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pass into the Mediterranean free from molestation by these corsairs; with reference to these treaties the 4 Geo. 2. c. 28. enacts, "That if any person or persons shall within Great Bri“tain or Ireland, or any other his majesty's dominions, or with"out, falsely make, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure, "&c. or wittingly or knowingly act or assist in the false making, "&c. any pass or passes for any ships whatsoever, commonly "called a Mediterranean pass or passes, or shall counterfeit the "seal of the said office (i. e. the lord high admiral), or the "hand or hands of the lord high admiral of Great Britain and "Ireland, or any commissioner or commissioners for executing "the said office to any such pass or passes, or shall alter or 66 erase any true or authentic pass or passes issued or made out "by the lord high admiral, &c. or the commissioner, &c. or shall "utter or publish as true any such false, forged, counterfeited, "altered, or erased pass or passes, knowing the same to be "false, &c. or erased, every such person or persons, being duly "convicted of any of the offences aforesaid in any proper court " of Great Britain, or any part of his majesty's plantations be"yond the seas, where such offence shall be committed respectively, shall be adjudged guilty of felony without benefit of clergy."

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By s. 2. such offences "committed in any country or place out " of Great Britain, either within or without the dominions of "his majesty, his heirs, &c. shall and may be inquired of, tried, "&c. and adjudged in any shire or county of Great Britain, by "virtue of the king's commission of oyer and terminer and gaol "delivery, or before any court of justiciary in Scotland.”

Franks of Letters, &c. .

By 24 Geo. 3. st. 2. c. 37. s. 9. "If any person whatsoever "shall (after the end of the then session of parliament) forge or "counterfeit the handwriting of any person whatsoever, in the

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superscription of any letter or packet to be sent by the post, in "order to avoid the payment of the duty of postage, or shall "forge, counterfeit, or alter, or shall procure to be forged, coun"terfeited, or altered, the date upon the superscription of any "such letter or packet, or shall write and send by the post, or "shall cause to be written and sent by the post, any letter or "packet, the superscription or cover whereof shall be forged or "counterfeited, or the date upon such superscription or cover "altered in order to avoid the payment of the duty of postage, "knowing the same to be forged, counterfeited, or altered; "every person so offending, and being thereof convicted in due "form of law, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall be transported for seven years."

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The last act, altering the rates of postage, 41 Geo. 3. st. 2. c. 7. s. 11. incorporates all former general provisions, and the above clause is repeated verbatim in the act 42 Geo. 3. c. 53. s. 14.

The st. 54 Geo. 3. c. 169. making regulations respecting the postage of ship letters, and of letters in Great Britain, enacts (s. 14.), "That if any person shall forge or counterfeit, or cause

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"to be forged or counterfeited, any stamp, mark of postage or de"signation, upon any letter hereby authorised to be so marked, "stamped, or designated, with intent to avoid the payment of "the rate of postage hereby imposed, each and every person and "persons so offending shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of a misdemeanor, to be punished by fine and imprisonment; and "such offence, if committed within Great Britain, shall and may "be inquired of, tried, and adjudged, either within the city of London, or where the offence shall be committed."

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Documents relative to Seamen's Wages.

By st. 31 Geo. 2. c. 10. s. 24. "Whosoever wilfully and knowingly shall personate or falsely assume the name or character of, or procure any other to personate or falsely to assume the name or character of any officer, seaman, or other person en" titled, or supposed to be entitled, to any wages, pay, or other "allowances of money, or prize money, for service done on "board of any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs, &c.; or "the executor or administrator, wife, relation, or creditor, of any such officer or seaman, or other person, in order to receive any wages, pay, or other allowances of money, or prize money, "due or supposed to be due or payable, for or on account of the "services of any such officer or seaman or other person, as afore"said; or shall forge or counterfeit, or procure to be forged, &c. "any letter of attorney, bill, ticket, certificate, assignment, last will, or any other power or authority whatsoever, in order to "receive any such wages, &c. due or supposed to be due to any "such officer, &c. ;" or by st. 9 Geo. 3. c. 30. s. 6. "If any person "shall utter or publish, as true, any false, forged, or counterfeited "letter of attorney, bill, &c. (as before) in order to receive any wages, &c. due or supposed to be due to any officer or seaman " or other person, who has really served or was supposed to have served, or who shall hereafter serve or be supposed to have "served on board of any ship or vessel of his majesty, his " heirs, &c. with intent to defraud any person (knowing the same "to be false, forged, or counterfeited); every such person so of "fending, being lawfully convicted of any such offence or offences, "shall be deemed guilty of felony without benefit of clergy." Most of these offences were before subjected to a penalty of 2007. and imprisonment till payment, by st. 9 and 10 Will. 3.

