A. D. 1714. Anno primo Georgii Regis. Stat. 2. C. 25. 67 ' which Inconvcniencics require a fpecdier Remedy than the ordinary Courfe of Juflice ; the Parties ' CClfed or offending being many Times bound to Sea, and the principal Officers and: Cofitoniffioners for ' want of Authority to fupprefs fuch Ihfolencies and Diforders, and hear, determine and puniih fuch Of* ' fences, being neceffitaicd Co pal's by many Offences in which his Majefty might be righted, if their ne- ' ceffary Attendance on that important Service would permit the Profecution of the Offendi rs before other ' ordinary Judicatures:' For Remedy whereof, Be it enacted by vl. ; oftE: ;ellent Majefl and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Common :, in Pari fembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the Treasurer, Comptroller, Surveyor, Clerk of tin Ac~ts, and the Commiffioners of the Navy for the Time being, or any one or more oi them {hall, from and after the twenty-ninth Day of Sej timber next enfuing, have Power and Authority, by Wan any one or more of their Hands and Seals, to caufe fuch Offenders to be apprehended and brought b< foi ; him or them, and to examine and punifh all fuch Perfon and Peifons whom he or they, upon their En- quiry and Examination of Witncfles upon Oath, (which Oath he or they are hereby impowered to admi- fter'J or upon Confeflion of the Party or Parties accufed, or on View in his or their Pie-fence, fhall find to make, or have made any fuch Difturbance, Fighting, or Quarrelling in any the Yards, Store*, Of- fices or Places aforefaid, at Pay-days, or on other Occalions relating to the Naval Services, in fuch m n ncr as followeth (that is to fay) that they, or any one or more of them, may punifh any the faid OifFences by Fine, Imprifonment, or either of them, the Fine not exceeding twenty Shillings, and itrprifonincnt not exceeding one Week ; and have Power in fuch Cafes to commit fuch Perfon to the next Gaol, or to the Cuftody of the Mefknger or MeiTengers for the Time being attendant on them, who refpeftively are to receive and detain fuch Perfon fo offending ; and that the faid principal Officers and Commiffidners, or any one or more of them then prefect, have hereby Power and Authority to discharge I'uch Fine or Im- prifonment, if they think fit, and for Nonpayment of the Fine lb impofed and not rerajtted, to imprifon the Party offending until Payment thereof, or otherwife to caufe fuch Offender or Offenders to be fent to the next Houfe of Correction to the Place where fuch Offence fhall be committed, there to be kept at hard Labour for the Space of two Months, without Bail or Mainprize, which faid Firtes fhall be paid to the Clerk of the Cheft at Chatham for the Ufe of the maimed Seamen. II. And it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Officers and Commif- And may bind where fuch Offence fhall be committed, with or without Securities, as Occ&fion fhall be ; and in default of fuch Securities, where the fame fhall be required, to commit the Perfon or Perfons offending, as afore- faid, to the common Goal of the County or Place where fuch Offence fhall be committed, in order to their being profecuted for fuch Offence or Offences at the next Affixes or General Quarter-feffions of the Peace for fuch County or Place. ' III. And whereas divers of his Majefty 's Stores and Ammunition, pertaining to his Navy and Ship- ' ping, or Service thereof, are often privately imbezilled or filched away :' For the more effectual Dif- T,,(: C-i'dOfficert covery of fuch Stores and Ammunition, It is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the im - c ° wer ^JJ' faid principal Officers and Commiifioners of his Majelfy's Navy, or "any one or more of them, fhall have rmbezll-.neht of hereby Power to enquire, and by Warrant under his or their Hands and Seals, to impower any Perfon or Naval Stores, Perfons to fearc'h for the fame >n all Places, in like manner as Juftices cf Peace may do in cafe of Felony, ana puni.li the and punifh the Offenders by fuch Fine and Imprifonment, as aforefaid, the Value of the Goods fo iin- Offenders, bezilled or filched away, not exceeding the Sum of twenty Shillings, and caufe the Goods to be brought .^'r'.'^rtber in again ; and if the Offence he of fuch Nature as doth require an higher and feverer Punifhment, then 3 c,n. 1. c. 24. that they, any one or more of them, may commit fuch Offender to the next Gaol, or to the Cuftody o'fiC™. 2. Jl.s.. their MefLnger or Melfengers aforefaid, till he or they offending enter into Recognizance with Surety or 1 - '» & "4- M Sureties, according to the Nature of the Offence, to appear and anfwer to the fame in his Majefty's Court 2 5°; q C '? of Exchequer, or other Court where his Majefty fhall queftion him or them for the fame, within one Year, .' 1 jg. "g-<j c following, on Procefs duly ferved for that Purpofe on fuch Offender or Offenders. 2. c . 19. u Geo. 2. c. 30. Ij Geo. 2. c. 3, 4&? 17. i^Geo. 2. c. 38. 17 Geo. 3. c. 34. i3 Geo. 2. c. 31, 20 Geo. 2. c. 3S. 22 Geo. z, i. .52. 24 Geo. 2. c. 47. 31 Geo. 2. c. 10. ' IV. And whereas divers ill-difpofed Perfons upon Pretence of carrying his Majefty's Naval Goods,
- Provifions, Victuals, Stores and Ammunition from his Majelfy's Y t rds, Wharfs, Storehouses, or other
- Places, to his Majefty's Ship or Ships, or to fuch Ship or Ships as are imployed in his Majefty's Service,
' or fuch Perfons as are imployed to recarry or remove from the faid Ship or Ships fuch Naval Stores,
- Goods, Provifions, Victuals, Stores and Ammunition, to fuch his Majefty's Yards, Wharfs, Store-
' houfes, or other Places, do frequently imbezil, take and carry them away, where they cannot be found, ' and remove themfelves to places unknown, before they can be apprehended or convicted by due Procefs of ' Law, by reafon that thofe Wuneffes that ihould prove the faid t acts are bound forth to Sea, or otherwife ' imployed elfewhere, and it is found neceffary that Juftice be more fpeedily done in fuch Cafes, than by ' ordinary Courfe of Law it can be :•' Be it therefore enatfted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Trea- when the Gooes furer, Comptroller, Surveyor, Clerk of the A£is and Commiffioners of the Navy, for the Time being, orembezied .n= any one or more of them, where the Goods ib imbezilled, taken or carried away, ihall be under the Va- und r r he Value lue of twenty Shillings, lhall have full Pov/er and Authority, upon the Oath oi' one or more Witneffes" 1 ^*' th ?°*" K 2 (which fa,.,).
