A. D. 1754. Anno vlcefimo feptiino Georgii If. C. 14 — 16. 557 CAP. XIV. An Aa to continue feveral Laws relating to the Diftemper now raging among the Horned Cattle in this*^ 'O^'o. i, c. Kingdom. 30 Gi-o. 2. f. 20. 5- ^oCn.i.c. CAP. XV. *■ An Act to explain and amend an Ad made in the ninth Year of the Reign of his late Majefty ■ King George the Firfl, intituled, Aji AEt for the more effe^ual fumjhwg -kicked and evil difpofed Perfons going armed and difguifed, and doing Injuries and Violences to the Perfons end Properties of his Majefifs SubjeHs ; and for thefpeedy bringing the Offenders to Jufiice. and difguifed, and doing Injuries and Violences to the Perfons and Properties of his 'Majefifs Sidjei'^s; and foj thefpeedy bringing the Offenders to Jrijlic: ; it is amongft other Thinos enafted. That if any Perfon or Per- '°' ^" "" "*" ' fons, from and after the firft oijmie in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and twenty- three, fhall knowingly fend any'Letter without any Name fubfcribed thereto, or figned with a fidiitious Name, demanding Money, Venifon, or other valuable Thing, or {hall forcibly refcue any Perfon being lawfully in Cuftody of any Officer or other Perfon, for any of the Offences in the faid AQ. mentioned, every Perfon fo offending, being thereof lawfully convidted, fliall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and fhall fuffer Death, as in Cafes of 1-elony, without Benefit of Clcr2;y : And whereas divers Letters have been fent to feveral of his Majefly's Subjefts, threatening their Lives or burning their Houfes, which Letters not demanding Money, Venifon, or any valuable Efrefts, are not fubjeft to the Penalties of the faid A.& :' To prevent the like mifchievous and iniquitous Proceedings for the future. Be it enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That if any PerfcrtPerronyconvlft- or Perfons, from and after the firft Day of May one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-four, fliall knowingly ed of fending^ fend any Letter without any Name fubfcribed thereto, or figned with a fictitious Name or Names, Letter or:^'^=^'=.'""? "■■ . Letters, threatening to kill or murder any of his Majefty's Subjeft or Subjefls, or to burn, their Houfes, J^""">'i" Out-houfes, Barns, Stacks of Corn or Grain, Hay or Straw, though no Money or Venifon, or other valuable' ' Thing fhall be demanded in or by fuch Letter or Letters ; or fhall forcibly refcue any Perfon being lawfully or of lefcuine in Cuftody of any Officer or other Perfon for the faid Offence, every Perfon fo offending, being thereof P^'onsinCuf^o- lav/fully convifted, fhall be adjudged guilty of Felony, and fliall fufter Death as in Cafes of Felony without f>' ° ^'-'l- Benefit' of Clergy. & a y y, y fcnc«, to i»ft.^ CAP. xvr. An A6t for making perpetual feveral Laws for Punifliment of Perfons deftroying Turnpikes, Locks or other Works erecled by Authority of Parliament; and that all Atls made for crefting Courts of Confcience fhall be deemed publick A(fls -, and to impower a certain. Number of the Truftecs of te. Brttifj Mufsum to do certain Afts ; and for confirming the Table of Fees to be taken by the Clerks to the Juftices of the Peace for the County of Mid..- dlefex ; and^/or giving further Time for the Payment of Duties omitted to be prdd for tlie Indentures or Contrafts of Clerks and Apprentices -, and for filing Affidavits of the Execu- tion of Contrads of Clerks to Attornies and Solicitors j and for preventing Perfons driving^ certain Carriages from riding upon fuch Carriages. WHEREAS an KSi. made in the fifth Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty, intituled. An J<3 ^^o. z. c. 33^. to explain, amend and render more cffcEiual an ASl pafed i?i the firjl Year of his prej'cnt Majejly's Reign, intituled. An Aft for punifhing fuch Perfons as ftrall wilfully and malicioufly pull down and deftroy Turn- pikes for repairing Highways, or Locks or other Works erected by Authority of Parliament for making Pvivcrs navigable ; and alfo an A(5l made in the eighth Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty, intituled, g Geo. -'. c. :d«. An A£i for rendering the Laius more effeciual for punijlnngfud) Perfons as Jh.ill ivilfidly and ?naUciorfly pull down or defray Turnpikes for repairing Higlnvays, or Locks or other IVorks ereHed by ASi of Parliament fovr m :king Rivers navigable, and for other Purpofes therein mentioned; which faidAfts expired, and were after- wards by an AGs. made in the fifteenth and fixteenth Year of his prefent Majefty's Reign revived^ ^"'^ ^^^i- & j6 Gee- 2 to be in force for the Purpci'es therein mentioned from the firft Day oljune one thoufand {^wtn hundred c. ,3. and forty-two, until the fiift Day of 'June one thoufand feven hundred and forty-feven; and which by another AcS made in the twentieth Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty was further continued from,oCco_2_ 0.47^ the Expiration thereof, until the firft Day of June one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-four, and from, thence to the End of the then next Seflion of Parliament, have been found by Experience to-be ufeful and. beneficial, and are near expiring ;' May it therefore pleafe your Majefiry that it may. be enacted, and be t enadted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords .Spiri-'j-i^^r^.^.l^.^ ^^ tual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the famej,madepeipemjj.,. That the faid A£ts fhall be, and the fame are hereby made perpetual. IL And whereas many Inconveniencies have arifen by reafon feveral Afts for erefting Courts of Re-.^j] :^p^^ ^^^ . covery