United Kingdom Legislation

1—7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

8.

Treasury may appoint an officer to audit the civil list accounts; such officer not to sit in Parliament.

. . . F2 It shall be lawful for the Treasury, and they are hereby required, to appoint a proper person who shall be empowered and required to examine and audit all the tradesmen’s bills and the accounts and expences incurred or to be incurred in the departments of the lord chamberlain, lord steward, and master of the horse, and to examine into all the expenditure within those departments during its progress, and to report thereon to the Treasury, so that the same may be, as far as may be practicable, in conformity to the previous estimates thereof, as sanctioned and approved by the Treasury; and the said officer in the execution of the said duty shall obey such orders and directions as he shall from time to time receive from the Treasury; and it shall be lawful for the Treasury to grant to such officer, out of the civil list revenues, such salary as his Majesty may think fit, not exceeding one thousand five hundred pounds per annum: . . . F3

9.

Treasury to prepare instructions for the guidance of such officer.

It shall be lawful for the Treasury, and they are hereby required, to prepare a full and complete code of instructions for the guidance of the conduct of such auditor in the execution of his duties as aforesaid; and it shall be lawful for the Treasury from time to time to alter and change such code of instructions, or to issue any additional instructions for the conduct of the said officer, in such manner as the good of his Majesty’s service may from time to time appear to them to require; and such officer for the time being shall in all cases in the execution of his office govern himself in the performance of his duties therein by such instructions, in like manner in every respect as if the same had been inserted and made part of this Act.

10.

Officer may summon persons, and require books accounts and vouchers and examine upon oath.

. . . F4 It shall and may be lawful for the said officer by and with the consent and authority, in each particular case, of the Treasury, to be signified by one of the secretaries of the Treasury, to call before him any of the officers or persons holding any offices, situations, or places under the lord chamberlain, or under the lord steward, or under the master of the horse, and also any persons not belonging to any or either of the said departments, who may have supplied or furnished or been concerned or employed in the supplying or furnishing any articles, matters, and things in or for the use of either of the said departments respectively, or who may be able, in the judgment of the said officer, to give any information relating thereto, and to examine any such person or persons as aforesaid upon oath . . . F5 , which . . . F5 such officer is hereby authorized to administer, as to any such accounts, expences, or charges, or any matters or things relating thereto, or as to any such articles or things so supplied or furnished as aforesaid, or touching and concerning any matter or thing necessary for the full, strict, and accurate examination and audit of any such accounts or expences or charges; and in case of the failure by any person to comply with any such the lawful requisition of the said officer, every such person so refusing, if an officer or servant or tradesman employed in any of the said departments, shall be dismissed from his situation or employment, and be incapable of being again employed as such officer, servant, or tradesman in the service of his Majesty; and every such person shall also be liable to the payment of such fine to his Majesty as the [F6 High Court], on application made to the said court by the said officer or by his Majesty’s attorney general, shall think fit to set and impose, which fine the said court is hereby authorized and empowered to set and impose accordingly.

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12.

Officer, after examination, to make out states according to instructions. Treasury may remit for further examination, or allow any warrant under sign manual upon such allowance to be final discharge.

The officer so to be appointed shall, after he has duly examined such accounts and vouchers as aforesaid, make up a state or states thereof, in such manner and form as shall be required by his instructions in that behalf, and deliver the same to the Treasury; and the Treasury are hereby authorized, if they shall see fit, to direct any further examination of the said account, or to allow the same in case they shall be satisfied therewith; and such allowance, and a warrant under his Majesty’s sign manual issued in pursuance of such allowance, shall be a full and final discharge for and upon any such account, to all intents and purposes, without any further or other audit, account, allowance, or discharge whatever; any thing contained in any Act or Acts of Parliament to the contrary notwithstanding.

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