Hunter River Tonnage Duty Act 1855 No 25a (NSW)

No. XXV.

WHEREAS it is contemplated by the Government to carry out extensive improvements of the navigation of the River Hunter	and in the Ports of Newcastle and Morpeth and it is considered ex­
pedient to raise for those purposes a Tonnage Duty upon all vessels entering the said river from the sea Be it therefore enacted by His
Excellency the Governor of New South Wales with the advice and
consent of the Legislative Council thereof as follows :—
1. In order to meet the expenses of improving the Ports of Newcastle and Morpeth and the navigation of the River Hunter every ship or vessel entering the River Hunter from the sea shall be liable to

An Act to provide Funds by means of a Tonnage Duty for making Improvement to the Navi­ gation of the River Hunter and to the Ports

of Newcastle and Morpeth, 13th November,
1855.]

to pay and the master thereof shall pay upon demand to the Sub-
Collector of Customs at Newcastle or to such other person as shall be
duly appointed to demand and receive the same on behalf of Her
Majesty the sum of sixpence for every ton of the registered tonnage

of such vessel Provided however that such Tonnage Duty shall not be
required to be paid on account of any ship or vessel (except steamers navigating the river to ports above the Port of Newcastle) at any time within four months next after a previous payment thereof on account of such ship or vessel and that the same shall not be required to be paid on account of steamers so navigating at any time within two months next after such previous payment on account of such steamer And provided also that such Tonnage Duty shall not bo demanded or become payable before the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.

2. The said Tonnage Duties shall by said Sub-Collector of Customs or such other person appointed to demand and receive the same be paid into the hands of the Colonial Treasurer to be by him placed to the credit of a separate account for the purposes of this Act and such Tonnage Duties shall form a fund for the purpose of improving the said ports and the navigation of the said river and shall (except as hereinafter provided) be applied exclusively to the carrying out of such improvements in the said ports and river as shall be determined upon and directed by the Governor with the advice
of His Executive Council and to all expenses incidental thereto.

3. I t shall be lawful for the Governor with the advice of the

Executive Council to borrow on the security of the General Revenues

of the Colony by the sale of debentures bearing interest at a rate

not exceeding five per cent, per annum such sum or sums of money not exceeding in the whole the sum of forty thousand pounds as shall from time to time be required for the purpose of making such improve­ ments as aforesaid And all such sums shall be carried to the credit of the said Improvement Fund to be applied accordingly And all sums so borrowed shall be a charge upon the said Tonnage Duties and Eund and the interest to grow due thereon shall from time to time be paid out of the said fund as and when the same shall fall due and in like manner the principal thereof when due shall be repaid out of the residue of the said fund from time to time available for such purpose after payment of such interest and the necessary disbursements for the maintenance of the said works.

4. The entire expenditure of moneys upon the said works and otherwise in carrying out the purposes of this Act shall be subject to the control of the Legislative Council and shall be regulated by Votes and Acts of the said Council in the same manner as the ordinary public expenditure of the Colony and accounts of all income and revenues whatsoever received in relation to the works to be executed under this Act and of the expenditure thereof shall be annually laid before and shall be subject to examination by the said Legislative Council in the same manner as if the same were a part of the General Revenues of the said Colony. No. X X V I .