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XIV. Any sentence or order upon any person describing him as a European or American shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Act, to be conclusive of the fact that such person is a European or American within the meaning of this Act.

What to be deemed proof that a persou is a European or an American.

XV. The word "European," as used in this Act, shall be Construction of Act. understood to include any person usually designated a European British subject. Words in the singular number or

the masculine gender shall be understood to include several persons as well as one person, and females as well as males, unless there be something in the context repugnant to such construction.

XVI. Repealed by Act XIV. of 1870.

A. D. 1856. ACT XI.

AN ACT for the better prevention of Desertion by European
Soldiers from the Land Forces of Her Majesty in
India.

Passed on the 11th April 1856.

WHEREAS it is expedient to make better provision for Preamble.
apprehending and detaining European deserters from the
land forces in the service of Her Majesty and of the East
India Company in India, and for punishing persons who
aid and encourage such deserters; it is enacted as follows:

certain cases it a deserter be concealed on board his ship.

I. If it shall appear that any officer or soldier, being a Penalty on master in deserter from the said forces, has been concealed on board any merchant vessel, and that the master or person in charge of such vessel for the time being, though ignorant of the fact of such concealment, might have known of the same but for some neglect of his duty as such master or person, or for the want of proper discipline on board his vessel, such master or person shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred rupees. Provided always that no conviction for Proviso. such offence as is hereinafter described shall be lawful, unless the same shall be stated in the charge which the party is called upon to answer; and in such charge, it shall be law

alternative.

Charge may be in the ful to state in the alternative, that the party has either knowingly harboured or concealed a deserter on board his vessel, or has, by neglect of duty or by reason of the want of proper discipline on board the vessel, allowed such deserter to be so concealed.

Jurisdiction.

Conviction to

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be

quashed on merits

viction, &c.

II. Any person, whether a European British subject or not, who shall be guilty of an offence punishable under this Act, shall be punishable for the same by any justice of the peace for any of the presidency towns of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, or for any of the settlements of Prince of Wales' Island, Singapore, and Malacca, magistrate, joint magistrate, or person lawfully exercising the powers of a magistrate in any port within the territories of the East India Company within whose jurisdiction the offence may have been committed, or such person may have been apprehended or found, whether the offence shall have been committed within the local limits of the jurisdiction of such officer or not; and any person hereby made punishable by a justice of the peace shall be punishable on summary conviction.

III. No conviction, order, or judgment of any justice of only: form of con- the peace shall be quashed for error of form or procedure, but only on the merits; and it shall not be necessary to state on the face of the conviction, order, or judgment, the evidence on which it proceeds; but the depositions taken, or a copy of them, shall be returned with the conviction, order, or judgment, in obedience to any writ of certiorari; and if no jurisdiction appears on the face of the conviction, order, or judgment, but the depositions taken supply that defect, the conviction, order, or judgment shall be aided by what so appears in such depositions.

Saving of proceedings under Act No. XIV of 1849.

Proviso.

IV. Nothing in this Act contained shall prevent any justice of the peace, magistrate or other officer having authority in that behalf, from committing for trial any person who shall be charged with an offence punishable under Act No. XIV. of 1849, or any other Act hereafter to be in force, notwithstanding that such offence may be also punishable under this Act. Provided that no proceedings shall have been had against such person in respect of the same offence under this Act.

V. Whenever, on information given on oath or solemn affirmation, where by law a solemn affirmation may be used instead of an oath, to the commanding officer of any fort, garrison, station, regiment, or detachment, at any port or place within the territories of the East India Company, in which no person lawfully exercising magisterial powers can be found, which oath or affirmation the several persons abo venamed shall severally under this Act have power to administer; or whenever, on such information as aforesaid given to any justice of the peace, magistrate, joint magistrate, or person lawfully exercising the powers of a magistrate, having jurisdiction within such port or place, there shall appear reason to suspect that any European officer or soldier belonging to the said forces, who may have deserted or be absent without leave, is on board any ship, vessel or boat, or is concealed on shore at any such port or place within the territories of the East India Company, it shall be lawful for such commanding officer or justice of the peace, magistrate, joint magistrate, or person lawfully. exercising the powers of a magistrate as aforesaid, to issue a warrant authorizing the person or persons to whom such warrant may be addressed, to enter into and search, at any time of the day or night, any such ship, vessel, or boat, or any house or place on shore, and to apprehend any such officer or soldier, and to detain him in custody in order to his being dealt with according to law.

