fully convicted by the oath or oaths of one or more credible witness or witneffes, before one or more justice or justices of the peace where the offences fhall be committed, the perfon or perfons fo convicted shall be sent to the house of correction, there to be kept to hard labour for any time not exceeding one month. feffions. V. Provided always, That it fhall and may be lawful for any Perfons agperson aggrieved by any order or orders to be made by any grieved may fuch justice or juftices, to appeal to the next quarter-feffions appeal to the of the peace, to be holden for the county, city, town or place where fuch order fhall be made, giving eight days notice of fuch appeal, and fuch juftices at their quarter-feffions fhall hear the * master, and shall have power to make fatisfaction to either so in the reparty, as to them fhall feem juft, whose determination therein cord. fhall be final. CAP. XXVIII. An alt for more effectual execution of justice in a pretended privileged place in the parish of Saint George in the county of Surrey, commonly called the Mint; and for bringing to Speedy and exemplary juftice fuch offenders as are therein mentioned; and for giving relief to such perfons as are proper objects of charity and compaffion there. W * So HEREAS it is notorious, that many evil-difpofed and wicked perfons have, in defiance of the known laws of this realm, and to the great dishonour thereof, unlawfully affembled and afsociated themselves in and about a certain place in the parish of Saint George in the county of Surrey, commonly called or known by the name of Suffolk-place, or the Mint, and have affumed to themselves (by unlawful combinations and confederacies) pretended privileges, altogether fcandaleus and unwarrantable, and have committed great frauds and abufes upon many of his Majefty's good fubjects, and by force and violence protected themselves, and their wicked accomplices, against law and juftice: and whereas it is evident, that an act made in the eighth and ninth years of the reign of his late majesty King William the Third, intituled, An act for the more effectual re- 8 &9 W. 3. lief of creditors in cafes of escapes, and for preventing abufes c. 27. in prisons and pretended privileged places, hath not proved effectual within the faid place, commonly called Suffolk-place, or the Mint; and it is abfolutely neceffary, that further provifion fhould be made for more effectually abolishing the pretended privileges aforesaid, and for bringing all offenders in the premises to more speedy and exemplary justice: may it therefore please your moft excellent Majefty, that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's moft excellent Majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons, in this present parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That if any person or perfons fhall, after the tenth day of October one thoufand feven hundred and twenty three, within the faid place, 2 com-> Persons op ecution of writs, how to be punished. commonly called Suffolk-place, or thre Mint, in the parish of Saint George in the county of Surrey, or within any the limits, or pretended limits thereof, knowingly and wilfully obpoling the ex- ftruct or oppose any person or perfons, ferving, or endeavouring or attempting to ferve or execute any writ, or any rule or order of any court of law or equity, or other legal process whatfoever, or any escape-warrant or any warrant or warrants of any justice or justices of the peace, or fhall affault or abuse any perfon or persons ferving or executing any fuch writ, rule, order, process or warrant, or for having fo done, whereby any such person or persons shall receive any damage or bodily hurt, every person so knowingly and willingly offending in the premiffes, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall be transported to some or one of his Majesty's colonies or plantations in America, by fuch ways, means and methods, and in such manner, and for fuch time, and under fuch pains and penalties, as felons in other cafes are by law to be transported. II. And be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, That after is prescribed for non-performance of his or their duty therein) reft, i &c. fhall be transported. reft, and in case of refiftar.ce or refufal, to open or break open any door or doors to arrest fuch perfon or perfons, upon any mefne process, or other process, extent or execution, and to feize the goods of any fuch perfon or perfons, upon any execution or extent; and if any fuch fheriff or chief bailiff, or Sheriff, &c. reany his or their deputy or deputies, officer or officers, or any fufing to exeof them, fhall neglect or refufe, upon any fuch warrant or or- cute process, der, with fuch force, to use his or their best endeavours for the forfeits 2001. to