to ftolen goods, fuch perfons, fo taking money or reward (unlefs he apprehends the felon and give evidence against him on his trial) fhall be guilty of felony, and fuffer according to the na ture of the felony committed; and in fuch manner, as if he himself had stolen fuch goods, in the manner and circumstances they were ftolen.

ACCOMPTANT-GENERAL. An officer called the AccomptantGeneral, is appointed by the Court of Chancery, to do all fuch matters and things, relating to the delivery of the fuitors money and effects into the Bank, and taking them out of the Bank, and keeping the Accompts with the Bank, as by certain orders of the faid court, made the 26th of May and 4th of November, 1725, were directed to be done by the mafters and ufher, and to hold his place during the pleasure of the faid court. A falary is allowed to the Accomptant-General, of 6501. per Ann. to his firft clerk of 250l. and to his second clerk of 120l. per Ann.

in lieu of all fees.

ACTON, a village in Middlefex, fix miles from London; the coach goes from the One Bell in the Strand every day.

ADDITION is the firft of the four great rules in arithmetic; but as it may be taken for granted, that every body behind a counter is already verfed in arithmetic, I fhall fay but little of that fcience in this book.

ADMINISTRATOR, in law, is he to whom the ordinary, or perfon who has immediate jurifdiction in ecclefiaftical caufes, commits the Administration of the goods of a dead man, in cafø there is no will, or no executor appointed.

ADMINISTRATION must be granted firft to the husband or wife, but may be granted to the father before the widow, or to a refiduary legatee before her. Where there is no husband or wife living, the children are entitled to Adminifter: if there be no children, then the brothers and fifters; and if there be none of these, then the next of kin, uncles, aunts and coufins in equal degree. If one dies without a will, having goods in feveral diocefes to the value of five pounds, the archbishop grants Administration. When an infant is made executor, Administra tion with the will annexed, fhall be granted to his guardian or next friend till he comes of age. The half blood fhall have an equal fhare with those of the whole blood, in the diftribution of an inteftate's estate. When a husband dies inteftate, onę third of his goods fhall be affigned to his wife, and the refidue among his children, and thofe who legally represent them. If there be no children or legal reprefentatives of them, one half of the inteftates goods and chattels fhall go to the wife, and the refidue to his next kindred in equal degree. If there be no wife all shall be distributed among the children; and if there be neitheir wife nor child, all fhall be diftributed amongst the next of kin in equal degree. The perfonating relations, &c. of feamen, and taking letters of Administration, or the forging letters of attorney, &c. for receipt of wages, incurs a forfeiture of 200 I.

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befides the other penalties. No more than one fhilling for the feal, to be paid on fuing forth Administration on the death of a feaman, if the chattels are not worth above zol. under the penalty of 101.

AFRICAN COMPANY. The Royal African Company was incorporated 14 Car. II. and empowered to trade from Sally in South Barbary, to the Cape of Good Hope (being all the western coaft of Africa) to erect forts and factories, and place garrifons in them. This trade was laid open by act of parlia ment, anno 1697, and every private merchant was at liberty to trade thither, paying the fum of 10l. towards maintaining the forts and garrifons. The low circumftances of this company are well known; but yet the African trade is held to be advantageous to the kingdom, as well as to a great many private ad"Our trade to Africa, fays Gee, has this advantage, that it carries no money out, and not only fupplies our "plantations with fervants, but brings in a great deal of bullion "for thofe that are fold to the Spanish West Indies, befides

venturers.

gold-duft and other commodities, as red-wood, elephants "teeth, Guiney-grain, &c. fome of which are re-exported. "The fupplying our plantations with negroes, is of that extra

ordinary advantage to us, that the planting fugar and tobac66 co, and carrying on a trade there, could not be fupported "without them, which plantations are the great causes of the "encrease of the riches of the kingdom. There have been great

ftruggles by the African company to engross that trade to "themselves, by which means, they would not only prevent the large profits that are brought into the nation by the trade private adventurers drive thither, but would also be one great means of ruining our plantations; for our plantations are fupported by the labour of flaves, and our profit either more or "lefs, according to the numbers there employed; and as the "trade is now drove on by private adventurers, they push it

