The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Meredith and Others Pension Act 1870.”

Whereas Eliza Meredith the widow of Michael Meredith who was murdered at Shepherd’s Bush near Auckland on the fourteenth day of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three has since the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four been in receipt of a pension of seventy-four pounds per annum and it is expedient that the said pension should be continued during her life subject however to an immediate deduction of fourteen pounds on account of the youngest son of the said Eliza Meredith having already attained the age of sixteen years and subject also to the deduction to be made as hereinafter mentioned Be it enacted that there shall be paid to the said. Eliza Meredith the annual sum of sixty pounds by equal quarterly payments on the first day of each of the months of July October January and April in every year the first of such payments to be deemed to have become due on the first day of July one thousand eight hundred and seventy and all such payments to be made to the said Eliza Meredith or to such person as shall be duly authorized by her to receive the same on her behalf or in case of any cause preventing the said Eliza Meredith from receiving or appointing any person to receive the same then to such person as the Governor shall appoint Such annual payment to cease on the death of the said Eliza Meredith.

When the youngest daughter of the said Eliza Meredith now living attains the age of twenty-one years’ or dies or marries under that age the said annual payment if then continuing shall be reduced to forty-six pounds and it shall be the duty of the said Eliza Meredith on her said youngest daughter attaining twenty-one or dying or marrying forthwith to give notice thereof in writing to the Colonial Treasurer.

And whereas Rhoda Betty Hamlin the widow of Job Hamlin who was murdered by rebel Maoris in the Wairoa Valley near Papakura on the thirteenth day of October one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three has since the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five been in receipt of a pension of fifty pounds per annum and it is expedient that the said pension should be continued during her life Be it enacted that there shall be paid to the said Rhoda Betty Hamlin the annual sum of fifty pounds by equal quarterly payments on the first day of each of the months of July October January and April in every year the first of such payments to be deemed to have become due on the first day of July one thousand eight hundred and seventy All such payments to be made to the said Rhoda Betty Hamlin or to such person as shall be duly authorized by her to receive the same on her behalf or in case of any cause preventing the said Rhoda Betty Hamlin from receiving or appointing any person to receive the same then to such person as the Governor shall appoint Such annual payment to cease on the death of the said Rhoda Betty Hamlin.

And whereas Daniel Monro has for several years been in receipt of a pension of eighteen pounds per annum in consideration of wounds received by him while serving as a volunteer with Her Majesty’s forces at Ruapekapeka in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-six and it is expedient that the said pension should be continued during his life Be it enacted that there shall be paid to the said Daniel Monro the annual sum of eighteen pounds by equal quarterly payments on the first day of each of the months of July October January and April in every year the first of such payments to be deemed to have become due on the first day of July one thousand eight hundred and seventy All such payments to be made to the said Daniel Monro or to such person as shall be duly authorized by him to receive the same on his behalf or in case of any cause preventing the said Daniel Monro from receiving or appointing any person to receive the same then to such person as the Governor shall appoint Such annual payment to cease on the death of the said Daniel Monro.

And whereas an annual sum of one hundred and twenty-six pounds has since the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven been paid for the benefit of the family of Charles William Broughton to two Trustees appointed by the Governor to be applied for the purposes mentioned in a certain Report of the Committee on Public Petitions made on the tenth day of August one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six and confirmed with an alteration of the amount by Resolution of the House of Representatives on the fifth day of September one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six And whereas in accordance with the said Report certain deductions ought to be made from the said annual sum upon certain events as hereinafter appearing Be it enacted as follows—There shall be paid to James Booth Esquire and Edward Broughton the Trustees hereinbefore mentioned or to such other person or persons as the Governor shall from time to time appoint to be Trustees for the purposes hereinafter mentioned or to any person authorized by the said Trustees or any Trustees hereinafter appointed the annual sum of one hundred and twenty-six pounds (subject to deduction as hereinafter mentioned) by quarterly payments on the first day of each of the months of July October January and April in every year The first of such payments to be deemed to have become due on the first day of July one thousand eight hundred and seventy The said payments shall be applied by the said Trustees for the maintenance of Heroria Broughton and the maintenance and education as European children of so many of the children of the said Charles William Broughton hereinafter mentioned as shall for the time being be under the age of nineteen years.

Whenever and as often as any of the children of the said Charles William Broughton that is to say John William Katherine Emily and Charles shall die or attain the age of nineteen years the amount of the annual sum for the time being payable to the said Trustees shall be reduced by deducting therefrom the sum of eighteen pounds eighteen shillings for every child so dying or attaining the age of nineteen years And every child attaining the age of nineteen years shall thereupon cease to have any right or share in the benefit of the annual sum.

When Heroria Broughton the mother of the said children shall die the amount of the annual sum for the time being payable to the said Trustees shall be reduced by deducting therefrom the sum of twenty-five pounds four shillings.

It shall be the duty of the said Trustees or Trustee to report from time to time to the Governor whether they or he are or is satisfied that the said children are being educated as European children and whether any of the events hereinbefore mentioned have happened.

Whenever the Trustees or Trustee shall report that any one of the said children is not being educated as a European child to their or his satisfaction such child shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed to have attained the age of nineteen years at the date of such report.

When all the said children shall have attained the age of nineteen years or died and when the mother of the said children shall have died the said annual sum shall cease to be paid.

There shall be paid to Henry Deery during his life the annual sum of twenty-six pounds by equal quarterly payments on the first day of January the first day of April the first day of July and the first day of October in every year The first of such payments shall be deemed to have become due on the first day of July one thousand eight hundred and seventy and the acquittance or receipt of the said Henry Deery or of such other person as shall be duly authorized by him to receive such payment or pension or any part thereof or in case of any disability of the said Henry Deery then the receipt of such person as the Governor shall appoint for that purpose shall be a good and sufficient discharge for the payment thereof The said annual sum shall cease on the death of the said Henry Deery.

There shall be paid to Mary Collins widow of the late Captain and Quartermaster Collins during her life if she remains a widow the annual sum of sixty-five pounds by equal quarterly payments on the first day of January the first day of April the first day of July and the first day of October in every year The first payment shall he deemed to have become due on the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy such payment being computed from the thirteenth day of November one thousand eight hundred and sixty- nine and the acquittance or receipt of the said Mary Collins or of such other person as shall be duly authorized by her to receive such payment or pension or any part thereof shall be a good and sufficient discharge for the payment thereof The said annual sum shall cease on the death of the said Mary Collins or if the said Mary Collins marries again then it shall cease on such marriage.

The Colonial Treasurer or any officer charged with the payment of any money under this Act may before making any payment under this Act require the person to whom such payment is to be made to make a declaration under “The Justices of the Peace Act 1866” stating whether any of the events have happened upon which the payment ought to cease or to be reduced and he may withhold such payment until such declaration be produced.

Whenever in this Act it is provided that any payment shall cease or any deduction shall be made on the happening of any event then if such event shall happen in the interval between two periodical payments the next following periodical payment shall be made as if the event had not happened and thereafter the payment shall cease or the deduction shall be made as the case may be.

All payments authorized by this Act shall be payable out of and chargeable on the Consolidated Revenue of the Colony and the acquittance or receipt of the person authorized by or in pursuance of this Act to receive any payment shall be a good and sufficient discharge for the payment thereof.