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c. 41. s. 3.

By s. 5. of the last mentioned act, the treasurer, comptroller, surveyor, clerk of the acts, or any commissioner of the navy, may act as justices of the peace in causing the offenders to be apprehended.

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By st. 32 Geo. 3. c. 33. s. 23. “If any person after 1st August, 1792, shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit, or cause, &c. or "willingly act and assist in the false making, &c. any ticket for the wages or pay due to any petty officer or seaman, non-commis"sioned officer of marines, or marine, for his service on board any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs, &c. or any duplicate "of any such ticket, or any certificate of discharge from any "naval hospital of his majesty, his heirs, &c. or any remittance

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"bill, or duplicate of remittance bill; with intention to receive any wages, money, or other allowances of money, or prize money, "due or supposed to be due for or on account of the service of any petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, "or marine, on board any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs, " &c. or shall utter or publish as true, any ticket for the wages or pay due to any petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned officer " of marines, or marine, for his service on board any ship or vessel ❝ of his majesty, his heirs, &c. or any duplicate of any such ticket, or any certificate of discharge from any naval hospital of his ma"jesty, his heirs, &c. or any remittance bill, or duplicate of re"mittance bill; with intention to receive any wages, pay, or "other allowance of money, or prize money due or supposed to "be due for or on account of the service of any petty officer or ❝seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine, on "board any ship of his majesty, his heirs, &c. knowing the same "to be false, forged, or counterfeited, then any such person so "offending, being lawfully convicted of any such offence or offences, "shall be deemed guilty of felony without benefit of clergy."

By st. 24. it is declared that so much of the st. 31 Geo. 2. c. 10. as is not repealed by this act, shall remain in force.

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By st. 26 Geo. 3. c. 63. and 32 Geo. 3. c. 34. for the better protection of seamen and marines from the frauds practised on them, certain regulations are directed to be observed in the forms of their letters of attorney, without which they are not to be valid. They must be made revocable; and if made in actual service must be attested by the officer commanding the ship, or by certain other persons; if made on shore, the latter statute directs, that no letter of attorney, made by any petty officer, seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine, who shall have been discharged from the service, and who shall be within seven miles of a port where seamen's wages are paid, shall be valid, unless it be signed before and attested by a clerk of the treasurer of the navy of such port, or by the inspector of seamen's wills and powers of attorney. It also gives a form of certificate of discharge, which the party must produce or his person be identified before he can receive his wages, &c. or before his letter of attorney can be passed. And various other forms are prescribed for different methods of paying these persons; and then by s. 29. (32 Geo. 3. c. 34.) it is enacted, "If any person, after "the 1st of August, 1792, shall falsely make, forge, or counter"feit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, &c. or willingly act "in the false making, &c. any petition for a certificate therein "before described or contained, to enable any person or persons "to obtain letters of administration to any petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned officer, or private of marines, who shall "have served on board any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs, &c. or shall utter or publish as true, any petition, &c. or "shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to "be falsely made, &c. or shall willingly act and assist in the false "making, &c. any certificate for enabling him, her, or them to ob"tain probate, or letters of administration with the will annexed; or any check, remittance bill, or duplicate of remittance bill,

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" or

See post,

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"or any certificate to the deputy paymaster, in respect of wages, prize money, not exceeding ten pounds, herein before severally "described or mentioned, in order to receive any wages, pay, " or other allowances of money, or prize money, due or sup"posed to be due for or on account of the service of any petty "officer, or seaman, non-commissioned officer, or private of "marines, on board any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs, "&c. or shall utter or publish as true, any such check, &c. in "order to receive any wages, &c. due or supposed to be due "for or on account of the service of any petty officer, &c. on "board, &c. knowing the same to be false, forged, or counter"feited; then every such person, being lawfully convicted of any "such offence or offences, shall be deemed guilty of felony with"out benefit of clergy."

By sect. 30. any petty officer, seaman, non-commissioned 55 Geo. 3. c. 60. officer or private of marines, receiving his pay, or attempting to receive it, by any counterfeit certificate, service or discharge, or himself assisting in any forgery of such certificate, and being thereof convicted, shall be punished as in cases of perjury."

