or elsewhere, in the moft favourable and beneficial Senfe, and for the best Advantage of the faid Corporation, and their Succeffors; any Omiffion, Imperfection, Defect, Matter, Cause, or Thing whatsoever to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithstanding, without Fine or Fee, great or small, to be for the fame in any Manner rendered, done, or paid to Us in Our Hanaper, or elsewhere, to Our Ufe.

In Witnefs whereof We have caufed these Our Letters to be made Patent.

Witness Ourself at Westminster, the Seventeenth Day of October, in the Thirteenth Year of Our Reign.

By Writ of Privy Seal,

COCK S.

Anno

[1]

Anno decimo tertio

GEORGII

II. Regis.

An Act for confirming and enlarging the Powers granted by his Majesty to the Governors and Guardians of the Hofpital, for the Mointenance and Education of expofed and deferted young Children, by His moft Gracious Charter, bearing Date the Seventeenth Day of October, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and thirty nine, and to enable them to execute the good Purposes of the faid Charter.

W

HEREAS His Majefty, in Com-Preamble.
paffion to the Numbers of poor In-
fants, who are liable to be exposed

to perish in the Streets, or be murdered by their indigent and inhuman Parents, has been moft graciously pleafed, by His Royal Charter under the Great Seal of Great-Britain, to create and establish a Corporation or Body Politick, by the Name of The Governors and Guardians of the Hofpital for the Maintenance and Education of expofed and deferted young Children; which Corporation is by the faid Charter declared to have perpetual Succeffion, and impowered

E 2

ered to take, hold, purchase, receive, and poffefs Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, to the Value of Four thoufand Pounds a Year, and Goods, Chattels, and perfonal Estate of what Nature and Value foever; and to purchase or erect an Hofpital for the Support, Maintenance, and Education of expofed and deferted Children; and to hold Courts, to make By-laws, and to elect Governors and Officers, and to do other Acts for the Purposes of the faid Charter: And whereas great Sums of Money have been given by the Governors of the faid Hofpital, and other Perfons, to be applied to the charitable Ufes before mentioned: And whereas by Reason of the Laws now in Force, for the Relief of the Poor, many Difficulties may arife in carrying into Execution the good Intents of the faid Charter, and that the granting other and farther Powers to the faid Corporation is requifite, effectually to answer the Purpofes aforefaid; may it please your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Coromons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the faid Corporation, Guardians called The Governors and Guardians of the Hofpital may pur- for the Maintenance and Education of expofed and chafe defertad young Children, and their Succeffors, fhall have Power, by any Inftrument under their ceeding common Seal, to contract for, or to purchase 4000l. per any Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, provided the fame do not exceed the Value of Four Thousand Pounds Year in Fee, beyond Re

Lands, &c.

not ex

Ann.

prizes,

prizes, or to take or purchase for any Term or Terms of Years, or as Tenents, from Year to Year, or at Will, any Lands or Tenements. whatsoever, to hold and enjoy the fame, and to erect any Houfe or Houfes, Building or Buildings thereon, or to convert any Houte or Houfes, Building or Buildings, which they shall so purchase or hire for that Purpofe, to be an Hofpital or Hofpital for the Reception of fuch poor and expofed Children, in fuch Manner as to the faid Corporation fhall feem

not to be

a

And be it further enacted by the Authority Taxes on aforesaid, That all and every Houfe or Houfes, Lands, &c, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments which aired a fhall at any time hereafter be purchased or hired bove what by the faid Corporation, to be ufed and con- was paid in verted into an Hofpital or Hofpitals, as afore- 1739. faid, or on which any fuch Hofpital or Hofpitals, Houfe or Houfes fhall be erected, fhall at all Times hereafter, whilft fuch Houfe or Houfes, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments fhall continue in the Poffeffion of the faid Corporation, be rated and affeffed to all Rates and Affeffments, at fuch yearly Rents or Value, and in fuch Proportion, as fuch Houfe or Houfes, Lands, Tenements,

or

Hereditaments were rated and affeffed in the
Year One thoufand feven hundred thirty and
nine, and shall not at any time hereafter, fo
long as they shall continue in the Poffeffion of
the faid Corporation, as aforefaid, be rated and
affeffed at any higher Value, notwithstanding though im-
any Improvement which fhall be hereafter made proved for
by the faid Corporation, of or upon the fame, the Corpo-
by ration.

the Ufe of

to the Cor

poration.

by erecting any fuch House or Houses, or other Building or Buildings thereon, or by converting any Building or Buildings into fuch Hofpital or Hofpitals, Houfe or Houfes; any Law, Statute, or Ulage to the contrary notwithtanding.

AND that the faid Corporation may not be prevented from erecting or enjoying fuch Buildings as may be moft convenient for the l'urpoles aforefaid, by the Incapacity or legal Dif ability of any Perfon or Perfons to convey, though on Terms which would be for the Benefit and Advantage of fuch Perfon or Perfons; be it further enacted, That it may be lawful to and for all Bodies Politick, Corporate, or ColFemes Co-legiate, Corporations aggregate or fole, Femes vert, &c. Covert, who are or fhall be feized in their own may fell Right, Trustees, and Feoffees in Trust, GuarLand or dians and Committees for Lunaticks and Ideots, Tenements Executors, Adminiftrators, and Guardians whatfoever, not only for or on Behalf of themfelves, their Heirs and Succeffors, but alfo for and on Behalf of their Ceftuique Trufts, whether Infants. or Iffue unborn, Lunaticks, Ideots, Femes Covert, or other Perfons whatsoever, and to and for all and every Perfon and Perfons, who are or fhall be feized or poffeffed of, or interested in any Lands, Meffuages, or Tenements, which the faid Corporation fhall judge to be proper to be by them purchafed or hired, in order to the erecting fuch Houfe or Houfes, Building or Buildings, as aforefaid, or to the converting any Houfe or Houfes, Building or Buildings to their Ufe, as aforefaid, to contract for, fell, convey, or to Farm let to the faid Corporation, or their Succeffors, of fuch Perfons as

they