Preamble.
Penalty on
Persons breaking
Tobacco,
or other
Out-Houses,
and stealing
thence to the
Value of 5 s.
Sterling. |
FORASMUCH as all the Laws heretofore made for the Punishment of
Offenders, and for Securing honest Men in their just Property, are
found by Experience to be insufficient for those Purposes; and
that the poorer Sort of People, who are obliged, for want of better
Conveniencies, to keep their Goods in Tobacco-Houses, and other Out-Houses,
are more exposed to be Pillaged and Robbed of their Substance than
Persons of greater Ability; and that considerable Part of the Property
of
People of all Conditions, are kept in Out-Houses, not only remote from
their Dwelling-Houses, but also very weak in themselves, and easily broken;
which hath given frequent Opportunities to Offenders to break into such
Houses, and to Steal from thence divers Goods and Chattels, to the utter
undoing
of some poor Persons, and the prejudice of all Sufferers. And whereas
several other Offenders have Stolen Boats and other Vessels, and even
Slaves;
which Practice is of the most dangerous Tendency, and may, if not timely
prevented, occasion Piracies, and all Manner of Villainies; and that Offenders
have been encouraged to commit the said Crimes, by the Lenity of our
Laws, and Expectation of having the Benefit of Clergy, when detected:
II. For
the
more effectual Prevention of which Crimes, and Punishment
of such Offenders as shall commit any of them; Be
it Enacted,
by the Right
Honourable the Lord Proprietary, by and with the Advice and Consent of
his
Lordship's Governor, and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the
Authority
of the same, That any Person or Persons, who shall, after the Tenth
Day of September next, break any Tobacco-House, or other OUt-Houses
whatsoever, and Steal from thence any Goods or Chattels, to the Value of
Five Shillings Sterling; or who shall counsel, hire, command, aid,
or abet,
any Person or Persons, to commit the said Offences; or who shall be Accessaries
to any of the said Offences, and be thereof Convict, by Confession,
upon his, her, or their Arraignment, Verdict of a Jury, or be Out-lawed;
or who shall obstinately or of Malice stand Mute, or peremptorily Challenge
above Twenty, shall suffer Death as a Felon or Felons, without Benefit
of
Clergy. |
