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Parish Constables - Law Dictionary Search Results

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Parish Constables

Parish Constables. See CONTABLES, and 35 & 36 Vict. c. 92, by which provision is made for their abolition....


Constable

Constable [fr. Comes stabuli, Lat., in the eastern empire a superintendent of the imperial stables, or the emperor's master of the horse, who at length obtained the command of the army], an officer to whom our law commits the duty of maintaining the peace, and bringing to justice those by whom it is infringed.Provision is made for the abolition of the office of High Constable by the (English) High Constables Act, 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. 67), and of that of Parish Constable by the Parish Constables Act, 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 92), which Act, however, still allows of their appointment in exceptional cases.By the (English) Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, s. 191, in all boroughs to which that Act applies, 'borough constables' are appointed by the Watch Committee, but the (English) Local Government Act,1888, has, in the case of boroughs having a population of less than 10,000 transferred the appointments to the county councils.In counties constables were appointed by the justices of the pe...


Special constables

Special constables, persons appointed by justices of the peace to assist in keeping the peace 'on the oath of a credible witness that any tumult, riot, or felony has taken place or may be reasonably apprehended in any parish, township, or place,' if the justices are of opinion that the ordinary constables are insufficient for that purpose. See Special Constables Act, 1831, s. 8 of which imposes a penalty for each refusal to serve when duly called upon, while s. 2 allows a Secretary of State to order persons to be sworn in though exempt by law, and s. 196 of the (English) Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, by which borough justices 'shall appoint in October in every year so many as they may think fit of the inhabitants of the borough, not legally exempt from serving the office of constable, to act as special constables in the borough.' There are also Acts of 1835 and 1838 dealing with the subject.By the (English) Special Constables Act, 1914, as amended by the (English) Special Constable...


Petty Constables

Petty Constables, inferior officers is every town and parish, subordinate to the high constable of the hundred. See CONSTABLE....


Parish Officers

Parish Officers, churchwardens, formerly overseers, and constables....


Borsholder

The head or chief of a tithing or borough see 2d Borough the headborough a parish constable...


Parish Council

Parish Council. Established by the Local Govern-ment Act, 1894, s. 1 (see now Local Government Act, 1933 (23 & 24 Geo. 5, c. 51), ss. 43-55), for every rural parish i.e., (every parish in a rural sanitary district) having a population of 300 or upwards, the county council having also power to group parishes under a common parish council, and being bound to establish a parish council if the parish meeting of a parish having a population of 100 or upwards so resolve, and having power to establish one with the consent of the parish meeting if the population be less than 100.The parish council is elected from among the parochial electors, or persons who have resided for twelve months in the parish or within three miles of it. The number of councillors is fixed by each county council within the limits of five and fifteen members. The term of office, which was by the Act of 1894 one year, was altered to three years by the Parish Councillors (Tenure of Office) Act, 1899, by which the councill...


Parish meeting

Parish meeting. Established for every rural parish by the Local Government Act, 1894 (see now Local Government Act, 1933 (23 & 24 Geo. 5, c. 51), ss. 43-55, 77, and Sch. III., Part VI.), and consisting of the registered parliamentary electors and county council electors of the parish, each having one vote and no more on any question, or in the case of an election for each of any number of persons not exceeding the number to be elected; bound to assemble annually, or if thee be no parish council, at least twice a year. The proceedings must not begin earlier than 6 p.m. Every question is decided by a majority of those present at a meeting, and voting, the decision of the chairman being final unless a poll, which is taken by ballot, be demanded. On the question of the appointment of chairman for a year, or of the adoption of any 'adoptive Act' (see below) and other questions, any one elector may demand a poll. The chairman of the parish council, or any two parish councillors, or any six r...


High Constable

High Constable, abolished by the High Constables Act, 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. 47). See CONSTABLE....


Parish Boundaries

Parish Boundaries, see 1 Vict. c. 69, s. 2; 2 & 3Vict. c. 62, ss. 34-6; 3 & 4 Vict. c. 15, s. 28; 8 & 9 Vict. c. 118, ss. 39-45; and 12 & 13 Vict. c. 83, ss. 1, 9. See also 38 & 39 Vict. c. 55, s. 278; and as to the better arrangement of divided parishes, see 39 & 40 Vict. c. 61. In order to perpetuate the memory of parish boundaries it was anciently the custom for the parishioners to walk round or perambulate the parish generally during Rogation Week. This was called 'beating the bounds.' Although the fixing of parish boundaries by Act of Parliament and the more general use of maps has done away with this necessity, perambulations still take place in many parishes. As to alteration of parish boundaries, see (English) Local Government Act, 1933 (23 & 24 Geo. 5, c. 51), s. 141....


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