Commencement of this Act.

Not to extend to Scotland or Ireland.

to the offence or the subject matter on or with respect to which it shall be committed, or the offender or the party affected or intended to be affected by the offence, hath used or shall use words importing the singular number or the masculine gender only, yet the statute shall be understood to include several matters as well as one matter, and several persons as well as one person, and females as well as males, and bodies corporate as well as individuals, unless it be otherwise specially provided, or there be something in the subject or context repugnant to such construction; and wherever any forfeiture or penalty is payable to a party aggrieved, it shall be payable to a body corporate in every case where such body shall be the party aggrieved.

XV. And be it enacted, That this Act shall commence and take effect on the First day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twenty

seven.

XVI. Provided always, and be it enacted, That nothing herein contained shall extend to Scotland or Ireland.

1

7 & 8 GEO. 4. c. 29.

AN ACT

For consolidating and amending the Laws in England relative to Larceny and other offences connected therewith.

[21 June, 1827.]

WHEREAS various statutes now in force in that part of the united kingdom called England, relative to Larceny, and other offences of stealing, and to burglary, robbery, and threats for the purpose of robbery or of extortion, and to embezzlement, false pre tences, and the receipt of stolen property, are by an Act of the present session of Parliament repealed from and after the last day of June in the present year, except as to offences committed before or upon that day; and it is expedient that the provisions contained in those various statutes should be amended and consolidated into this Act, to take effect at the same time as the said repealing Act; Be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament as sembled, and by the authority of the same, That this Act shall commence on the first day Commencement of of July in the present year.

Act.

Distinction between

ny abolished.

II. And be it enacted, That the distinction grand and petty larce- between grand larceny and petty larceny shall be abolished, and every larceny, whatever be the value of the property stolen, shall be deemed to be of the same nature, and shall be subject to the same incidents in all respects as grand larceny was before the commencement of this Act; and every court whose power as to the trial of larceny was before the commencement of this Act limited to petty larceny, shall have power to try every case of larceny, the punishment of which cannot exceed the punishment herein-after mentioned for simple larceny, and also to try all accessories to such larceny.

Punishments for simple larceny.

The court may for all

offences within this

or solitary confine

ment.

III. And be it enacted, That every person convicted of simple larceny, or of any felony hereby made punishable like simple larceny, shall (except in the cases herein after otherwise provided for) be liable, at the discretion of the court, to be transported beyond the seas for the term of seven years, or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years, and, if a male, to be once, twice, or thrice publicly or privately whipped (if the court shall so think fit,) in addition to such imprisonment.

1

IV. And, with regard to the place and Act, order hard labour mode of imprisonment for all indictable of fences punishable under this Act; be it enacted, That where any person shall be convicted of any felony or misdemeanor punishable under this Act, for which imprisonment may be awarded, it shall be lawful for the court to sentence the offender to be imprisoned, or to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour, in the common gaol or house of correction, and also to direct that the offender shall be kept in so

litary confinement for the whole or any portion or portions of such imprisonment, or of such imprisonment with hard labour, as to the court in its discretion shall seem meet.

vate securities for mo

ney, or warrants for

ding to the circum

V. And be it enacted, That if any person Stealing public or prishall steal any tally, order, or other security whatsoever, entitling or evidencing the title goods, shall be felony, of any person or body corporate to any share and punishable accoror interest in any public stock or fund, whe stances, like stealing ther of this kingdom, or of Great Britain or of goods. Ireland, or of any foreign state, or in any fund of any body corporate, company, or society, or to any deposit in any savings bank, or shall steal any debenture, deed, bond, bill, note, warrant, order, or other security whatsoever for money or for payment of money, whether of this kingdom or of any foreign state, or shall steal any warrant or order for the delivery or transfer of any goods or valuable thing, every such offender shall be deemed guilty of felony, of the same nature and in the same degree and punishable in the same manner as if he had stolen any chattel of like value with the share, interest, or deposit to which the securi ty so stolen may relate, or with the money due on the security so stolen or secured thereby and remaining unsatisfied, or with the value of the goods or other valuable thing mention

ed in the warrant or order; and each of the Rule of interpretations several documents herein-before enumerated

shall throughout this Act be deemed for every purpose to be included under and denoted by the words" valuable security.'

VI. And be it enacted, That if any person Robbery from the shall rob any other person of any chattel, mo- person.

ney, or valuable security, every such offender,

being convicted thereof, shall suffer death as a

son.

and demands accom

or force.

Stealing from the per- felon; and if any person shall steal any such property from the person of another, or shall assault any other person with intent to rob Assaults with intent him, or shall with menaces or by force deto commit robbery, mand such property of any other person any panied with menaces with intent to steal the same, every such of fender shall be guilty of felony, and, being convicted thereof, shall be liable, at the dis cretion of the court, to be transported beyond the seas for life, or for any term not less than seven years, or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding four years, and if a male, to be once, twice, or thrice publicly or privately whipped (if the court shall so think fit), in addition to such imprisonment.

Obtaining money, &c. VII. And be it declared and enacted, That by threatening to accuse a party of an in- if any person shall accuse or threaten to accuse famous crime. any other person of any infamous crime, as herein-after defined, with a view or intent to extort or gain from him, and shall by intimidating him by such accusation or threat extort or gain from him any chattel, money, or valuable security, every such offender shall be deemed guilty of robbery, and shall be indicted and punished accordingly.

Sending letters con

taining menacing de

extort money, &c.

VIII. And be it enacted, That if any person shall knowingly send or deliver any letter mands, or threatening or writing, demanding of any person, with to accuse a party of an infamous crime, to menaces, and without any reasonable or probable cause, any chattel, money, or valuable security; or if any person shall accuse or threaten to accuse, or shall knowingly send or deliver any letter or writing accusing or threatening to accuse, any person of any crime punishable by law with death, transportation, or pillory, or of any assault with intent to commit any rape, or of any attempt or endeavour