An Act to enable Her Majesty to endow new Colleges for the Advancement of Learning in Ireland.

[31st July, 1845.

I. "For the better Advancement of Learning among all Classes of Her Majesty's Subjects in Ireland," Grant for Build- be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent ing Colleges. 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 in case Her Majesty shall be pleased by Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Ireland, to found one or more new Colleges for the advancement of learning in Ireland, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for the time being shall be empowered, by Warrant under the hands of any three or more of them, to charge the Consolidated Fund of the said United Kingdom (after providing for all preceding charges, and in preference to all future charges), and to direct to be issued or paid thereout, such sum of money as shall be needed by the trustees hereinafter mentioned for purchasing or providing lands, tenements, and hereditaments for the use of such College or Colleges, and for the necessary buildings, with the appurtenances thereof, and for establishing and furnishing the same, not exceeding the sum of one hundred thousand pounds in the whole.

Provisions for

purchase or rent of buildings, lands, &c.

II. And be it enacted, That the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland for the time being shall be Trustees for the purpose of purchasing or providing, as hereinafter mentioned, any buildings, lands, tenements, or hereditaments that may be necessary for the said Colleges and the sites thereof, and the premises to be occupied therewith, respectively, and

for erecting thereon suitable buildings, and for repairing, enlarging, and improving the same from time to time, and for upholding and furnishing the same from time to time, for the use of the said Colleges, respectively.

III. And be it enacted, That for the purposes of this Act the said Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland for the time being, and their successors, shall be a Corporation by the name or style of "The Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland," and by that name, for the purposes of this Act, shall have perpetual succession and a Common Seal, to be by them made, and from time to time altered, as they shall think fit, and shall and may sue and be sued, plead or be impleaded, in all Courts and before all Justices and others, and in that capacity shall be deemed promoters of the undertaking authorized to be executed by this Act.

IV. And be it enacted, That in order to enable the said Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland to purchase and provide the buildings, lands, tenements, and hereditaments which may be required for the said Colleges and the sites thereof, it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners with the approval of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, to contract and agree with any person or persons, or body or bodies corporate, for the purchase or renting of any buildings, lands, tenements, or hereditaments required for such Colleges or the sites thereof, and also for the purchase of any subsisting leases, terms, estates, or interests therein, or charges thereon; and the buildings, lands, tenements, or hereditaments so contracted and agreed for shall be conveyed, assigned, or demised to or in trust for Her Majesty, Her heirs, and successors, in such manner and form as the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury shall direct.

V. And be it enacted, That the "Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845," shall be incorporated with this Act, except the clauses with respect to the purchase and taking of lands otherwise than by agreement: Provided always that all things by the said Act required or authorized to be done by the promoters of the undertaking may be done by any two of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland subject to the approval of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury in the cases provided by this Act.

VI. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Public Works, if they Plans of buildings to be submitted to shall be so directed by the Commissioners of Treasury. Her Majesty's Treasury, to employ the County Surveyor or any other competent surveyor or architect, to make a survey and estimate of any of the said proposed works, and to prepare such plan, section, or specification thereof as may be necessary, and send the same to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury for their approval; and if the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury shall think fit to authorize the work in any such plan, section, or specification, or any modification thereof which they may think proper to be undertaken, they shall, by warrant under their hands, direct the said Commissioners of Public Works to execute such work at and for an amount not exceeding a sum to be specified in such warrant: and the said Commissioners of Public Works shall, upon receipt of such warrant, forthwith cause the construction of the work mentioned therein to be proceeded with.

