others, them with stores, corresponding with them, &c. 8 Geo. 1, c. 24, [made perpetual by 2 Geo. 2, c. 28.] I. Whereas the number of persons committing piracies, felonies, and robberies upon the seas, is of late very much increased; and, notwithstanding the laws already made and now in being, many idle and profligate persons have turned pirates, and betaken themselves to that wicked course of life, whereby the trade and navigation into remote parts will greatly suffer, unless some further provision be speedily made for bringing such persons, and all others, who shall be any ways aiding and assisting, or in confederacy with them, to condign punishment; be it thereCommander fore declared and enacted, &c., that if any commander or of ships or master of any ship or vessel, or any other person or pertrading with sons, shall, from and after the 25th day of March, which pirates, fur- shall be in the year of our Lord 1722, anywise trade with nishing any pirate, by truck, barter, exchange, or in any other manner, or shall furnish any pirate, felon, or robber upon the seas, with any ammunition, provision, or stores of any kind, or shall fit out any ship or vessel knowingly, and with a design to trade with, or supply or correspond with any pirate, felon, or robber upon the seas; or if any person or persons shall anyways consult, combine, confederate, or correspond with any pirate, felon, or robber on the seas, knowing him to be guilty of any such piracy, felony, or robbery, such offender and offenders, and every of them, shall in each and every of the said cases be deemed, adjudged, and taken to be guilty of piracy, felony, and robbery, and he and they shall and may be inquired of, tried, heard, and adjudged of, and for all or any the matters aforesaid, according to the [28 H. 8, c. 15,] and the [11 & 12 W. 3, c. 7,] and he and they, being convicted of all or any the matters aforesaid, shall suffer such pains of death, loss of lands, goods, and chattels, as pirates, felons, and robbers upon the seas ought to suffer; and, in case any person or persons belonging to any ship or vessel whatsoever, upon meeting any merchant ship or vessel on the high seas, or in any port, haven, or creek whatsoever, shall forcibly board or enter into such ship or vessel, and though they do not seize and carry off such ship or vessel, shall throw overboard or destroy any part of the goods or merchandizes belonging to such ship or vessel, the person or persons who shall be guilty thereof, shall in all respects be deemed and punished as pirates as aforesaid. Persons belonging to any vessel, forcibly boarding any mer chant ship, and throw ing any goods over board. III. And whereas there are some defects in the laws for bringing persons who are accessories to piracy and robbery upon the seas, to condign punishment, if the principal who committed such piracy and robbery is not or cannot be apprehended and brought to justice; be it therefore Persons de enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and every person and persons whatsoever, who, by the said statute made racy, by 11. in the 11th and 12th years of the reign of King William clared acces saries to pi the Third, are declared to be accessory or accessories to & 12W.3, any piracy or robbery therein mentioned, are hereby de- c. 7, shall be clared, and shall be deemed and taken, to be principal deemed principals. pirates, felons, and robbers, and shall and may, from and after the said 25th day of March, 1722, be inquired of, heard, determined, and adjudged, in the same manner as persons guilty of piracy and robbery may and ought to be inquired of, tried, heard, determined and adjudged by the said statute made in the 11th and 12th years of his late majesty King William, and, being thereupon attainted and convicted, shall suffer such pains of death, loss of lands, goods, and chattels, and in like manner as pirates and robbers ought by the said act to suffer. convicted IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Offenders that all and every offender or offenders convicted of any pi- on this act, racy, felony, or robbery, by virtue of this act, shall not excluded be admitted to have the benefit of clergy, but be utterly ex- the benefit cluded of and from the same. VI. [Enacts, that masters or seamen, not defending themselves against pirates, or who shall utter any discouraging words, shall, if the ship be taken, forfeit their wages to the owners, and suffer six months' imprisonment.] X. [Public act.] 18 Geo. 2, c. 30. of clergy. I. Whereas, by an act made in the 11th year of King William the Third, intituled, "An Act for the more Effectual Suppression of Piracy," it is (amongst other things) enacted, that all piracies, felonies, and robberies committed on the sea, or in any haven, river, creek, or place where the admiral or admirals have power, authority, or jurisdiction, may be examined, inquired of, tried, and determined and adjudged, according to the directions of the said act, in any place at sea, or upon the land, in any of his majesty's islands, plantations, colonies, dominions, forts, or factories, to be appointed for that purpose by the king's commission, in the manner therein directed; and it is also thereby further enacted, that if any of his majesty's natural born subjects, or denizens of this kingdom, shall commit any piracy or robbery, or any act of hostility, against others of his majesty's subjects, upon the sea, under colour of any commission from any foreign prince or state, or pretence of authority from any person whatsoever, such offenders shall be deemed pirates, felons, and robbers; and they, being duly convicted, according to the said act, or according to an act of the 28th year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, therein recited, shall have and suffer such pains of death, loss of lands, goods, and chattels, as pirates, felons, and robbers upon the seas ought to Ꮓ Subjects or denizens, during any wars, com have and suffer; and whereas, since the present wars with France and Spain, divers of his majesty's natural-born subjects have entered in the service of his majesty's enemies, on board privateers, or other ships, having commissions from the crowns of France and Spain, and committed divers hostilities against his majesty's subjects upon the seas, in the West Indies, and other parts; and whereas doubts have arisen, whether, as such offenders have, by such their adherence to the king's enemies, been guilty of high trea son, they can be deemed guilty of felony, within the intent of the said act, and, as such, liable to be tried by the said court of admiralty, appointed, or to be appointed, by virtue of the said act: therefore, to put an end to the said doubts, and to prevent the inconveniences that must arise, by the want of speedy justice on such offenders, may it please your most excellent majesty, that it may be enacted, and be it enacted, &c. that all persons, being natural-born subjects, or denizens of his majesty, who, during the present or any future wars, have committed, or shall commit, any hostilities upon the sea, or in any haven, river, creek, or place, where the admiral or admirals have power, autho sea, against rity, or jurisdiction, against his majesty's subjects, by virtue his majesty's subjects, or under colour of any commission from any of his mawhere the jesty's enemies, or have been or shall be any other ways adherent, or giving aid or comfort to his majesty's enemies or giving upon the sea, or in any haven, river, creek, or place, where the admiral or admirals have power, authority, or jurisdic tion, may be tried as pirates, felons, and robbers in the said court of admiralty, on shipboard, or upon the land, in the same manner as persons guilty of piracy, felony, and robbery, are by the said act directed to be tried; and such persons, being upon such trial convicted thereof, shall suffer such pains of death, loss of lands, goods, and chattels, as any other pirates, felons, and robbers ought, by virtue of the said recited act of the eleventh year of King William the Third, or any other act, to suffer. mitting hos tilities at admirals have power, aid, &c. to enemies at sea, may be tried as pi rates. Not to be II. Provided, and it is hereby declared and enacted, tried again that any person who shall be tried and acquitted, or convicted, according to this act, for any of the said crimes, shall not be liable to be indicted, prosecuted, or tried again in Great Britain, or elsewhere, for the same crime or fact, as high treason. for the same crime as high trea son. III. Provided, that nothing in this act contained shall be construed to extend to prevent any persons guilty of any of the said crimes, who shall not be tried according to this act, from being tried for high treason within this realm, according to the aforesaid act of the twenty-eighth year of King Henry the Eighth. 5 Geo. 4, c. 113. slaves on IX. Be it enacted, that if any subject or subjects of his Dealing in majesty, or any person or persons residing or being within the high any of the dominions, forts, settlements, factories, or ter- seas, &c. to ritories, now or hereafter belonging to his majesty, or being be deemed in his majesty's occupation or possession, or under the go- piracy. vernment of the united company of merchants of England, trading to the East Indies, shall, except in such cases as are in and by this act permitted, after the first day of January, 1825, upon the high seas, or in any haven, river, creek, or place, where the admiral has jurisdiction, knowingly and wilfully carry away, convey, or remove, or aid or assist in carrying away, conveying, or removing, any person or persons as a slave or