Commentaries on the Laws of England; in Four Books Volume 4

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1807 edition. Excerpt: ...or fern, is punishable with whipping and confinement in the house of correction. By statute 1 Ann. St. 2. c. 9. captains and mariners belonging to ships, and destroying the same, to the prejudice of the owners, (and by 4 Geo. I. c. 12. to the prejudice of insurers also, ) are guilty of felony without benefit of clergy. And by statute 12 Ann. St. 2. c. 18. making any hole in a ship in distress, or stealing her pumps, or aiding or abetting such offence, or-wilfully doing any thing tending to the immediate loss of such ship, is felony without benefit of clergy. By statute 1 Geo. I. c. 48. maliciously to set on fire any underwood, wood, or coppice, is made single 246 felony. By statute 6 Geo. I. c. 23. the wilful and malicious tearing, cutting, spoiling, burning, or defacing of the garments or clothes of any person passing in the streets or highways, with intent so to do, is felony. This was occasioned by the insolence of certain weavers and others; who, upon the introduction of some Indian fashions prejudicial to their own manufactures, made it their practice to deface them; either by open outrage, or by privily cutting, or casting aquafortis in the streets upon such as wore them. By statute 9 Geo. I. c. 22. commonly called the Waltham black act, occasioned by the devastations committed near Waltham in Hampshire, by persons in disguise or with their faces blacked; (who seem to have resembled the Roberdsmen, or followers of Robert Hood, that in the reign of Richard the first committed great outrages on the borders of England and Scotland1;) by this black act, I say, which has in part been I 3 In J97. mentioned under the several heads of riots, menaces, mayhem, and larcenyTM, it is farther enacted, that to set fire to any house, barn, or..