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Authority; or shall knowingly and fraudulently demand, or endeavour to have any such Share or Shares in Stock, or any part thereof, transferred, assigned, sold, or conveyed, or such Annuity or Annuities, Dividend or Dividends, or any part thereof, to be received by virtue of any such counterfeit or forged Letter of Attorney, Authority, or Instrument, or shall falsely and deceitfully personate any true and real Proprietors of the said Shares in Stock, Annuities, and Dividends, or any of them, or any part thereof, and thereby transferring or endeavouring to transfer the Stock, or receiving or endeavouring to receive the money of such true and lawful Proprietor, as if such offender were the true and lawful owner thereof; then and in every or any such case, all and every such person and persons, being thereof lawfully convicted in due form of Law, shall be deemed guilty of Felony, and suffer Death as a felon, without benefit of Clergy. s. 77.

any

Persons forging, &c. certain

assignments or orders here

personating the proprietor of cer

The Statute 9 G. 1. c. 12. " for the more easy assigning or transferring certain redeemable Annuities payable at the Exchequer, by Endorsements on the Standing Orders of the same," enables the proprietors of the said Standing Orders made forth or to be made forth in pursuance of the Acts relating thereto, (6 G. 1. c. 12. s. 17., 7 G. 1. st. 1. c. 30., 8 G. 1. c. 20. s. 43.) by proper words of assignment to be endorsed on such orders, to assign or transfer their right, &c. and benefit of such order to any other person; and by s. 4. enacts, that if any person or persons whatsoever, after 2 April 1723, shall forge or counterfeit, or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or knowingly or wilfully act and assist in the forging or counterfeiting, any order mentioned, or or orders made forth or to be made forth in pursuance of the before mentioned Acts or of this present Act, of any assign- tain orders, shall ment or assignments of such order or orders, or of the annuities felony without payable thereon, or of any receipt or discharge to the Exclicquer for the annuities due or to grow due on any such standing order or orders, or of any Letter of Attorney or other authority or instrument to transfer, assign, alien, or convey any such order or orders, or to receive the annuities due or to grow due thereon, or any part thereof; or shall forge or counterfeit, or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or knowingly or wilfully act or assist in the forging or counterfeiting, any the name or names of any of the proprietors of any such order or orders in or to any such pretended Assignment, Receipt, Letter of Attorney, Instrument, or Authority; or shall knowingly and fraudulently demand or endeavour to have or receive any such Annuity

S

be guilty of

clergy.

Persons forging,

certificate, or personating

nominees of life annuities, declared guilty of Felony, without benefit of clergy.

or Annuities, or any part thereof, by virtue of any such forged or counterfeited Receipt, Letter of Attorney, Instrument or Authority; or shall falsely and deceitfully personate any true and real proprietor or proprietors of any of the said order or orders, and thereby assigning or endeavouring to assign any of the said order or orders, or receiving or endeavouring to receive the money of such true and lawful proprietors as if such offender were the true and lawful owner thereof; then and in every or any such case, all and every such person and persons (being thereof lawfully convicted in due form of Law) shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall suffer as in cases of Felony without benefit of Clergy.

The Statute 48 G. 3. c. 142. " for enabling the Commissioners &c. any register for the reduction of the National Debt to grant Life Annuities," enacts (s. 27.) that if any person or persons shall forge, counterfeit or alter, or cause or procure to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, or knowingly or wilfully act or assist in the forging, Counterfeiting or altering, any Register or Registers of the Birth or Baptism of any person or persons to be appointed a Nominee or Nominees under the provisions of this Act, or any Copy or Certificate of any such Register, or the name or names of any witness or witnesses to any such Certificate, or any Affidavit or Affirmation required to be taken for any of the purposes of this Act, or the Certificate of any Judge, Baron of the Exchequer, Justice of the Peace or Magistrate, of any such Affidavit or Affirmation having taken place before him, or any Certificate of any Governor or person acting as such, or Minister, or Consul, or Chief Magistrate of any Province, Town, or Place, or other person authorized by this Act to grant any Certificate of the life or death of any Nominee, or any Certificate or Certificates of the Officer to be appointed by the said Commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt, or of any Cashier or Clerk of the Bank of England; or shall forge or counterfeit, or shall cause or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or shall knowingly or wilfully act or assist in the forging or counterfeiting, the name or names of any person or persons in or to any transfer of Bank Annuities for the purchase of any Life Annuity, or in or to any transfer or acceptance of any Life Annuity in the books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or any receipt or discharge for any Life Annuity, or for any payment or payments due or to become due thereon, or to any Letter of Attorney or other Authority or Instrument to transfer or accept any Bank Annuities or Life Annuities under the pro

visions of this Act, or to receive any Life Annuities, or any payment or payments due or to become due thereon; or shall wilfully, falsely, and deceitfully personate any true and real Nominee or Nominees; or shall wilfully deliver or produce to any person or persons acting under the authority of this Act, or shall utter, any such forged Register, Certificate, Affidavit, or Affirmation, knowing the same to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, with intent to defraud his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, or any other person or persons whomsoever; then and in every such case, all and every person or persons so offending, and being lawfully convicted thereof, shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall suffer death as in cases of Felony, without benefit of Clergy. (1)

