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 |