Poor Relief - Law Commission

Reference Extent of repeal or revocation
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Manchester Overseers Act 1858 The whole Act.
(21 & 22 Vict. c.lxii)
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Manchester Overseers Act 1858 (21 & 22 Vict. c.lxii)
1. This note proposes the repeal of an obsolete 1858 Act passed to make
provision for the collection of poor and other rates in and around Manchester.
2. According to its long title, the purpose of the 1858 Act was to provide:
for the separate Incorporation of the Overseers of the several Townships of
Manchester, Ardwick, Chorlton-upon-Medlock, and Hulme for specific
Purposes; for the levying and Collection of Rates; for the extinguishing the
Exemption of Gasworks from Rates.
3. The preamble to the 1858 Act recorded that the Townships of Manchester,
Ardwick, Chorlton-upon-Medlock and Hulme contained a very large population and
that, because of the large population, “it is expedient that further Powers should be
given to the Overseers of each of the said Townships in respect of the Rates levied
by them”.
4. The 1858 Act provided as follows:
(a) Short title and application of this Act; “rate” defined to include any rate
leviable by the overseers of the four townships; saving for other Acts
(sections 1 to 4)
(b) Appointment of overseers of the poor for the four townships; incorporation
of the overseers of each township; overseers authorised to appoint clerks
and other servants with salaries payable out of the poor rates (sections 5
and 6)
(c) provision as to rating unoccupied premises; power for overseers to reach
agreement with owners of low value properties for reduced rate
payments; cases where owner rather than occupier might be rated;
penalties on such owners; definition of “owner”; occupier’s right to be
rated instead of owner; occupier to be liable for rates in certain cases of
default by owner (sections 7 to 15)
(d) power of overseers to amend rates; appeals against such amendment;
this Act not to affect existing tenancy agreements (sections 16 to 18)
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