It is important for the Public Service, and for the Interest of the Deserter, that this Part of the Return should be accurately filled up, and the Details should be inserted by the Magistrate in his own Handwriting, or, under his Direction, by his Clerk. Marine Mutiny. Power to Lord &c. to make СА Р. Х. An Act for the Regulation of Her Majesty's Royal W [23d March 1866.] HEREAS it is judged necessary for the Safety of the United Kingdom, and the Defence of the Possessions of this Realm, that a Body of Royal Marine Forces should be employed in Her Majesty's Fleet and Naval Service, under the Direction of the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, or the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral aforesaid: And whereas the said Forces may frequently be quartered or be on shore, or sent to do Duty or be on board Transport Ships or Merchant Ships or Vessels, or Ships or Vessels of Her Majesty, or other Ships or Vessels, or they may be under other Circumstances in which they will not be subject to the Laws relating to the Government of Her Majesty's Forces by Sea: And whereas no Man can be forejudged of Life or Limb, or subjected in Time of Peace to any Kind of Punishment within this Realm, by Martial Law, or in any other Manner than by the Judgment of his Peers, and according to the known and established Laws of this Realm; yet nevertheless it being requisite for the retaining of such Forces in their Duty that an exact Discipline be observed, and that Marines who shall mutiny or stir up Sedition, or shall desert Her Majesty's Service, or be guilty of any other Crime or Offence in breach of or to the Prejudice of good Order and Discipline, be brought to a more exemplary and speedy Punishment than the usual Forms of the Law will allow: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows: 1. It shall be lawful for the said Lord High Admiral, or the ComHigh Admiral, missioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral aforesaid, from Time to Time to make, ordain, alter, and establish Rules and Articles of War, under the Hand of the said Lord High Admiral, or under the Hands of any Two or more of the said Commissioners, for the better Government of Her Majesty's Royal Marine Forces, Desertion, &c. and ༢ Marine Mutiny. and for the Punishment of Mutiny, Desertion, Immorality, Breach War. 2. All Crimes and Offences committed against any former Act As to Offences against former made for the Regulation of the Royal Marine Forces while on shore, Mutiny Acts or against any of the Rules, Regulations, or Articles of War made and Articles of and established by virtue of the same, may, during the Continuance of this Act, be tried, inquired of, and punished in like Manner as if they had been committed against this Act; and every Warrant for holding any Court-martial under any former Act shall remain in full Force notwithstanding the Expiration of such Act; and all Proceedings of any Court-martial upon any Trial begun under the Authority of such former Act shall not be discontinued by the Expiration of the same: Provided always, that no Person shall be liable to be tried Limitation as and punished for any Offence against any of the said Acts or Articles to Time. of War which shall appear to have been committed more than Three Years before the Date of the Commission or Warrant for such Trial, unless the Person accused, by reason of his having absented himself, or of some other manifest Impediment, shall not have been amenable to Justice within that Period, in which Case such Person shall be liable to be tried at any Time not exceeding Two Years after the Impediment shall have ceased; and provided also, that if any Officer or Provisions of this Act to extend to Jersey, &c. The ordinary not to be inter fered with. No Person tried by Civil Power to be Marine Mutiny. or Marine in any Place beyond the Seas shall commit any of the Offences punishable by Court-martial under this Act, and shall escape and come or be brought into this Realm before he be tried for the same, he shall, when apprehended, be tried for the same as if such Offence had been committed within this Realm. 