Geological Survey Act, 1845

Power to persons employed in geological survey to enter lands, break surface, and affix marks.

Satisfaction to be made for damage.

[1.] For the purpose of making and completing a geological survey of the United Kingdom, or any part thereof, it shall be lawful for any surveyor or other person appointed by or acting under the orders of the first commissioner for the time being of her Majesty’s woods, forests, land revenues, works, and buildings, and for any person assisting or employed by any surveyor or other person so appointed or acting under such orders as aforesaid, and they are hereby respectively authorized and empowered, from time to time, after notice in writing of the intention of entering shall have been given to the owner or occupier, as the case may be, to enter into and upon the land of any owner or person whomsoever, for the purpose of making and carrying on any geological survey authorized by the first commissioner for the time being of her Majesty s woods, forests, land revenues, works, and buildings, and to break up the surface of any part of such land for the purpose of ascertaining the rocks, strata, or minerals within or under the same, and to take and carry away specimens of the rocks, strata, or minerals found therein, and to fix any post, stone, mark, or object to be used in the survey in any such land, (except as herein-after mentioned,) and to dig up any ground for the purpose of fixing any such post, stone, or mark, and also to enter into or upon any land through which any such surveyor or other person so appointed or acting or employed as aforesaid shall find it necessary to pass for the purposes of such survey, at any reasonable time in the day, until the survey shall be completed: Provided always, that it shall not be lawful for any such surveyor or other person appointed or acting or employed as aforesaid to fix any object, post, stone, or mark within any walled garden, orchard, or pleasure ground, without the consent of the owner or occupier thereof: Provided also, that such surveyor or other persons so appointed or employed as aforesaid shall do as little damage as may be in the execution of the several powers to them granted by this Act, and shall make satisfaction to the owner or occupier, as the case may require, of such land, or the owner of any trees which shall be in any way injured, for all damages to be sustained in the execution of any of the powers of this Act, in case the same shall be demanded; and in case of dispute between the said surveyor or other persons appointed or employed as aforesaid, on the one hand, and the owner or occupier, as the case may be, on the other hand, as to the amount of damage sustained, the same shall be ascertained and determined by any two or more justices of the peace, in petty sessions assembled, of the county in which the lands or trees may be situate.