County Infirmaries (Ireland) Act, 1807

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COUNTY INFIRMARIES (IRELAND) ACT 1807

CHAPTER L.

An Act to amend an Act made in the Parliament of Ireland in the Fifth Year of his present Majesty’s Reign, for erecting and establishing Publick Infirmaries or Hospitals in Ireland. [8th August 1807.]

Recital of Irish Act, 5 Geo. 3. c. 20.

Recited Act to extend to all counties of cities, &c. in Ireland for establishing public infirmaries.

Grand juries to make presentments for the support of such establishments.

WHEREAS by an Act made in the Parliament of Ireland in the fifth year of his present Majesty’s reign, intituled “An Act for erecting and establishing publick infirmaries or hospitals in this kingdom,” it is enacted, that in the several and respective counties therein mentioned publick infirmaries or hospitals shall be erected and established and supported in manner in the said Act mentioned: And whereas it is expedient to extend the provisions of the said recited Act: 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 from and after the passing of this Act the said recited Act and all the provisions therein contained for the erecting, establishing, and supporting of publick infirmaries or hospitals in counties shall be extended and construed to extend to all counties of cities and counties of towns in Ireland for the erecting and establishing of a publick infirmary or hospital, wherein no special provision has been made by any Act or Acts of Parliament in force in Ireland at the time of the passing of this Act; and that the surgeon of every such publick infirmary or hospital to be erected in any such county of a city or county of a town under the said recited Act and this Act shall be appointed and paid in like manner as the surgeons to the county infirmaries or hospitals in the said Act mentioned; [¹ and that the grand jury of any such county of a city or county of a town, in which any publick infirmary or hospital shall be so erected or established, shall make such presentments from time to time for the support of such hospitals as grand juries under the said recited Act are empowered to do ;] and that all other matters and things in the said recited Act or in any other Act contained, relating to the county infirmaries or hospitals in the said Act mentioned, shall extend and be applied in the erecting, establishing, supporting, and managing of such infirmaries in counties of cities and counties of towns in Ireland, as fully and effectually as if all such counties of cities and counties of towns had been mentioned in the said recited Act and included therein by name.

If 500l. or upwards be raised by publick subscription, the lord lieutenant may direct the Treasury to add to it an equivalent sum, but not exceeding 1,500l., &c.

2. And . . . if it shall happen within twelve months after the passing of this Act, that in any county of a city or county of a town in Ireland any sum of money amounting to five hundred pounds at the least shall be raised and advanced by a publick subscription, or otherwise, for the purpose of erecting, establishing, and maintaining a publick infirmary or hospital in such county of a city or county of a town, and such sum of money shall be deposited in the hands of the treasurer of the said county of a city or county of a town, or in the Bank of Ireland in the name of such treasurer, it shall and may be lawful for the lord lieutenant or other chief governor or governors of Ireland for the time being to order and direct the lord high treasurer of Ireland, or the commissioners for executing the said office of lord high treasurer to issue and pay out of the consolidated fund to the said treasurer of such county of a city or town, or into the said bank in the name of the said treasurer, a sum of money equal in amount to such subscription so deposited, but not exceeding in any case the sum of one thousand five hundred pounds, to be paid and applied for the purpose of erecting and establishing such infirmary or hospital in such sums and at such times, and in such manner and proportions, and under such rules, regulations, terms, and conditions, and to annex any such forfeitures for breach of such rules, regulations, terms, and conditions, as to such lord lieutenant or other chief governor or governors of Ireland for the time being shall seem best suited for promoting the beneficial purposes of this Act; and [Rep. 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97. (S.L.R.)] [² after any such infirmary or hospital shall be fit for the reception of patients, the grand jury of the county of a city or county of a town in which the same shall be erected and established shall and may yearly present such sum and sums of money as the grand juries of counties are by the recited Act empowered and directed to present, to be applied in such manner as in the said recited Act or any other Act or Acts in force in Ireland is mentioned and directed with respect to the county infirmaries or hospitals in the said recited Act mentioned.]

