or procure to be forged or counterfeited, or shall willingly act or ceipts for conaffift in the forging or counterfeiting any receipt or receipts for tributions, &c. the whole of, or any part or parts of, the faid contributions to- guilty of felony. wards the faid fum of eighteen millions, either with or without the name or names of any perfon or perfons being inferted therein as the contributor or contributors thereto, or payer or payers thereof, or of any part or parts thereof; or fhall alter any num→ ber, figure, or word therein; or utter or publifh as true any fuch falfe, forged, counterfeited, or altered receipt or receipts, with intent to defraud the governor and company of the bank of England, or any body politick or corporate, or any perfon or perfons whatsoever; every fuch perfon or perfons fo forging or counterfeiting, or caufing or procuring to be forged or counterfeited, or willingly acting or affifting in the forging or counterfeiting, or altering, uttering, or publishing as aforefaid, being thereof convicted in due form of law, fhall be adjudged guilty of felony, and fhall fuffer death as a felon without benefit of clergy. till the annui XXII. Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the faid governor and company of the bank The bank to of England, and their fucceffors, notwithstanding the redemp- continue a tion of all or any of their own funds, in pursuance of the acts for corporation establishing the fame, or any of them, fhall continue a corpora- ties hereby tion for the purposes of this act, until all the annuities by this act granted ceafe. granted fhall be redeemed by parliament, or fhall ceafe as aforelaid; and that the faid governor and company of the bank of England, or any member thereof, fhall not incur any disability for or by reafon of their doing any matter or thing in pursuance of this act. be taken for XXIII. And be it further enacted, That no fee, reward, or gratuity whatsoever, fhall be demanded or taken of any of his No fee fhall Majesty's fubjects, for receiving or paying the faid fubfcription or contribution monies, or any of them, or for any receipt concern- tributions, or receiving coning the fame, or for paying the faid annuities, or any of them, or paying or for any transfer of any fum, great or fmall, to be made in pur- transferring fuance of this act, upon pain that any officer or perfon offending, annuities, on by taking, or demanding any fuch fee, reward, or gratuity, fhall, penalty of 201. for every fuch offence, forfeit the fum of twenty pounds to the party aggrieved, with full cofts of fuit, to be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint, or information, in any of his Majefty's courts of record at Westminster, wherein no effoin, protection, privilege, or wager of law, injunction, or order of reftraint, or any more than one imparlance, fhall be granted or allowed. XXIV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That if any perfon or perfons shall be fued, molefted, or profecuted, for any thing done by virtue or in purfuance of this act, fuch perfon or perfons fhall and may plead the general fue, and give this act General issue. and the fpecial matter in evidence, in his, her, or their defence or defences; and if afterwards a verdict fhall pafs for the defendant or defendants, or the plaintiff or plaintiffs fhall difcontinue his, her, or their action or profecution, or be nonfuited, or judge ment Preamble, reciting orders in council of Jan. 16, and of Jan. 21, 1795. ment shall be given against him, her, or them, upon demurrer, or otherwife, then fuch defendant or defendants fhall have treble cofts awarded to him, her, or them, against any such plaintiff er plaintiffs. CAP. XV. Au act for rendering effectual his Majefty's orders in council of the fixteenth and twenty-first days of January one thousand feven hundred and ninety-five, refpecting the admiffion of the effects mentioned in the faid orders into the ports of this country, to be warehoused; and for indemnifying all perfons who have acted in consequence of fuch orders. [March 16, 1795.] WHEREAS his Majefty, by his order in council bearing date the fixteenth day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, was pleased to direct that all goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects whatsoever, coming directly from any of the ports of the United Provinces to any of the ports of this kingdom in the veffels of any country, and navigated in any manner, be permitted, until further order, to be landed and fecured in warehoufes under the joint locks of his Majefty and of the proprietors, at the risk and expence of the faid proprietors, there to remain in fafe cuftody for the benefit of the proprietors thereof, until due provisions fhall be made by law to enable fuch proprietors to re-export, or otherwife difpofe of the fame and whereas his Majefty, by his further order in council bearing date the twenty-first day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninetyfive, was pleafed to direct that all goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects whatsoever, belonging to any of the subjects or inhabitants of the United Provinces, or belonging to any fubjects of his Majesty, or to any subjects of any country in amity with his Majesty, coming from any part of Europe, Afia, Africa, or America, in amity with his Majefty, in veffels belonging to any fubjects or inhabitants of the United Provinces, or to any fubjects of his