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with all imaginable vigour, and the planters have not only very great numbers of faves brought in, but they are alfo af"forded them at moderate prices: but if this trade should fall "into the hands of the company, the management would be as "it has been in fome other companies, carried on to the enriching particular perfons, who often trade away the company's eftates; whereas private traders put themselves into all "methods of frugality, industry and good management, which "indeed evidently appears by the trade the company drove, "and what private adventurers have done: for the company at best never traded for above 5 or 6000 negroes yearly, whereas private adventurers have traded for 30,000 and upwards. "And if our trade fhould come to be put under a company, "our improvements in the plantations, which are carried on by the labour of negroes, would foon decline. It is the opi"nion of many, that the trade to the East Indies would be managed with greater advantage to the kingdom, if it was

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"laid open as the African is." Old Governor Pitt, though he was ten years at the head of the East India company's affairs on the coaft of Cormandel, often affirmed the fame thing, adding, that it was the cafe of all companies; their officers and fervants, like noblemens ftewards ufually grow rich, while their masters eftates are neglected, and perhaps run in debt, to advance their private fortunes.

AGENTS. An Agent is a perfon appointed to tranfact the affairs of others; as the Agent of a plantation; the Agent of a regiment; the agent of a country attorney, who tranfacts his affairs in town; the Agents employed by companies, or private traders at home or abroad, but thefe are ufually denominated factors. See FACTORS.

AGIO. The Agio is the difference between the value of money in the bank and money in fpecie.

Money lodged in the bank of Amfterdam is of more value confiderably than fpecie. It is an Italian word, importing a conveniency. The difference in Venice and Holland between bank notes and current money, is commonly 3 or 4 per cent. in favour of the notes; alfo the reward given for changing one coin or fpecies of money for another.

ALDERMAN. Alderman is derived from the Saxon ealderman. The elder, head, or chief of a tribe or family, now ufually appropriated to fuch perfons as are affeffors to the mayor of a city or corporation, and share the government with him. Every one of the 26 wards in London has its Alderman, who is chief officer in his ward, and when one of thefe die, the wardmote elect two, and present them to the mayor and Aldermen, who appoint one of them to fucceed the deceafed. The Aldermen who have been lord mayors, are perpetual juftices of the peace.

ALEHOUSES and INNS. The juftices of peace in every shire, city, town, or liberty, or any two of them, quor. un. are empowered in their refpective districts, to put down common Alehoufes, where they fhall think convenient; and none fhall be fuffered to keep a common Alehoufe, without a license from the feffions, or two juftices of peace, quor, un. and entering into a recognizance not to use unlawful games, and to preserve good orders, which recognizance the two juftices fhall certify to the next quarter feffions, on pain of three pounds, fix fhillings and eight-pence.

The juftices in their feffions, by prefentment, information, or otherwise, may enquire into the breaches of fuch recognizances, and award procefs against the offenders, and hear and determine fuch offences, as they in their discretion shall think good.

Perfons felling ale without licence, fhall be committed to pri fon for three days, and enter into a recognizance with two fureties, before they are discharged, not to fell ale. And the faid justices fhall make certificate of every fuch recognizance and of fence at the next quarter feffions, which fhall be a conviction

in law, and the feffions shall set a fine of twenty fhillings on the offender.

Provided this act shall not reftrain the felling of ale in fairs.

If any alehouse-keeper, victualler, or inn-keeper, shall suffer any inhabitant of the place where fuch Alehouse, &c. is, to remain drinking and tippling in his house (other than fuch as fhall be invited thither by a traveller and labourers an hour at dinnertime) fuch alehoufe-keeper, &c. fhall, for every fuch offence, forfeit ten fhillings to the poor of the parish, and may be convicted by the view of one juftice, or the oath of two witnesses the penalty to be levied by distress, to be fold in fix days; and in default of a diftrefs, the offender to be imprifoned till he pay the penalty, or certify the default of distress in twenty days, to forfeit forty fhillings, to be applied and levied as aforefaid.

The officers receiving fuch penalties to be accountable for them to their fucceffors.

No perfon fhall fell ale or beer to an Alehoufe-keeper, who is unlicenced, unless for the expence of his family, on pain of forfeiting fix fhillings and eight pence a barrel. Offences against this act fhall be heard and determined at the quarter feffions; one moiety of the penalty to go to the poor of the place, and the other to the profecutor.