The Statute 49 G. 3. c. 64. (for amending the Stat. 48 G. 3. c. 142.) directs, that instead of the Certificates, &c. required by that Act, the Certificates in the Schedule shall be used when the Nominees appear; and then (by s. 3.) enacts, that if any person or persons shall wilfully, falsely, and deceitfully personate any true and real Nominee or Nominees, or shall wilfully, falsely, and deceitfully represent any other person or persons than the true and real Nominee or Nominees to be such true or real Nominee or Nominees, or shall forge, counterfeit, or alter, or act or assist in forging, counterfeiting, or altering, any Certificate or Certificates to be granted by the said Officer in pursuance of this Act, or shall utter any such forged Certificate, knowing the same to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, with intent to defraud his Majesty, his heirs and successors, or any other person or persons whomsoever, that then and in every such case all and every such person or persons so offending, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall suffer Death as in cases of Felony, without benefit of Clergy.

transfers, &c. of

of the Crown,

The Statute 54 G. 3. c. 70. " for the further Improvement of Persons forging the Land Revenue of the Crown," enacts (s. 38.) that if any stock relating to person or persons shall forge, counterfeit, or alter, or cause or the land revenue procure to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, or knowingly ousted of clergy. and wilfully act or assist in forging, counterfeiting, or altering, the name or names of any person or persons in or to any Transfer of any Bank Annuities or Funds by this Act autho

(1) A clause very similar to this is to be found in the Statute 29 Geo. 3. c. 41. (s. 36.) "For raising a sum of Money by Annuities, with benefit of Survivorship in Classes."

Persons forging,

attorney to trans

fer stock, or receive dividends or annuities of

rized or directed to be sold, assigned, transferred, or disposed of, or to any receipt or discharge for any Dividends or Payments due or to become due thereon; or to any Letter of Attorney, Warrant, or other Instrument to sell, assign, transfer, or dispose of any such Bank Annuities or Funds, or to receive any Dividends or Payments due or to become due thereon; or to any Letter of Attorney, Deed, Warrant, Instrument, or Writing whatsoever, for or in order to the receiving or obtaining any of the Money which is or shall be in the hands or custody of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or of any other person or persons, under any of the provisions of this Act; or shall produce, utter, or publish any such Letter of Attorney, Draft, Warrant, Instrument, or Writing, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited, with an intent to defraud his Majesty, his heirs or successors, or the said Governor and Company, or any other person or persons whomsoever, every person so offending, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall suffer Death as in cases of Felony, without benefit of Clergy.

The Statute 4 G. 3. c. 25. recites, that "it is necessary that &c. any power of provision should be made for more effectually preventing the forging Powers to transfer any such Stock, or to receive such Dividends or Annuities as are herein-after mentioned, and the any corporation; fraudulently personating the Owners thereof;" and then (by s. 15.). enacts, that if any person or persons whatsoever, from and after 1 May 1764, shall forge or counterfeit, or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or knowingly and wilfully act or assist in the forging or counterfeiting, any Letter of Attorney, or other Security or Instrument to transfer, assign, sell, or convey any Share or Shares, or any part of any Share or Shares of and in any capital Stock or Stocks of any Body or Bodies Politic or Corporate, which now are or hereafter shall be established by any Act or Acts of Parliament, or any Share or Shares, or any part of any Share or Shares of and in any Annuities, in respect whereof the Proprietors of such Annuities have or shall have transferrable Shares in any Capital Stock or Stocks now established, or which shall hereafter be established by any Act or Acts of Parliament, in proportion to their respective Annuities, or any Share or Shares, or any part of any Share or Shares of or in any other transferrable Annuities which now are or hereafter shall be established by any Act or Acts of Parliament, or to receive any such Annuity or Annuities, or any Dividend or Dividends attending such Shares, or any of them, or any

part thereof; or shall forge or counterfeit, or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or knowingly and wilfully act or assist in the forging or counterfeiting, any the name or names of any the Proprietors of any such Share or Shares in Stock, or of any the persons entitled to any such Annuity or Annuities, Dividend or Dividends as aforesaid, in or to any such pretended Letter of Attorney or Authority; or shall knowingly and fraudulently demand or endeavour to have any such Share or Shares in Stock or Annuities, or any Part thereof, transferred, assigned, sold, or conveyed, or such Annuity or Annuities, Dividend or Dividends, or any part thereof, to be received by virtue of any such counterfeit or forged Letter of Attorney, Authority or Instrument; or shall falsely and deceitfully person- or personating the proprietor ate any true and real Proprietor of the said Shares in Stock, An nuities, and Dividends, or any of them, or any part thereof, and thereby transferring or endeavouring to transfer the Stock or Annuities, or receiving or endeavouring to receive the money of such true and lawful Proprietor, as if such offender was the true and lawful Owner thereof; then and in every or any such shall be guilty case, all and every such person and persons, being thereof law- felony, with fully convicted in due form of Law, shall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and shall suffer as in cases of Felony, without benefit of Clergy.

This Act shall be deemed, adjudged, and taken to be a public Act, and be judicially taken notice of by all Judges, Justices, or other persons whatsoever, without specially pleading the

samé. s. 16.

The Statute 33 G. 3. c. 30. "for the better preventing Forgeries and Frauds in the Transfers of the several Funds transferrable at the Bank of England," recites, that "the Laws now in being have been found insufficient to prevent Forgeries and Frauds in the transferring Stocks, Annuities, and other Public Funds, transferrable at the Bank of England: And that for the better preventing such Forgeries and Frauds in future, it is necessary that further provision should be made, as well to prevent Frauds practised by persons taking upon themselves to make Transfers in the Books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, of Stock or Annuities, or other Funds transferrable as aforesaid, whereof such persons are not the true Owners and Proprietors, as to prevent Forgeries of such Transfers in the Names of the true Owners or Proprietors: And that it is also necessary, the better to prevent such Forgeries and Frauds, that the public Accounts between the Governor and

thereof;

of

out clergy.

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