slaves, or for the purpose of his, her, or their being imported or brought as a slave or slaves, into any island, colony, country, territory, or place whatsoever, or for the purpose of his, her, or their being sold, transferred, used, or dealt with as a slave or slaves, or shall, after the said first day of January, 1825, except in such cases as are in and by this act permitted, upon the high seas, or within the jurisdiction aforesaid, knowingly and wilfully ship, embark, receive, detain, or confine, or assist in shipping, embarking, receiving, detaining, or confining on board any ship, vessel, or boat, any person or persons for the purpose of his, her, or their being carried away, conveyed, or removed, as a slave or slaves, or for the purpose of his, her, or their being imported or brought as a slave or slaves into any island, colony, country, territory, or place whatsoever, or for the purpose of his, her, or their being sold, transferred, used, or dealt with as a slave or slaves, then, and in every such case, the person or persons so offending, shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of piracy, felony, and robbery, and, being convicted thereof, shall suffer death without benefit of clergy, and loss of lands, goods, and chattels, as pirates, felons, and robbers upon the seas, ought to suffer. POACHING, 57 Geo. 3, c. 90. I. Whereas idle and disorderly persons frequently go armed in the night-time, for the purpose of protecting themselves, and aiding, and abetting, and assisting, each other in the illegal destruction of game or rabbits; and whereas such practices are found by experience to lead to the commission of felonies and murders for the more effectual suppression thereof, be it enacted by the king'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, that if any person or persons, having entered into any forest, chase, park, wood, plantation, close, or other open or inclosed ground, with the intent illegally to destroy, take, or kill game or rabbits, or with the intent to aid, abet, and assist, any person or persons illegally to destroy, take, or kill game or rabbits, shall be found at night, that is to say, between the hours of six in the evening and seven in the morning, from the first day of October to the first day of February, between seven in the evening and five in the morning, from the first day of February to the first day of April, and between nine in the evening and four in the morning for the remainder of the year, armed with any gun, cross-bow, fire-arms, bludgeon, or any other offensive weapon, every such person so offending, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be ad judged guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be sentenced to transportation for seven years, or shall receive such other punishment as may by law be inflicted on persons guilty of misdemeanor, and as the court before which such of Transporta fenders may be tried and convicted shall adjudge; and, if any such offender or offenders shall return into Great Briseven years. tain before the expiration of the term for which he or they shall be so transported, contrary to the intent and meanreturning, to ing hereof, he or they so returning, and being thereof duly convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall be sentenced to transportation for the term or terms of his or their natural life or lives. tion for Offenders be trans ported for life. How offenders are to be brought to justice. II. And, for the more easy and speedy bringing the offenders against this act to justice, be it further enacted, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the ranger and rangers, and to and for the owner and owners, occupier and occupiers, of any such forest, chase, park, wood, plantation, close, or other open or inclosed ground, and also for his, her, or their keeper and keepers, servant and servants, and also for any other person or persons, to seize and apprehend, or to assist in seizing and apprehending, such offender or offenders by virtue of this act, and by the authority of the same to convey and deliver such offender or offenders into the custody of a peace-officer, who is hereby authorized and directed to convey such offender or offenders before some one of his majesty's justices of the peace for the county or place where such offence shall be alleged to have been committed; or, in case such offender or offenders shall not be so apprehended, then it shall and may be lawful for any such justice, on inforImation before him on the oath of any credible witness or witnesses, to issue his warrant for the apprehension of such offender or offenders; and if, upon the apprehension of any such offender or offenders, it shall appear to such justice, on the oath of any credible witness or witnesses, that the person or persons so charged hath or have been |