Vestries Act 1831(repealed 1.6.1992)

1. Introductory Text

2. [1. ]. Act may be adopted by any parish.

3. 2. Manner of adopting it in parishes where inhabitants do not assemble in open vestry.

4. 3. Upon receipt of requisition, churchwarden to give notice of time and place for receiving votes.

5. 4. Form of declaration.

6. 5. Churchwardens to declare whether the votes are in favour of adopting Act.

7. 6. Ratepayers may inspect votes.

8. 7. No person to vote unless he has been rated one year.

9. 8. Notice of adoption of the Act.

10. 9. No similar requisition to be made within three years.

11. 10. This Act to take effect in all parishes in which its adoption has been notified.

12. 11. Penalties on churchwardens and others refusing to call meetings &c.

13. 12. Notice to be given of annual election of vestrymen and auditors.

14. 13. Rate-collectors may be summoned to assist at the election.

15. 14. Form of proceeding at annual elections.

16. 15. A ballot may be demanded.

17. 16. Mode of voting.

18. 17. Duty of inspectors.

19. 18. In case of equality of votes.

20. 19. Penalty for forging or falsifying any voting list or obstructing the election.

21. 20. Public notice to be given of vestrymen and auditors chosen by parishioners.

22. 21. Penalty on inspectors making incorrect returns.

23. 22. Elections to be annual.

24. 23. Vestry to consist of not less than 12 nor more than 120 householders.

25. 24. Proportion of existing vestry to go out of office at each three first elections under this Act.

26. 25. Subsequent vestrymen to quit office after three years, and one third of whole number to be elected annually.

27. 26. Qualifications of vestrymen.

28. 27. Vestries appointed after the adoption of this Act to exercise the authority of former vestries.

29. 28. The Acts of a quorum of the vestry at any meeting to be considered as the Acts of the Vestry.

30. 29. Meetings not to be held in the church.

31. 30. Meeting to elect a chairman.

32. 31. Proceedings to be entered in books, to be open to inspection.

33. 32. Account book to be kept, and to be open to inspection.

34. 33. Auditors to be chosen annually.

35. 34. Mode of audit.

36. 35. Auditors may call for persons and books.

37. 36. Accounts to be signed by auditors.

38. 37. Accounts after audit to be open to inspection.

39. 38. Abstracts of accounts to be published fourteen days after being audited.

40. 39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41. 40. Saving of ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

42. 41. Meaning of terms used in this Act.

43. 42. As to affixing notices.

44. 43. Act not to extend to rural parishes where not more than 800 ratepayers, except in cities or towns.

45. 44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .