186 C. 15, 16. Anno o&avo Georgii II. A. D. 1735. Preamble. CAP. XV. An Aft for the better regulating the Nightly Watch and Bedels, within the two Parilhes of Saint James and Saint George Hanover Square^ within the Liberties of the City of Weft, minfter. P R.
- T T 7 HEREAS the keeping a fufficient and well regulated Watch in the Night Time, within
' VV the two great and populous Parifhes of Saint James and Saint George Hanover Square, within ' the Liberties of the City of Weflminfler, is of great Importance for the Prefervation of the Perfons ' and Properties of the Inhabitants thereof, and very necefiary to prevent as well the Mifchiefs which
- may happen from Fires, as Murders, Burglaries, Robberies and other Outrages and Diforders r And
4 whereas by the Laws now in being no effectual Provifion is made for the eftablifhing, ordering or well ' governing of fuch a Nightly Watch, or for levying and collecting any Sums of Money for defraying ' the necefiary Charges thereof, or for enforcing a due Application and juft Account of any Money fo
- levied and collected for that Purpofe : And whereas it hath been found by Experience, that the Bedels
' employed within the faid two Parifhes, for want of a proper Regulation and Government of them, ' have been of great Charge, and little Ufe to the fame, and the Methods hitherto praclifed of railing 4 Monies for maintaining and paying the faid Bedels, have been alfo precarious and unwarrantable ;' For Remedy of the aforefaid Inconveniencies, may it pleafe your moft Excellent Majefty that it may be enacted, &c. The Veftry of each Parifh to meet on 2 June yearly, for appointing able-bodied Watchmen and Be- dels, and to fet down in Writing the feveral Regulations ; and on legal Notice at other Times, for fupplying Vacancies, &c. A Copy of the Regulations, figned by the Veftry Clerks, to be delivered to every Conftable. One Conftable for each Parifh to watch every Night by Turns. Rates not to exceed d. in the Pound. Payment of thefe Rates not to intitle any Perfon to a Settlement in the Parifh. Yearly Accounts of the Sums Total affefTed and collected, to be infpected without Fee. The Inhabitants of Saint James Square difcharged from thefe Rates, but the Truftees thereof may ap- " point Watchmen and Bedels, who fhall have like Powers as thofe appointed by this Act. Perfons pay- " ing the Rates hereby appointed, difcharged from the Statute of Wincbejler, &e. CAP. XVI. An Adl for the Amendment of the Law relating to AtSlions on the Statute of Hue and Cry. e TT7HEREAS by the Laws now in being, the Proceedings upon a Statute made in the thir- ' VV teenth Year of the Reign of King Edward the Firft, commonly called The Statute of Hue ' and Cry, and another Statute made in the twenty-feventh Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, ' intituled, An Aft for the following of Hue and Cry, are attended with many and great Inconveniencies ' to the Subjects :' For Remedy thereof, 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 prefent Par- liament afTembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That from and after the twenty-fourth Day of After 24 June June in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and thirty-five, no Perfon or Perfons fhall 1735, no Perfon have or maintain any Action againft any Hundred, or take any Benefit by virtue of the faid Statutes, or dredtn cafe of " either of them, unlefs he, fhe or they, fhall, over and befides the Notice already required by the laft of Robbery, the above-mentioned Statutes to be given of any Robbery, with as convenient Speed as may be after any without firft Robbery on him, her or them committed, give Notice thereof to one of the Conftables of the Hun- giving Notice to dred, or to fome Conftable, Borfholder, Headborough or Tythingman of fome Town, Parifh, Vil- dercribinstb5 C "^g e >.^ atn ^ t '? or Tything, near unto the Place wherein fuch Robbery fhall happen, or fhall leave No- Felon, tice in Writing of fuch Robbery at the Dwelling-houfe of fuch Conftable, Borfholder, Headborough or Tythingman, defcribing in fuch Notice, to be given or left as aforefaid, fo far as the Nature and Circumftances of the Cafe will admit, the Felon or Felons, and the Time and Place cf the Robbery ; and publifhing and alfo fhall, within the Space of twenty Days next after the Robbery committed, caufe publick No- Lo e ndonGa- he ** ct t0 ^ e gi yen thereof in the London Gazette, therein likewife defcribing, fo far as the Nature and Cir- cumftances of the cafe will admit, the Felon or Felons, and the Time and Place of fuch Robbery, to- gether with the Goods and Effects whereof he, fhe or they was or were robbed ; and fhall alio, before arvy fuch Action be commenced, go before the chief Clerk or Secondary, or the Filazer of the County wherein fuch Robbery fhall happen, or the Clerk of the Pleas of that Court wherein fuch Action is intended to be brought, or their refpeclive Deputies, or before the Sheriff" of the Ccvtnty wherein the Robbery fhall happen, and enter into a Bond to the High Conftable or High Conftables of the Hundred in which fuch Robbery fhall be committed, in the penal Sum of one hundred Pounds, with two fufficient Sureties, to be approved of by fuch chief Clerk, Secondary, Filazer or Clerk of the Pleas, or their re- fpeetive Deputies, or the Sheriff of the faid County, with Condition for fecuring to fuch High Conftable or High Conftables (who are hereby impowered and required to enter, or caufe to be entered, an Appear- ance, and alfo to defend fuch Action, as herein after is mentioned) the due Payment of his or their Cofts, after the fame fhall be taxed by the proper Officer, in cafe that he, {he or they (the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs in fuch Action) fhall happen to be nonfuited, or fhall difcontinue his, her or their Action, or in cafe 8 that Preamble, re- citing the Aifts i3Edw. 1. St. 2. f . 1 <£? 2. and 27 Eliz. c. 13. See qtV.&M. c. 8. for appre- hending High- waymen. 2.ette, -within 20 Days after the Robbery, and giving Se- curity of 100 1 to the High Conftable, to pay Coits, if caft.
