A. D. 1747' Anno vicefimo Georgii II. Ci 24. 31 Ports in Great Britain) fuch Regifter and Regifters fo neglefting or refufing, fliall forfeit the Sum of five Penaky 500I. hundred Pounds, to be recovered by him or them who will fue for the fame, by Aflion of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any Court of Record in Great Britain or America, or in any other of his Ma- jefty's Dominions or elfewhere ; in which no Eflbin, Prote<Slion, Privilege or Wager of Law, or more than one Imparlance fhall be allowed. XIV. And for the more effeilual making fuch Letters of Attorney Evidence of the Agency of the Perfon Copies of the orPerfons to whom the iame are made. Be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid. That true Copies Letters of Attor- of fuch Letter and Letters of Attorney, and of Tranf ripts under Seal, tranlmitted by the faid Regifter or £^^|jjj„^'j^'^ Regifters of the Court and Courts of Admiralty of his Majefty's Plantations in j1?ncrica, and elfewhere within his- Majefty's Dominions, and regiftered by the faid Treafurer of Greenzvich Hofpital, fliall, from time to time and at all Times hereafter, be good and fufficient Evidence of the Agency of the Perfon or Perlbns to whom fuch Letter of Attorney is or fhall be made, and from time to time and at all Times hereafter fhall be admitted, without further or other Proof thereof, to be legal Evidence in all his Majefty's Couris of Record of Law or Equity; any Law, Cuftom or Ul'age to the contrary thereof in any wife not- withftanding. ' XV. And whereas feveral of the Agents for Prizes have, ftnce the twenty-ninth Day of A'farch one ' thoufand feven hundred and forty-four, been vexatioufly fued by Perlbns v.-ho have been made Run in the ' Lifts of the Names of the Officers, Seamen, Marines, Soldieis or others who were Equally on Board ' fuch of his Majefty's Ships or VefTels of War at the talcing of fuch Prize or Prizes, and which faid Lifts ' were duly certified after the Condemnation of fuch Prize or Prizes, and tranfmitted to the faid Agents, ' though the Plaintiifs in fuch Suits knew, that by the feveral Afts of Parliament herein before recited, ' and pafl'ed in the thirteenth and feventeenth Years of his prefent Majefty, their refpedtive Shares of fuch ' Prizes weie forfeited by their running away from the Service, and granted to the IJk of Gi-ee?ivjich Ho- ■' fpital, and that the faid Agents are but the Receivers thereof, and have the Care and Cuftody of the Mo- -* nies arifing by fuch Shares, to and for the Eenfit of the faid Hofpital, till the End of three Years limited ,^-
- by the faid A&s, and within three Calendar Months after the Expiration of w'hich three Years the faid
- Agents are obliged by the faid Acts to account for, and pay over the fame to theUli: of the faid Hofpital,
' under certain Penalces in the faid AiSts contained ; which faid Run-men very often commence the(e Suits ' before all the 1 imes appointed for the Payment of the faid Shares are expired, and being generally Pau- ' pers, they often dii'continue the faid Suits and abfcond, whereby the faid Agents are put to great Cofts ia ■ ' the Defence of the fame, and have no Means of recovering the fame, and therefore deduct iuch Cofts
- out of the Monies arifing from fuch Shares remaining in their Hands at the Time of their accounting
- with and paying it to the Treafurer of the faid Hofpital or his Deputy, who are not authorized by the
- faid Afls to allow the fame ; nor can the Governor and Direftors of the faid Hofpital enter into the De-
- fence of the faid Suits, whilft the faid Monies remain in the faid Agents Hands, till it becomes payableto
' the faid Hofpital, according to the Direfbions of the faid A£ls ;' Be it therefore enafled by the Authority Agents not Ka- aforefaid. That no Agent or Agents fnali be liable to be fued, impleaded or arrefted by any Perfon or Per- ble to he fued fons who fhall hereafter be made Run from his Majefty's Service, in the faid Lifts tranfmitted to them ofbyPerfons the Names of the Officers, Seamen, ?.4arines. Soldiers or others intitled to fuch Shares, till the End of """de Ri^n, three Months next after the Expiration of three Years, limited by the Acis aforefaid, unlefs the Perfon or tm j Months Perfons fo made Run, (hall obtain a Certificate before any Aftion brought from the Commiffioners of his after the3 Years Majefty's Navy, who lubfcribed and tranimitted the (aid Lifts, the faid Agent or Agents, or Ibme of them, limited, unlefs or their proper Officer or Officers, that the R or R's are taken off", and the Forfeitures of fuch Share or a^^", (j'^'^gj^^^f Shares discharged, and the faid Agent or Agents, on the producing fuch Certificate or Certificates fhall re- the rs being" fufe to pay the fame, in cafe the fame be due and payable, according to the Dirc£lions in his Majefty's faid taken oft; &c. Declaration within two Months after Demand made on fuch Certificate. ' XVI. And whereas feveral of the common Penfioners and Nurfes in the faid Royal Hofpital of late have ' pawned or otherwife difpofed of the Wearing Clothes, Linen and other Goods delivered to them to wear ' and ufe during their being Penfioners or Nurfes of the faid Hofpital, and continuing therein, and put the ' faid Hofpital to great Charge in redeeming or purchafing the fame, and arc much encouraged by Pawn- ' brokers and other ill-difpofed Perfons, for Lucre's Sake fo to do, though they know the Perfon or Per- ' fons who pawn or iell fuch Cloths and Linen, by the Colour, Make and Marks of and in the faid Clothes ' and Linen have no abfolute or legal Intereft or Pioperty in the fame; and that the faid Penfioners and ' Nurfes do often defert and run away from the laid Hofpital, and carry away their Cloths and Linen vvith ' them :' Therefore for preventing fuch Praclices for the future, Be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, ■That if any Pavvfnbroker or other Perfon or Perfons fhall take to pawn, buy, exchange or receive any Perfons taking Clothes, Linen and other Goods or Stores belonging to his Majefty, his Heirs or Succeftbrs, or to the Go- to pawn Clothes, vernor and Direiflors of the faid Hofpital, appropriated to and for the Wear of the faid Penfioners or Nurfes ^^eHontal""" during their Continuance in the faid Hofpital, or belonging thereto, and to the Ufe of the faid EJofpital, from ^ » P'" . any of the faid Penfioners, Nurfes or other Perfon or Perfons upon any Account or Pretence whatfoever, or changing the or caufe the Colour of fuch Clothes, Linen or Goods to be changed, or the Marks thereon to be taken out Colour or° or defaced, the Perfon or Perfons fo offending fhall forfeit for every fuch Offence the Sum of five Pounds Marks, to for- upon Conviflion thereof, by the Oath of one or more credible Witnefs or Witneffes, before any of hi3^'-f5'- Majefty's Juftices of the Peace of the County wherein the faid OffenCe or Offences fhall be committed ; v/hich Penalty or Penalties of five Poun s fhall be levied by Warrant under the Hand and Seal, or Hands tobe levied by fpofalof tjie ■and Seals of the faid Juftice or Juftices of the Peace, by Diftrefp and Sale of the Goods and Chatties of the Mrefs and faid Offender or Offenders ; one Moiety of which (aid Penalty or Penalties fhall be paid to the Informer or ^'^ " Informers, and the other Moiety fhall go and be paid to the Ufe of the faid Hofpital ; and in cafe any fuch forfeiture. Offender or Off'enders, who fliall be convifted as aforefaid, of having bouglit, exchanged, received or For want of Di- taken in Pawn any fuch Clothes, Linen or other Goods or Stores as aforefaid, or of having caufed the Co- ftvcis offender le lour
