The Lower House. 671

All offences of Treason by the Stat. 25 Edw: Cap: 2^d done
within this province shall be punished as Treason useth to
be in England.

All offences of wilfull murther by the Law of England
shall be punished as Wilfull murther useth to be in England

The same Sessions in An Act made Intituled An Act for

L. H. J.

the punishment of certain Less Capital Offences is Contained
as followeth

These following shall be adjudged Capital offences within
This Province that is to say all offences of Homicide Piracy
Robery Burglary Sacriledge Sodomy Sorcery Rape and Lar-
ceny to be Determined by the Judge as near as may be to the
Laws of England

In An Act made the 20^th day of October Anno 1678 En-
tituled an Act for the better Administration of Justice In the
County Courts of this province is Contain'd as followeth.

For the Administration of Justice and Regulation of
County Courts Be it Enacted by the Right Hon^ble the Lord
Prop^ry By and with the advice and Consent of the Upper and
Lower houses of Assembly and the Authority of the same that
the Statute Books of England to these Times named Keebles
Abridgem^t of the Statutes and Daltons Justice of the peace
be bought by the Justices of the Peace or Commissioners of
the Severall County Courts att the Charge of the Respective
Countys to be kept in their Severall County Courts that the
Justices and officers of the said Courts and Others may have
Recourse to the same as they shall have occasion and that the
said Justices of the said Court do purchase and procure the
same by the first Day of Jan^ry in the year of our Lord 1679

The same Provision was made by an Act made in the year
1692 and the Country hath never been without a Law to the
same purpose

An Act for the more Speedy bringing to Tryall and Suppress-
ing Criminalls and Limiting their punishm^ts for Certain

p. 96

offences when Prosecuted in the County Co^ts

Whereas the Severity of the Laws of England ag^t all
Thieveing Stealing and purloyning are very suitable to that
and all other populous Kingdoms But not agreeable to the
Nature and Constitution of this Province so Meanly and
Thinly Inhabited and Whereas according to the Laws of
England all or most Crimes above petty Larceny are punish-
able by Loss of Member burning in the hand or forhead
cropping of Ears or pains of Death besides Confiscation of

p. 97