Poor Relief - Law Commission

Reference Extent of repeal or revocation
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2 & 3 Will.4 c.x (1832) The whole Act.
(Leicester Rates and Poor Relief Act)
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2 & 3 Will.4 c.x (1832) (Leicester Rates and Poor Relief Act)
1. This note proposes the repeal of an obsolete 1832 Act passed to provide relief
for the poor living in the parish of Saint Margaret in the County of Leicester.
2. According to its long title, the purpose of the 1832 Act was:
for better assessing and collecting the Poor and other Parochial Rates, and
for the better Maintenance and Employment of the Poor, of the Parish of Saint
Margaret in the Borough and County of Leicester.
3. The preamble to the 1832 Act records that the “poor belonging [to the parish of
Saint Margaret] are very numerous, and are supported at a great Expence” and it
would be desirable to enhance the powers for collecting the poor rates so that “more
effectual Provision should be made for the Relief, Maintenance, and Employment of
the Poor of the said Parish”.
4. The 1832 Act provided as follows:
(a) arrears of all rates levied prior to the passing of this Act to be enforceable
by the Select Vestry 145 appointed pursuant to this Act; all parish officers
having in their possession accounts relating to the Select Vestry acting
under an Act of 1819 146 to hand over all accounts and moneys in their
possession; all persons owing money to the Select Vestry to hand it over
(Section 1)
(b) rates raised under this Act to be used to pay any debts of the Select
Vestry established under the 1819 Act; officers appointed under the 1819
Act to continue in office until removed by the Select Vestry executing this
Act (Sections 2 – 3)
(c) election of 30 persons to be Select Vestrymen of the parish; an annual
meeting to be held for this purpose; Vestrymen may be re-elected;
procedure for election by majority vote if more than 30 people are
nominated as Vestrymen; Vestrymen must be ratepayers; penalty for
145
A select vestry was a chosen body of persons selected in large and populous English parishes to
represent and manage the concerns of the parish for a period of one year.
146
59 Geo. 3 c. 12 “An Act to Amend the Laws for the Relief of the Poor”, repealed by the Statute Law
Revision Act 1958, s 1, Sch 1.
150