Section 2: In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires-

" alien" means a person who is not a British subject nor a British protected person nor a citizen of the Republic of Ireland; " annual value " means the amount at which the premises can reasonably be expected to let in the open market in average years; " assessed annual value " means the annual value of any premises as entered in the Valuation Roll for the time being in force; "appropriate rural district council" in respect of a particular village committee means the rural district council to which it is subordinate; " assessed premises " means any premises which appear in the Valuation Roll for the time being in force; *It should be noted that this is the Rural Area (in the singular) Ordinance. Some sections mention the Rural Areas (in the plural) Ordinance. The latter is Ordinance 26 of 1937 (as subsequently amended) which was Chapter 208 in the 1946 Edition of the Laws and which has now " ceased to have effect'' by virtue of section 133 of this Ordinance. t 15th February, 1950 (P.N. No. 15 of 1950). Rural Area [Cap. 75 705 -------------------------------------------------------------- "local authority" means the Rural Area Council, a rural district council, or a village committee constituted under section 4; "occupier" means a tenant, sub-tenant, or any person in the actual occupancy of any premises; "owner" includes joint owner, lessee, tenant for life, and any other person in the actual possession of or entitled to receive the rents of premises of any tenure or description, and the agent or attorney of such persons or any of them, and any other person who has an interest in or draws the rents; " premises " means any land together with any building thereon; " President " means the President of the Rural Area Council; " proper member " means the member of a local authority appointed to perform a particular duty or function by such local authority; "proper officer" means the person appointed to perform a particular duty or function by a local authority; ' " Rural Area " means the area defined in section 3; "street" includes any highway and any public bridge and any road, lane, footway, square, court, alley and passage to which the public have access whether a thoroughfare or not; "Treasurer" means the Treasurer appointed by the Rural Area Council under section 44. PART H.-CoNSTITUTION AND GovERNMENT oF THE RuRAL AREA. 3. {I) The area of the Colony included in- Constitution of the Rural (a) the Headquarters Judicial District as defined in the Area. Courts Ordinance; and Cap. 7. (b) the Police District of Freetown as defined in the Courts Ordinance, excluding the portion thereof lying within the Cap. 7. limits of the City of Freetown as defined in the Freetown Municipality Ordinance Cap. 65. is hereby constituted the Rural Area of the Colony, hereinafter referred to as the Rural Area. (2) The Rural Area shall be divided into the rural districts Division of set out in the fourth column of the First Schedule hereto. ~~~~~~t~ . (3) Each rural district shall be divided into the corresponding VIllage areas set out in the second column of the said Schedule. rural districts and village areas. Establishment of local Incorporation Composition of Rural Area (4) Each village area shall comprise the corresponding village groups set out in the :first column of the said Schedule. PART IlL-EsTABLISHMENT AND CoNSTITUTION OF LocAL AuTHORITIES. 4. {l) There shall be established a council in and for the Rural Area hereinafter referred to as the Rural Area Council and a council in and for each rural district hereinafter referred to as a rural district council. {2) There shall be established a village committee in and for each village area. {3) The Rural Area Council, rural district councils and village committees are hereby constituted local authorit~es with the functions, powers, duties and liabilities as are hereinafter provided. 5. {l) The Rural Area Council shall be a body corporate by name of the Rural Area Council of the Colony of Sierra Leone and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in the corporate name and acquire and hold such real and personal property as may be necessary or expedient for carrying into effect the provisions of this or any other Ordinance applying thereto. {2) Until such time as a common seal is provided for the Rural Area Council the common seal of the Rural Areas Council constituted under the Rural Areas Ordinance shall be and be deemed to be the common seal of the Rural Area Council for all purposes whatsoever. {3) Every rural district council and village committee shall be a body corporate by name of the rural district council or village committee, as the case may be, with the addition of the name of the rural district or village area as the case may be, shall have perpetual succession and may sue and be sued in the corporate name and acquire such real and personal property as may be necessary or expedient for carrying into effect the provisions of this or any other Ordinance applying thereto.