5 G. 4. c. 83. three calendar months after the cause of action or complaint shall have arisen; and if any person shall be sued for any matter or thing which he or she shall have done in the execution of this act, he or she may plead the general issue, and give the special matter in evidence. § 19. Persons convicted to be deemed actually chargeable. And every person who under the provisions of this act shall have been convicted as an idle and disorderly person, or as a rogue and vagabond, shall be deemed to be actually chargeable to the parish, township, or place in which such person shall reside; and such person shall be liable to be removed to the parish of his or her last legal settlement, by the order of two justices of the peace of the division or place in which such person shall reside. § 20. Wherever by any act or acts of parliament now in force, it is directed that any person shall be punished as idle and disorderly person, or as a rogue and vagabond, or as an incorrigible rogue, in every such case, whether such person shall or shall not have committed any offence against this act, every such person shall be punished under the provisions, powers, and directions of this act. § 21. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend or apply to Scotland or Ireland; nor to alter any law now in force for the removal of poor persons born in Scotland, Ireland, or the Isles of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey, and becoming chargeable to parishes in England, such persons not having committed acts of vagrancy as hereinbefore described; nor to alter any law now in force relating to lunatic vagrants. § 22. 205 THE RIOT ACT. 1 Geo. 1. stat. 2. cap. 5. Twelve persons or more unlawfully assembling, and not dispersing after being commanded by one justice by proclamation. Whereas of late many rebellious riots and tumults have been in divers parts of this kingdom, to the disturbance of the public peace, and the endangering of his majesty's person and government, and the same are yet continued and fomented by persons disaffected to his majesty, presuming so to do, for that the punishments provided by the laws now in being are not adequate to such heinous offences; and by such rioters his majesty and his administration have been most maliciously and falsely traduced, with an intent to raise divisions, and to alienate the affections of the people from his majesty: Therefore for the preventing and suppressing of such riots and tumults, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the offenders therein; be it enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and of the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That if any persons, to the number of twelve (a) or more, being unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously assembled together, to the disturbance of the public peace, at any time after the last day of July in the year (a) See note, p. 209. 1 G. 1. st. 2. c. 5. of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifteen, and being required or commanded by any one or more justice or justices of the peace, or by the sheriff of the county, or his under sheriff, or by the mayor, bailiff or bailiffs, or other head officer, or justice of the peace of any city or town corporate, where such assembly shall be, by proclamation to be made in the king's name, in the form hereinafter directed, to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business, shall, to the number of twelve or more, (notwithstanding such proclamation made), unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously, remain or continue together, by the space of one hour after such command or request made by proclamation, that then such continuing together to the number of twelve or more, after such command or request made by proclamation, shall be adjudged felony without benefit of clergy, and the offenders therein shall be adjudged felons, and shall suffer death as in case of felony without benefit of clergy. § 1. How the proclamation shall be made. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the order and form of the proclamations that shall be made by the authority of this act, shall be as hereafter followeth; that is to say, the justice of the peace, or other person authorised by this act to make the said proclamation, shall, among the said rioters, or as near to them as he can safely come, with a loud voice command, or cause to be commanded, silence to be while proclamation is making, and after that, shall openly and with loud voice make, or cause to be made, proclamation in these words, or like in effect. The Proclamation. Our sovereign lord the king chargeth and commandeth all persons, being assembled, immediately to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business, upon the pains contained in the act made in the first year of King George, for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies. God save the King. And every such justice and justices of the peace, sheriff, under sheriff, mayor, bailiff, and other head officer aforesaid, within the limits of their respective jurisdictions, are hereby authorised, empowered, and required, on notice or knowledge of any such unlawful, riotous, and tumultuous assembly, to resort to the place where such unlawful, riotous, and tumultuous assembly shall be, of persons to the number of twelve or more, and there to make, or cause to be made, proclamation in manner aforesaid. § 2. Persons assembled and not dispersing within one hour, to be seized. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if such persons so unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously assembled, or twelve or more of them, after proclamation made in manner aforesaid, shall continue together, and not disperse themselves 1 G. 1. 208 1 G. 1. st. 2. c. 5. within one hour, that then it shall and may be lawful to and for every justice of the peace, sheriff, or under sheriff of the county where such assembly shall be, and also to and for every high or petty constable, and other peace officer within such county, and also to and for every mayor, justice of the peace, sheriff, bailiff, and other head officer, high or petty constable, and other peace officer of any city or town corporate where such assembly shall be, and to and for such other person and persons as shall be commanded to be assisting unto any such justice of the peace, sheriff, or under sheriff, mayor, bailiff, or other head officer aforesaid, (who are hereby authorised and empowered to command all his majesty's subjects of age and ability to be assisting to them therein), to seize and apprehend, and they are hereby required to seize and apprehend, such persons so unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously continuing together after proclamation made, as aforesaid, and forthwith to carry the persons so apprehended before one or more of his majesty's justices of the peace of the county or place where such persons shall be so apprehended, in order to their being proceeded against for such their offences according to law; and that if the persons so unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously assembled, or any of them, shall happen to be killed, maimed, or hurt, in the dispersing, seizing, or apprehending, or endeavouring to disperse, seize, or apprehend them, by reason of their resisting the persons so dispersing, seizing, or apprehending, or endeavouring to disperse, seize, or apprehend them, that then every such justice of the peace, sheriff, under sheriff, mayor, bailiff, head officer, |