office a written statement of the particulars of his claim, and such claim shall in due course be forwarded by the Colonial Secretary to the commissioners hereinafter mentioned.

3. (1.) The Governor shall within seven Governor to apdays after the passing of this Act, and, subject point commissionto their consent, appoint one member of ers to decide on the Legislative Council and two members of claims. the House of Assembly to be commissioners for investigating and determining such claims; and the appointment of such commissioners shall be at once gazetted.

(2.) The said commissioners, or the majority of them shall be authorised and are hereby required to investigate and determine such claims, and shall hold an open court as often as may be required, at the Committee Room of the House of Assembly in the East Wing, Public Buildings, and shall have power to examine the claimant, and any other persons, on oath, and may by a summons under the hand of either of the said commissioners require any person to attend and give evidence, and to produce any books, books of account, documents or paper writings; and if any person so summoned shall neglect or refuse to appear or give evidence, or produce any such books, books of account, documents, or paper writings as aforesaid, he shall for each such neglect or refusal be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds to be recovered in a summary manner before a police magistrate on the complaint of either of the commissioners; and if any person examined before such commissioners shall give false evidence he shall be liable to be prosecuted for perjury.

Procedure.

Certificates to be (3.) The said commissioners, or the given to successful majority of them, shall in each case in which claimants. they shall find that the claimant is entitled to a refund, issue a certificate, in duplicate, to that effect, and shall also state thereon the sum to which such claimant is entitled; one of such certificates shall be given to the claimant, the other shall be sent to the Governor-in-Executive Committee, who shall thereupon issue his warrant to the colonial treasurer to pay the person named in the certificate the sum thereon stated to be due. 4. The commissioners shall on the deterreport to the Gov- mination of the several claims make a report in writing, to the Governor for the information of the Legislature shewing the claims. disposed of, and the sums awarded to the successful claimants.

Commissioners to

ernor.

CAP. III.

(Assented to 2nd July, 1892.)

BARBADOS.

An Act to amend The Barbados Railway
Company's Act, passed the 25th day of
February 1873, and also to amend The
Barbados Railway Company's Act,
Amendment Act, passed the 11th day of
April 1878.

W

HEREAS The Barbados Railway Company (hereinafter referred to as "the company") have preferred their humble petition to the legislature of this Island setting forth that by the Barbados Railway Company's Act of the 25th day of February 1873, and the Barbados Railway

Company's Act, Amendment Act of the 11th day of April 1878, the Company are guaranteed by the Government of this Island a net income of six thousand pounds sterling per annum for the period of twenty years and the amount so as aforesaid guaranteed and paid by the Government must whenever the receipts of the Company exceed a sum which would after deducting the ordinary working and current expenses of the Company, yield a net income of six thousand pounds per annum be recouped and repaid to the public treasury and must be charged on the net revenue of the Company notwithstanding the expiration of twenty years to which the legislative guarantee is intended to apply and whenever the receipts of the Company exceed a sum which after deducting the ordinary working and current expenses as aforesaid would leave a net income of six thousand pounds per annum, greater sum than six thousand pounds per annum shall be deemed available for interest or dividend until the public treasury has been fully recouped for any payment or payments made to the Company under the guarantee, and further setting forth that the twenty years for which the said guarantee was made available will expire on the tenth day of September one thousand nine hundred and three and further setting forth that during the whole period the Company have worked their undertaking the authorized expenditure (owing to the various unforeseen difficulties and expenses in the upkeep of the Railway) has exceeded the income derived for traffic and the Government has therefore with one exception been called upon to pay each year the full amount of

no

the guarantee and so far as can be judged from the present prospects of the Company and the necessity existing for still further improvements in the general service of the Railway the Government will be required. to continue payment of the annual sum guaranteed until the expiration on the tenth day of September one thousand nine hundred and three of the twenty years for which it has been made available, and further setting forth that from the fact of the amount of this guarantee being regulated by certain conditions of revenue and expenditure as set forth in the half yearly accounts it could never be regarded as a fixed sum payable by the Government and that the possibility of such payment varying has been a source of much embarrassment to the company in Barbados in its efforts to improve the property and consequently the credit of the undertaking has been and will continue to be very materially affected, and further setting forth that to make the guarantee a fixed payment to the company would considerably enhance the value of the shares and afford encouragement to English investors to advance further capital for the carrying out of certain contemplated and much needed extensions of their lines to other districts of this Island from which it is believed great benefits will result, and further setting forth that the company have petitioned the Governor-in-Executive Committee to recommend to the Legislature of this Island the passing of an Act giving the company a fixed subsidy of six thousand pounds per annum payable half yearly for twelve years ending the tenth day of September one thousand nine hundred and

three in place of the existing guarantee and also relieving the company from the repayment of all moneys already or hereafter to be paid by the Government to them in respect of such guarantee or subsidy and which repayments it could never be possible for the Company to make under any circumstances and that the Governor-in-Executive Committee has consented to recommend the passing of such an Act but limiting the subsidy to ten years commencing from the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and ninety two, and further setting forth as in the said petition appears, and such petition prays the Legislature of this Island to pass an Act in the terms recommended by the said Governor-in-Executive Committee; And Whereas it is deemed expedient to pass such Act; Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and Assembly of this Island and by the authority of the same as follows:

1. An annual subsidy of six thousand Grant of an annupounds per annum is hereby granted from al subsidy of £6000 the public treasury of this Island to the to the Railway company for a term of ten years commenc- Company for 10 ing from the first day of January one from 1st Jany. 1892. years commencing thousand eight hundred and ninety two and payable by equal half yearly instalments of three thousand pounds each on the thirtieth day of June and the thirty first day of December in each year, the first of such payments to be made on the thirtieth day of June next and to have deducted therefrom the proportionate amount of the said guarantee from the first day of January last to the thirty-first day of March last already paid by the government to the Company and the Treasurer of the Island is hereby authorized