Majefty, or of any country in amity with his Majesty, and bound to any port of the United Provinces, may, until further order, be permitted to be landed in any port of this kingdom, and may be fecured in warehouses for the benefit of the proprietors thereof, in the fame manner as was directed by the abovementioned order of his Majefty in council, bearing date the fixteenth day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five: and whereas goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects, which may be brought into the ports of this kingdom, or brought within four leagues of the coafts thereof, in confidence of the faid orders, or either of them, may be fubject to feizure under the provisions of fome acts or act of parlia ment now in force, and the fhips, veffels, or boats, in or on board which fuch goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects, may be fo brought into the ports of this kingdom, or within four leagues of the coafts thereof, may alfo, under like provifions, be fubject to feizure as forfeited, and the perfons acting therein may be liable to profecutions and actions in refpect thereof; but as fuch orders were fo neceffary for the publick good, and for the fafety and preservation of the property and effects of bis Majesty's fubjects, and of his allies, that all fuch goods, wares, merchandize, merchandize, and effects, ships, veffels, and boats, as aforesaid, ought to be exempted from all forfeitures; and all perfons who have acted, or shall alt, in bringing in the fame, or who have acted, or shall act, in purfuance of, or according to fuch orders, ought to be indemnified: be it therefore enacted by the King's moft excellent majesty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons, in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That if any fuch goods, wares, merchan- If goods, vefdize, or effects, as aforefaid; or any fhips, veffels, or boats, fels, &c. be horfes, cattle, or carriages, employed in importing, conveying, commiffioners seized, the or removing the fame, fhall be feized as forfeited by virtue of of the customs any law relating to the customs or excife, the commiffioners of may release his Majefty's customs, on evidence given to their fatisfaction them, on that fuch goods, wares, merchandize, or effects, were brought, proof of their being brought or intended to be brought, into this kingdom, upon the faith, or into the kingaccording to the terms of fuch orders refpectively, without any dom agreeable intention of fraud in the owner or owners thereof, fuch com- to recited orders in counmiffioners fhall caufe the fame to be released from fuch seizure, and to be fecured for the benefit of the owner or owners thereof, according to the true intent and meaning of the faid orders re(pectively, and upon fuch terms as the faid commiffioners fhall think fit for the due execution of the faid orders refpectively, and shall direct; and if fuch owner or owners fhall comply with fuch terms, the officer or officers who fhall have feized the fame fhall not proceed for the condemnation thereof; but if fuch owner or owners fhall not comply with such terms, fuch officer or officers fhall be at liberty to proceed to the condemnation of fuch gooods, wares, merchandize, or effects; nevertheless fuch owner or owners fhall not be entitled to any damages on account of fuch feizure. cil, &c. the recited II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That Suits for acts all perfonal actions and fuits, and all indictments, informations, done under profecutions, and proceedings whatfoever, which have been or orders difThall be profecuted or commenced against any perfon or perfons, charged. ships, veffels, goods, wares, merchandizes, or effects, for or by reafon of any act, matter, or thing done, or forborne to be done, in execution of or in confequence of the faid orders, or either of them, be, are, and fhall be discharged and made void by virtue of this act; and that if any action or fuit fhall be profecuted and commenced against any perfon or perfons for or by reason of any fuch act, matter, or thing, fo done, or forborne to be done, he, the, or they, may plead the general iffue, and give this act, and the fpecial matter, in evidence; and if the plaintiff or plaintiffs If plaintiffs in in any action or fuit fo to be profecuted or commenced after the actions profe fixteenth day of January laft, in that part of Great Britain called menced after England, fhall become nonfuit, or forbear further profecution, or Jan. 16, 1795, fuffer difcontinuance, or if a verdict pafs againft fuch plaintiff or become nonplaintiffs, the defendant or defendants fhall recover his, her, or fuit, &c. the their double cofts, for which he, the, or they, fhall have the like recover douremedy as in cafes where the cofts by law are given to defen- ble cofts. dants; and if any fuch action or fuit as aforefaid fhall be com menced cuted or com defendants to Defendants in &c. c. 15. [1795menced or profecuted after the faid fixteenth day of January, in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, the court before which fuch action or fuit fhall be commenced or profecuted, fhall allow to the defender the benefit of the discharge and indemnity hereby provided, and fhall further allow him his double cofts of fuit in all fuch cafes as aforefaid. III. And be it alfo enacted by the authority aforesaid, That actions alrea- if any action or fuit, profecution or other proceeding, hath