A BILL For further regulating the Preparation and Issue of Exchequer Bills. 5 [Note.-The Words printed in Italics are proposed to be inserted in the Committee.] 48 Geo. 3, c. 1. HEREAS an Act was passed in the forty-eighth year of Preamble: the reign of King GEORGE the Third, intituled, "An Act for regulating the Issuing and Paying off of Exchequer Bills ;" and another Act was passed in the fourth year of the reign of his late 4 & 5 Will. Majesty, intituled, "An Act to regulate the Office of the Receipt of 4, c. 15. His Majesty's Exchequer at Westminster;" and it is expedient to amend the said Acts, so far as regards the issue and preparation of Exchequer Bills, and to make further provision for the appointment of the Officers of Her Majesty's Exchequer; BE it enacted, by The 10 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, THAT the Assistant-Comptroller of the Receipt and Issue of Her Majesty's Exchequer shall be henceforth appointed and may be removed by warrant under the hands of Three or more of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; and that the said Assistant-Comptroller shall not be capable of holding his office at the same time or together with any other office under the Crown or under any officer appointed by the 20 Crown. 15 1. Appointment of AssistantComptroller. 2. of Clerks. And be it Enacted, That the Chief Clerk and the other Clerks and Appointment Assistants in the Office of the Exchequer shall be appointed, and may be removed by warrant under the hands of Three or more of the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. 3. Repeal of part of 48 Geo. 3, c. 1, § 10. 4. Exchequer Bills to be signed by the Comp troller or AssistantComptroller in his own name. 5. AssistantComptroller may act during vacancy of And be it Enacted, That so much of the said Act of the reign of King GEORGE the Third as enacts that all payments of principal sums or interest, premiums or rates to be made on account of Exchequer Bills by the Paymaster or Paymasters, Comptroller, or other Officers and Clerks, shall be made at an office to be kept in or near the Receipt of the Exchequer at Westminster, shall be repealed. 5 And be it Enacted, That so much of the said Act of the reign of his late Majesty as enacts that Exchequer Bills may be signed by the said Assistant-Comptroller in the name of the Comptroller shall be repealed; and that all Exchequer Bills to be hereafter made and issued under the 10 authority of any Act of Parliament shall be signed by the ComptrollerGeneral of the Receipt and Issue of Her Majesty's Exchequer, or by the said Assistant-Comptroller in his own name: Provided always, That after the passing of this Act, it shall not be lawful for any such Comptroller-General or Assistant-Comptroller to sign any Ex- 15 chequer Bill, until after notice of his appointment as Comptroller-General or Assistant-Comptroller, and of his authority to sign Exchequer Bilis under this Act, shall have been published in the London Gazette, and notice of the removal of any such Comptroller-General or Assistant-Comptroller from his office, shall also be published in the London 20 Gazette. And be it Enacted, That for a time not exceeding Three calendar Months next after any vacancy of the office of Comptroller-General shall have occurred, it shall be lawful for the Assistant-Comptroller to Comptroller sign Exchequer Bills in his own name as Assistant-Comptroller, and to 25 do all other things which belong to the office of Assistant-Comptroller, as fully as if the office of Comptroller-General were not vacant. ship. 6. Two Counterfoils to be made. 7. Manufacture And be it Enacted, That Two Counterfoils shall be made to every Exchequer Bill issued after the passing of this Act, and one of such Counterfoils shall not be delivered for the use or into the custody of any 30 Paymaster of Exchequer Bills, unless by special direction of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, but shall remain in the custody of the Comptroller-General, subject to such directions as shall be given by the said Commissioners from time to time for keeping or burning or otherwise destroying the same. 35 And be it Enacted, That the Commissioners of Excise, or such person or persons as the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury shall direct, shall cause to be provided such instruments, or machinery, as may be necessary for the making of paper to be used as Exchequer Bills, and to receive the impression of the dies, plates or 40 other instruments which have been or shall be provided, made or used by or under the direction of the Comptroller-General, or of the Commissioners missioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, for the purpose of distinguishing Exchequer Bills, which paper shall have such words, figures, marks, lines, threads or other devices appearing in the substance of the same, as the Comptroller-General or the said Commissioners of Her 5 Majesty's Treasury shall from time to time order; and it shall be lawful for the said Comptroller-General or Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury from time to time, as he or they shall see fit, to alter any such words, letters, figures, marks, lines, threads or other devices, either by the removal of any of them, and the substitution of other 10 words, letters, figures, marks, lines, threads or other devices, or by any change in the position or arrangement thereof; and all such instruments and machinery shall be provided, and all such paper shall be made, under such regulations and by such person or persons as the said Commissioners of Excise, or other person or persons directed by the 15 Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, shall from time to time appoint or contract with for that purpose; and all the said instruments and machinery shall be kept by such officer or officers, or other person as the said Commissioners of Excise, or other person or persons directed by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, shall appoint; 20 and all the paper so made shall, as the same is required, be delivered over to the Comptroller-General, or to such officer or warehousekeeper as he shall direct, to receive and take charge of the same. 25 And be it Enacted, That all contracts and agreements to be entered into by the Commissioners of Excise, relating to the supply of any such paper as aforesaid, shall be made in the name of the Secretary for the time being to the said Commissioners and his successors in office for and on behalf of Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors. 8. Contracts for Paper. 9. Contracts. AND whereas the Commissioners of Excise have contracted with As to present certain persons for the manufacture and supply of, and have sup30 plied to the Comptroller-General for Exchequer Bills, certain quantities of paper made and manufactured, with certain lines, threads or devices appearing in the substance of such paper, according to the samples thereof delivered to the Comptroller-General; BE it Enacted, That all the paper so made and supplied, or which hereafter shall 35 be made or supplied, under any such contract or contracts, shall be subject to all the enactments of this Act, in the same manner as if the same had been made and supplied under the enactments herein contained. And be it Enacted, That every person who shall make or cause or 40 procure to be made, or shall aid or assist in making, or shall knowingly have in his possession, not being legally authorized by the Comptroller-general or Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, and without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused), 10. Punishing manufacturing or using Persons Paper, Plates or Dies similar to that used for Exche quer Bills. 11. Persons hav ing in posses sion Paper to be used as Exchequer Bills guilty of a Misdemeanor. 12. Act may be amended. 5 any instrument having therein any words, letters, figures, marks, lines And be it Enacted, That every person not lawfully authorized, and without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person 30 accused), who shall purchase or receive or take, and have in his custody, any paper manufactured and provided by or under the directions of the Comptroller-General or Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, for the purpose of being used as Exchequer Bills before such paper shall have been duly stamped, signed and issued for public use, or any such 35 plate or die as aforesaid, shall for every such offence be guilty of a Misdemeanor; and being convicted thereof, shall at the discretion of the Court, before whom he shall be tried, be imprisoned for any period not more than Three Years nor less than Sir calendar Months. And be it Enacted, That this Act may be amended or repealed by any Act to be passed in this Session of Parliament. |