68 C. 25. Anno primo Georgii Regis. Stat. 2. A. D. 1714. (which they or any of them have hereby Power to adminifter) or Confeffion of fuch Party fo offending,' as aforefaid, or other legal Proof thereof, to convict, the Party or Parties fo offending, by Writing under' his or any of their Hands and Seals, and to impofe fuch Fine or Fines upon all or every fuch Perfon or Perfons fo offending and convicted, as aforefaid, as to the (aid Treafurer, Comptroller, Surveyor, Clerk of the Acts, and the Commiffioners of the Navy, for the Time being, or any one or more of them^ . . . . , fhall in his or their Difcretion feem meet; the faid Fine or Fines not exceeding double the Value of the bv D ftrefs, and Naval Goods, Provifions, Victuals, Stores or Ammunition fo imbezilled or carried away;. which-Fine for want thereof or Fines (hall be levied by Diltrefs and- Sale of the Goods of fuch Offender, by virtue of the Warrant of Imprifonment fuch Officer or Officers who fhall fo convict the faid Offender, directed in manner aforefaid,. to -the Perfou ior 3 Months. or Perfons aforefaid, returning the Overplus, if any be,- to the Owner of fuch Goods; or in cafe no Ef- ficient Diftrefs can te found, as aforefaid, the Party or Parties fo offending fhall, by virtue of the' War- rant of fuch Officer before whom fuch Perfon or Perfons fhall be convicted, be imprifoned in the next Gaol for any Space of Time, not exceeding three Months, without Bail or Mainprize. V. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Treafurer, Comptroller, Sur- veyor, Clerk of the Acts and Commiffioners of the Navy for- the Time being,, or any one or more of them, upon Oath of one or more credible Witneffes (which he and they have hereby Power to adminifter) Nival Stores teftifying, That his Majefty's Naval Goods, Stores, Ammunition, or Naval Provifions,- or any Part thereof, . imbezilled and are conveyed into any Ship or Veffel whatfoever, and mentioning the Name of fuch Ship or Veffel being at boarTihain^: Anchor, and not ready to fail that Tide, within any of the Roads, Harbours, Creeks, or Rivers within his- i'-ized by War- Majefty's Dominions, or any Perfon or Perfons by their or one of their Warrant or Warrants (in which rantof the faid Warrant or Warrants the Quantity or Quality of fuch Goods fhall be fpecified) thereunto authorized and Treafurer, &c. appointed in the Day-time, fhall have-full Power and Authority to go on board any fuch Ship or- Veffel. whatfoever, being within any of the Places aforefaid;, and in-cafe Reiiffance or Refufal be made upon De- mand, to enter and break open the Hatches and Cabbins, or other Places of fuch Ship or Veffel, and fearch therein for any fuch Naval Goods, Stores, Ammunition or Provifions belonging. to his Majefty's Navy, which have been imbezilled, purloined and taken away; and the fame to feize, take and carry away to any of his Majefty's Yards or Store-houfes, to be applied to his Majefty's Ufe, unlefs the faid Of- ficers and Commiffioners, upon hearing the Matter, fhall find they were unduly feized, and thereupon re-- ftore them to the Party claiming the fame, which they are hereby impowered. to do. F.:nifSiment of VI. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That every Perfon or Perfons who fhalLcoun-i- counterfeiting terfeit the Hands of the Treafurer, Comptroller, Surveyor, Clerk of the Acts, or of the Commiffioners T'Tafurer °&c " °'" t ^ le Navy, or of any of them, or the Hand or Hands of the iigning; or vouching Officers of his Majefty's Navy,. Ships or Yards, or the Hand or Hands of any one. or more of them, . to any Bill, . Ticket, or other Papers, by virtue whereof his Majefty's Naval Treafure is or may be paid or dilpofed of, or fhall know- ingly produce any fuch counterfeit Ticket, Bill, or other Paper, every fuch Perfon or Perfons fo offend- ing, fhall or may be lawfully commitied to Prifon by the faid Officers or Commiffioners^ or anyone of them, until he fnall find Surety to appear at the next General Affizes of Ouarter-feffions of the Peace for the County, Town or Place where fuch Offender fhall be fo committed to Prifon, to be- there proceeded againft according to Law. 9 Sc 10 W. 3. ' VII, And whereas by an Act made in the ninth and tentfi Years of the Reign of his late Majefty c. 41. ' Kin? William the Third, intituled, An A3 for the better preventing the bnbe%ilment of his Majejlf s Stores OmcirmrigEm- i of IFar, and preventing Cheats, Frauds and Abufes in paying Seamen' s IVages, among other Things there-- •vol Stores, fa * in contained, reciting, That forafmuch as divers wicked Perfons for Lucre and Gain, had perfonated farther $Geo.i. ' Seamen who had really ferved, or were fuppofed to have ferved on board of his Majefty's Ships, and <-. 11.fi 16. 6 ' thereby had received divers Sums of his Majefty's Money at the Pay-office, or elfewhere, of his Maje-- Oa. 1. c. 15^ <■ jf|.y' s Officers appointed for Payment of his Majefty's Fleet and Ships, in Deceit as well of his Majefty. t,Gio. 1! "cA." ' as °f the Perfons who had really ferved on board any of his Majefty's Ships; and had alio for fuch wick- 2 Geo. 2.'. c 35. ' ed Purpofes forged and counterfeited divers Letters of Attorney, or Bills of Sale, and Alignments, or it Geo. a. c, 40. ' Laft Wills, in the Name or Names of Perfons who had really ferved, or were fuppofed to have ferved- ' on board his Majefty's faid Ships; and had and did alfo procure daily divers Men and Women to per- ' fonate, and divers wicked Perfons did of their own accord perfoliate the Wives, Relations or Creditors
- of fuch Seamen, who had or were fuppofed to have ferved on board of his Majefty's Ships, and thereby
' had falfely taken out of Letters of Adminiftration to fuch Seaman or Seamen, having ferved or fuppofed
- to have ferved on board of his Majefty's Ships, or had forged and counterfeited Letters of Attorney,
' Bills of Sale, or other Authorities, in the Names of the Executors or Adminiftrators of fuch Seamen, . ■' for the Receipt of fuch Wages as were due or fuppofed to be due to fuch Seamen, having ferved or fup-
- pofed to have ferved, as aforefaid : For the Prevention of which faid wicked Practices, it was thereby
' enacted, That all and every fuch Perfon or Perfons, his, h'er or their Aiders or Abettors, that mould be ' convicted of the faid Crimes and Offences committed, from and after the twenty-fourth Day of June ' which, was in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred ninety-eight, fhould for every fuch Of- ■* fence, over and above the Penalties to be inflicted by any Laws then in Force, forfeit the Sum of two
- hundred Pounds, together with Cofls of Profecution : And whereas fome Doubts have arifen, whether
' any Offender or Offenders,, who fhall or may be convicted of fome or one of the Crimes or Offences ' mentioned in the laid Act, and fhall not be convicted of all the fame Crimes and Offences, fhall, as the Perfons 'St * ^ a '^ ^^ ^ P ennec '5 be fubjecf and liable to the Penalties in the faid Act impofed on fuch Offenders :' ed.of any the^ " ^ oc explaining whereof, Be it enacted and declared by the Authority aforefaid, That all and every Perfon Crimes in the and Perfons, hrs, her 5 qj their Aiders or Abettors., Aider or Abettor, that (hall be convicted of all or any the
