tism, marriage, or burial, knowing such entry to be false, forged, or altered, or shall utter any copy of such entry, knowing such entry to be false, forged, or altered, or shall wilfully destroy, deface, or injure, or cause or permit to be destroyed, defaced, or injured, any such register or any part thereof;-or shall forge or alter, or shall utter knowing the same to be forged or altered, any licence of marriage:" felony, transportation for life, or not less than seven years, or imprisonment with or without hard labour for not more than four years, nor less than two. Id. s. 20.

But no rector, vicar, curate, or officiating minister of any parish, district-parish, or chapelry, who shall discover any error in the form or substance of the entry in the register of any baptism, marriage, or burial respectively by him solemnized, shall be liable to any of the penalties herein mentioned, if he shall, within one calendar month after the discovery of such error, in the presence of the parent or parents of the child baptized, or of the parties married, or in the presence of two persons who shall have attended at any burial, or in the case of the death or absence of the respective parties aforesaid, then in the presence of the churchwardens or chapelwardens, correct the entry which shall have been found to be erroneous according to the truth of the case, by entry in the margin of the register wherein such erroneous entry shall have been made, without any alteration or obliteration of the original entry, and shall sign such entry in the margin, and add to such signature the day of the month and year when such correction shall be made; and such correction and signature shall be attested by the parties in whose presence the same are directed to be made as aforesaid. Id. s. 21.

Also by stat. 6 & 7 W. 4, c. 86, which established a general registry of all births, marriages and burials in England, and which provided that books should be kept by the registrars for the purpose of registering them, it is enacted by sect. 43, that " every person who shall wilfully destroy or injure, or cause to be destroyed or injured, any such register book, or any part or certified copy of any part thereof, or shall falsely make or counterfeit, or cause to be falsely made or counterfeited, any part of any such register book or certified copy thereof, or shall wilfully insert or cause to be inserted in any register book or certified copy thereof any false entry of any birth, death, or marriage, or shall wilfully give any false certificate, or shall certify any writing to be a copy or extract of any register book, knowing the same register to be false in any part thereof, or shall forge or counterfeit the seal of the register office :" felony; 6 & 7 W. 4, c. 86, s. 43; transportation for seven years, or imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for not more than two years. 7 & 8 G. 4, c. 28, s. 8.

The stat. 6 & 7 W. 4, c. 86, s. 44, contains a similar provision for the correction of errors, as the above sect. 21 of stat. 1 W. 4, c. 66.

Making false entries in copies sent to the registrar.] "And If any person shall knowingly and wilfully insert, or cause or permit to be inserted, in any copy of any register to be transmitted to the registrar of the diocese, any false entry of any matter relating to any baptism, marriage, or burial, or shall forge or alter, or shall utter knowing the same to be forged or altered, any copy of any register so to be transmitted as aforesaid, or shall knowingly and wilfully sign or verify any copy of any register so to be transmitted as aforesaid, which copy shall be false in any part thereof, knowing the same to be false felony, transportation for seven years, or imprisonment with or without hard labour for not more than two years or less than one. 1 W. 4, c. 66. s. 22.

6. Prosecution of Offences, &c.

Offences where to be tried, &c.] In all cases of forgery, whether at common law or by virtue of any statute, the offence may be dealt with, tried, and laid and charged to have been committed, in any county or place in which the offender shall be apprehended or be in custody; and every accessary before or after the fact to any such offence, if the same be a felony, and every person aiding, abetting, or counselling the commission of any such offence, if the same be a misdemeanor, may be dealt with, indicted, tried, and punished, and his offence laid and charged to have been committed, in any county or place in which the principal offender may be tried. Id. s. 24.

And where any offence punishable under this Act shall be committed within the jurisdiction of the admiralty, it shall be dealt with, inquired of, tried, and determined in the same manner as any other offence committed within that jurisdiction. Id. s. 27.

Principals and accessaries.] Every principal in the second degree, and every accessary before the fact, shall be punishable in the same manner as the principal in the first degree; and every accessary after the fact to any felony punishable under this Act shall, on conviction, be liable to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years. Id. s. 25.

Hard labour, &c.] Where any person shall be convicted of any offence, punishable under this Act with imprisonment, the court may sentence him to be imprisoned, with or without hard labour, in the common gaol or house of correction,

and also direct that the offender shall be kept in solitary confinement for the whole or any portion or portions of such imprisonment, as to the court in its discretion shall seem meet. Id. s. 26.

FRAMEWORK KNITTERS.

See " Larceny," "Malicious Injuries," "Manufactures.”

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.`

It is not intended here to treat of friendly societies, but merely of the duties of justices with respect to them. This shall be done under the following heads, merely premising an observation or two as to the purposes for which such societies may be formed. By stat. 33 G. 3, c. 54, s. 1, any number of persons may form themselves into and establish one or more society or societies of good fellowship, for raising by subscription of the members thereof, or by voluntary contribution, [or donations, 10 G. 4, c. 56, s. 2,] a fund for the mutual relief and maintenance of the members thereof, in old age, sickness and infirmity, or for the relief of the widows and children of deceased members." This, by stat. 10 G. 4, c. 56, s. 2, was extended to "the mutual relief and maintenance of all and every the members thereof, their wives, or children, or other relations, in sickness, infancy, advanced age, widowhood, or any other natural state or contingency, whereof the occurrence is susceptible of calculation by way of average." And by stat. 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 40, s. 2, it was still further extended to "the mutual relief and maintenance of all and every the members thereof, their wives, children, relations, or nominees, in sickness, infancy, advanced age, widowhood, or any other natural state or contingency, whereof the occurrence is susceptible of calculation by way of average, or for any other purpose which is not illegal; provided always, that when the rules of any society provide for the relief in any other case than that of sickness, infancy, advanced age, widowhood, or other natural state or contingency, as aforesaid, the contributions for such other purpose shall be kept separate and distinct, or the charges defrayed by extra subscriptions of the members at the time such contingencies take place."

