not imitating the paper of the Bank. waiving or curved lines, or any other devices in the nature of bar lines, or laywatermarks visible in the substance of the paper, not being bar ing wire lines, and lines, or laying wire lines, provided the same are not contrived in such manner as to form the groundwork or texture of the paper, or to imitate or resemble the waving or curved laying wire lines or bar lines of the said paper of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or to imitate or resemble the watermarks used by the Governor and Company of the Bank of England in the bank notes, bank bills of exchange, and bank post bills, issued by the said Governor and Company; any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding, s. 5. persons engrav Note, or part thority of the Bank, to be trans portation. If any person or persons, from and after the passing of this act, Punishment of shall engrave, cut, etch, scrape, or by any other means or device ing, &c. on any make, or shall cause or procure to be engraved, cut, etched, plate any Bank scraped, or by any other means or device made, or shall knowingly thereof, or using aid or assist in the engraving, cutting, etching, scraping, or by any such plate, any other means or device making, in or upon any plate of copper, brass, steel, pewter, or of any other metal or mixture of metals, or upon any wood or any other materials, or any plate whatsoever, any bank note, bank bill of exchange, bank post bill, or blank bank note, blank bank bill of exchange, or blank bank post bill, or part of a bank note, bank bill of exchange, cr bank post bill, purporting to be the note, or bill of exchange, or bank post bill, or blank bank note, or blank bank bill of exchange, or blank bank post bill, or part of the note, or bill of exchange, or bank post bill of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, without an authority in writing for that purpose from the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England; or shall use any such plate so engraved, cut, etched, scraped, or by any other means or device made, or shall use any other instrument or device for the making or printing any such bank note, bank bill of exchange, or bank post bill, or blank bank note, or blank bank bill of exchange, or blank bank post bill, or part of a bank note, or bank bill of exchange, or bank post bill, without such authority in writing as aforesaid; or if any person or persons shall, from and after the passing of this act, without such authority as aforesaid, knowingly have in his, her, or their custody, any such plate, instrument, or device, or shall, without such authority as aforesaid, knowingly and wilfully utter, publish, dispose of, or put away any such * blank bank note, blank bank bill of exchange, or blank bank post bill, or part of such bank note, bank bill of exchange, or bank post bill; every person so offending in any of the cases afore Ꭰ Ꮞ • Bank Note, Exchange, Bank words appear to be here omitted 41 G. 3. (U. K.) in this act. See c. 39. s. 6. ante. Provisions to extend to every part said, and being convicted thereof according to law, shall be adjudged a Felon, and shall be transported for the term of fourteen years. s. 7. All and every the clauses and provisions in this act contained of Great Britain. shall extend, and be deemed and construed to extend, by all Courts, Judges, and Magistrates whatsoever, to every part of Great Britain; any thing herein-before contained, or any Law, Statute, or Usage to the contrary notwithstanding. s.8. $ 3. Persons engrav➡ ing, cutting, or etching, in mezzotinto, plates to resemble Inland Bills, Promissory Notes, Bills of Exchange, &c. with the words "Bank of England" in white ground; [See the Statute . Whereas unwary and other persons have taken in payment, and otherwise received; notes, inland bills, and bills of exchange, with certain words and characters so nearly resembling the notes and bills of the said Governor and Company, as to appear to such persons to be the notes or bills of the Bank of England, which, if continued to be done, will be to the great prejudice of public credit; be it therefore enacted, that from and after the 29th September 1773, if any person or persons, without being letters on a black authorised and appointed as aforesaid, shall engrave, cut, etch, or scrape in mezzotinto, or shall cause or procure to be 52 G. 3. c. 138. engraved, cut, etched, or scrapped in mezzotinto, or shall knowpost.] ingly aid or assist in the engraving, cutting, etching, or scraping in mezzotinto, in or upon any plate of copper, brass, steel, pewter, or of any other metal or mixture of metals, or upon wood or any other material, or any plate whatsoever, any promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, or blank promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, or part of a promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, containing the words Bank of England; or bank post bill, or any word or words expressing the sum or amount, or any part of the sum or amount of such promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, in white letters or figures on a black ground; or shall use any such plate so engraved, cut; etched, or scraped in mezzotinto, or shall use any other instrument for the making or printing any such promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, or blank promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, or part of a promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange; if any person, without being authorised and appointed as aforesaid, shall, after the 25th December 1773, knowingly have in his, her, or their custody any such plate or instrument, or shall knowingly and wilfully utter or publish any such promissory note, inland bill, or bill of exchange, blank promissory note, inland bill, or bill of shall be imprison- exchange, every such person so offending in any of the cases ed not exceeding aforesaid, and being convicted thereof according to law, shall or using such plates, &c.; or wilfully having such plates in possession, or ut tering such notes, &c; six months. be committed to the common gaol of the county or place where the offence shall be committed for any space not exceeding six months. 13 G. 3. c. 79. s. 2. payment, &c. Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall extend Not to extend to or be construed to extend to such person or persons who, being of such notes carpersons possessed at any time hereafter possessed of any such note or bill, shall rying the same for only utter the same by carrying the same for payment to the issuer or issuers, drawer or drawers, accepter or accepters, indorser or indorsers thereof respectively, or using proper means to compel the payment of any such note or bill. s. 3. resemble Bank The Statute 52 G. 3. c. 138. reciting, that " divers frauds have been practised by making and publishing papers with cer tain words and characters so nearly resembling the notes and bills of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, as to appear to ignorant and unwary persons to be the notes or bills of the said Governor and Company," and then "for prevention thereof," enacts, (by s. 5) that if any person, from and after Persons engrav ing plates, the 1st August 1812, shall engrave, cut, etch, scrape, or by any other impression taker: means、device make, or shall cause or procure to be engraved, cut, from which sha!! etched, scraped, or by any other means or device made, or shall Notes, or having knowingly aid or assist in the engraving, cutting, etching, scrap same in their cus ing, or by any other means or device making, in or upon any of felony. plate of copper, brass, steel, pewter, or of any other metal or mixture of metals, or upon wood, or any other materials, or upon any plate whatsoever, any word or words, figure or figures, character or characters, the impression taken from which shall resemble or be apparently intended to resemble the whole or any part of any of the notes or bills of the said Governor and Company, commonly called Bank Notes and Bank Post Bills, or shall contain any word, number, figure, or character in white on a black, sable, or dark ground, without an authority in writing for that purpose from the said Governor and Company, to be produced and proved by the party accused; or shall (without such authority as aforesaid) use any such plate, wood, or other material so engraved, cut, etched, scraped, or by any other means or device made, or shall use any other instrument or device for the making or printing upon any paper or other material any word or words, figure or figures, character or characters, which shall be apparently intended to resemble the whole or any part of any of the said notes or bills of the said Governor and Company, or any word, number, figure, or character in white on a black, sable, or dark ground; or if any person or persons shall, from and after 1st August 1812 (without such authority as aforesaid) knowingly Exceptions. have in his, her, or their custody any such plate, instrument, or device, or shall knowingly and wilfully utter, publish, or dispose of or put away any paper or other material containing any such word or words, figure or figures, character or characters as aforesaid, or shall knowingly or wittingly have in his, her, or their custody or possession any paper, or other material containing any such word or words, figure or figures, character or characters as aforesaid (without lawful excuse, the proof whereof shall lie upon the person accused); every person so offending, in any of the cases aforesaid, and being convicted thereof according to law, shall be adjudged a Felon, and shall be transported for the term of fourteen years. Nothing in this act contained shall apply to any paper or writing whatsoever (other than papers or writings resembling such notes or bills as aforesaid) containing an impression from any plate or plates, or other device whatsoever, with white letters upon black, sable, or dark ground, which shall previous to the passing of this act have been in the custody of any person or persons whatsoever. s. 6, IV. Receiving or paying any Bank Note or Bill for less than the Amount of lawful Money expressed therein. The statute 51 G. 3. c. 127. intituled "An act for preventing any note or bill of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England from being received for any smaller sum than the sum Nor shall Notes therein specified," enacts, that no person shall by any means, of the Bank of device, shift, or contrivance whatsoever, receive or pay any note England be received or paid for or notes, bill or bills of the Governor and Company of the amount expressed Bank of England, for less than the amount of lawful money expressed therein, and to be thereby made payable, except only lawful discount on such note or bill as shall not be expressed to be payable on demand; and every person who shall offend herein shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of a Misdemeanor. less than the therein. Notes of the By the statute 52 G. 3. c. 50. (1) "to continue and amend" the statute 51 G. 3. c. 127. and to extend the same to Ireland, it is enacted (by s. 5.) that no person shall by any means, device, Bank of England, shift, or contrivance whatsoever, receive or pay in Great Britain or Ireland, shall not be received or any note or notes, bill or bills of the Governor and Company paid for less than of the Bank of England, or receive or pay in Ireland any note their value. or notes, bill or bills of the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland, for less than the amount of lawful money ex (1) See the provisions of this act at length, under title Coin, III. ii. pressed therein, and to be thereby made payable; except only lawful discount on such note or bill as shall not be expressed to be payable on demand; and every person who shall offend herein, shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of a Misdemeanor, and being thereof convicted by due course of law shall be subject to a fine of double the amount of the sum of money spe cified in such bill or note, and made payable thereby, and shall suffer imprisonment for a time not exceeding two months. The above statute of 52 Geo. 3. c. 50. was to continue till three months after the commencement of the next session of parliament; but was by the statute 53 Geo 3. c. 5. further continued till 25th March 1814, and having been suffered to expire, was finally, by statute 54 Geo. 3. e. 52. revived and continued generally during the continuance of any act imposing any restriction on the Governor and Company of the Bank of England with respect to payments in cash. V. Clerks, &c. of the Bank making out or delivering, &c. any false Dividend Warrant. Clerks, &c. of the &c. false Dividend The statute 35 G. 3. c. 66. (1) s. 10. recites, that "in order to cover and conceal forgeries and frauds in transfers, Dividend Warrants have been sometimes made out for different sums than the sums really due," and enacts, that if any clerk, officer, or portable. servant of, or other person or persons employed or entrusted by the said Governor and Company (2), shall from and after the passing of this act knowingly or wilfully make out or deliver, or cause or procure to be made out or delivered, or wilfully act or assist in the making out or delivering of any dividend warrant, or warrant for payment of any annuity or interest, or money payable in pursuance of this act, at the Bank of England, for a greater or less amount than the person or persons on whose behalf or pretended behalf such dividend warrant or warrant for payment of any annuity or interest, or money payable as aforesaid, shall be made out is or are entitled to, with intent to defraud the said Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or any other body politic or corporate, or any person or persons whatsoever, all and every such person or persons so offending, being in due form of Law convicted of any (1) For making certain annuities created by the Parliament of Ireland transferrable, and the dividends payable, at the Bank of England. (2) "Of the Bank of England," see the act. |