Donors of twenty guineas shall be governors for life, and subscribers of three guineas shall be governors for one year.

3. And . . . every donor of any sum not less than twenty guineas to any infirmary or hospital to be erected and established under this Act in any county of a city or county of a town in Ireland shall from the time of such donation be one of the governors or governesses and a member of the body corporate or corporation for such respective infirmary or hospital during life; and every person who shall subscribe and pay any sum not less than three guineas for the use of such infirmary or hospital shall be a governor or governess and shall be a member of the body corporate or corporation for such respective infirmary or hospital for one year from the day of the payment of such subscription.

Directors shall be chosen at a general meeting of governors to act with ex officio directors.

Powers of directors.

4. And . . . such donors and subscribers so being governors and governesses of any such infirmary or hospital in any county of a city or county of a town under this Act as aforesaid shall from time to time annually at such time of the year as shall be appointed for that purpose, at a general meeting of such governors and governesses, choose and elect from among themselves twelve persons, who in conjunction with the archbishop of Armagh for the time being, the lord high chancellor of Ireland for the time being, and the bishop of the diocese and rector and vicar of each parish within such county of a city or town for the time being, in which such infirmary or hospital shall be situated, shall be directors of the corporation for such respective infirmary or hospital for the year next ensuing such election; and such directors shall for such year have all such powers and authorities in and for the management, governance, and direction of such infirmary or hospital in such city or town respectively as are given to or vested in the governors and governess of any corporation for any infirmary or hospital under the said recited Act.

Presentment for hospital, &c. not to exceed 100l. in one year, and to be raised by assessment on houses.

[5.¹ And . . . no sum or sums shall be presented by any grand jury under the authority of this Act and the said recited Act, for the support of any such infirmary or hospital in any county of a city or county of a town in Ireland, exceeding the amount of one hundred pounds in any one year;     and all sums so presented shall be raised on such county of a city or county of a town by an assessment on houses according to the valuation of the same for the payment of ministers money, in such manner as such grand jury shall from time to time order and direct.]

Act not to affect the mode of assessment in use for the purpose of any hospital already established, &c.

6. Provided always, that nothing contained in this Act shall extend or be construed to extend to [¹ or alter the mode of assessment hitherto in use for the purposes of any hospital or infirmary established previous to the passing of this Act, nor to] authorize the establishing of any hospital or infirmary within any county of a city or town wherein an hospital or infirmary shall have been established previous to the passing of this Act.

Whenever money presented for any purpose is not expended.

thereon, the grand jury may represent it for the support of a hospital.

[7.¹ And whenever it shall happen that any sum of money heretofore presented or hereafter to be presented to be raised in any county of a city or county of a town in Ireland for any purpose whatever shall not be expended agreeable to such presentment and accounted for within the time prescribed by law, or within a reasonable time after such presentment shall have been made, or whenever any saving may be made on any presentment, it shall and may be lawful for the grand jury of such county of a city or county of a town to represent such sum of money then in the treasurers hands, or the amount of any such saving, to be expended in the establishing and maintaining of any infirmary or hospital within the said county of a city or county of a town respectively, over and above all such sum or sums as the said grand jury are by this Act or the said recited Act empowered to present for such infirmary or hospital as aforesaid; and such sum of money so represented shall be expended in the establishing and maintaining such infirmary or hospital accordingly.]

[¹ Words within brackets in section 1 rep., except as to the county of the city of Dublin, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97. (S.L.R.)]

[² Words within brackets in section 2 rep., except as to the county of the city of Dublin, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97. (S.L.R.)]

[¹ Sections 5 and 7, and the part of section 6 enclosed in brackets are rep., except as to the county of the city of Dublin, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97. (S.L.R.)]

[¹ Sections 5 and 7, and the part of section 6 enclosed in brackets are rep., except as to the county of the city of Dublin, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97. (S.L.R.)]

[¹ Sections 5 and 7, and the part of section 6 enclosed in brackets are rep., except as to the county of the city of Dublin, 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97. (S.L.R.)]