forth for ever have hold and enjoy the said rents and arrearages thereof, in such manner and form, and as fully and amply, as the same are or were enjoyed at any time within the said space of sixty years.

VIII. Provided always and be it enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be prejudicial to the right title or claim of any person or persons in or to any manors lands tenements or hereditaments, by virtue of or under any grant or grants, letters patent or letters patents, from any of his Majesty's progenitors ancestors or predecessors, or by virtue of or under any grant or grants, letters patent or letters patents from his Majesty, made or passed before the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine; so as such right title or claim be prosecuted with effect by bill plaint information or other suit or proceeding, in some of his Majesty's courts of record at Westminster, within the space of one year from the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine.

IX. Provided always and be it enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be prejudicial to any right title or claim which his Majesty now hath to any lands tenements or hereditaments, within the manor of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent; or to any messuages lands tenements or hereditaments, within the precinct district or liberty commonly called The Savoy, in the county of Middlesex; or to any the inanors messuages advowsons buildings lands tenements hereditaments and appurtenances, being the estate and possession of the late hospital of the Savoy, or of the master and chaplains of the said hospital; so as such right title or claim be prosecuted with effect by bill plaint or information, or other suit or proceeding, in some of his Majesty's courts of record at Westminster, within the space of two years from the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine.

X. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority of this present Parliament, That no putting in charge nor standing insuper, nor taking or answering the farm rents revenues or profits of any of the said manors lands tenements or hereditaments, by force colour or pretext of any letters patent or grants of concealments or defective titles, or of manors lands tenements or hereditaments out of charge, or by force colour or pretext of any inquisitions presentments, by or by reason of any commission or other authority to find out concealments, defective titles or lands, tenements or hereditaments out of charge, shall be deemed construed or taken to be a putting in charge, standing insuper, or taking or answering the farm rents revenues or profits by or to his Majesty, or any of his progenitors or predecessors heirs or successors; unless thereupon such manors lands tenements or hereditaments, have been or shall be upon some information or suit on the behalf of his Majesty, or some of his progenitors or predecessors heirs or successors, upon a lawful verdict given or to be given or demurrer in law adjudged, or upon a hearing ordered or decreed for his Majesty or some of his progenitors or predecessors heirs or successors, or some of them, within the space of sixty years next before the filing issuing or commencing of every such action bill plaint information commission or other suit or proceedings as shall at any time or times hereafter be filed issued or commenced for recovering the same, or in respect thereof as aforesaid.

[ No. XXXI. ] 19 George III. c. 45.-An Act to enable the Chancellor and Council of the Duchy of Lancaster to sell and dispose of certain Fee-farm Rents, and other Rents, and to enfranchise Copyhold and Customary Tenements within their Survey, and to encourage the Growth of Timber on Lands held of the said Duchy.

[ No. XXXII. ] 26 George III. c. 87-An Act for appointing Commissioners to enquire into the State and

No. XXX.

9 Geo. III.

c. 16.

No. XXXII.

26 Geo. III. c. 87.

c. 75.

1 Annæ, cap. recited.

1.

Condition of the Woods Forests and Land Revenues belonging to the Crown; and to sell or alienate Feefarm and other unimprovable Rents.

[ No. XXXIII. ] 27 George III. c. 34.-An Act to amend an Act passed in the Nineteenth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled An Act to enable the Chancellor and Council of the Duchy of Lancaster to sell and dispose of certain Fee-farm Rents, and other Rents, and to enfranchise Copyhold and Customary Tonements within their Survey; and to encourage the Growth of Timber on Lands held of the said Duchy; and to enable the said Chancellor and Council to discharge Incumbrances affecting the Possessions of the said Duchy.

[ No. XXXIV. ] 30 George III. c. 50.-An Act to continue and amend an Act, made in the Twenty-sixth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled An Act for appointing Commissioners to enquire into the State and Condition of the Woods Forests and Land Revenues belonging to the Crown; and to sell or alienate Fee-farm and other unimprovable Rents.

