The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-05-03 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

CORBINATION Or W One of the last Act
passed in the late session was to amend and explain the
statute 6th George IV., cap. 129, to repeal the laws
relating to the combination of workmen, and to make
other provisions in lieu thereof. It seems that different
decisions have been given on the construction of the
recited Act, and it is now enacted that no workman or
other person, whether actually in employment or not.
shall, by reason merely of his entering into an agreement
with any workinsn or workmen, or other perons, for
the purpose of fixing, or endeavouring to fix, the rate of
wages or remuneration at which they, or any of them,
shall work, or by reason merely of his endeavouring
peaceably, and in a reasonable manner, and without
threat or intimidation. direct or indirect, to persuade
others to CCSAC or abstain from work, in order to
obtain the rate of wages or the altered hours of lahour
to paid or agreed upon, or to be agreed upon, shall be
deemed or taken to be guilty of " inolestation " or
" obstruction" within the meaning of the Act, and shall
not therefore be subject or liable to any prosecution or
indictment for conspiracy. Thera is a provision to the
clause that nothing contained shall authorize any
workman to break or depart from any contract or authm
rise any attempt to induce any workman to break or
depart from any contract he may have entered into.
PAUPER MAINTENANCE ACT.—On the 19th ult., an
Act of Parliament receive.' the Royal assent to continue
the Act for charging the maintenance of certain paupers
upon the union funds. The powers given by the 20th
of Victoria, cap. 15, for charging on the common fund
of the union the costs of the relief and of the burial of
certain poor persons described, and the costs of removing
and inaintaining certain pauper lunatics are continued
until the 30th of September, 1860, and to the end of the
then next session of Parliament.
THE CONFIRMATION AND PROBATE ACT.—An Act
was passed on the day of the Prorogation to amend the
Confirination and Probate Act of last year. All persons
and corporations who, in reliance on any instrument per.
porting to be a confirmation granted under the Condi.-
illation and Probate Act, 1$8; and all persons and
corporations who, in reliance upon any such instrument,
sealed under the authority of the Act with the seal of
the Principal Court of Probate in England, or of the
Court of Probate in Dublin, Sic., have made payment,
or make or permit any paynient on such confirmation,
probate, or letters of administration, are to be indemni-
fied and protected in so doing, notwithstanding any
defect or circumstance whatsoever affecting the validity
of such confirniation, probate, or letters of administra-
tion.
VALlorry or MARRIAGER.—An Act of Parliament
was rendered necessary in the late session (mimed on the
19th ult.), to make certain marriages •slid which had
been performed in the church of St. thIIICS, ItaldersbY,
in the county a York. It appears that the church was
erected in or before 114.17, and was duly consecrated for
divine service, and marriages have been solemnized
therein under the opinion that, according to the terms
of the sentence of consecration, they could be lawfully
seleinnized. Such, however, seems not to be the case,
and the Act was passed to declare the marriages to be
as valid as if they had been solemnized in the pariah
I &lurch of Topcliffe. The ministers who solemnised the
marriages are indemnified, and the registers of the mar-
riages, or copies, are to be received in all courts of law
I and equity as evidence of such marriages in the eame
manner as registers of marriages in parish churches.