brought by land conveyance, in either case if not paid, the coals or the vessels might be distrained. A drawback of duty was to be allowed for so much of the coal as was carried for consumption to places beyond the limits of the town. All rates, tolls and duties were to be consolidated (except the water-rents) into one fund, and on that fund was to be charged the £5,300 borrowed on the credit of the previous Act. And for the more effectual raising of money for the purposes of the present Act, a sum not exceeding £4,000 might be borrowed on the waterworks a/c., and a sum or sums not exceeding £12,000 on the consolidated fund. But if the £4,000 should prove to be inadequate to complete the waterworks, an additional sum not exceding £2,000 might be borrowed; and if at any time the money borrowed on the consolidated fund should be paid off or reduced to less than £4,00 then a further sum or sums, not exceeding £4,000 might be similarly borrowed on that fund. A sinking fund was to be formed of three per cent. per annum over and above the money borrowed from time to time on the credit of the consolidated fund for the gradual payment thereof, and as often as the sinking fund amounted to £50 it was to be applied in the payment of the principal then owing by lot among the creditors. It was to be lawful for the Commissioners to borrow money at a lower rate of interest to pay off mortgages of the original rates. For the discharge of the debt of £600 on St. Clement's, an additional rate was to be levied on that parish for raising £120 a year until the £600, as part of £1,500, and interest was fully paid off. Next follows a number of enactments for enforcing payment of rates and rents, the infliction and recovery of penalties, rewards to informers, &c., and lastly an ordnance that "Nothing in this Act shall be construed to diminish or take awy any rents, tolls or customs belonging to the Mayor, jurats and commonality of Hastings, but that they shall continue to hold such rights, liberties, privileges and franchises as they might or should do in case this Act had not been passed."
The needless verbosity of all Acts of Parliament finds no exception in the one known as the Commissioner's Act of 1832; and although its provisions are here produced in the most condensed form that is possible, it occupies considerable space; yet, methinks not more than is necessary to understand the references made to it at the Commissioners' meetings of after years.
