they find any gun, pistol, sword, or hanger in the possession of any one not qualified by law to bear or carry arms, it shall be lawful, and they are required, to seize, carry away, break and destroy all such arms. 26 Geo. III, ch. 24, sec. 44. 1785.

From and after the 1st of May, 1703, upon bill filed in chancery, by or on the behalf of a child or children of a Popish parent, professing or desirous, or willing to be instructed in the Protestant religion, against such Popish parent, it shall and may be lawful for said court to make such order for the maintenance of every such Protestant child, not maintained by such Popish parent, suitable to the degree and ability of such Popish parent, and to the age of such child, and also for the portion of every such Protestant child, to be paid at the decease of such Popish parent, as that court shall adjudge fit, suitable to the degree and ability of such parent. 2 Anne, ch. 6, sec. 3. 1702. Where and as often as any child or children of any Popish parent or parents, hath or have heretofore professed or conformed him, her, or themselves unto, or shall herereafter conform him, her, or themselves to the Protestant religion, as by law established, and enroll in Chancery, a certificate of the bishop of the diocese in which he, she, or they shall inhabit or reside, testifying his, her, or their being a Protestant or Protestants, and conforming his, her, or themselves to the Church of Ireland, as by law established, it shall and may be lawful for the Court of Chancery, upon a bill founded upon THIS ACT, to oblige the said Popish parent or parents to discover, upon oath, the full value of his, her, or their estate, as well personal as real, clear, over and above all real incumbrances and debts contracted bona fide for valuable consideration before the enrolment of such certificate; and thereupon to make such order for the support and maintenance of such Protestant child or children, by the distribution of the said real and personal estate to, and among, such Protestant child or children, for the present support of such Protestant child or children; and, also, to and for the portion or portions, and future maintenance or maintenances of such Protestant child or children, after the decease of such Popish parent or parents, as the said Court shall judge fit ; notwithstanding any fraudulent gift or sale, or voluntary disposition, or any voluntary charge or incumbrance, by statute-staple, judgment, bond, devise, or otherwise, made, entered into,

acknowledged, suffered, or done, after the enrolment in Chancery of the said certificate; provided, such order and distribution among the Protestant children of such Popish parent shall not exceed one-third of the personal and real estate, for the maintenance and support of such Protestant child or children during the life of such Popish parent. 8th Anne, ch. S, sec. 3,

1703.

Whereas such Popish parents do frequently set up fraudulent settlements and incumbrances, and make fraudulent leases at low rents, to make their estate, real and personal, appear small and of little value, in order to deprive such of their children as shall become Protestants of a reasonable support and maintenance; and whereas the estate of such Popish parents may increase after such portions and allowances made by the Court of Chancery, it is enacted, that, notwithstanding any decree for portion and maintenance made up or enrolled, it SHALL AND

MAY BE LAWFUL FOR THE COURT OF CHANCERY, UPON A NEW BILL OR BILLS FOUNDED ON THIS ACT, (by which it shall be discovered and made appear that the estate, real or personal, of such Popish parents was much greater than, at the time of the decree, it appeared to be, OR THAT SUCH POPISH PARENTS HAD INCREASED OR IMPROVED THE SAME) to increase or augment such portion or maintenance, formerly decreed or allowed to such Protestant children of such Popish parents, according to the value of the estate, real or personal, of such parents, at the time of such new bill or bills preferred; but, if it shall appear to the said Court, that such new bill or bills are groundless and vexatious, then the said court shall dismiss the same, and award full costs to the defendant, to be levied as costs in other cases are usually levied. Anne, ch. 3, sec. 4 & 5.

From and after the 1st of August, 1778, Papists, or persons professing the Popish religion, may take, hold, and enjoy any lease or leases, upon which a rent, bona fide, to be paid in money, shall be reserved, for any term of years not exceeding 999 years certain, or for any term of years determinable upon any number of lives, not exceeding five, with or without liberty of committing waste, and the same dispose of by will or otherwise, as fully and beneficially, to all intents and purposes, as any other his Majesty's subjects in this kingdom. 17th & 18th Geo. III, ch. 49, sec. 1, 1778.

All lands, tenements, and hereditaments, whereof any Papist, or person professing the Popish religion, is now seized, or shall be seized, by virtue of a title legally derived by, from, or under such person or persons now seized in fee-simple or feetail, whether at law or in equity, shall, from and after the 1st of August, 1778, be descendable, deviseable, and transferable, as fully, beneficially, and effectually, as if the same were in the seisin of any other of his Majesty's subjects of this kingdom. 17 & 18 Geo. III, ch. 49, sec. 2, 1778.

All Papists shall and may, from and after the 1st of August, 1778, be, to all intents and purposes, capable to take, hold, and enjoy all or any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, which shall descend from, or be devised or transferred by any Papist who is now seized, or shall be seized by virtue of a title legally devised by, from, or under, such person now seized in feesimple or fee-tail, whether at law or in equity, any thing contained in 2d Anne, ch. 6, or 8th Anne, ch. 3, or in any other statute or law to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. 17 & 18 Geo. III, ch. 49, sec. 2, 3, 1778.

