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An Act to empower the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings to acquire additional Space for the Western Approach to Westminster New Bridge. [13th August 1859.]

WHEREAS by the Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, after reciting among other Things, that it was necessary that a new Bridge at Westminster should be constructed, and that it was expedient that the Construction of such new Bridge, and of the necessary and proper Approaches thereto, should be intrusted to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings, and that for that Purpose the then existing Bridge, together with the Westminster Bridge Estate therein mentioned, should be transferred to and vested in the said Commissioners, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings for the Time being were by the said Act incorporated by the Name and Style of The Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings, in order to enable them to carry into effect and execute the several Objects, Powers, and Purposes of the Act now in recital; and by the said Act the said then existing Bridge and the said Westminster Bridge Estate were vested in the said Commissioners, and certain Powers of acquiring by compulsory Purchase or otherwise the Hereditaments specified in the Second Schedule thereto, together with certain other Powers in the said Act now in recital mentioned or referred to, were thereby either expressly or by reference to a certain other Act therein cited given to the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings, and certain other Provisions, Directions, and Enactment's in aid of the Objects and Purposes of the Act now in recital were therein expressly or by reference to other Acts contained and enacted: And whereas the said intended new Bridge is now in course of Construction, and it would be of great public Utility if the Western Approach to the said new Bridge was widened and improved: And whereas a Map or Plan describing the Hereditaments to be acquired by the said Commissioners under the Authority of this Act has been prepared under the Direction of the Commissioners: May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the Queen'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, as follows:

I. That for the Purposes of this Act, and of all Matters and Things hereby authorized to be done under the Authority of this Act, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings for the Time being shall be and they are hereby constituted a Corporation, by the Name and Style of "The Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings," in order to enable them to carry into effect and execute the several Objects, Powers, and Purposes of this Act, and by that Name, and for the Purposes of this Act, they shall have perpetual Succession, and use a Common Seal, which may be by them from Time to Time altered as they shall think fit, and shall and may sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, and take Land and Hereditaments to them and their Successors for ever for the Purposes of this Act.

II. The said Map or Plan describing the Hereditaments to be acquired by the Commissioners under the Authority of this Act shall be deposited at the Office of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings, and shall remain at the said Office, to the end that all Persons may, at all seasonable Times, have Liberty to inspect and peruse the same at their Will and Pleasure, paying the Sum of One Shilling for every such Inspection.

III. All the Powers by the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, either expressly or by reference to the Acts therein cited, or either of them, given to the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings with regard to the Hereditaments specified in the Second Schedule to the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, shall be given to and are hereby vested in the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings with regard to the Hereditaments specified in the Schedule hereto, and all the Provisions, Directions, and Enactments in the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, either expressly or by reference to the other Acts therein cited, or either of them, contained (except as herein otherwise specially provided for) shall be construed in all respects as if the Hereditaments specified in the Schedule hereto had been specified in the Second Schedule to the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853: Provided always, that nothing herein contained or referred to shall authorize the said Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings to exercise any compulsory Powers for taking any of the Hereditaments specified in the Schedule hereto beyond the Period of Five Years from the passing of this Act, but during such Period such Powers shall continue in force.

IV. The Price or Consideration which may be payable by the said Commissioners for any of the Hereditaments to be purchased or acquired by them under the Authority or for the Purposes of this Act, and also the Costs and Expenses incident to such Purchases, or which may be incurred by them in widening and improving the Approaches to the said New Bridge, shall be paid and defrayed out of such Monies as Parliament may provide and place at the Disposal of the said Commissioners for those Purposes.

V. If any Proceedings shall be taken for the Recovery of the Possession of any Hereditaments purchased or taken for the Purposes of this Act, or of the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, then within Two Months after any Judgment shall be obtained by any Person for the Recovery of the Possession of any such Premises there shall be paid or tendered to any Person so obtaining such Judgment, in lieu of such Premises, his Costs on any Proceeding for the obtaining such Judgment, together with such Sum of Money as a Jury shall in the Manner herein-after mentioned find to have been the Value of the said Premises at the Time when the same were conveyed for the Purposes of this Act, or the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, as the Case may be, or when Possession thereof was taken as aforesaid, and the Jury who shall try any Proceeding brought for the Recovery of the Possession of any Premises as aforesaid shall at the same Time ascertain the Value of, such Premises at the Time when they were conveyed for the Purposes of this Act, or the said Westminster Bridge Act, 1853, or when Possession was taken thereof and the Value so found shall be certified by the presiding Judge under his Hand, and such Certificate shall be delivered to the Person seeking to recover Possession of the same Premises; and such Value shall be the Amount to be paid in lieu of the said Premises, and the same shall be paid by the Commissioners out of Monies in their Hands applicable for the Purposes of this Act or the said last-mentioned Act, as the Case may be, and the said Hereditaments, the Possession whereof was so sought to be recovered, shall remain vested in the Commissioners and their Successors for the Purposes of this Act, or the said last-mentioned Act, as the Case may be, such Amount or Value being taken and accepted in lieu thereof.

VI. Every Conveyance, Assignment, or other Deed or Instrument whereby any of the Land by this Act or by "The Westminster Bridge Act, 1853," authorized to be purchased, shall be conveyed or assigned to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings for the Purposes of this Act, shall be enrolled amongst the Records of Her Majesty's Court of Exchequer, and entered in the Books of the said Commissioners; and every such Conveyance, Assignment, or other Deed or Instrument when so enrolled shall, without any other Enrolment or Acknowledgment thereof, and without any Registry thereof, be as good and available in the Law, and of the like Force and Effect in all respects, and to all Intents and Purposes, as if the same or a Memorial thereof had been registered in the Office appointed for Registering Deeds and other Conveyances of Land and Tenements in the County of Middlesex, any Act of Parliament, Law, Practice, or Usage to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.