Billeting of Soldiers, and Impressment of Carriages. Army Act, 1881. 44 & 45 Vic., c. 58, continued by the Army (Annual) Act. S. 103. Constable to provide billets for officers and soldiers and horses.-Every Constable* for the time being in charge at any place in the United Kingdom mentioned in the route issued to the Commanding Officer of any portion of Her Majesty's regular forces shall on the demand of such Commanding Officer, or of an officer or soldier authorized by him, and on production of such route, billet on the occupiers of victualling houses and other premises specified in this Act as victualling houses in that place, such number of officers, soldiers, and horses, entitled under this Act, to be billeted as are mentioned in the route, and stated to require quarters. S. 104. Liability to provide billets.—(1) The provisions of this part of this Act, with respect to victualling houses, shall extend to all inns, hotels, livery stables, or ale-houses; also to the houses of sellers of wine by retail, whether British or foreign, to be drunk in their own houses or places theresunto belonging; and to all houses of persons selling brandy, spirits, strong waters, cider, or metheglin, by retail; and the occupier of a victualling house, inn, hotel, livery stable, ale-house, or any such house as aforesaid, shall be subject to billets under this Act, and is in this Act included under the expression, "Keeper of a victualling house," and the inn, hotel, house, stables, and premises of such occupier, are in this Act included under the expression "Victualling house." (2) Provided that an officer or soldier shall not be billeted (a) in any private house; nor (b) in any canteen; nor (c) .; nor (d) in the house of any distiller, kept for distilling bandy and strong waters, so as such distiller does not permit tippling in such house; nor (e) in the house of any shopkeeper whose principal dealing is more in other goods and merchandise than in brandy and strong waters, so as such shopkeeper does not permit tippling in such house; nor (ƒ) in a house of a person licensed only to sell beer or cider not to be consumed on the premises; nor (g) in the house of residence of any foreign consul duly accredited as such. * The expression "Constable" includes a High Constable, and a Commissioner, Inspector, or other officer of police (s. 190.) S. 105. (1) All officers and soldiers of Her Majesty's regular forces; and (2) all horses belonging to Her Majesty's regular forces; and (3) all horses belonging to the officers of such forces, for which forage is for the time being allowed by Her Majesty's regulations shall be entitled to be billeted. [Militia when called out to annual exercise, and when embodied are entitled to billets (52 Geo. 3, c. 38, s. 100, and 45 and 46 Vic., c. 49, s. 37)]. S. 106. Accommodation and payment on billet.—(1) The keeper of a victualling house, upon whom any officer, soldier, or horse is billeted shall receive such officer, soldier, or horse in his victualling house, and furnish there the accommodation following: that is to say, lodging and attendance for the officer; and lodging, attendance, and food for the soldier; and stable room and forage for the horse, in accordance with the provisions of the Second Schedule to this Act. (2) Where the keeper of a victualling house on whom any officer, soldier, or horse is billeted, desires by reason of his want of accommodation, or of his victualling house being full or otherwise, to be relieved from the liability to receive such officer, soldier, or horse in his victualling house, and provides for such officer, soldier, or horse in the immediate neighbourhood, such good and sufficient accommodation as he is required by this Act to provide, and as is approved by the Constable issuing the billets, he shal be relieved from providing the same in his victualling house. (3) There shall be paid to the keeper of a victualling house for the accommodation furnished by him in pursuance of this Act the prices for the time being authorized in this behalf by Parliament. (4) An officer or soldier demanding billets in pursuance of this Act shall, before he departs, and if he remains longer than four days, at least once in every four days, pay the just demands of every keeper of a victualling house on whom he and any officers and soldiers under his command, and his or their horses (if any) have been billeted. (5) If by reason of a sudden order to march, or otherwise, an officer or soldier is not able to make such payment to any keeper of a victualling house as is above required, he shall, before he departs, make up with such keeper of a victualling house an account of the amount due to him, and sign the same, and forthwith transmit the *The terms "regular forces" and "Her Majesty's regular forces" mean officers and soldiers who by their commission, terms of enlistment, or otherwise, are liable to render continuously for a term military service to Her Majesty in any part of the world (sec. 190). account so signed to a Secretary of State, who shall forthwith cause the amount named in such account as due to be paid. S. 107. Annual Lists of houses liable to billets.--(1) The Police Authority* for any place may cause annually a list to be made out of all keepers of victualling houses. liable to billets under this Act, specifying the situation and character of each victualling house, and the number of soldiers and horses who may be billeted on the keeper thereof. (2) The Police Authority shall cause such list to be kept at some convenient place open for inspection at all reasonable times by persons interested S. 108. Regulations as to grant of billets.