privilege, or Wager of Law, Injunction, or Order of Restraint, or any more than one Imparlance, shall be granted or allowed. XVI. Provided always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Commissioners of the Treasury, or any three or more of them now being, or the High Treasurer, or any three or more of the Commissioners of the Treasury for the Time being, shall have Power, and they are hereby authorized to reward all such Persons as shall be any ways employed in the Execution of this Act, for their Service, Pains, and Labour, and also to defray such incident Charges as shall necessarily attend the same, out of the said Surplusses, Excesses, or Overplus Monies, and also to appoint such Allowances as they shall think proper, out of the said Surplusses, Excesses, or Overplus Monies, for the Service, Pains, and Labour, of the Cashier or Cashiers of the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, for receiving, paying, and accounting for the said Annuities, made payable by this Act ; and also for the Service, Pains, and Trouble of the Accomptant General of the said