CASES

ARGUED AND DETERMINED

IN THE

Courts of COMMON PLEAS,

AND

EXCHEQUER CHAMBER,

IN

Easter Term,

In the Forty-fourth Year of the Reign of GEORGE III.

The KING . ROBERT ASLETT.

HE prisoner was tried and convicted before Mr. Justice Le Blanc, at the Old Bailey, September sessions 1803, for embezzling certain papers belonging to the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, he being an officer and servant of the Bank, and as such, entrusted therewith. The first count of the indictment stated, that Robert Aslett was an officer and servant of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, and, as such officer and servant, was entrusted by the said Governor and Company with certain effects belonging to the said Governor and Company; that is to say, a certain

Feb. 16th.

purchased by the Bank for a good

consideration, but signed in the name of the auditor of

the Exchequer by a person not legally authorised, are se

effects within the meaning of the 15 Geo. 2. c. 13.

curities, or at least

s. 12.; and if a ser

vant of the Bank embezzle such bills, he may be convicted of felony under that statute. VOL. I New Series. B

paper,

paper, partly printed and partly written, purporting to be a bill, commonly called an Exchequer bill; the tenor of which said paper, partly printed and partly written, is as follows; that is to say, (setting forth a bill for 5007. No. 835.,) which said paper was then and there belonging to the said Governor and Company, and of the value of 5007.; and which said sum of 5001. in the said paper mentioned was then and there unpaid and unsatisfied to the said Governor and Company, the holders thereof. (The indictment then set forth two other bills in like manner No. 2694 and No. 1061, each for 10007.); and that the said Robert Aslett, so then and there being such officer and servant of the said Governor and Company, and so entrusted as aforesaid with the said effects, so as aforesaid belonging to the said Governor and Company, did then and there, with force and arms, feloniously secrete, embezzle, and run away with the said effects, so as aforesaid belonging to the said Governor and Company, and of the value of 25007., against the statute and against the peace, &c. There were other counts in the indictment; some like the first count, above set forth, only not stating the paper to be of any value, and others not stating any value, but stating that the Governor and Company had, on the credit and security of the paper, partly printed and partly written, advanced a large sum of money, which money was unpaid and unsatisfied to the said Governor and Company, the holders thereof. There was also a like set of counts, calling the bills securities instead of effects.

It was admitted, on the part of the prosecution, that these bills were not valid and legal Exchequer bills, having been signed with the name of Lord Grenville, the Auditor of the Exchequer, by a person not legally authorised to sign them for him, but that they had been issued as good and valid bills, and the Governor and Company of the Bank had bought them, and paid for them as such.

Judg.