-The following regulations shall be observed with respect to billeting in pursuance of this Act: that is to say, (1) no more billets * shall at any time be ordered than there are effective officers, soldiers, and horses present to be billeted; (2) all billets, when made out by the Constable, shall be delivered into the hands of the commanding officer or non-commissioned officer who demanded the billets, or of some officer authorized by such commanding officer; (3) if a keeper of a victualling house feels aggrieved by having an undue proportion of officers, soldiers, or horses billeted on him, he may apply to a Justice of the Peace, or, if the billets have been made out by a Justice, may complain to a court of summary jurisdiction, and the Justice or Court may order such of the officers, soldiers, or horses to be removed, and to be billeted elsewhere as may seem just; (4) . (5) the regulations with respect to billets contained in the Second Schedule to this Act shall be duly observed by the Constable; (6) a Justice of the Peace, on the request of an officer or non-commissioned officer authorized to demand billets, may vary a route by adding any place, or cmitting any place, and also may direct billets to be given above one mile from a place mentioned in the route; (7) a Justice of the Peace may require a Constable to give an account in writing of the number of officers, soldiers, and horses billeted by such Constable, together with the names of the keepers of victualling houses on whom such officers, soldiers, and horses are billeted, and the locality of such victualling houses. S. 109. Offences by Constable.-If a Constable commits any of the offences following: that is to say, (1) billets any * The expression "Pclice Authority" means the Commissioner, Commissioners, Justices, Watch Committee, or other authority having the control of a Police Force. (S. 190.) officer, soldier, or horse on any person not liable to billets without the consent of such person; or (2) receives, demands, or agrees for any money or reward whatsoever to excuse or relieve a person from being entered in a list as liable, or from his liability to billets, or from any part of such liability; or (3) billets or quarters on any person or premises without the consent of such person, or the occupier of such premises, any person or horse not entitled to be billeted; or (4) neglects or refuses, after sufficient notice is given, to give billets demanded for any officer, soldier, or horse entitled to be bilieted; he shall, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than 40s. and not exceeding £10. : S. 110. Offences by keepers of victualling houses.If a keeper of a victualling house commits any of the offences following that is to say, (1) refuses or neglects to receive、 any officer, soldier, or horse billeted upon him in pursuance of this Act, or to furnish such accommodation as is required by this Act; or (2) gives or agrees to give any money or reward to a Constable to excuse or relieve him from being entered in a list as liable, or from his liability to billets, or any part of such liability; or (3) gives or agrees to give to any officer or soldier billeted upon him in pursuance of this Act any money or reward in lieu of receiving an officer, soldier, or horse, or furnishing the said accommodation; he shall, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than 40s., and not exceeding £5. S. 112. Impressment of carriages.--Every Justice of the Peace in the United Kingdom, having jurisdiction in any place mentioned in a route issued to the commanding officer of any portion of Her Majesty's regular forces, shall on the demand of such commanding officer, or of an officer or noncommissioned officer authorized by him, and on production of such route, issue his warrant, requiring some Constable or Constables having authority in such place to provide, within a reasonable time to be named in the warrant, such carriages, animals, and drivers as are stated to be required for the purpose of moving the regimental baggage and regimental stores of the forces mentioned in the route in accordance with the route; and the Constable or Constables shall execute such warrant, and persons having carriages and animals suitable for the said purpose shall, when ordered by a Constable, in pursuance of such warrant, furnish the same in a state fit for use for the aforesaid purpose. The warrant ordering carriages, animals, and drivers to be provided shall specify the number and de scription of the carriages, and also the places from and to which the same are to travel, and the distances between such places. S. 114. Annual list of persons liable to supply carriages.— (1) The Police Authority for any place may cause annually a list to be made out of all persons in such place, or any particular part thereof, liable to furnish carriages and animals under this Act, and of the number and description of the carriages and animals of such persons; and, where a list is so made, any Justice may by warrant require any Constable or Constables having authority within such place, to give, from time to time, on demand by an officer or non-commissioned officer under this Act, orders to furnish carriages and animals, and such warrant shall be executed as if it were a special warrant issued in pursuance of this Act, on such demand, and the orders shall specify the like particulars as such special warrant. (2) The Police Authority shall cause such list to be kept at some convenient place open for inspection at all reasonable times by persons interested (3) All orders given by Constables for furnishing carriages and animals shall, as far as possible, be made from such list in regular rotation. S. 116. Offences in relation to the impressment of carriages.--Any Constable who neglects or refuses to execute any warrant of a Justice requiring him to supply carriages, arimals, or vessels, &c., shall, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than 20s., nor more than £20. S. 117. A person ordered by any Constable in pursuance of this Act to furnish a carriage, animal, or vessel, who refuses or neglects to furnish the same according to the orders of such Constable and this Act shall, on summary conviction, be liable to pay a fine of not less than 40s. nor more than £10. SECOND SCHEDULE TO ACT.--Part I. Accommodation to be furnished by keeper of victualling house.--A keeper of a victualling house on whom any officer, soldier, or horse is billeted (1) shall furnish the officer and soldier with lodging and attendance; and (2) shall, if required by the soldier, furnish him for every day of the march, and for not more than two days, if the soldier is halted at an intermediate place on the march for more than two days, and on the day of arrival at the place of final destination, with one hot meal on each day, the meal to consist of such quantities of diet and small beer as may be from time to time fixed by Her Majesty's Regulations, not exceeding one |