[ No. XXXV. ] 34 George III. c. 75.-An Act for the better Management of the Land Revenue of the Crown, and for the Sale of Fee-farm and other unimprovable Rents.-[11th June 1794.]

6

34 Geo. III. WHEREAS it is expedient that provision should be made for the better management of the Land Revenues of the Crown within the ordering and survey of the Exchequer in England: And whereas by an Act, made ' in the first year of the reign of Queen Anne, (intituled An Act for the 'better Support of her Majesty's Household, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown,) it was (amongst other things) enacted and declared, that all and every grant lease or other assurance which, from and after the 'five and twentieth day of March one thousand seven hundred and two, 'should be made or granted by the said Queen her heirs or successors, kings or queens of this realm, under any of the seals therein mentioned, or by copy of court roll, or otherwise howsoever, of any manors messuages lands tenements rents tithes woods or other hereditaments, (advowsons of churches and vicarages only excepted,) to any person or 'persons, body politick or corporate whatever, whereby any estate or interest should pass from the said Queen her heirs or successors, should ' be utterly void and of none effect, unless the same should be made for 'some term or estate not exceeding thirty-one years or three lives, and ⚫ unless there should be reserved, by such grants leases or assurances, 'such rents as in the said Act are expressed; in which said Act is con'tained a proviso, that where the greatest part of the yearly value of any ⚫ tenements or hereditaments belonging to the said Queen her heirs and successors, should at the time of making any lease or grant thereof ⚫ consist of the building or buildings thereupon which might want to be repaired or re-edified, in every such case to encourage the rebuilding or reparation thereof, it was declared and enacted, that it should be lawful 'for the said Queen her heirs and successors, at any time after the said

'five and twentieth day of March one thousand seven hundred and two, to No. XXXV. demise or grant such tenements or hereditaments to any person or persons for any term or estate, so as such term and estate did not exceed 34 Geo. III. fifty years or three lives, and so as such lease or grant should be made c 75. to commence from the date or making thereof; or if such grant or lease should be made to take effect in reversion or expectancy that then 'the same, together with the estate or estates in possession of and in the 'same tenements or hereditaments, should not exceed fifty years or three ' lives from the date or making thereof as aforesaid, and so as the same should not be made dispunishable of waste, and so as there should be ⚫ reserved and payable upon every such lease or grant, during such term, 'not exceeding fifty years or three lives, as much rent as was by the said Act required to be reserved for the same tenements or hereditaments respectively, in case of a lease not exceeding one and thirty years or three lives, and not otherwise: And whereas, the better to encourage the erecting of large substantial houses and other buildings upon the lands of the Crown within the ordering and survey aforesaid, and for the improvement of the revenue arising therefrom, it is expedient that the powers in and by the said Act contained and given for demising and granting any tenements or hereditaments of the description last aforesaid should be enlarged, and further provision made for securing an 'improvement and increase of the rents to be in future paid or reserved in respect thereof:' 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 the said recited proviso in the said Clause 6 of reAct of the first year of Queen Anne contained, so far as the same is con- cited Act, so far trary to any of the provisions in this Act, shall be and the same is hereby this Act, rerepealed; and that all and every lease or grant which, after the passing pealed. of this Act, shall be made or passed under the great seal or the seal of the Exchequer of any tenements or hereditaments whereof the greatest part of the yearly value shall consist of the buildings thereupon, or of any land or ground which shall be set apart or appropriated for buildings by force and virtue of this Act, and where the lessce or grantee lessees or grantees shall agree and covenant to erect buildings thereon of greater yearly value than the land or ground so to be leased or granted, shall be made for such term estate and interest, and in such manner as by this Act is directed, and not otherwise or in other manner; and if any lease or grant shall be made of any such tenements or hereditaments land or ground, contrary to the authority and directions of this Act, the same shall be utterly void and of none effect; any thing in the said Act of the first year of Queen Anne contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

