much of the several acts passed in the thirtyninth year of the reign of Elizabeth, the fourth of George the First, the fifth and eighth of George the Second, as inflicts capital punishment on certain offences therein specified, and to provide more suitable and effectual punishment for such offences," except so much thereof as relates to the offences made capital by the said act of Queen Elizabeth; and another act passed in the same 1 G. 4. c. 117. year of the present reign, intituled "An act to repeal so much of an act passed in the tenth and eleventh years of king William the Third, intituled An act for the better apprehending, prosecuting, and punishing of felons that commit burglary, house-breaking, or robbery in shops, warehouses, coach-houses, or stables, or that steal horses,' as takes away the benefit of clergy from persons privately stealing, in any shop, warehouse, coachhouse, or stable, any goods, wares, or merchandizes of the value of five shillings; and for more effectually preventing the crime of stealing privately in shops, warehouses, coach-houses, or stables;" and an act passed in the third year of 3 G. 4. c. 24. the present reign, intituled "An act for extending the laws against receivers of stolen goods to receivers of stolen bonds, bank notes, and other

securities for money ;" and an act passed in the 3 G. 4. c. 33. same year, intituled "An act for altering and amending several acts passed in the first and ninth years of the reign of King George the First, and in the forty-first, fifty-second, fifty-sixth, and fifty-seventh years of the reign of his late majesty King George the Third, so far as the

same relate to the recovery of damages com

mitted by riotous and tumultuous assemblies and 3 G. 4. c. 38. unlawful and malicious offenders ;" and the whole of an act passed in the same year of the present reign, intituled "An act for the further and more adequate punishment of persons convicted of manslaughter, and of servants convicted of robbing their masters, and of accessories before the fact to grand larceny, and certain other felonies," except so far as relates to manslaughter; 3 G. 4. c. 114. and so much of another act passed in the same year, intituled "An act to provide for the more effectual punishment of certain offences by imprisonment with hard labour," as relates to the punishment for receiving stolen goods, and for obtaining any property as therein mentioned by 3 G. 4. c. 126. false pretences; and so much of an act passed in the same year, intituled "An act to amend the general laws now in being for regulating turnpike roads in that part of Great Britain called Eng4 G. 4. c 46. land,” as creates any felony; and the whole of an

s. 128.

act passed in the fourth year of the present reign, intituled "An act for repealing the capital punishments inflicted by several acts of the sixth and twenty-seventh years of King George the Second, and of the third, fourth, and twentysecond years of King George the Third; and for providing other punishments in lieu thereof, and in lieu of the punishment of frame-breaking under an act of the twenty-eighth year of the same reign," except so far as relates to the felonies created by the acts of the twenty-seventh year of King George the Second and of the third year of

King George the Third therein recited; and the 4 G. 4. c. 53. whole of an act passed in the same year of the present reign, intituled "An act for extending the benefit of clergy to several larcenies therein mentioned," except so far as relates to any person convicted of stealing or embezzling his majesty's ammunition, sails, cordage, or naval or military stores, or of being accessory to any such offence; and the whole of an act passed in the same year, 4 G. 4. c. 54. intituled "An act for allowing the benefit of clergy to persons convicted of certain felonies under two acts of the ninth year of King George the First and of the twenty-seventh year of King George the Second; for making better provision for the punishment of persons guilty of sending or delivering threatening letters, and of assaults with intent to commit robbery," except so far as relates to any person who shall send or deliver any letter or writing threatening to kill or murder, or to burn or destroy, as therein mentioned, or shall be accessory to any such offence, or shall forcibly rescue any person being lawfully in custody for any such offence; and an act passed in 6 G. 4. c. 19. the sixth year of the present reign, intituled “An act for the amendment of the law as to the offence of sending threatening letters ;" and so 6 G. 4 c. 94. much of an act passed in the same year of the present reign, intituled "An act to alter and amend an act for the better protection of the property of merchants and others, who may hereafter enter into contracts or agreements in relation to goods, wares, or merchandize entrusted to factors or agents," as relates to any

s. 7, 8, 9, and

10.

7 G. 4. c. 69. misdemeanor therein mentioned; and also an act passed in the seventh year of the present reign, intituled "An act to amend the law in respect to the offence of stealing from gardens and hothouses;" and all acts continuing or perpetuating any of the acts or parts of acts hereinbefore referred to, so far only as relates to the continuing or perpetuating the same respectively, shall be and continue in force until and throughout the last day of June in the present year, and shall from and after that day, as to that part of the united kingdom called England, and as to offences committed within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of England, be repealed; except so far as any of the said acts may repeal the whole or any part of any other acts; and except as to offences and other matters committed or done before or upon the said last day of June, which shall be dealt with and punished as if this act had not been passed.

Not to repeal any act relating to the

II. Provided always, and be it enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall in anywise the Revenue, affect or alter such part of any act as relates to

Post Office,

PublicStores,

Bank of England, or South Sea Company.

the post office, or to any branch of the public revenue, or to the naval, military, victualling, or other public stores of his majesty, his heirs or successors, except the acts of the thirty-first year of Queen Elizabeth and of the twenty-second year of King Charles the Second, which are hereinbefore repealed, or shall affect or alter any act relating to the Bank of England or South Sea Company.

7 & 8 GEO. IV. c. 28.

An Act for further improving the Administration of Justice in Criminal Cases in England.

WHEREAS trials for criminal offences in that part of the united kingdom called England are attended with some forms which frequently impede the due administration of justice, and it is therefore expedient to abolish such forms, and also to abolish the benefit of clergy, and to make better provision for the punishment of offenders in certain cases be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That if A plea of "not guilty" any person, not having privilege of peerage, being without arraigned upon any indictment for treason, felony, or piracy, shall plead thereto a plea "not guilty," he shall by such plea, without any further form, be deemed to have put himself upon the country for trial; and the court shall, in the usual manner, order a jury for the trial of such person accordingly.

of

more, shall put the pri

soner on his

trial by jury.

to plead, the

order a plea

II. And be it enacted, That if any person, being If he refuses arraigned upon or charged with any indictment court may or information for treason, felony, piracy, or mis- of "not demeanor, shall stand mute of malice, or will not an- entered. swer directly to the indictment or information: (1)

(1) Where a prisoner, who had already been tried and convicted, but whose trial was deemed a nullity on the

guilty" to be