INDICTMENTS, INFORMATIONS, PRECEDENTS, AND EVERY DESCRIPTION OF PRAC- IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. I. BY J. CHITTY, ESQ. OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY EDWARD EARLE, CORNER OF FOURTH AND LIBRARY STREETS. William Brown, Printer. 1819. PREFACE. In the following work I have attempted to take a comprehensive and practical view of the Criminal Law. In the first volume are stated the principles, rules, and practice which affect criminal prosecutions in general, from their commencement to their conclusion. In the second and third volumes will be found the law relative to each particular offence, the process against the offender, the indictment, the defence, the evidence, the judgment, and punishment; with a very comprehensive collection of precedents of indictments and informations for each offence, with notes on the component parts of such precedents. The fourth volume contains the pleas to indictments and informations, and proceedings thereon; and the practical forms to be adopted by magistrates and others in the course of the prosecution, whether by indictment or information. But the better to enable the reader to form an opinion how far the subject may be worthy his attention, and to facilitate reference to different parts of the work, as well as to afford the student a concise view of the course of proceedings in criminal cases, it may be expedient to state more particularly the subject of the following pages. As criminal prosecutions, though in the name of the king, are usually instituted by some particular individual, the first volume commences with a statement of the parties competent to prosecute, the obligations and advantages inducing an individual to become the accuser, and the liability which he incurs. In the second chapter, the law relative to arrests on criminal charges, is very fully considered, viz. who may |