No. 2.-4 Geo. 4, ch. 52. An Act to alter and amend the Law relating to the Interment of the Remains of any Person found felo de se. (8th July, 1823.) WH HEREAS it is expedient that the laws and usages relating to the interment of the remains of persons against whom a finding of felo de se shall be had, should be altered and amended; 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 assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this Act it shall not be lawful for any coroner, or other officer having authority to hold inquests, to issue any warrant or other process directing the interment of the remains of persons against whom a finding of felo de se shall be had, in any public highway, but that such coroner or other officer shall give directions for the private interment of the remains of such person felo de se, without any stake being driven through the body of such person, in the churchyard or other burial-ground of the parish or place in which the remains of such person might, by the laws or custom of England, be interred if the verdict of felo de se had not been found against such person; such interment to be made within twenty-four hours from the finding of the inquisition, and to take place between the hours of nine and twelve at night. II. Provided nevertheless, That nothing herein contained shall authorize the performing any of the rites of Christian burial on the interment of the remains of any such person as aforesaid; nor shall anything hereinbefore contained be taken to alter the laws or usages relating to the burial of such persons, except so far as relates to the interment of such remains in such churchyard or burial-ground, at such time and in such manner as aforesaid. No. 3.-7 & 8 Geo. 4. ch. 18. An Act to prohibit the setting of W HEREAS it is expedient to prohibit the setting of spring guns, and man-traps and other usages calculated to destroy human life or inflict grievous bodily harm; Be it therefore enacted and declared 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 assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this Act, if any person shall set or place, or cause to be set or placed, any Spring gun, man trap, or other engine calculated to destroy human life, or inflict grievous bodily harm, with the intent that the same or whereby the same may destroy or inflict grievous bodily harm upon a trespasser, or other person coming in contact therewith, the person so setting or placing, or causing to be so set or placed, such gun, trap, or engine as aforesaid, shall be guilty of a misde meanour. II. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained shall extend to make it illegal to set any gin or trap such as may have been or may be usually set with the intent of destroying vermin. III. And be it further enacted and declared, That if any person shall knowingly and wilfully permit any such spring gun, mantrap, or other engine as aforesaid, which may have been set, fixed, or left in any place then being in or afterwards coming into his or her possession or occupation, by some other person or persons, to continue so set or fixed, the person so permitting the same to continue shall be deemed to have set and fixed such gun, trap, or engine, with such intent as aforesaid. IV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act shall be deemed or construed to make it a misdemeanour within the meaning of this Act, to set or cause to be set, or to be continued set, from sunset to sunrise, any spring gun, man-trap, or other engine, which shall be set or caused or continued to be set in a dwelling-house for the protection thereof. V. Provided always, and it is hereby further enacted and declared, That nothing in this Act contained shall in any manner affect or authorize any proceedings in any civil or criminal Court touching any matter or thing done or committed previous to the passing of this Act. No. 3. Act 7 & 8 G. 4, c. 18. Persons permitting Guns, Traps, &c., set by others to continue, deemed to have set the same. Proviso for Guns, Traps, Not to affect proceedings already commenced. VI. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in Not to extend this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to that to Scotland. part of the United Kingdom called Scotland. No. 4.-9 Geo. 4, ch. 32. An Act for amending the Law of Evidence in certain cases. (27th June, 1828.) W No. 4. Act 9 G. 4, c. 32. may, instead make their solemn Affir HEREAS it is expedient that Quakers and Moravians should be allowed to give evidence upon their solemn affirmation in all cases, criminal as well as civil, and that in prosecutions for forgery, the party interested should be rendered a competent witness; Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, Quakers or by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Moravians Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, required to give Evidence and by the authority of the same, that every Quaker or Moravian who shall be required to give evidence in any case whatsoever, of an Oath, criminal or civil, shall, instead of taking an oath in the usual form, be permitted to make his or her solemn affirmation or declaration in the words following: that is to say, I, A. B., do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm;" which said affirmation or declaration shall be of the same force and effect in all Courts of Justice and other places where by law an oath is required as if such Quaker or Moravian had taken an oath in the usual form; and if any person making such affirmation or declaration shall be convicted of having wilfully, falsely, and corruptly affirmed or declared any matter or thing, which if the same had been sworn in the usual form would have amounted to wilful and corrupt perjury, every such offender shall be subject to the same pains, penalties, and forfeitures to which persons convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury are or shall be subject. mation, which the same or Criminal. No. 2.-4 Geo. 4, ch. 52. An Act to alter and W1 to the Interment of the Remains of dictment ay statute rument, or of any deed, wing the same the fact to any ing, abetting, or ce, if the same be a to be an incompetent ution, by reason of any or be supposed to have in ament, or other matter. HEREAS it is expedient th such coroner or th der ent to prevent all doubts respectis convicted of felonies not capital, unishment to which they were adjudged; That where any offender hath been or shall relony not punishable with death, and hath endure the punishment to which such offender stake being shall be adjudged for the same, the punishment so and shall have the like effects and consequences as a yard or of remains the Great Seal as to the felony whereof the offender be intenvicted: Provided always, that nothing herein contained, enduring of such punishment, shall prevent or mitigate any ment to which the offender might otherwise be lawfully on a subsequent conviction for any other felony. 