arrear, and all costs and charges which shall have been occasioned by the non-payment or in the recovery thereof, shall be duly paid and 50 satisfied; or otherwise to sell the same pews or seats respectively by public auction to the best bidder, and out of the money thence arising, pay and satisfy the said rent in arrear, rendering the overplus (if any) after deducting all reasonable costs and charges occasioned by or in consequence of such rent being in arrear, and in the recovery thereof, to the owner or occupier of such pews or seats respectively (as the case may be;) or the said person or persons, at their discretion, may sue for and recover the said rent so in arrear, by action of debt for the use and occupation of such pew or seat, to be brought against the owner or owners or any occupier or occupiers thereof. And be it further Enacted, That accounts shall annually be laid before Accounts to be annually both Houses of Parliament, of the progress made by the said Commis- laid before 51 sioners in execution of the purposes of this Act, stating the number of Parliament. Churches or Chapels built or building, the stipends assigned to the Incumbents or Ministers thereof, the money expended, and for what purposes, and all such other particulars as shall be necessary for explaining the progress made in carrying the purposes of this Act into execution. And be it further Enacted, That the Commissioners for the execution of this Act shall and may receive and send all letters and packets relating to the execution of the powers of this Act free from the duty of Postage, provided that such letters and packets shall be directed to the Commissioners for and that all such letters and packets as shall be sent by the said Commissioners shall be dated from their said 52 office, and shall be signed on the outside of such letters and packets by such person as the said Commissioners for the execution of this Act shall appoint, with the consent of the said Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, or any three or more of them, under such restrictions and regulations as the said Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury shall think proper and direct. Commission ceive and send letters free of ers may re postage. Actions. And be it further Enacted, That no action or suit shall be commenced Limitation of against any person or persons for any thing done by virtue of or in pursuance of this Act, until days notice thereof in writing shall have been given to the Secretary for the time being of the said Commissioners, nor after a sufficient satisfaction or a tender thereof hath been made to the party or parties aggrieved, nor after calendar months next after the fact committed; and such action shall be brought in the said court of 53 session; and the defender or defenders in such action or suit shall and may plead and give this Act and the special matter in evidence, and that the same was done in pursuance and by the authority of this Act; and if the same shall appear to be so done, or if such action or suit shall be brought after the time hereinbefore limited for bringing the same, or shall be brought without days notice thereof, or shall be brought after a sufficient satisfaction made or tendered as aforesaid, that then the defender or defenders shall be assoilzied, or if the ground of action shall 331. E be 1 Number of members of the General be found irrelevant, or if the action shall be suffered to fall asleep, the and shall have such remedy for recovering the same as any defender or And be it further Enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall have, or be deemed or taken to have, the effect of altering the number of Assembly not the Members of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, as now constituted by law. altered. Act may be And be it further Enacted, That this Act, or any of the provisions pealed in this thereof, may be amended altered or repealed by any Act or Acts to be altered or re pealed Session. passed in this present session of Parliament. A 1 2 BIL L For appointing a Commission to enquire into the Abuses in Charities connected with the Education of the Poor, in England and Wales. Note.-The Figures in the Margin denote the Number of the Folios in the written Copy. HEREAS great and numerous breaches of Trust, Irre- Preamble. gularities and Abuses, have been committed, in relation to Estates and Funds which from time to time have been destined, by pious and well disposed persons, to be appropriated to the purposes of Education; and for securing the due application of such Estates and Funds, it is highly expedient that an enquiry should be made, by Commissioners to be specially appointed, into all breaches of trust, irregularities and abuses, or supposed abuses, which are or have been practised, or have happened, in the management and employment of such Funds; and that an enquiry should be made into the amount, nature, and application of all such Funds: AND whereas it is expedient that an enquiry should also be made into the state of Education of the poorer Classes of His Majesty's Subjects throughout England and Wales; BE it therefore Enaded by The KING'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 shall be and they are hereby constituted Commissioners, and shall be and he is hereby constituted their Secretary, for the purposes intended by this Act; and that they the said Commissioners, or any Commissioners appointed to inquire into the nature and managenient of Charities con ected with Educa tion, and the state of Education of the of them, shall and they are hereby empowered and required to examine poor. into and investigate the Amount, Nature, and Application, of all 161. A Estates |