s. 7. ces purport an law without au- › liament, &c. son, or one of the justices of peace, or of the other persons authorized by this act to make the said proclamation, shall, among the said persons assembled, or as near to them as he can safely come, with a loud voice, command or cause to be commanded silence to be while proclamation is making; and after that shall openly, and with loud voice, make or cause to be made proclamation in these words, or like in effect: "Our sovereign lord the king chargeth and com"mandeth all persons here assembled immediately to dis 66 ed perse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habi"tations, or to their lawful business, upon pain of death. “God save the king." By s. 7. .in case any meeting Meetings in like shall be holden in pursuance of any such notice as aforemanner disposed by proclama said, and such notice, or any matter in such notice propostion, wher nosed to be propounded or deliberated upon at such meeting, alteration f shall express or purport that any matter by law establishthority of par- may be altered otherwise than by the authority of the king, lords and commons, in parliament assembled, or such notice, or any matter therein contained, shall tend to incite or stir up the people to hatred or contempt of the person of the king, or of the government and constitution of this realm as by law established, it shall be lawful for one justice of the peace, (or more,) or the sheriff of the county where such meeting shall be, or his under sheriff, or for the mayor, &c. or magistrate of any city, &c. where any such meeting shall be, by proclamation in the king's name, in manner herein-before set forth, to command the persons there assembled to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business; and if any persons being so commanded, &c. shall, to the number of 12 or more, remain or contiguilty capitally nue together by the space of one hour after such proclamation made, such continuing together shall be adjudged felony without benefit of clergy. By s. 8. if any justice of If magistrate or sheriff is ob- peace, or the sheriff or under-sheriff of the county, present resting any per at any meeting therein requiring such notice as aforesaid, son propounding or the mayor, &c. or magistrate of any city, &c. present the laws without at any meeting therein requiring such notice as aforesaid, authority of par- shall order any person, who shall at such meeting pro Persons remaining to the number of 12 s. 8. structed in ar alterations in liament, &c. meting disper- pound or maintain any proposition for altering any thing sed by procla mation. by s. 9. gistrates may meetings accom❤ panied by con by law established otherwise than by the authority of the king, lords and commons, in parliament assembled, or shall wilfully and advisedly make any proposition, or hold any discourse for the purpose of inciting and stirring up the people to hatred or contempt of the person of the king, or the government and constitution of this realm, &c. to be taken into custody, then, and in case the said justice, &c. or any peace officer acting under their or any of their orders, shall be obstructed in taking any such person into custody, it shall be lawful for such justice, &c. thereupon, to make or cause to be made such proclamation in manner aforesaid; and if any persons to the number of 12 or more shall remain together, &c.by the space of one hour after proclamation made, such continuing together shall be adjudged felony without benefit of clergy. By s. 9. every justice of peace, sheriff, under-sheriff, mayor and Sheriff's andmaother head officer, and magistrate, is empowered, on notice resort to such or knowledge of any such meeting, to resort to the place where it shall be intended to be holden, or to any part stables &c. thereof, and there to do or order, or cause to be done, all such acts as the case may require, which they are hereby, or otherwise by law, enabled to do or order; and it shall be lawful for all justices of peace, &c. to take and require the assistance of any number of constables or other officers of the peace, within their respective districts, or within the district or place wherein every such meeting shall be holden. And by s. 10. if such persons so assembled, or 12 or or more of them, after proclamation made as afore- All persons of bge and ability said, shall continue together, and not disperse themselves shall assist in within one hour, then it shall be lawful for every justice. apprehending persons contIAUof peace, sheriff, or under-sheriff of the county, and also ing together af for every constable, and other peace officer within tion, &c: such county, and for every mayor, justice of peace, head officer, magistrate, constable, and other peace officer of any city or town corporate where such assembly shall be, and for such other persons as shall be commanded to be assisting unto any such justice of peace, sheriff, or undersheriff, mayor, head officer and magistrate, (who are hereby authorized to command all his majesty's subjects, of age and ability, to be assisting to them therein,) to seize and apprehend s. 10. ter proclama Justices, &c. in demnified in apprehend, and they are hereby required to seize and apprehend such persons so assembled and continuing together after proclamation made as aforesaid, and forthwith to carry them before one or more of his majesty's justices of peace of the county or place where they shall be so apprehended, in order to their being proceeded against according to law; and if the persons so assembled, or any of them, shall be killed, maimed, or hurt, in the dispersing, seizing, or apprehending, or endeavouring to disperse, &c. them, every such justice of peace, &c. and all persons being aiding and assisting to them, shall be free, discharged and indemnified, as well against the king, as against every other person, for or concerning such killing, &c. And by s. 11. if any person shall, with force and arms, wilfully Obstructing jus- and knowingly oppose, obstruct, or in any manner wilfully tices, &c. in making procla- and knowingly let, hinder or hurt, any justice of peace or mation, &c. or other person authorized as aforesaid, who shall attend any case of killing or maiming.. s. 11. continuing to structing jus tices, &c. in ap gether one hour such meeting, or who shall be going