been dy commenalready commenced against any perfon or perfons, or against any ced, may apply to the goods, wares, merchandizes, or effects, fhips, veffels, boats, court to ftop horfes, cattle, or carriages, which the faid commiffioners fhall orproceedings, der to be released, as aforefaid, for or by reafon of any act, matter, or thing, done, or forborne to be done, in execution of or in confequence of the faid orders, or either of them, it shall and may be lawful for the defendants or defenders, in any fuch actions or fuits, profecutions or proceedings refpectively, in whatever courts in Great Britain fuch actions or fuits, profecutions or proceedings, shall have been commenced, to apply to fuch courts refpectively to stay all proceedings therein respectively, by motion in a fummary way; and fuch courts or court are hereby required to make order for that purpofe accordingly; and the court or courts making fuch order fhall, if they fhall think fit, award and allow to the defendants or defenders refpectively, fuch costs of fuit as fuch court or courts fhall think proper, for which such defendants or defenders fhall refpectively have the like remedy as in cafes where the cofts are by law given to defendants or defenders. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Goods beThat it fhall and may be lawful for any perfons or perfon to imlonging to fubjects of the port or bring into any of the ports of this kingdom, any goods, United Pro- wares, merchandizes, and effects whatsoever, belonging to any of vinces, com- the fubjects of the United Provinces, or to any persons who, being from fore the nineteenth day of January laft, were inhabitants of the may be land- faid United Provinces, or belonging to any fubject of his Majefty, ed and ware- or to any fubject of any country in amity with his Majefty, comhoufed, &c. ing from any part of the United Provinces; and alfo any like thence, &c. goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects, from any part of Europe, Afia, Africa, or America, in amity with his Majefty, in veffels belonging to any fubject of the United Provinces, or to any perfons who, before the nineteenth day of January laft, were inhabitants of the faid United Provinces, or to any fubject of his Majesty, or of any country in amity with his Majefty, and bound to any port of the United Provinces; and the fame fhall and may be landed in the prefence of the proper officers of the cuftoms, and secured in warehouses under the joint locks of his Majefty and of the proprietors thereof, at the risk and expence of the faid proprietors; fuch warehouses to be approved of by the commiffioners of his Majefty's customs, or any four or more of them, in that part of Great Britain called England, and the commiffioners of his Majesty's customs in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, or any three or more of them refpectively, or by the principal officers of the the port where fuch goods fhall be imported; and the faid commiffioners refpectively fhall and are hereby authorised and required to make fuch regulations, and to give fuch directions as they may deem neceflary for fecuring the faid goods, wares, merchandizes, and effects, for the benefit of the proprietors thereof, and for the fecurity of the revenue, until further provifions fhall be made by parliament refpecting the fame. V. Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for his His Majesty may fufpend Majefty, by and with the advice of his privy council, to fufpend in council the operation of this act, or any part thereof, aud to renew the the operation fame in the whole or in part, for fuch time, and in fuch manner, of this act. as fhall be thought expedient and proper. VI. Provided always, and be it enacted, That it fhall be lawful Act may be to alter or repea! this prefent act, and every or any thing therein altered or recontained in this prefent feffion of parliament. CA P. XVI. An act for applying certain fums of money, raised in the county of Derby, by virtue of feveral acts of parliament made respecting the militia of this kingdom.-[ March 16, 1795.] Eight thousand pounds raised in the county of Derby under the militia acts, to be paid to the treasurers of the fubfcriptions for railing men for the defence of the kingdom, and in default of payment it may be recovered at law. Perfons fo paying money, and all concerned in railing it, indemnified. The treasurers in the firft place to pay the expences of this act, and apply the remainder of the money in their hands towards railing, &c. troops for the internal defence of the kingdom. CA P. XVII. An act for appointing commiffioners to put in execution an act of this CA P. XVIII. An act to repeal an act made in the last feffion of parliament, intituled, An act to enable his Majesty to establish a court of criminal judicature in Norfolk Island: and for the better enabling his Majefty to establish fuch court in the faid ifland.[March 16, 1795.] pealed this WHEREAS by an act made and passed in the twenty-seventh Preamble. year of the reign of his prefent Majefly, intituled, An act to 27 Geo. 3. C. enable his Majesty to effablifh a court of criminal judicature on 2, and the eastern coaft of New South Wales, and the parts adjacent; it is enacted, That his Majefty may, by his commiffion under the great feal, authorife the perfon to be appointed governor, or the lieutenant governor in the absence of the governor, of the eastern coast of New G VOL. XL. South |