The Short Title of this Act is “The St. Albans Borough Council Special Loan Enabling Act, 1896.”

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in “The Municipal Corporations Act, 1886,” or any Act amending the same, it shall be lawful for the St. Albans Borough Council to raise a special loan or loans, not exceeding thirty thousand pounds in the aggregate, for the purpose of undertaking any special work or works within the borough, or any portion or portions of the borough, or partly for one purpose and partly for another, and notwithstanding that such loan or the aggregate amount of such loans so raised may exceed in the /borough, or any portion or portions of the borough, four times the amount which may be levied by general rates in such borough, or any portion or portions of the borough, in any one year.

The proviso contained in the first subsection of section one hundred and eighty-five of “The Municipal Corporations Act, 1886,” shall not apply to any such loan or loans.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorise the St. Albans Borough Council to raise any loan without a poll of ratepayers being first taken as now by law provided.

Before submitting the question of a loan to the ratepayers, as provided by section four hereof, and before any moneys shall be borrowed under the provisions of this Act, it shall be obligatory upon the Council to define the area within which it is intended to expend the moneys so borrowed, and only the lands included in such area and benefited by such expenditure shall be liable for the annual and other charges consequent upon borrowing such moneys as aforesaid.