as contrary to

11. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing herein Act not to afcontained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to affect any subsisting fect subsisting lease or grant already made by the Crown, under and by virtue of the Leases or said recited Act, but that such lease or grant shall remain and be in as Grants. full force and effect, to all intents and purposes, as if this Act had not been made.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That where His Majesty any land or ground belonging or hereafter to belong to his Majesty his may grant heirs or successors, within the ordering and survey aforesaid, shall be Land for builddeemed by the Lord High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury ing for 99 for the time being fit and proper for the erection of houses or other years or three buildings thereupon, or for necessary gardens yards curtilages and other Lives, where appurtenances to be used and enjoyed therewith, and shall be by their the Lessees order directed to be reserved or set apart and appropriated to that agree to make Elections of and where the lessee or grantee lessees or grantees shall agree and covenant to erect buildings thereon of greater yearly value than the land value than the greater yearly or ground so to be leased or granted, or where the greatest part of the Land, or where yearly value of any tenements or hereditaments belonging to his Majesty the greatest part his heirs or successors as aforesaid, doth or shall at the time of making of the yearly.. value of the Premises consists of Buildings, &c.

use,

34 Geo. III. c. 75.

No. XXXV. any lease or grant thereof consist of any building or buildings thereupon, in all and every or any of such cases it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty his heirs or successors to demise or grant the land or ground so directed to be set apart as aforesaid, or the tenements or hereditaments of the description last aforesaid, respectively to any person or persons, or to any body or bodies politick or corporate, under the great seal of Great Britain or the seal of the Exchequer, for any term or estate, so as such term or estate do not exceed ninety-nine years or three lives, to be computed from the date or making of any such lease or grant respectively; or if any such lease or grant be made to take effect in reversion or expectancy, then that the term and estate thereby to be granted, together with the term or estate, terms or estates in possession of and in the same land and ground tenements and hereditaments respectively, shall not exceed ninety-nine years or three lives, computed from the date or making thereof as aforesaid; and so as the respective rents hereinafter specified be reserved for the same, (that is to say,) where there shall happen to be any substantial building or buildings upon the ground to be demised, or that the building or buildings thereupon shall not require or not be intended and agreed to be rebuilt, there shall be reserved to his Majesty his heirs and successors an annual rent or rents, not being less than two-third parts of such annual sum as shall be deemed by the Lord High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being a reasonable rent or consideration for such building or buildings and ground respectively, for the term and estate intended to be granted of and in the same; and so as there be paid to the use of his Majesty his heirs and successors a fine or fines to the amount of the remaining part of such annual sum as aforesaid, subject to a discount which shall not be computed at a higher rate than the highest legal rate of interest at the time of making any such grant or lease; and when there shall happen to be no substantial building upon the land or ground to be demised, or that the building or buildings thereupon require or shall be intended and agreed to be forthwith rebuilt, or other new buildings to be erected upon such land or ground, then and in that case there shall be reserved such annual rent or rents as shall be deemed by the Lord High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being to be a reasonable rent or consideration for such land or ground and old buildings respectively, for the term and estate intended to be granted of and in the same, without taking any fine for the same; and so as in every lease or grant of land or ground and buildings of the description last aforesaid, there be contained a covenant or condition on the part of the lessee or grantee for the erecting of proper and substantial houses or other buildings thereon within a reasonable time, to be in each case limited for that purpose, and such other covenants for keeping buildings in repair and doing all such other acts as the Lord High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being shall think reasonable; and so as all and every such rent and rents be reserved to be paid free and clear of all manner of taxes and assessments whatsoever, for and during the whole of the term or terms to be granted or demised, except such rent or such part thereof, during such part of such term or terms as the Lord High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being shall in any case think fit and expedient to be allowed, not exceeding in any case the term of three years; and so as every such such grantee or lessee grantees or lessees shall and do duly sign seal and deliver a counterpart or counterparts of his her or their respective grant or lease, grants or leases, which counterparts shall not be subject to any stamp duty; and that all and every such grants and leases so made as aforesaid, according to the true intent and meaning of this Act, shall be good valid and effectual in the law; any thing contained in the said Act of the first of Queen Anne, or in any other Act, to the contrary notwithstanding.

