Towns improvement amendment (1844) (WA)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

ANNO OCTAVO

VICTORIA: REGINA].

No. II.

An Act to enable certain Ratepayers in Towns to vote and act as Trustees of such Towns, and to qualify the right of Town Trustees to vote.

'WHEREAS by the first section of an Act of Council passed Preamble'

" in the Fourth and Fifth years of the reign of Her present

Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled "An Act to provide for the improvement of Towns in the Colony of Western Australia," all

8th Viet, No. 2. 1844.

Justices of the Peace residing within the limits of any Town-site, and all proprietors of allotments held in fee-simple in such Town, were declared to be Trustees of the same for the purposes of the said Act; and whereas in the course of time many allotments in the Towns aforesaid have been subdivided, by means of which sub-division the number of Trustees has been materially diminished, and the right of voting proportionably decreased ; and whereas

it is expedient to extend the right of voting under certain conditions

—Be it therefore enacted, by His Excellency the Governor of Western Australia, by and with the advice and consent of the

A bolder of any portion	Legislative Council thereof, that from and after the passing of this
of a town allotment pay-	Act any person holding any portion of an allotment in any Town
ing a full rate of assess-
ment is entitled to vote	by a tenure not shorter than for one whole year, who shall, if
and act as a Trustee.	required by the Chairman or acting Chairman of the trust to do so, produce the receipt of any authorised Collector of Rates for the said Town for the payment of, or shall in any other manner satisfy such Chairman or acting Chairman that he has paid, an amount equal to the full rate of the last assessment chargeable upon the entire allotment of which he so holds or occupies a portion
as aforesaid, such person shall be entitled to vote and act as a Trus-
tee for such Town.

Such holder must sign IL AND be it enacted, that previous to any such person acting	declaration of qualifica-as such Trustee as aforesaid, he shall make a declaration to the
lion, Sm..

following effect,—that is to say, " I, A B, do hereby declare that

I am duly qualified to act as a Trustee under an Act passed in the eighth year of the reign of Queen Victoria, intituled An Act to enable certain ratepayers in Towns to vote and act as Trustees of such Towns, and to qualify the right of Town Trustees to vote,' and that I will faithfully, impartially, and honestly exercise the powers and trusts reposed in me as a Trustee by virtue of the said Act to the best of my knowledge and ability," and a form of this Declaration shall be entered in the Journal and signed by such Trustee.

No Trustee entitled to M. AND be it enacted, that no Trustee of any such Townvote who has not paid his last assessment. as aforesaid, shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of such Trustees

unless he shall, if required by the Chairman or acting Chairman

of the Trust to do so, produce in like manner a receipt of an authorised Collector of Rates for the said Town, or other evidence

to the satisfaction of such Chairman or acting Chairman, of the payment of all assessments theretofore charged upon such

1844, 8th Vict. No. 2.

Trustee as the owner or occupier of any land within such

Town.

IV. AND be it enacted, that this Act may be altered, amen- AcImay be amended. '

-ded, or repealed by any Act to be passed during the present

Session.

JOHN HUTT,

GOVERNOR.

Passed the Councill

27th June, 1844.1

EDWARD C. SOWER,

Acting Cle. '-. of the Council.

Printed by authority of the Government, by E. Stirling, Perth.