1. And whereas there are certain misdemeanours which render parties convicted thereof incompetent witnesses, and it is exIpedient to restore the competency of such parties after they have such fror h any ndergone their punishment; Be it therefore enacted, That where offender hath been or shall be convicted of any such misdemeanour (except perjury or subornation of perjury), and hath endured or shall endure the punishment to which such offender hath been or shall be adjudged for the same, such offender shall not, after the punishment so endured, be deemed to be by reason of such misdemeanour, an incompetent witness in any Court or proceeding, civil or criminal. No. 5.-10 Geo. 4, ch. 7. An Act for the relief of His Majesty's WE HEREAS by various Acts of Parliament certain restraints and disabilities are imposed on the Roman Catholic subjects of His Majesty, to which other subjects of His Majesty are not liable; And whereas it is expedient that such restraints and disabilities shall be from henceforth discontinued; And whereas by various Acts certain oaths and certain declarations, commonly called the declaration against transubstantiation, and the declaration against transubstantiation and the invocation of saints and the sacrifice of the mass as practised in the Church of Rome are or may be required to be taken, made, and subscribed by the subjects of His Majesty, as qualifications for sitting and voting in Parlia ment, and for the enjoyment of certain offices, franchises, and civil vote in Parliament, on taking the at from and after the commencement of Roman ful for any person professing the Roman Catholics ing a peer, or who shall after the commence- may sit and De returned as a member of the House of Comad vote in either House of Parliament respectively, other respects duly qualified to sit and vote therein Oath. ing and subscribing the following oath, instead of the oaths egiance, supremacy, and abjuration: "I, A. B., do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George the Fourth, and will defend him to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatever which shall be made against his person, crown, or dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to His Majesty, his heirs, and successors, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which may be formed against him or them: And I do faithfully promise to maintain, support, and defend to the utmost of my power the succession of the crown, which succession by an Act, entitled An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown, and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,' is and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, electress of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being protestants; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto any other person claiming or pretending a right to the crown of this realm: And I do further declare that it is not an article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure the opinion that princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope or any other authority of the see of Rome may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or by any person whatsoever: And I do declare that I do not believe that the Pope of Rome or any other foreign prince, prelate, person, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm. I do swear that I will defend to the utmost of my power the settlement of property within this realm as established by the laws: And I do hereby disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present church establishment as settled by law within this realm: And I do solemnly swear that I never will exercise any privilege to which I am or may become entitled to disturb or weaken the Protestant religion or Protestant Government in the United Kingdom: And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare that I do make this declaration and every part thereof in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever, "SO HELP ME GOD." No. 4. Act 9 G. 4, c. 32. The party whose name is forged shall be a competent Witness in Prosecutions for Forgery. Every punish ment for Felony, after it has been endured, shall have the effect of a Pardon under the Great Seal. No Misdemeanour (except Perjury) shall render a party an incompetent Witness after he has undergone the Punishment. II. And be it enacted, That on any prosecution by indictment or information, either at common law or by virtue of any statute against any person for forging any deed, writing, instrument, or other matter whatsoever; or for uttering or disposing of any deed, writing, instrument, or other matter whatsoever, knowing the same to be forged; or for being accessary before or after the fact to any such offence, if the same be a felony; or for aiding, abetting, or counselling the commission of any such offence, if the same be a misdemeanour; no person shall be deemed to be an incompetent witness in support of any such prosecution, by reason of any interest which such person may have or be supposed to have in respect of such deed, writing, instrument, or other matter. III. And whereas it is expedient to prevent all doubts respecting the civil rights of persons convicted of felonies not capital, who have undergone the punishment to which they were adjudged; Be it therefore enacted, That where any offender hath been or shall be convicted of any felony not punishable with death, and hath endured or shall endure the punishment to which such offender hath been or shall be adjudged for the same, the punishment so endured hath and shall have the like effects and consequences as a pardon under the Great Seal as to the felony whereof the offender was so convicted: Provided always, that nothing herein contained, nor the enduring of such punishment, shall prevent or mitigate any punishment to which the offender might otherwise be lawfully sentenced on a subsequent conviction for any other felony. IV. And whereas there are certain misdemeanours which render the parties convicted thereof incompetent witnesses, and it is expedient to restore the competency of such parties after they have undergone their punishment; Be it therefore enacted, That where any offender hath been or shall be convicted of any such misdemeanour (except perjury or subornation of perjury), and hath endured or shall endure the punishment to which such offender hath been or shall be adjudged for the same, such offender shall not, after the punishment so endured, be deemed to be by reason of such misdemeanour, an incompetent witness in any Court or proceeding, civil or criminal. No. 5. Act 10 G. 4, c. 7. No. 5.-10 Geo. 4, ch. 7. An Act for the relief of His Majesty's WH HEREAS by various Acts of Parliament certain restraints and disabilities are imposed on the Roman Catholic subjects of His Majesty, to which other subjects of His Majesty are not liable; And whereas it is expedient that such restraints and disabilities shall be from henceforth discontinued; And whereas by various Acts certain oaths and certain declarations, commonly called the declaration against transubstantiation, and the declaration against transubstantiation and the invocation of saints and the sacrifice of the mass as practised in the Church of Rome are or may be required to be taken, made, and subscribed by the subjects of His Majesty, as qualifications for sitting and voting in Parliament, and for the enjoyment of certain offices, franchises, and civil |