A. D. 1757' Anno tricefimo Georgii 11. C; 24. 73 CAP. XXIV. An AS: for the more effe^lual Punifliment of Perfons who fliai! attain, or attempt to attain, PoflTeffion of Goods or Money, by faife or untrue Pretences; for preventing the unlawful Pawning of Goods ; for the eafy Redemption of Goods pawned •, and for preventing Ga- ming in Publick Ploufes by Journeymen, Labourers, Servants and Apprentices. t -w"! J H E R E A S divers evil-difpofed Perfons, to fupport their profligate way of Life, have by vari- J^ffi'-io 33 /iS,
- W O"^ fubtle Stratagems, Threats and Devices, fraudulently obtained divers Sums of Money, *^* ^'
- Goods Wares and Merchandizes, to the great Injury of indullrious Families, znd to the raanifeftPi-e-
- iudice of Trade and Credit 5' Therefore for the punifhing all fuch Offenders, Be it ena6led by the
King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and l>m- poral, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That from and after the twenty-ninth Day of Septe?nber one thoufand feven hundred and £fty-feven, all Perfons who perfons convic- - knowingly and deftgnedly, by falfe Pretence or Pretences, Ihall obtain from any Perfon or Perfons, Mo- ted ofcbtnining nev Goods, Wares or Merchandizes, with Intent to cheat or defraud any Perfon or Perfons of the fame; Money or Gocds fons fo threatened to be accufed, fliall be deemed Offenders again{t Law and tiie Publick Peace; and the ney or Goods. Court before whom fuch Offender or Offenders fhall be tried, Ihall in cafe he, fhe or they fliall be con- may be pun i died vided of any of the faid Offences, order fuch Offender or Offenders to be fined and imprifoned, or to be ^y Fini and im- put in the Pillory, or publickly v/hipped, or to be tranfported, as foon as conveniently may be (accord- T pfij^^"^' '^'^ ing to the Laws made for Tranfportation of Felojis) to fome of his Majefty's Colonies or Plantations in whippi'ng'or jimerica., for the Term of feven Years, as the Court in which any fuch Offender or Offenders fhall be Tranfportation. convi(5ted fhall think fit and order. 11. And be it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid, That any Juftice or Juftices of the Peace of where a Charge the County, Riding, Divifion, City, Liberty or Place, before whom any Perfon or Perfons charged on is made of any of Oath, by any credible Perfon or Perfons, with having committed any of the Offences intended by this ^^'^^^'^^""^' Aa to be punilhed, fhall be brought, fhall examine by Oath (which Oath every fuch JulHce or juftices J"5;,7„'°"„^""^ is and are hereby impowered and required to adminifter) and fuch other lawful Means as to any iuch Ju- oath""^°" ilice or Juftices fhall feem meet, touching the Matters complained of, and deal with the Offender or Of- fenders according to Law ; and if the Party or Parties charged as being the Offender or Offenders, fhall and to bind ov?r be committed to Prifon, or be admitted to Bail, to anfwer the Matters complained of at the next General the Compiainant or Quarter- Seflions of the Peace, or next Seffions of Oyer and Terminer, which fhall be held for the Coun- ^"^ ='PP" ^"'^ ty. Riding, Divifion, City, Liberty or Place wherein the Offence fhall be charged on Oath to have P"^"^"""* been committed, then fuch Juftice or Juftices fhall bind over the Profecutor and Profecutors of every fuch Offender and Offenders to appear at the next General or Qiiarter-Seffions of the Peace, or next Seffions of Oyer and Terminer which fhall be held for the County, Riding, Divifion, City, Liberty or Place v/herein the Offence fhall be charged to have been committed, by Recognizance, in fuch reafonable Sum of Money as to fuch Juftice or Juftices fhall feem requifite, to profecute fuch Offender and Offenders with Effedl ; and if any Money, Goods, Wares or Merchandizes fraudulently obtained, fliall appear to and his Rcrogni- fuch Juftice or Juftices to exceed the Amount or Value of twenty Pounds, then the Recognizance to be zanceto bein taken in that Behalf from the Profecutor or Profecutors, fhall be in not kfs than double the Amount or '^ "Pf '^*'°" '** Value the fame fhall appear before any fuch Juftice or Juftices to be worth. fraud.
- III. And whereas divers of his Majefty's Subjeds fufter great Inconveniences and frequent Loffes,
- by Perfons pawning or unlawfully difpofing of the Goods and Chattels of others, and the Perfons fo
- pawning or unlawfully difpofing of the Goods or Chattels of others, from the A4eannefs of their Circum-
' ftances,"are feldom able to make Reftitution or Recompence to the Parties injured, and the Laws now in ,
- Being are infufEcient to punidi fuch Offenders;' Be it therefore further enatSled by the Authority afore- Penalty of 20 1.
faid. That from and after the faid twenty-ninth 'D-s.y of September om thouHmd feven hundred and fifty-feven, o" pawning, ex- it any Perfon or Perfons ihall knowingly and defignedly pawn or exchange, or unlav/iully difpofe of the Goods cl^^.nS'ng. or di(- or Chattels of any other Perfon or Ptrfons, not being employed or authorized by the Owner or Owners vv'it:hou°L^°°^f thereof fo to do, and fnall be thereof convi6tcd by the Oath of any credible Wimeis or Witneffes, Or by the Owner-^* '^ tr-.e ConfefHon of the Fcrfon or Perlbns charged with fuch Offence, before any fuch Juftice or Juftices of ' the Peace as aforefaid (-which Oath every fuch Juftice as aforefaid is hereby impowered and required to adminifter) cveiy fuch Offender flrall, for every fuch Offence, forfeit the Sum of twenty Shillings; and ai-d on N n- • in cafe the faid Forfeiture Ihali not be foithwith paid, the Juftice or Juftices of the Peace as aforefaid, be- P^y^^f-'o te fore v/hom fuch Convi6lion fhall be had, ftiall coi-Qmit the Party or Parties 'fo convided to the Houfe of j°'"d3' ' t/^^,.^ Correction, or fome otlicr publick Prifon of the County, Fading, Divifion, City or Place wherein the Labour, Oncndcr or Offenders Ihall lefide or be convidted, there to remain and be kept to hard Labour for the and if not paid Sp-ace of fouri. on Days, unlefs the faid Forfeiture fhall be fooner paid ; and if within three Days before within that thu Expiration of the faid fourteen Davs, the faid Forfeiture fhall not be paid, the faid Juftice or Juftices "^"^S' f° ^^ Vol. Vlil. ' L . -^whipped, on Ap. ^ plication of the ""■ Pioktutcr.
