CEMETERIES ACT. 1882. (EXTRACTS FROM ABOVE.) Trustees.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 137, 16 January 1886, Page 2

CEMETERIES ACT. 1882. (EXTRACTS FROM ABOVE.) Trustees.

The Governor may from time to time appoint and remove so many Trustees not fewer than than three in number as he may think fit to have the mainten ance and care of any cemetery, and in case of the death, resignation, or reinoral of any Trustee, or in case he shall be absent from the colony for six consecutive months, may appoint nnoth°r in th* plnce of the Trustee so dying, resigning, or being absent. Every ap pointtnent nnd removal as aforesaid snail be gazetted. The Trustees shall have the following power?, duties, and authorities, and nmke such regulations as may be necessary and proper for all or any of the purposes hereinafter mentioned :—(1): — (1) Pur the maintenance, preservation, and embellishment of the cemetery. (2) For directing the positions of all graves and vaults in such cemetery, the depth/ of the graves and constructions of coffins to be admitted into vaults, an! the covering of vaults so as to prevent the escape of any noxious exhalation or evaporation in the cemetery. (3) For protecting the buildings, monuments, shrubberies, plantations, and enclosures therein and thereof, from destruction or damage ; and (4) May from time' to time fix a scale of fees payable on any ( vault or grave being dug and made, and any monument or tombstone being •»rected or placed in any part of the cemetery, and may from time, to time revise and alter such scale of fees. A copy of every such scale of fees shall be affixed or posted in some conspicuous part, of such cemetery, and shall be at all times continued there and preserved in a distinctly legible condition. Every by-law or regulation, and every scale of fees made under this Act, shall be publicly notified by the Trustees, and shall have no effort, unless and until the same has been publicly notified at least seven day 9 before it comos into operation. A copy of every such notification shall be transmitted to the Colonial {Secretary.

Management. The Trustees may from time to time — (1) Enclose the land comprised in a cemetery or any portion, thereof with proper and sufficient walls, rails, fences, or pallisades, and erect, suitable gates and entrances. (2) Laj out and ornament such cemetery in such manner as may he most convenient and suitable for t ie burial of tbe dead, and may embellish the same with such walks, avenues.

roads, and s'irubs, as may to tjiem'"se6nnt| fitting and proper. (3) J^esprye^mumr iA\u', and) keep s nny sueh if cemetery ? aiul it>* walla* And fences in Kail, monuments, tombstones, enclosures,- buildings, erections, walks, and shrubberies, therein and belonging thereto in a 'cleanly ami orderly state and condition. (4) Make any new roads to the cemetery or widen ,or improve any existing roads* thereto which they may think fit. The Trustees may sell either in perpetuity or for a limited period the exclusive right of burial in any part of the cemetery, and also the right of constructing any vault, or place of burial with the exclusive right of burial therein. The relations or friends of persona hereafter interred in any cemetery may at any time within two years from the date of such intement, purchase the exclusive right of burial in perpetuity or for a limited period in the pieces of land in which such interments have taken place.

Portions set Apart for Particular Denominations. Upon the application of the governing body of any separate denomination, the Trustees may permanently appropriate and set apart a portion of any cemetery to be used for the exclusive interment of the bodies of members of such denomination ; " Governing body of a denomination" means the registered senior office-bearer thereof, respectively, in any diocese or district, or, in the absence of the aforesaid person or there being no such person, any two persons of the same denomination or sect holding therein any of the offices of minister or deacon, churchwarden, church manager, trustee, or other equally responsible office. The Trustees shall define by suitable marks, not being a dividing fence, tke portion of any cemetery set aside for any particular denomination which may be enclosed at the expense of the denomination or sect for whom the same is appropriated, with any suitable open fence of a character that will not destroy the general appearance of the whole cemetery.

PIIEVENTION OF NUISANCES. Every part of a cemetery and burialground shall be enclosed by walls or other sufficient fences. The Trustees or Managers having charge of any cemetery or burial-ground, respectively, shall keep the same and the buildings ai.d fences thereof in good repair and condition, out of the moneys received by them by virtue of this Act.

REGISTRATION OF BtfHIALS. All burials within any cemetery or burial-ground shall be registered in a book or register, to be provided and kept for that purpose by the Trustee." or Managers of such wiwtery <>r burialground, respectively, and in sneh register shaM be distinguish % d m -wliat purts cf the cemetery or buri ti-»rouu I t'ue sever.il bodies are buried, ami a proper description of every grave shall be _?iven so that t.ie situatio \ thereof can be asc iirt lined, and such register shall l>e indexed so as to facilitate seanhes for entries therein. Every leyister shall be open for inspection nt all > easonabJe hrturs in the day-time, upon payment of a fee of one shilling for every such inspection.

Inspection of Csmetekies. Tiie Colonial Secretary may from time to time appoint and authorise any person to inspect any cemetery or any portion thereof exclusively appropriated to any denomination or any burial-ground, and ascertain the atate and condition thereof nnd examine the accounts of receipts and expenditure in relation thereto, and where regulations in relation thereto hare been made under this Act to ascertain "whether snch rpgnlufcions have beeu observed and complied witn. If any Trustee, Manager, guardian* or odier person having the care of or employed in such cemetery or burialground, sul'jeot to such regulations as aforesaid, shall violate, or neglect, or fail to conform to or obey, or to enforce any such regulations, he shall on conviction before -any two Justices forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding ten pounds-. If any person appointed as aforesaid shall fiu«: any cemetery or burial-ground or anj part thereof, or the fences thereof in a state of neglect or want of repair, lie may cause all necessary repairs to be forthwith done, and the costs and expenses thereof may be recovered in a summary way from the Trustees or Managers of such cemetery or burialground, or else he may report the case to the Governor, who thereupo ninay order any such cemetery or bu'iaiground to be closed, or take such steps npon any such report as he may think necessary in order to prevent desecration.

Offences. The owners of any neat cattle, horse, swine, or goats winch shall be found trespassing in any cemetery or burialground, shall for every such offence be liable to a penalty of not less than one pound nor more than five pounds in respect of every head of neat cattle, horses, swine, or goats so found trespassing without proof of special damage, aiul notwithstanding that actual damage cannot be shown or proved. Every person who offends against any of the piovisions of this Act shall where no other penalty is provided, be liable for any such offence" to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.