Every perfon convicted of drunkennefs, fhall forfeit five fhillings, to be paid to the church-wardens of the parish where the offence is, within one week after conviction; and, in default of payment, to be levied by diftrefs, by warrant from the fame court, judge, or juftices, before whom the conviction was. And if the offender be unable to pay, he shall be set in the stocks fix hours.

The officer neglecting to levy the penalty, to forfeit ten fhillings, to be levied and applied as aforefaid.

Any perfon remaining drinking and tippling in an Alehouse in the place where he dwells, upon the view of one juftice, or the oaths of two witneffes, fhall forfeit three fhillings and four pence for every offence, to be levied and distributed as aforefaid; and if the offender be unable to pay, he shall be set in the stocks four hours.

The offences against this and the former act, fhall be enquired of and determined at the affizes and feffions of the peace, and before mayors, and other head officers of corporations, and in court-leets.

A perfon convicted of drunkennefs a fecond time shall be bound with two fureties, in the fum of ten pounds, to his good behaviour.

Conftables, church-wardens, &c, fhall be charged upon their oaths to present the faid offences.

Neither the ecclefiaftical jurisdiction, nor the universities shall be restrained by this act.

Provided none be punished twice for one offence. Profecution to be within fix months.

Perfons

Perfons convicted of the offences prohibited by the ftat. 1 Jac. cap. 9. or 4 Jac. cap. 5. disabled to keep Alehouses for three years, ftat. 7. Jac. cap. 10.

Perfons offending againft 1 Jac. cap. 9. or the 4 Jac. cap. 5: may be convicted by one witnefs, or their own confeffion, and the oath of the offender fhall be fufficient to convict any other perfon offending at the fame time.

Any perfon, wherever his habitation be, who fhall be found tippling in an Alehouse, &c. fhall be conftrued to be within the abovesaid statutes against tippling, as if he inhabited and dwelt in the place where the alehoufe, &c. is, and the fame proof shall be fufficient to convict him.

One juftice of peace, or other head-officer, &c. is impowered upon his own view, confeffion of the party, or proof by one witnefs, to convict a perfon of drunkennefs, and levy the penalty of five fhillings; and for the fecond offence, bind him to his good behaviour, as if he had been convicted in open feffions,

An Alehouse-keeper offending against the 1 Jac. cap. 9. or the 4 Jac. cap. 5. or against this act, is difabled to keep ale for three

years.

Conftables, church-wardens, &c. fhall be obliged by their oaths, at the entering on their refpective offices, to prefent all offences against this act, and the 1 Jac. cap. 9. and 4 Jac. cap. 5.

The Alehouse-keeper, Inn-keeper, orVictualler, who fuffers a ftranger to remain tippling in his houfe, fhall incur the fame penalties, and to be levied and difpofed in the fame manner as if the perfon fo tippling were an inhabitant of the place where the Alehouse is.

Vintners, who keep inns, fhall be adjudged to be within the meaning of this act, and of 1 Jac. cap. 9. and 4 Jac. cap. 5.

Every perfon who fhall, without licence, fell ale, beer, cyder, or perry, fhall forfeit twenty fhillings to the poor of the parish where the offence is, being convicted by the view of one justice of peace, mayor, or head officer, confeffion of the party, or by two witneffes; the penalty to be levied by distress and sale within three days, by the conftables or church-wardens, by warrant of the juftice, &c. And if no diftrefs can be had, and the offender neglect to pay the penalty fix days after conviction, he fhall be openly whipped by the conftable, &c. by a warrant from the juftice of peace, &c.

If a conftable, or inferior officer, neglect to execute by himfelf, or fome other, the punishment inflicted on fuch offender, he fhall be committed to prifon, until he cause the offender to be punished, or pay forty fhillings to the use of the poor, to be employed as aforefaid.

An Alehouse-keeper offending a fecond time, fhall be fent to the house of correction for a month; and if he offend a third time, he fhall not be enlarged but by order of feffions.

No offender shall be punished twice for the fame offence, nor shall this act extend to the felling of ale in fairs. Retailers of ale and

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