Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854

Interpretation of Terms in this Act.

I. The following Words and Expressions in this Act shall have the Meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in the Subject or Context repugnant to such Construction; (that is to say,) the Word “Town” shall mean and include a City, Town Corporate, Borough, Market Town, or other Town in Ireland, containing a Population of One thousand five hundred Inhabitants or upwards, as ascertained by their last Population Returns made pursuant to Act of Parliament; the Expression “the Lord Lieutenant” or “Lord Lieutenant of Ireland” shall include any other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland; the Word “Justices,” as far as it relates to any Town situate in the Dublin Metropolitan Police District, shall be construed to mean the Divisional Magistrates of the said Police District; the Word “Person,” and Words applying to any Person or Individual, shall apply to and include Corporations; the Word “Householder” shall mean a Male Occupier of a Dwelling House, or of any Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments within the prescribed Boundaries of the Town rated to the Belief of the Poor in respect thereof; the Word “Occupier” shall extend to and include an immediate Lessor made liable under this Act to Assessments in Cases of Premises of such small annual Value as herein-after mentioned respectively in that Behalf, and such Word “Occupier” shall not include a Lodger or a Party in the Occupation as Tenant of a furnished House let for a less Period than One Year, but shall include the Party by whom such furnished House is so let; the Expression “Lodging House” shall mean a House in which Lodgers are housed for a less Period than One Week at a Time, at an Amount not exceeding Fourpence per Head per Night; the Word “County” shall include a County of a City or County of a Town; the Expression “the Commissioners” shall mean a Majority of the Commissioners for the Purposes of this Act acting in and for a Town by which this Act has been in whole or in part adopted; the Word “Treasurer” shall mean any Bank or Banking Company appointed by the Commissioners to act as their Treasurer; the Word “Lands” and the Word “Premises” shall include all Lands, Springs, Dwelling Houses, Shops, Warehouses, Vaults, Cellars, Stables, Breweries, Manufactories, Mills, and other Houses and Buildings, and Yards and Places; the Word “Street” shall extend to and include any Road, Bridge, Lane, Square, Court, Alley, and Thoroughfare or public Passage; the Word “Oath” shall include Affirmation in the Case of Quakers, and Declaration in the Case of Persons allowed by Law to make a Declaration in lieu of an Oath; the Word “Owner,” used with reference to any Lands or Premises in respect of which any Work is required to be done, or any Assessment paid under this Act, shall mean the Person for the Time entitled to receive, or who, if such Lands or Premises were let to a Tenant at a Rackrent, would be entitled to receive the Rack-rent from the Occupier thereof; the Expression “Assistant Barrister” shall mean the Assistant Barrister for the County or Place in which the Lands or Premises in question are situate, and shall also include the Chairman of the Sessions of the Peace of the County of Dublin; the Expression “Rackrent” shall mean Rent which is not less than Two Thirds of the full net annual Value of the Property out of which the Rent arises, and the full net annual Value shall (save as regards any Valuation for Poor Rates or Valuation for Assessments under this Act) be taken to be the Rent at which the Property ought reasonably to be expected to let from Year to Year, free from all Quit Rent, Head Rent, Ground Rent, and usual Tenants Rates and Taxes, and deducting therefrom the probable annual Cost of the Repairs, Insurance, and other Expenses (if any) necessary to maintain the same in a State to command such Rent; the Expression “private Assessment” shall mean any Assessment or Charge on Individuals for private Improvement Expenses, or for House Drainage, or otherwise under this Act; the Expression “District Assessment” shall mean any Assessment other than a “private Assessment” which is confined only to a Portion or District of any Town; the Word “Cattle” shall include any Horse, Mare, Gelding, Foal, Colt, Filly, Bull, Cow, Heifer, Ox, Calf, Ass, Mule, Ram, Ewe, Wether, Lamb, Goat, Kid, or Swine; the Expression “lawful Day” shall mean a Day not being Sunday, Christmas Day, or Good Friday, and when any Number of Days is appointed by this Act the same shall be construed to mean such lawful Days, and be computed inclusive of the first and exclusive of the last of such Days; Words importing the Singular Number shall include the Plural Number, and Words importing the Plural Number shall include the Singular Number; and Words importing the Masculine Gender (except only the Word “Male”) shall include Females.