3. This Act shall extend to the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and the Islands thereto belonging, as to the Provisions herein contained for enlisting of Recruits, whether Minors or of full Age, and swearing and attesting such Recruits, and for mustering and paying, and to the Provisions for Trial and Punishment of Officers and Marines who shall be charged with Mutiny and Desertion or any other of the Offences which are by this Act declared to be punishable by the Sentence of a Court-martial, and also to the Provisions which relate to the Punishment of Persons who shall conceal Deserters, or shall knowingly buy, exchange, or otherwise receive any Arms, Medals for Good Conduct or for distinguished or other Service, Clothes, Military Furniture, or Regimental Necessaries from any Marine or Deserter, or who shall cause the Colour of any such Clothes to be changed; and also to the Provisions for exempting Marines from being taken out of Her Majesty's Service for not supporting or for leaving chargeable to any Parish any Wife or Child or Children, or on account of any Breach of Contract to serve or work for any Employer, or on account of any Debts under Thirty Pounds in the said Islands. 4. Nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to extend to exempt any Officer or Marine from being proceeded against by the ordinary Course of Law when accused of Felony or Misdemeanor, or of any Misdemeanor other than the Misdemeanor of refusing to comply with an Order of Justices for the Payment of Money; and any Commanding Officer who shall neglect or refuse, when due. Application shall be made to him for that Purpose, to deliver over to the Civil Magistrate any Officer or Marine, or who shall wilfully obstruct, neglect, or refuse to assist any Peace Officer in apprehending any such Offender, shall, upon Conviction thereof in any of Her Majesty's Courts at Westminster, Dublin, or Edinburgh, be deemed to be thereupon cashiered, and shall be utterly disabled to hold Civil or Military Office or Employment in Her Majesty's Service; and a Certificate of such Conviction shall be transmitted to the Secretary of the Admiralty. any 5. No Person subject to this Act having been acquitted or convicted of any Crime or Offence by the Civil Magistrate or by the Verdict Marine Mutiny. Court-martial Verdict of a Jury shall be liable to be again tried for the same Crime punished by or Offence by a Court-martial, or to be punished for the same other- for same Ofwise than by cashiering in the Case of a Commissioned Officer, or in fence except by the Case of a Warrant Officer by Reduction to an inferior Class, or cashiering, &c. to the Rank of a Private Marine, by Order of the Lord High Admiral, or the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral, or in the Case of a Non-commissioned Officer, by Reduction to the Ranks, by Order of the Commandant of the Division to which such Non-commissioned Officer may belong; and whenever any Officer or Marine shall have been tried before a Court of ordinary Criminal Jurisdiction, the Clerk of the Court or other Officer having the Custody of the Records of such Court, or the Deputy of such Clerk, shall, if required by the Officer commanding the Division to which such Officer or Marine belongs, transmit to him a Certificate containing the Substance and Effect only, omitting the formal Part, of the Indictment, Conviction, and Entry of Judgment thereon or Acquittal of such Officer or Marine, and shall be allowed for such Certificate a Fee of Three Shillings. 6. All of Her Majesty's Royal Marine Forces shall, during the Time Marines to be they shall be respectively borne on the Books of or be on board subject to the Discipline of any of Her Majesty's Ships or Vessels in Commission, either as Part the Navy while of the Complement or as Supernumeraries, or otherwise, be subject on board Ship. and liable in every respect to the Laws for the Government of Her Majesty's Forces by Sea, and to the Rules and Discipline of the Royal Navy for the Time being, and shall and may be proceeded against and punished for Offences committed by them whilst so borne or on board, in the same Manner as the Officers and Seamen employed in the Royal Navy may be tried or punished; except when and so long as any Marine Officers or Marines shall be landed from any of Her Majesty's Ships, and be employed in Military Operations on shore, and when on such Occasions the senior Naval Officer present shall deem it expedient to issue an Order declaring that such Marine Officers and Marines shall during such Employment on shore be subject to the Regulations of this Act, in which Cases, and while such Order shall remain in force, they shall be subject to such Regulations, and be tried and punished under this Act accordingly, for any Offences to be committed by them while so on shore; and with or without any Commission or Warrant from the said Lord High Admiral or the said Commissioners for that Purpose, the Officer commanding in chief or commanding for the Time being any such Marine Officers or Marines shall have Power and Authority to convene, |