All and every person or persons, being in the actual possession of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, under titles which shall not have been litigated before the 1st of November, 1778, whether derived by descent, devise, limitation, or purchase, and all persons deriving under settlements made upon marriages, or other valuable consideration by Papists in possession, shall have, take, hold, or enjoy the same, as if said acts of 2d and 8th Anne had not been made. 17 & 18 Geo. III, ch. 49, sec. 12, 1778.

No maintenance or portion shall be granted to any child of a Popish parent, upon a bill filed against such parent, pursuant to said act, 2d of Anne, out of the personal property of such Papist, except out of such leases which they may hereafter take under the powers granted in this act, any thing contained in any act or statute to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. 17 & 18 Geo. III, ch. 49, sec. 6, 1778.

From the 1st of May, 1782, it shall or may be lawful for any person or persons professing the Popish religion, to purchase, or take by grant, limitation, descent, or devise, any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, in this kingdom, or ANY INTEREST

therein, (except advowson, and also, except any manor, or borough, or part of a manor or borough, the freeholders or inhabitants whereof are entitled to vote for burgesses to represent such borough or manor in Parliament) and the same to dispose of, as he, she, or they shall think fit, by will, or otherwise; and that such lands, tenements, and hereditaments, so purchased or taken, shall be descendable according to the course of common law, and deviseable and transferable, in like manner as the lands of Protestants; any law or statute to the contrary thereof, in anywise notwithstanding. 21 & 22 Geo. III, ch. 24, sec. 1, 1782.

N. B. From the above statement it is evident, that, though the CHATTELS REAL of the CATHOLIC, acquired since May, 1782, and his REAL ESTATES may be secure, yet his GOODS and PERSONAL CHATTELS, and CHATTELS REAL, acquired subsequent to 1st November, 1778, and previous to 1st May, 1782, save leases acquired under the 17th and 18th Geo. III, are still subject to the provisions of the EIGHTH of ANNE, in respect to maintenance and portion for his PROTESTANT CHILD or CHILDREN: And, therefore, the Catholic was NOT GUILTY OF MISREPRESENTATION in asserting, in his Petition to his Sovereign, “That his PERSONAL ESTATE was NOT SECURE."

In respect to the leases taken by Papists under the powers granted by the 17th and 18th Geo. III. ch. 49, it is to be observed, that those leases, if taken at any time within the 1st August and 1st November, 1778, were liable to be charged with maintenance and portion for the children of a Popish parent possessed of the same, if a bill grounded on the SECOND Anne, ch. 6, was filed for that purpose, before the 1st November, 1778, but if no such bill was filed before the 1st November, 1778, such leases so previously taken, and in the actual possession of the Papist on that day, ceased to be liable to such charges. It must also be observed, as to those leases taken by Papists, under the powers granted by the 17th and 18th Geo. III, ch. 49, that if taken at any time after the 1st November, 1778, and before the 2d May, 1782, (or since, if of lands, in such beforementioned manors or boroughs) they were, and do now, continue liable to be charged with such maintenance and portion-as to leases of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, (save in any before

mentioned manors or boroughs) taken by Papists after the 1st May, 1782, they are within the provision of the statute of the 21st and 22d Geo. III, ch. 24, "which enables Papists, upon "making, as aforesaid, the oath and declaration beforemention"ed, to take and dispose of lands, tenements, and heredita❝ments, and any interest therein, as fully and beneficially, as "other subjects may ;" and are, therefore, not liable to such charges.

Papists, to serve on juries, must have £10 per annum, clear freehold, except in counties of cities and towns. No Papist to serve on juries, in actions between Protestants and Papists; challenge to such Papists shall be allowed, if proved. 29th Geo. II, ch. 6, sec. 1, 12, 1755.

This act, in force to the 1st May, 1758, and to the end of the the then next session of Parliament; revived and continued to the 1st of May, 1772, and to the end of the then next session of Parliament, by 1st Geo. II, ch. 17, sec. 9; revived, and made perpetual, by 13th and 14th Geo. III, ch. 41, sec. 1.

No Papist, or reputed Papist, shall be capable of serving as a juror upon trials for enlisting persons in foreign service. 11 Geo. II, ch. 7, sec. 3, 1737.

In all trials of issues on any presentment, indictment, or information, or action, on any of the Popery laws, it shall and may be lawful, to and for the prosecutor, or plaintiff, to challenge any Papist returned as juror to try the same, and assign for cause, that the person so returned to serve is a Papist; which challenge the court shall allow, and adjudge the same to be a good and loyal challenge. 6 Anne, ch. 6, sec. 5, 1706.

No Papist shall serve on, or be returned to serve on, any grand juries in K. B. or in any court before justices of assize, oyer and terminer, or gaol delivery, or quarter sessions, unless it shall appear to the court that a sufficient number of Protestants cannot then be had for that service. 6 Anne ch. 6, sec. 5, 1706.

From and after the 24th of March, 1703, no freeholder, burgess, freeman, or inhabitant of this kingdom, being a Papist, or person professing the Popish religion, shall, at any time hereafter, be capable of giving his vote for the electing of knights of any shires or counties within this kingdom, or citizens, or