Petty officers,

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By stat. 55 Geo. 3. c. 60. s. 29. IT IS ENACTED, "that if any &c. receiving or "petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, attempting to or marine, shall receive his pay, or shall attempt to receive the receive pay on same, or any part thereof, upon any certificate purporting to be ficates, &c. to be" a certificate of servitude, or a certificate of discharge, knowing punished as in "the same to be forged or counterfeited; or if any such petty ofcases of perjury. «ficer, or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine, "or any other person, shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit,

Signing petition

to the treasurer

representing the

party in order

to procure certificate-to procure letters of administration

to seamen, &c. to be transported for 7 years.

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or cause or procure to be falsely made, forged, or counterfeited, or shall willingly act or assist in the false making, forging, or "counterfeiting of any such certificate; every such petty officer "or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine, "or other person, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be pu"nished as in cases of wilful and corrupt perjury."

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By s. 30. if any person shall sign or subscribe any petition or application to the treasurer or paymaster of his majesty's of Navy, falsely navy for the time being, falsely and wilfully representing herself situation of or himself, to be the widow, or the nearest or one of the nearest of kindred of any deceased petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine, who shall have belonged to or served on board any of his majesty's ships or vessels, or utter or publish any such petition or application so signed or subscribed as aforesaid, containing such false and wilful representation as aforesaid, in order to obtain a certificate from the inspector of seamen's wills and powers, to procure letters of administration to the effects of any such petty officer, or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine; or procure payment of any wages, pay, prize money, bounty money, or other allowances of money under twenty pounds, for or in respect of services on board any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs or successors; or if any person or persons shall demand or receive any wages, pay, prize money, bounty money, or other allowance of money due or supposed to be due, for or in respect of the services of any such petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned

officer

officer of marines, or marine, upon or by virtue of any certificate from the said inspector of seamen's wills, knowing such certificate to have been obtained by false representation or pretences; every such person shall, on being convicted of any such offence in due form of law, be transported beyond the seas for the term of seven years, in like manner as persons convicted of felony are directed to be transported by the laws and statutes of this realm.

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er, &c. to obtain probate, &c. a felony. transported.

offender to be

Sect. 31. If any person shall falsely make, forge, or counter Forging signafeit, or cause or procure to be falsely made, forged, or counter ture of minisfeited, or willingly act and assist in the false making, forging, or counterfeiting the signatures of any minister or householder of any parish, to any certificate annexed or subjoined to or contained in any check or petition for a certificate as required, de seribed, and mentioned in this act, to enable any person or persons to obtain probate of any will or letters of administration to any such petty officer or seaman, non-commissioned officer of marines, or marine; or shall utter, or publish as true, any such certificate annexed or subjoined to or contained in any such check or petition, with any false, forged, or counterfeited signature of any such minister or householder of any parish subscribed thereto, knowing the same signature to be false, forged, or counterfeited, with intention to defraud any person or persons, body or bodies politic or corporate whatsoever, then every such person so offending, and being thereof convicted by due course of law, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall be transported as a felon, for the term of his or their natural life, or for the term of fourteen years or seven years, as the court, before which such offender or offenders shall be tried, shall adjudge.

without benefit

Sect. 32. If any person or persons shall, willingly or knowingly, Forging, &c. falsely make, forge, counterfeit, or alter, or cause or procure to letter of attor be falsely made, forged, counterfeited, or altered, or willingly act &c. to receive ney, bill, ticket, or assist in the false making, forging, counterfeiting, or altering pay or prize any letter of attorney, bill, ticket, or certificate purporting to be money, felony a certificate from the inspector of seamen's wills and powers, or of clergy. his assistant, assignment, last will, or other power or authority whatsoever, in order to receive, or to enable any other person to receive, any wages, pay, prize money, bounty money, or other allowances of money, due or supposed to be due for or in respect of the services of any such officer, seaman, marine, or other person as aforesaid, performed or supposed to have been performed on board of any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs or successors, with intention to defraud any person or persons, body or bodies. politic or corporate whatsoever; or shall utter or publish as true, any false, forged, counterfeited, or altered letter of attorney, bill, ticket, certificate, purporting to be a certificate from the inspector of seamen's wills and powers, or his assistant, assignment, last will, or other power or authority whatsoever, in order to receive any wages, pay, prize money, bounty money, or other allowances of money due or supposed to be due for or in respect of the services of any such officer, seaman, marine, or other person as aforesaid, performed or supposed to have been performed on board of any ship or vessel of his majesty, his heirs or successors,

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