to attend any such after such obstruction, or ob- meeting, or any person who shall begin to proclaim, or go to proclaim, according to any proclamation hereby diprehending of rected to be made, whereby such proclamation shall fenders, a capi- not be made, he shall be adjudged guilty of felony tal felony. without benefit of clergy; and every such person or persons so being assembled as aforesaid to the number of 50 or more, to whom such proclamation should or ought to have been made, if the same had not been so hindered, shall likewise, in case any of them, to the number of 12 or more, shall continue together and not disperse themselves within one hour after such let or hindrance so made, having knowledge of such let, &c. be adjudged guilty of felony without benefit of clergy; and if any person being at any such assembly shall, with force and arms, wilfully and knowingly oppose, obstruct, or in any manner wilfully and knowingly let, hinder, or hurt any justice of peace or other magistrate, or any peace officer, in apprehending or taking into custody, in execution of any of the provisions herein-before contained, any person, or endeavouring so to do, every such opposing, &c. shall be adjudged felony without benefit of clergy. By s. 12. the sheriffs depute Sheriff's depute, and their substitutes, stewards depute and their substitutes, s. 12. &c. in Scotland justices powers as ma land. justices of peace, magistrates of royal boroughs, and all to have the same other inferior judges and magistrates, and also all high and gistrates in Engpetty constables, or other peace officers of any county, stewartry, city, or town, within Scotland, shall have the same powers for putting this act in execution within Scotland, as the magistrates and constables aforesaid have by virtue of this act within other parts of this kingdom; and every person who shall be convicted of any of the felonies afore-mentioned, within Scotland, shall suffer death and confiscation of moveables. By s. 13. nothing herein shall render lawful any notice, or the act of giving or publish- Notices not to be ing any notice, according to the provisions herein-before contrary to law. contained, which notice or act would have been contrary to law, if this act had not been made. 3. 13. 5. 14. licensed. This act also recites (s. 14.) that divers places have of late been used for delivering lectures or discourses, and Places for lecholding debates, which lectures, &c. have been of a sedi- tures or debates &c. deemed distious and immoral nature; and therefore enacts, that every orderly, unless house, room, field, or other place, at or in which any lecture or discourse shall be publicly delivered, or any public debate shall be had, on any subject whatever, for the purpose of raising or collecting money, or any other valuable thing, from the persons admitted, or to which any person shall be admitted by payment of money, or by any ticket or token of any kind delivered in consideration of money, or any other valuable thing, or in consequence of paying or giving, or having paid or given, or having agreed to pay or give, in any manner, any money, &c. or where any money, &c. shall be received from any person admitted, either under pretence of paying for any refreshment or other thing, or under any other pretence, or for any other cause, or by means of any device or contrivance whatever, shall be deemed a disorderly house or place, unless the same shall have been previously licensed in manner herein-after mentioned; and the person by whom such house, &c. shall be opened or used, for any of the purposes aforesaid, shall forfeit £100. for every day or time that such house, &c. shall be so opened, &c. Penalty for opening such to such person as will sue for the same, and be otherwise places, or debating, &c. punished as the law directs in cases of disorderly houses; therein. and s. 15. as masters, &c. &c. s 16. Magistrates may demand and every person managing or conducting the proceedings, or acting as moderator, president, or chairman at such house, &c. so opened, &c. or therein debating, or delivering any discourse or lecture, and also every person who shall pay, give, collect, or receive, or agree to pay, &c. any money, or any thing, for or in respect of the admission of any person into any such house, &c. or shall deliver out, distribute, or receive any such ticket or token as aforesaid. knowing such house, &c. to be opened, &c. for any such purpose as aforesaid, shall for every such offence, forfeit £20. And by s. 15. any person who shall act or bePersons acting have him or herself, as master or mistress, or as the perpunishable tho son having the command, government, or management not real owners, of any such house, &c. shall be demed to be a person by whom the same is opened, &c. as aforesaid, and shall be liable to be sued or prosecuted, and punished as such, notwithstanding he or she be not the real owner or occupier thereof. By s. 16. it shall be lawful for any justice of peace of any county, stewartry, city, borough, town or place, who shall, by information upon oath, have reason to suspect that any house, &c. or any parts or part thereof, are or is opened, &c. for the purpose of delivering lectures or discourses, or for public debate, contrary to the provisions of this act, to go to such house, &c. and demand to be admitted therein; and in case such justice shall be refused admittance to such house, &c. or any part thereof, the same shall be deemed a disorderly house or place within the meaning of this act; and all the provisions herein-before contained respecting any house, &c. declared to be disorly, shallbe applied to such house, &c. and every person refusing such admittance thall forfeit £20. Provided (s. 17.) that it shall be lawful for 2 or more justices of peace for the county, &c. where any house, &c. shall be intended to be opened for any of the purposes aforesaid, by writing under their hands and seals, at their general quarter or general sessions of the peace, or at any special session to be held for the particular purpose, to grant a license to any person or persons desiring the same, to open such house, &c. for the purpose of delivering for money any such lectures or discourses as aforesaid, or for the purpose admission to unlicensed places. Penalty for refusal. s. 17. Licenses how granted and revoked. of |