the plaintiff. executing of such procefs, execution or extent, he or they fo neglecting or refufing to execute fuch process, execution or extent, fhall forfeit to the plaintiff or plaintiffs the fum of two hundred pounds, to be recovered by action of debt, or of the cafe, bill, plaint or information, in which no effoin, protection, wager of law, or more than one imparlance fhall be allowed; Persons opand if any perfon or perfons fhall refift or oppofe any officer or pofing officers, officers of justice, or any perfon or perfons, who shall be aiding or affifting to fuch officer or officers in the execution of any writ, or any escape warrant, or any warrant or warrants of any justice or justices of the peace, or of any legal process, execution or extent, within the said place called Suffolk-place, or the Mint, or within any the limits, or pretended limits thereof, or fhall make rescous of any prifoner taken upon any fuch writ, process, execution or extent, within the place or limits aforesaid, or shall there knowingly harbour or conceal any prisoner fo taken, or any perfon or perfons, who refcued any fuch prifoner, or shall be any ways contriving, or knowingly and willingly abetting, aiding or affifting, in refifting any fuch officer or officers, or in refcuing any fuch prifoner or prifoners taken as aforefaid, or shall prefume to exercise any unlawful jurisdiction, or make or execute, or join in the making or executing any pretended rule, order or ordinance, for fupporting any pretended privilege within the faid place called Suffolk place, or the Mint, or any the limits, or pretended limits thereof, contrary to law, or for oppofing or hindering the due execution of any legal procefs, or any lawful warrant, or any rule, order or decree of any court of law or equity, all and every perfon and perfons fo offending, being thereof lawfully convicted upon any indictment or information to be brought or filed within fix months after the offence committed, fhall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall be transported to fome or one of his Majefty's colonies or plantations in America, by fuch ways, means and methods, and in fuch manner, and for fuch time, and under fuch pains and penalties, as felons in other cafes are by law to be transported. III. And for more effectually preventing for the future the great and enormous mifchiefs and abuses, which have been riotously committed and done within the faid place called Suffolk-place or the Mint, or within any the limits, cr pretended limits thereof, by wicked perfons in vizards, masks, or disguised habits, or having their faces or bodies difguifed, be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, That if after the tenth day of October one thousand feven hundred and Perfons difguised abetting riots, &c. to be deemed felons. Concealers, &c. to be transported. • December in the record. * and twenty three, any perfon or perfons whatsoever, wearing any vizard, mafk, or disguised habit, or having his or their face or faces, or body or bodies disguised, fhall within the said place called Suffolk-place, or the Mint, or within any the limits, or pretended limits thereof, join in, or aid or abet any riot or tumult there, or fhall, in any vizard, mafk, or other disguise whatsoever, knowingly and willingly there oppose the execution of any legal procefs, order or warrant, or affault and abuse any person or perfons ferving or executing any fuch procefs, order or warrant, or for having fo done, all and every fuch person and perfons, being lawfully convicted of any fuch offence, fhall be adjudged guilty of felony, and fhall forfeit and suffer as in cases of felony, without benefit of clergy; and all perfons aiding, affifting or abetting, or knowingly harbouring or concealing any fuch difguifed perfon or perfons, being thereof convicted, fhall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall be transported to fome or one of his Majefty's colonies or plantations in America, by fuch ways, means and methods, and in fuch manner, and for fuch time, and under fuch pains and penalties, as felons in other cafes are by law to be tranfported. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the tenth day of October one thousand seven hundred and twenty-three, all and every perfon and perfons, who shall apprehend and take any perfon or persons, guilty of The fum of any of the offences before mentioned, and profecute fuch person 40 1. to be paid or perfons until he or they be convicted, shall have and receive, by the heriff for every fuch offender fo convicted, the fum of forty pounds, to be paid by the fheriff of the county of Surrey, without any deduction or fee for the fame, within one month after fuch conviction and demand thereof made, by tendring a certificate. to the faid theriff, under the hand or hands of the judge or juftices before whom fuch offender or offenders fhall be convicted, certifying the conviction of fuch offender or offenders, and that he or they were taken by the perfon or perfons claiming the faid reward; and in cafe any difpute fhall arife between the perfons fo apprehending any of the faid offenders, touching their right and title to the faid reward, that then the faid judge or juftices, fo respectively certifying as aforefaid, fhall in and by his and their faid certificate, direct and appoint the faid reward to and amongst the parties claiming the fame, in such fhares and proportions, as to the faid judge or juftices fhall feem just and reasonable; and if it shall happen any fuch sheriff shall die or be removed after fuch conviction and demand made of the faid reward (the fame not being paid as aforefaid) that then the next fucceeding fheriff of the faid county of Surrey fhall pay the fame, within one month after demand, and certificate brought as aforefaid; and if default of payment of the said fum or fums of money fhall happen to be made by any fuch theriff, the fheriff making default thall forfeit to the perfon and persons, to whom fuch money fhall be due as aforefaid, double the fum or fums of money fuch theriff ought to have paid, to be reco on conviction of offenders. Disputes touching the reward, how to be deter mined. riff his fuccef vered with double cofts of fuit by the perfon or perfons afore- On death or faid, or his or their executors or adminiftrators, in any of his moval of the. Majesty's courts of record at Westminster, by action of debt, bill, for fhall pay plaint or information, wherein no effoin, privilege, protection the reward, or wager of law fhall be allowed, nor more than one imparlance. &c. V. And be it further enacted, That in cafe any person or perfons fhall happen to be killed by any fuch offender or offenders, endeavouring to apprehend, or in making pursuit after him or them, that then the executors or adminiftrators, or The execusuch person or perfons, to whom the right of adminiftration of tors, &c. of the perfonal estate of each perfon fo killed shall belong (upon perfons killed certificate delivered under the hands and feals of the judge or by offenders, justices of affize for the county where the fact was done, or the 401. the two next juftices of the peace, of fuch perfon or perfons being fo killed, which certificate the said judge or justices, upon fufficient proof before him or them made, is and are hereby required immediately to give without fee or reward) fhall receive the fum of forty pounds from the fheriff of the county where the faid fact was done and committed, and upon failure of payment thereof by the faid fheriff, fuch fheriff fhall forfeit double the faid fum of forty pounds, to be recovered against him, with double cofts of fuit, in manner aforefaid. are intitled to VI. And it is hereby further enacted, That all fheriffs, their executors or adminiftrators, upon producing fuch respective Sheriffs, &c. certificates, and the receipts for the money by them paid in on producing pursuance of this act, fhall be allowed, and are hereby im- receipts, are powered to deduct, upon their accounting with his Majefty, his to be allowed heirs and fucceffors, all monies (other than the forfeited fum money paid pursuant and fums of money, and cofts of fuit) which they fhall difburfe to this act. as aforefaid, without any fee or reward whatsoever. the VII. Provided always, That if upon the account of any sheriff there shall not be fufficient in the hands of such sheriff The sheriff to reimburse him fuch monies paid by him by virtue of this act, how to be rethat then the sheriff having fo paid the faid monies, fhall have imbursed. the same repaid by the commiffioners of his Majesty's treasury orthe lord high treasurer for the time being, out of the revenue of the crown, or by record of furplusage upon any other sheriff indebted to his Majefty, upon certificate from the clerk of the pipe to that effect. VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Profecutor beThat in cafe any fuch apprehender and profecutor is guilty of ing himself any of the offences aforefaid, every fuch apprehender and pro- guilty, and fecutor, not being in prison for any the faid offences, and con- not in prison, on convicting victing two or more perfons of any the offences aforefaid, fhall two persons, not only have the aforefaid reward of forty pounds, but fhall &c. fhall have also have, and is hereby entitled to his Majesty's most gracious the 40). and a pardon, for any of the said offences committed at any time or pardon. times before difcovery made of fuch other two or more perfons fo to be convicted as aforefaid. IX. And whereas it is notorious, that dangerous riots and tumults habitants |