On every

Grant (except

as herein ex

IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That on every grant lease or other assurance which shall be made or granted by his Majesty his heirs or successors, under the great seal or seal of the exche

cepted) Annual Rents to be reserved, without taking any Fine, &c.

quer, or either of them, of any manors messuages lands tenements rents No. XXXV. tithes woods or other hereditaments, (advowsons of churches and vicarages,

c. 75.

and such tenements and grounds, with edifices or buildings erected 34 Geo. III. thereon, as are hereby authorised to be granted for any term not exceeding ninety-nine years or three lives, and whereon any fine or fines shall be payable as aforesaid, only excepted,) within the kingdom of England and dominion of Wales, or any of them, or any part thereof, now belonging or hereafter to belong to his Majesty his heirs or successors, and being within the ordering and survey aforesaid, in possession reversion remain der use or expectancy to any person or persons, body politick or corporate, whereby any estate or interest whatever, in law or equity, shall or may pass from his Majesty his heirs or successors, there shall be reserved such clear annual rent or rents as shall be deemed by the Lord High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being to be a reasonable rent or consideration for such grant or lease, without taking any fine for the same; and such rent or rents shall be made payable to his Majesty his heirs and successors, during the whole term or time of the continuance thereof respectively; and no such lease or grant, leases or grants, shall be good or effectual in the law, unless the grantee or lessee, grantees or lessees therein, do and shall duly sign seal and deliver a counterpart or counterparts of his her or their respective grant or lease, grants or leases, so made as aforesaid, according to the true intent and meaning of this Act, which counterparts shall not be subject to any stamp duty.

tion:

V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall Grants not to not be lawful to renew any lease or grant of any manors messuages lands be renewed tenements tithes woods or other hereditaments now belonging or here- until within a after to belong to his Majesty his heirs or successors, within the ordering certain number and survey aforesaid, for any term of years whatever, until within five of Years prior years of the period of the expiration of the same, except such tenements to their expiraand hereditaments as are hereby authorised to be granted for any term not exceeding ninety-nine years, nor to renew any grant or lease of any such tenements or hereditaments as are hereby authorised to be granted for such term not exceeding ninety-nine years, until within twenty years of the period of the expiration of the same, nor any lease or grant for lives, so long as there shall be more than one of such lives in being, except in the cases hereinafter mentioned.

vi. Provided always, and it is hereby enacted and declared, That if it except in Cases shall appear to the satisfaction of the Lord High Treasurer or Lords herein specified. Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being, that any persons or person have or has, at any time before the passing of this Act, entered into any covenants or engagements to obtain renewals of leases at earlier periods, in confidence that the same could be renewed according to the ordinary practice in such cases, it shall be lawful in such cases to renew any lease or grant at a greater distance of time from the period of the expiration thereof, so as to enable such person or persons to perform such covenants or engagements; any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided also, That if any person or persons shall be the lessee or lessees of any tithes of any lands, or of any other profits issuing out of any lands, and shall be also the owner or owners of, or interested in such lands, it shall be lawful for the Lord High Treasurer or Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being, to order a renewal of leases of such tithes or other profits, at such times as shall appear to them convenient for the most beneficial enjoyment of such tithes or other profits, together with such lands respectively: Provided also, That if it shall be made appear to the satisfaction of the Lord High Treasurer or Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury for the time being, that any persons or person having any lease of any lands Abatement of belonging to his Majesty have or has, before the passing of this Act, Rent and Fine made any demise of such lands, or entered into any agreement to demise may be made in the same, for the purpose of improving the same by building, and have or certain Cases. has entered into any covenants or engagements, in consequence whereof such persons or person would, by reason of the improvements so made, be