amine him touching the commitment and continuance in cuftody of the prisoner.

Any gaoler difobeying the warrant or order of the court, &c. forfeits 100l. with treble costs.

Debtors who were beyond the feas on Jan. 1, 1765, furrendering themselves, may take the benefit of this act upon the fame terms as other prifoners; excepting fuch particulars wherein the cafes both differ.

The fugitive's oath contains a 'declaration that he was actually abroad on the firft day of January 1765, and the rest of it, touching the furrendering up his effects, is the fame as that of other prifoners

before mentioned.

The gaoler and printer of the Gazette, or other news paper, not complying with the regulations of this act, forfeit 100l. to the prifoners, with treble cofts of fuit.

Any gaoler convicted of perjury forfeits 500l. with full cofts of fuit, &c. One moiety to go to the informer, and the other towards fatisfying the debts of the creditors.

Perfons discharged may plead generally, &c. to all actions or judgments brought against them before January 1, 1765, &c. and in other fuits may plead in difcharge of their perfons from execution.

Plaintiff may reply generally, &c. but if nonfuited is to pay treble cofts.

Bankrupts not obtaining their certificate in due time, are excluded from the benefit of this a&t.

Attornies embezzling, &c. clients money or effects, excluded the benefit of this act.

Gaoler to permit the speaking in private to prifoners, whofe names are inferted in the lift, or Gazette, &c. and the examining the original books of entries, &c. on penalty of 401. with cofts of fuit.

Any prifoner's future eftate and effects, notwithstanding his perfonal discharge, liable to creditors; wearing apparel, bedding, and working tools, &c. not exceeding 10l. value, excepted.

Any creditor may fue for the recovery of debt due at the time of the prifoner's difcharge, but not hold the prifoner to special bail, nor take his perfon, wearing ap

Any prifoner convicted of perjury to fuffer as a felon.

Perfons discharged by this a& not liable to arrefts for debts, &c. contracted before January 1, 1765

Juftices, fheriffs, and gaolers, may plead this act to any action of efcape, or fuit brought against them, and recover treble cofts.

ment; and no advantage is to be taken of the cause of action not accruing within three years, nor of the ftatute of limitation, except fuch fuit did not accrue within three years after such prisoner's difcharge.

The discharge of a prisoner no acquittal of the co-partner or fureties.

Any gaoler making falfe entries in the prifon book, or lift, forfeits

gool. with treble cofts, over and above all other penalties for fuch fraud.

Any prifoner refusing to declare the abode, &c. of the perfon at whofe fuit he is detained, or to come to the creditor in the lodge, is excluded the benefit of this act.

Juftices for the counties of York and Lincoln, to meet at the county gaols, &c. for discharge of priLoners.

Those who are prifoners for their fees, or other demands of the gaoler or officer, to be difcharged.

Debtors to the crown, and prifoners who owe above 1000l. to one perfon, unless the creditors confent, are excluded the benefit of this act. Any creditor oppofing a prifoner's discharge, to allow him 38 6d. per week, on non-payment of which the prifoner tobe difcharged, which discharges are to be obtained by August 1, 1767.

Perfons feized of an eftate tail, claiming the benefit of this act, are to deliver up the fame to the creditors.

Affignees may apply for further examination of the prifoner, touching the discovery of his effects, &c. and juftices may fend for and examine the prisoner accordingly.

Any perfon refufing to appear, or to answer upon oath, may be committed.

Twenty pounds per cent. allowed on difcovering, within 12 months, any part of the prifoner's eftate not returned in the fchedule.

A difcharge obtained fradulently, void.

Perfons concealing any eftate or effects of the prifoner, forfeit icol.

and double value, with treble cofts of fuit.

Affignees, with confent of the majority in value of the creditors, may compound for debts due to the prifoner's eftate; and may submit any difpute relating thereto to arbitration; or otherwife may fettle and agree the fame as they fhall think fit.

Affignees may be petitioned againtt for infufficiency, fraud, mifmanagement, or other mifbehaviour; the court thereupon is to fummon the parties, and make fuch orders therein as they shall think fit.

Where mutual credit has been given, the balance to be stated and allowed.

Thofe who are prifoners upon procefs out of the courts of confcience, to have the benefit of this act.

Quakers affirmation to be taken in lieu of an oath.

Perfons who took the benefit of the act of 1 George III, excluded.

This act not to extend to Scotland.

~tual to deter divers loofe, idle, and diforderly perfons, from ftealing, taking away, or deftroying, the fish therein bred and preferved; it is therefore enacted, that in cafe any perfon or perfons, from and after the first day of June 1765, fhall enter into any park or paddock, fenced in and inclosed, or into any garden, orchard, or yard, adjoining or belonging to any dwelling houfe, in or through which park or paddock, garden, orchard, or yard, any river, or ftream of water thall run or be, or wherein shall be any river, ftream, pond, pool, moat, flew, or other water, and by any means, ways, or device whatsoever, fhall steal, take, kill, or deftroy any fith therein, without the confent of the owner or owners thereof, or hall be aiding or affifting therein; or knowingly fhall receive, or buy fuch fish; and, being thereof in dicted within fix calender months next after fuch offence or offences fhall have been committed, are, upon conviction, to be tranfported for seven years.

Any offender making a difcovery of, and convicting his accomplices, is intitled to a pardon.

Perfons alfo convicted of taking or deftroying, &c. fish in rivers or other waters, in any other inclofed ground which fhall be private property, are to forfeit to the owner of the fishery 51. On complaint of the offence, any one or more of his majesty's juftices of the peace thall iffue his or their warrant for apprehending the offender, and the penalty is to be paid down upon conviction; otherwife the of

fender is to be committed to the houfe of correction for fix months, or any action may be brought for the penalty in any of the courts at Westminster, within fix months after the offence.