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VI. The warrant to be issued under the preceding section may be addressed to any European officer or soldier of the said forces, or to all constables, peace officers, and other persons who may be bound to execute the warrant of any justice of the peace, magistrate, joint magistrate, or person lawfully exercising the powers of a magistrate, and acting in the execution of this Act; and all such persons shall be bound to execute, perform, and obey such warrant.

VII. Every person who shall be apprehended under any warrant under the 5th Section of this Act, shall be brought without delay before a justice of the peace, magistrate,

Commanding Officer may issue warrants for apprehension of deserters.

Warrant to whom to

be addressed, and by whom to be executed.

Persons apprehended with, &c.

how to be dealt

joint magistrate, or persons lawfully exercising the powers
of a magistrate, in or near the place wherein such person
shall have been arrested, who shall examine such person,
and if he shall be satisfied, either by the confession of such
person or the testimony of one or more witness or witnesses,⚫
or by his own knowledge that such person is a deserter from
the said forces, shall cause him to be delivered, together
with any depositions and papers relative to the case, to .
the commanding officer of the regiment, corps, or detach-
ment to which he shall belong, if the same shall be in or
near the place of such arrest, or if otherwise, then to the
commanding officer of the nearest military station, in order
that he may be dealt with according to law.

A. D 1857. ACT XI.

Preamble.

Executive Government may issue a

• AN ACT for the Prevention, Trial, and Punishment of offences against the State.

Passed on the 30th May 1857.

WHEREAS it is necessary to make due provision for the prevention, trial, and punishment of offences against the State; it is enacted as follows:

I. & II. Repealed by Act XVII. of 1862.

III. Clause 1.-Whenever the Executive Government of commission for the any presidency or place within the said territories shall trial of persons proclaim that any district subject to its government is or charged with certain offences in any has been in a state of rebellion, it shall be lawful for such district proclaimed

rebellion.

to be in a state of Government to issue a commission for the trial of all persons who shall be charged with having committed, within such district, after a day to be specified in the commission, any of the crimes mentioned in the preceding sections, or any other crime against the state, or murder, arson, robbery, or other heinous crime against person or property.

Court may be held in

Clause 2.-The commissioner or commissioners authoriz

any part of the ed by any such commission may hold a court in any part

district.

of the said district mentioned in the commission, and may there try any person for any of the said crimes committed within any part thereof; it being the intention of this Act that the district mentioned in the commission, shall, for the • purpose of trial and punishment of any of the said offences, be deemed one district.

IV. It shall be lawful for the Executive Government, by such commission, to direct that any court held under the commission shall have power, without the attendance or futwa of a law officer, or the assistance of assessors, to pass upon every person convicted before the court of any of the aforesaid crimes, any sentence warranted by law for such crime; and that the judgment of such court shall be final and conclusive; and that the said court shall not be subordinate to the sudder court.

Government may vest certain powers in the court.

Magistrate may com

mit persons for trial before a court held

V. If a commission be issued under the authority of this Act, any magistrate within the district which is described in the commission may commit persons charged with. tinder this Act. any of the aforesaid crimes within such district for trial before a court to be held under this Act.

.VI. Nothing in this Act shall extend to the trial or punishment of any of Her Majesty's natural born subjects born in Europe, or of the children of such subjects.

VII. Whenever the Executive Government shall deem it necessary for the public safety, it shall be lawful for such Government to declare, by proclamation, that from and after a day to be named therein, it shall not be lawful for any person, or for any specified class of persons, to carry or have in their possession any arms or instruments used for warlike purposes, or any specified description of arms or instruments aforesaid, within any district mentioned in the proclamation.

VIII. After the day named in the proclamation, whoever shall carry, or have in his possession, any arms or other such instrument as aforesaid contrary to the proclamation, shall be liable, on conviction before a magistrate, to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees, or to imprisonment for a period

Act not to apply to

British-born sub

jects or their chil

dren.

Government may is. sue proclamation prohibiting the carrying or possession of arms in any district.

Penalty for unlawful possession of arms, &c.

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