Whereas it is expedient to alter and amend the laws relating to the relief of poor persons in England and Wales Be it therefore enacted 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 it shall be lawful for his majesty his heirs and successors by warrant under the royal sign manual to appoint three fit persons to be commissioners to carry this act into execution and also from time to time at pleasure to remove any of the commissioners for the time being and upon every or any vacancy in the said number of commissioners either by removal or by death or otherwise to appoint some other fit person to the said office and until such appointment it shall be lawful for the surviving or continuing commissioners or commissioner to act as if no such vacancy had occurred. And be it further enacted that the said commissioners shall be styled "The Poor Law Commissioners for England and Wales" and the said commissioners or any two of them may sit

And be it further enacted that it shall be lawful for the said commissioners and they are hereby empowered from time to time when they may see fit by any writing under their hands and seal by and with the consent in writing of a majority of the guardians of any union or with the consent of a majority of the Rate-payers and owners of property entitled to vote in manner herein after prescribed in any parish such last mentioned majority to be ascertained in manner provided in and by this act to order and direct the overseers or guardians of any parish or union not having a workhouse or workhouses to build a workhouse or workhouses and to purchase or hire land for the purpose of building the same thereon or to purchase or hire a workhouse or workhouses or any building or buildings for the purpose of being used as or converted into a workhouse or workhouses and