None are liable to forfeit for taking fish in any river, wherein they have a juft right or claim.

And whereas there are many thoufand acres of land in this kingdom altogether unfit for cultivation, and yet the fame are capable of rendering great profit, by the breeding and maintaining conies, as well to the owners of foch lands, as to a multitude of induftrious manufacturers, who gain their livelihood by working up coney-wool; it is likewife provided by this act, that perfons, convicted of entering warrens in the night-time, taking or killing conies there, or aiding or affifting therein, may be punished by tranfportation for feven years, or suffer fuch other leffer punishment, by whipping, fine, or imprisonment, as the court before whom they thall be tried, thall difcretionally award and direct.

Perfons convicted on this act, are not liable to be convicted un-* der any former act.

This act is not to extend to the deftroying of conies in the day time, on the fea and river banks in the county of Lincoln, upon account of the great mischief and damage occafioned by the increase of conies upon the fea and river. banks in the faid county; and no fatisfaction is to be made for damages on such banks, unless they exceed the fum of one fhilling.

Abftra&

Abstract of an act to alter certain rates of paftage, and to amend, explain, and enlarge, feveral proeifions in an a&t made in the ninth year of the reign of queen Anne, and in other acts relating to the revenues of the post-ffice.

HE preamble of this act fets

improvement of correspondence, throughout his majefty's domini ons, being a matter of great concernment, and highly neceifary for the preservation and extenfion of trade and commerce; and likewise that, by the valì acceflion of territory gained by the late treaty of peace, feveral communications having been opened, and new posts established in feveral parts of his majefty's dominions in America, for which the rates of poftage cannot, under the prefent laws, be properly ascertained: it is therefore enacted, that fo much of the act of 9 Anne, as eftablishes the rates of postage of letters between London and the British dominions in America, and places within the faid dominions, be repealed, and from and after the 10th of October 1765, inflead of the rates thereby eftablished, the following take place.

For all letters and packets paffing from London to any port within the British dominions in America, and from any fuch port unto London, for every fingle letter is. for every double letter 28. for every treble letter 3s. and for every ounce 4s. and fo in proportion for every packet of deeds, writs, or other things: and from any port in the faid dominions to any other port therein, by sea, for

fingle letter 8d. others in proportion; and for upwards of 200, and not exceeding 100 miles further, for every fuch further dif tance every fingle letter 2d. and others in proportion.

From and after the 10th of October 1765, no veffel is to be admitted to make entry or break bulk, till the letters on board are delivered to the pott-office; except in fuch cafes where they are to be delivered to the fuperintendant of the quarantine, to be difpatched by him to the post-office. Perfons refufing to deliver up fuch letters, forfeit zol, one moiety to the king, the other to the profecutor, with full cost; and id. extra is charged on all ship letters not brought by the packetboats.

From and after the 10th of October 1765, the prefent rates of poftage by the general poft, not exceeding one poft ftage in Scotland and Ireland, and not exceeding two in England, are to cea e, and the following rates are to take place, viz. Rates for potage, not exceeding one poftage, for every fingle letter, the fum of id. for every double letter 2d. for every treble letter 3d. and for every ounce 4d, and fo in proportion for every packet of deeds, writs, or other things. Above

one,

one, and not exceeding two poft ftages, the fum of 2d. and other letters in proportion; but thefe regulations are not to extend to the penny-poft.

The rates of postage between England and Ireland, thro' Carlifle, Dumfries, Port Patrick, and Donaghadee, or other convenient ports, repeal fo much of the act of 9 Anne, as directs the postage between Port Patrick and Donaghadee to be paid where the letters are delivered.

To prevent difputes, poft roads may be measured by perfons appointed by the poft mafter general for the time being; and a return is to be made thereof upon oath, and entered in the three chief poft offices in Great Britain or Ireland, and the chief offices in America: fair furveys alfo are to be made out, and depofited in the refpective offices, figned by the perfons making the fame, and attefted upon oath and certified by the poft.mafter general or his deputies. Moreover, on fufpicion of error, new furveys may be made out, according to which poftage is to be charged.

Power is likewife hereby given to fettle penny-poft offices, where convenient, in any city or town, and the fuburbs thereof, and places adjacent, within the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and the British dominions in America. Where fuch offices are established, no perfon may collect the letters without being duly licenfed. Letters, &c. brought by the inland, or foreign poft, to the London office, and directed beyond the department of the general poft, but within the delivery

of the penny-poft, may be fent by the penny-poft, and charged accordingly: and, from and after July 5, 1765, no packet exceeding 4 ounces (except thofe fent by the general poft, &c.) may be fent by the penny-poft.

From July 5, 1765, the fame rates of poliage are to take place between London and Hamburgh, as between London and Germany; and the poftage of letters to be fent out of Great Britain, may, if deemed neceffary, be demanded upon their being put into the office.

The penalty of any officer of the poft-office fecreting or embezzling any letter with any bank bill or note, &c. therein, or taking out any fuch note or bill, is felony; and the penalty of robbing mails is felony; and the penalty of any officer, &c. embezzling or mifapplying the poftage money received by him, or deftroying any letter or packet, or advancing the rates and not accounting for the fame, is alfo felony.

The poft-boy quitting or deferting the mail, or fuffering any perfon (except the guard) to ride on the horfe or carriage, or loitering on the road, &c is to be committed to hard labour; and unlawfully collecting, conveying, or delivering letters or packets, he forfeits 10s. for every letter, &c. and if not paid forthwith, he is to be committed to hard labour.

The claufes, &c. in the act of 9 Anne, or in any other act touching the general or pennypoft office, not hereby altered or repealed, are extended to this act.

The rates and pecuniary penal

ties