Accounts to be laid before

VII. And be it enacted, That the said Commissioners of Public Works shall cause detailed accounts in writing of their proceedings under this Act, Parliament. of the several sums received by them as such Commissioners for the purposes of this Act, and of the sums expended by them for such purposes, and the mode of such expenditure, and the several works made or in progress under this Act, to be made up to the 31st day of December in each year; and such accounts shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament within six weeks thereafter, if Parliament be then sitting, or if not, then within six weeks after the first meeting of Parliament subsequent to the 31st day of December; and the said Commissioners shall, as often as they shall be required so to do by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, transmit to the said Commissioners of the Treasury like accounts made up to such period as the said Commissioners of the Treasury shall direct; and it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to give such directions as they shall think proper, defining the duties of the said Commissioners of Public Works in the execution of this Act; and the said Commissioners of Public Works shall observe all such directions as aforesaid which shall from time to time be signified to them by the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury

VIII. And be it enacted, That the several enactments contained in an Act passed in the second year of the reign of His late Majesty, intituled "An Act for the Extension and Promotion of Public Works in Ireland," which affect or relate to any action or suit to be commenced against the Commissioners for the execution of the last-recited Act, or their Secretary, or any person or persons, for anything done by virtue of or in pursuance of the last-recited Act, or any proceedings in any such action or suit, or any limitation of time for the commencing thereof, or any costs thereof, or any evidence to be given therein, or any notice of action or suit or satisfaction or tender thereof, or any action or suit to be commenced by the said Commissioners, or any proceedings therein, or the said Commissioners suing or being sued in the name of their Secretary, or any abatement or discontinuance of any such action or suit, or to the court in which, or to the terms or conditions on which any such action or suit shall be brought against the said Commissioners collectively or individually, or their Secretary, shall be held to apply to and extend to any action or suit to be commenced against the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland, or their Secretary, or any person or persons, for any thing done by virtue of or in pursuance of this Act, or to any proceedings in any such action or suit, or to the limitation of time for the commencing thereof, or to any costs thereof, or to any notice of any such action or suit, or to any evidence to be given therein, or to any action or suit to be commenced by the said Commissioners of Public Works in the execution of this Act, or on account of or in pursuance of this Act or to any proceedings in any such action or suit, or to the said Commissioners suing or being sued in the name of their Secretary for the time being, or to any abatement or discontinuance of any such action or suit, or to the court in which, or to the terms or conditions on which any such action or suit shall be brought against the said Commissioners of Public Works, collectively or individually, or against their Secretary.

Restraint on

IX. And be it enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any College within the provisions of this Act to alienation of alien, mortgage, charge, or demise any lands, tenements, or hereditaments to which it may become entitled, unless with the approval of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, except by way of lease,

property.

for any term not exceeding thirty-one years from the time when such lease shall be made, in and by which there shall be received and made payable, during the whole of the term thereby granted, the best yearly rent that can reasonably be gotten for the same, without any fine or foregift.

Statutes to be

made by Her Majesty. Appointment of visitors, professors, &c.

X. Provided always, and be it enacted, that no College shall be entitled to the benefit of this Act, or deemed to be within the provisions thereof, unless it be declared and provided, in and by the Letters Patent constituting such College, that the visitor or visitors of the said College shall be such person or persons as it shall please Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors, from time to time to appoint, by any warrant or warrants under the Sign Manual, to execute the office of visitor; and that all the statutes, rules, and ordinances concerning the Government and discipline of such Colleges shall be made or approved by Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors; and that the President, Vice-President, and Professors shall hold their several offices during the pleasure of Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors; and that the sole power of appointing the President and Vice-President shall be vested in Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors; and that the power of appointing the Professors shall be vested in Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors, until the end of the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, and afterwards as shall be otherwise provided by Parliament, or in default of any provision to the contrary, in Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors.

Statutes to be laid before

XI. And be it enacted, that all the statutes, rules, and ordinances which shall be made or approved from time to time by Her Majesty, Her heirs Parliament. and successors, concerning the government and discipline of the said Colleges, respectively, which shall be in force at the beginning of every Session of Parliament, and which shall not have been before that time laid before Parliament, shall from time to time, within six weeks after the beginning of every such session, be laid before both Houses of Parliament by one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State.

XII. And be it enacted, That the said Commissioners of