Tag: Local Government

Rex v The Church Trustees of St Pancras; 26 Jan 1837

References: , [1837] EngR 445, (1837) 6 Ad & E 314, (1837) 112 ER 119
Links: Commonlii
Trustees appointed under a local Act for building a new parish church, with power to make rates for that purpose and for discharging debts to be incurred under the Act, are liable to account before parochial auditors appointed under the Vestry Act, 1 &, 2 W. 4, c. 60, as a board having control over part of the parochial expenditure; though the local Act requires such trustees to keep an account of the assessments, receipts and payments under the Act, to be examined and allowed once a year at Quarter Sessions ; and though, by the same Act, their accounts are open to inspection (on payment of 1s.) by any person liable to the above rates. A mandamus calling on such trustees to produce before the auditors ‘the accounts’ (without limit as to time) kept by them under the local Act, and requiririg the clerk to the trustees to produce the books of account which may concern the above accounts, is bad, as exceeding the authority given by stat. 1 &, 2 W. 4, c. 60, ss. 34, 35, although such mandamus begin by reciting a demand made by the auditors upon the trustees in terms conformable to the Act, and a refusal to comply with such demand. When the validity of a return to a mandamus is argued on a concilium, the party impugning the return must begin, although the opposite party states that he shall object to the form of the mandamus.

Regina v The Inhabitants Of Hickling; 27 Jun 1845

References: [1845] EngR 1051, (1845) 7 QB 880, (1845) 115 ER 719
Links: Commonlii
By stat. 34 Q 3, c. 64, when the boundary of two parishes lay along the centre of a highway, justices were empowered, on information of the fact, to summon the surveyors of the respective parishes, hear the parties and their witnesses, and finally determine the matter by order, apportioning the highway between the parishes for the purpose of repair. Forms of information, summons and order were given. By an order under this Act, the justices recited an information laid before them that one side of a certain highways in, and repairable by, parish E, and the other side in, arid repairable by, parish W., praying an apportionment that they had summoned the surveyors, who attended, and that they had examined witnesses : and they ordered that the highway should be apportioned between H. & W., dividing it by a traversing line.

The King v Salway; 19 May 1829

References: [1829] EngR 473, (1829) 9 B & C 424, (1829) 109 ER 158
Links: Commonlii
By a charter of Queen Elizabeth it was provided that vacancies in the common council of the borough of L, should be filled up by election out of the ‘burgesses and inhabitants.’ The charter was accepted, but the corporation afterwards elected burgesses, not being inhabitants, to the office of common councilmen, as they had done before. This charter, and all other franchises,w ere surrendered to Car II and W & M. by a charter of restoration granted that the corporation should enjoy all franchises, elections, rights of election, &c. that they had previously enjoyed by virtue or pretence of any charter, or by any other lawful manner, right, or title: Held, that under the charter of Elizabeth, burgesses could not be elected to be common counciimen unless they were inhabitants; and that an usage to elect burgesses not inhabitants was repugnant to the charter, and could not be pleaded in explanation of it: Held, also, that the charter of W. & M. only restored such rights as had been lawfully exercised under or by pretence of former charters, and, therefore, did not enable the corporation to elect burgesses, not being inhabitants, to the office of common councilmen.

The Queen v The Inhabitants of Barnsley; 12 May 1849

References: [1849] EngR 628, (1849) 12 QB 193, (1849) 116 ER 840
Links: Commonlii
It is not necessary that a lunatic, chargeable to a parish, should be sent to an asylum or licensed house. The justice before whom he is brought is to decide whether he is a proper person to he confined or not; and, if not corifined, he may Be removed to his parish as an ordinary pauper. An idiot, aged thirty, living with his parents in parish B., became chargeable; and thereupon he and they were removed by order of justices to parish T., their place of settlement. The order was never appealed against. The father retained his house in B, in the care of two of his children, who were emancipated; and, when removed, he intended to return as soon as he could. After four days, the paupers did return to the house in B, with the consent of the overseers of T, who promised to send weekly relief to the parents for the son : but the son again became chargeable to B; and another order was made, finding the son and parents chargeable, and ordering their removal to T. The famiIy had resided in B. for five years next before the makirig of this order, excepting only the four days above mentioned. On appeal (not stating as a ground that the parents were not chargeable at the date of the second order), and case stated by the sessions : Held that the five years’ residence was broken by the removal to parish T., arid that the paupers were not irremoveable from B. under stat. 9 & 10 Vict. c. 66, s. I.

Regina v Hertfordshire County Council, ex parte Cheung; 4 Apr 1986

References: Times 04-Apr-1986
The court emphasised the need for consistency in the award of educational grants.
This case is cited by:

  • Cited – Independent Assessor -v- O’Brien, Hickey, Hickey CA (Bailii, [2004] EWCA Civ 1035, Times 07-Sep-04)
    The claimants had been imprisoned for many years before their convictions were quashed. They claimed compensation under the Act. The assessor said that there should be deducted from the award the living expenses they would have incurred if they had . .

Ex Parte Garrett and Clark v The Mayor of Newcastle; 30 Jan 1832

References: [1832] EngR 421, (1832) 3 B & Ad 252, (1832) 110 ER 95
Links: Commonlii
In the absence of any precedent, the Court refused a rule nisi for a mandamus calling on the mayor of a town to propose a resolution to the burgesses in guild assembled, for repealing certain by-laws ; though it was alleged that by-laws and ordinances might, by charter, be made, and had formerly been made, at such guilds.