Their rules.] The members of such a society may from

time to time assemble together, and make such proper and wholesome rules for the government and guidance of the same, as to the majority of the assembly shall seem meet, so as such rules be not repugnant to the laws of this realm, nor any of the express provisions or regulations of this Act; and may impose such reasonable fines and forfeitures upon such members as shall offend against any of the rules, as shall be just and necessary for duly enforcing the same, to be paid to such uses for the benefit of the society as by such rules they shall direct. 10 G. 4, c. 56, s. 2. These rules shall declare the purposes for which the society is established, and to which the funds shall be applied; Id. s. 3; they shall contain provisions as to the powers and duties of the members at large, and of such committees or officers as may be appointed for the management of the affairs of the society; Id. s. 10; they shall specify the place at which the meetings of the society shall be holden, which, however, may be altered when deemed necessary; Id.; and shall specify whether a reference of disputes between the society and members, &c., shall be to such justices of the peace as may act for the county in which such society may be formed, or to arbitrators to be appointed as directed by the Act. Id. s. 27. And these rules may from time to time be altered and amended, or annulled, and new rules substituted for them; Id. s. 2; provided this be done at some general meeting of the members, convened by public notice, in manner directed by the Act. Id. s. 9.

Two transcripts of these rules, signed by three members, and countersigned by the clerk or secretary, shall be transmitted to the barrister appointed to certify the rules of saving banks, who shall certify on oath that the same are in conformity to law, and shall return one transcript to the society, and shall transmit the other to the clerk of the peace for the county in which such society shall be formed; and the clerk of the peace shall, thereupon, lay the same before the justices for such county, at the general quarter sessions, or adjournment thereof, held next after the time when such transcript shall have been certified and transmitted to him as aforesaid; and the justices then and there present shall, without motion, allow and confirm the same, and the clerk of the peace shall thereupon file them with the rolls of the sessions, without fee or reward; and all rules or alterations thereof shall be binding on the members, &c., of the society, from the time they shall be so certified by the barrister. 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 40, s. 4.

Complaints how determined.] First, as to societies which have been formed previously to stat. 10 Geo. 4, c. 56, and which have not conformed to the provisions of that Act (see 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 40, s. 14), if any member [or the widow or child of any deceased member, 59 G. 3, c. 128, s. 15,] shall

think himself aggrieved by any act or omission of the society, or of any person acting under them, he may complain thereof on oath to any two neighbouring justices, who shall summon the presidents, wardens, stewards, or other principal officers, or any one of them, if the complaint be against the society collectively, or the officer complained of, if the complaint be of him individually, and also the person having the custody of the rules of the society; and such justices, at the time and place mentioned in such summons, whether the party summoned appear or not, (on proof on oath of such summons being duly served or left at his usual place of abode,) shall proceed to hear and determine the matter of such complaint, according to the true purport and meaning of the rules so confirmed as aforesaid, and shall make such order [upon such officer or officers by name, 49 G. 3, c. 125, s. 3,] as to them shall seem just, which shall be final to all intents and purposes. 33 G. 3, c. 54, s. 15. See R. v. Soper, et al. 3 B. & C. 857. If the order be for payment of a sum of money, as relief, and the sum be not forthwith paid, the justices by their warrant may cause the same and costs to be levied by distress of the goods of the society, or in default of such distress, by distress of the goods of the officer who refused the relief. 49 G 3, c. 125, s. 3. In all other cases the only mode of enforcing this order, is by indictment. See R. v. Gilkes, et al, 8 B. & C. 439. R. v. Wade, 1 B. & Ad. 861. R. v. Inge, 2 Smith, 56.

On the other hand, if a member of any such society shall offend against any of the rules, any two justices residing within the county, riding, city, &c., wherein such society shall be held, upon complaint made on oath by any member, may summon such person; and upon his appearance, or (in default thereof) upon proof on oath of the service of such summons, the justice shall proceed to hear and determine the complaint, according to the rules of the society, so confirmed as aforesaid, and shall make such order as to them shall seem just. 49 G. 3, c. 125, s. 1. And if the order be for the payment of a sum of money, and the party on notice thereof shall not forthwith pay the same, the justices by their warrant shall cause such sum and costs to be levied by distress. Id.

If the rules of such society shall contain a provision that disputes between the society and any member thereof shall be referred to arbitration, it shall be so referred; and the award of the arbitrators shall be final. 33 G. 3, c. 54, s. 16. See 10 G. 4, c. 56, s. 27, post, p. 381.

Secondly, as to societies formed since stat. 10 G. 4, c. 56, or which have conformed to the provisions of that Act:— By that statute all former Acts are repealed, 10 G. 4, c. 56, s. 1, except so far as respects societies before formed, and until they shall have conformed to the provisions of that Act. 4 & 5 W. 4, c. 40, s. 14. And by the rules of the societies