Woods and Forests Act 1803
(43 Geo 3 c.31, 7th April 1803)

An Act for establishing certain Regulations in the Office of Surveyor General of His Majesty's Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases. [7th April 1803.]

WHEREAS it is highly expedient that the most effectual Means should be employed for preventing Abuses in His Majesty's Woods and Forests, Parks and Chases, be it enacted by the King'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. That, from and after the passing of this Act', every Officer appointed to any Office by or under the Surveyor General of His Majesty's Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases, shall take the following Oath, to be administered to him by the said Surveyor General; (that is to say),

'I A.B. do swear, that I will truly, honestly, faithfully, and diligently execute the Duties of the Office to which I have been appointed by [or under] the Surveyor General of the Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases; and that l will not for the Execution thereof, or on any other Account or Pretext whatsoever, receive, take, or accept, in respect of the said Office, at any Time, any Perquisite of any Description, or any Emolument, pecuniary or other, except or beyond the Salary and Allowances (if any) specified in the written Instrument by which l have been appointed.

So help me GOD.'

II. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the said passing of this Act, all Returns and Estimates of the Quantity, Quality. and Value of Timber Trees, Coppice, and Underwood, and of or concerning Inclosures, Buildings, Repairs, Plantations, and other Works, to be done and executed in the said Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases, and also all Accounts of Monies received and expended for or on Account of the Sale of any such Timber Trees, Coppice, or Underwood, and for or on Account of any such Inclosure, Buildings, Repairs, Plantations, or other Works, and for or on Account of any other Matter or Thing touching the said Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases, which shall be made or rendered by any Officer under His Majesty's Surveyor General of the said Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases, or by any other Person employed by or under him, shall, within a convenient Time after the same shall be completed, be subscribed with the Name and in the Hand Writing, and verified by the Oath, of such Officer or other Person; such Oath to be administered and certified in Writing upon such Report, Estimate, or Account, either by some Justice of the Peace in the County where such Wood, Forest, Park, or Chase, shall be situated, or by the said Surveyor General, at the Discretion of the said Surveyor General; which Oath such Surveyor General is hereby authorized and required to administer, or direct to be administered by such Justice of the Peace.

III. And it is also hereby enacted,That true Copies of all such Estimates, Reports, and Accounts, shall be transmitted by the Officer or Person making or rendering the same, subscribed with the Name and in the Hand writing of such Officer or other Person, to the said Surveyor General, at least Two Calendar Months previous to such Verification thereof upon Oath as aforesaid; and that it shall be lawful for the said Surveyor General, at any Time after he shall have received such Copies of such Estimates, Returns, or Accounts, and previous to the Verification thereof as aforesaid, to require of the Officer or other Person making or rendering the same, to attend him, and be examined upon Oath, to be administered to such Officer or other Person by the said Surveyor General, and which Oath the said Surveyor General is hereby authorized to administer, touching and concerning all or any of the Particulars and Items contained in such Estimates, Returns, or Accounts, and touching and concerning the Conduct of such Officer or other Person in the Execution of their Duty, in respect to the Matters to which such Estimates, Returns, or Accounts shall relate; which Examination, or the Substance andEffect thereof, the said Surveyor General, when he shall think proper, shall cause to be reduced into Writing, and signed by such Officer or other Person; and if upon such Examination it shall appear that any unintentional Error or Errors shall have been committed by such Officer or other Person, in the Return, Estimate, or Account concerning which such Examination shall be had and taken,it shall be lawful for such Officer or other Person to correct such Error in the same, and in the Copy thereof so transmitted as aforesaid to the said Surveyor General, previous to-the Verification thereof upon Oath, in Manner aforesaid, in which Case such Collection or Corrections shall be certified by the said Surveyor General in Writing, both upon the Copy and upon the original Account intended to be verified upon Oath as aforesaid.

IV. And be it further enacted, That if any such Officer or other Person as aforesaid, shall in any such Verification upon Oath, or on Examination as aforesaid, be guilty of wilful and corrupt Perjury, such Officer or other Person so offending shall be liable to be punished in such Manner as is provided by the different Laws and Statutes now in Force for the Punishment of wilful and corrupt Perjury.

V. And whereas the Privilege of sending and receiving Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Postage is not extended to the Surveyor General of His Majesty's Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases, who by virtue of his Office necessarily sends and receives many Letters and Packets relating to the publick Service of this Kingdom ; be it therefore enacted, That, from and after the passing of this Act, the said Surveyor General of His Majesty's Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases, for the Time being, shall and may send and receive Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Postage, in the same Manner and under such Restrictions as other Officers mentioned in an Act, made in the Fourth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act for preventing Fraud: and Abuses in Relation to the sending and receiving Letters and Packets free from the Duty of Postage; and also in another Act made in the Forty-second Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, An Act to authorize the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets, Votes, Proceedings in Parliament, and printed Newspapers by the Post, free from the Duty of Postage, by the Members of the Two Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom, and by certain Publick Officers therein named; and for reducing the Postage on such Votes, Proceedings, and Newspapers, when sent by any other Persons; are thereby permitted, in respect of their Offices, to send and receive the same in pursuance of the said Acts; any Law or Statute to the contrary notwithstanding.