post-office, or house or place for the receipt or delivery of letters 2 W. 4, c. 15. or packets sent or to be sent by the post, and which letter or letters, packet or packets, bag or mail of letters shall have been found or picked up by the same or any other person or persons, or shall, by or through accident or mistake, have been left with or at the house of the same or any other person or persons; each and every person and persons so offending, shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of a misdemeanor, to be punished by fine and imprisonment.

liable to treble

for misde

meanor, on

6 & 7 Will. 4, c. 54 (a), s. 19.-And in order to prevent Senders of frauds on the revenue of the post office, be it further enacted, newspapers that if any person shall enclose or conceal, or cause or procure postage, or to to be enclosed or concealed, in any newspaper sent or to be sent be prosecuted by the post, any letter, paper, or thing; or shall print or cause to be printed, any words or communication upon any such news- attempting paper, after the same shall have been published, or upon the to evade the duty. cover thereof; or put or place, or cause to be put or placed any writing or marks upon any such newspaper, or the cover thereof, other than the name and address of the person to whom it is sent; or shall knowingly send or cause to be sent by the post, or tender or deliver in order to be sent by the post, any newspaper, having enclosed or concealed therein any letter, paper, or thing, or having any words or communication printed on such paper after the same was published, or on the cover thereof, or having any writing or marks upon such newspaper or the cover thereof, other than the name and address of the person to whom it is sent; every person so offending shall forfeit and pay to his majesty, his heirs, and successors, such a sum of money as will be equal to treble the duty of letter postage, which, according to the rates established by law for the conveyance of letters by the post, would have been payable on such newspaper or packet, in case the same had been a letter sent by the post; which treble duty shall be recovered and recoverable with costs, in the same manner as any sums due for postage not exceeding twenty pounds are hereinafter (b) directed to be recovered; or such persons shall, at the option of the postmastergeneral, be prosecuted for a misdemeanor.

of terms.

25. That wherever the term "postmaster-general" occurs in Explanation this act, the same shall be construed to mean and include the postmaster-general for the time being.

And that, wherever in this act, with reference to any person, matter, or thing, any word or words is or are used, importing the singular number or the masculine gender only, yet such word or words shall be understood to include several persons as well as one person, females as well as males, bodies corporate or politic as well as individuals, and several matters or things as

(a) Entitled, " An act to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the conveyance of newspapers by the post."

(b) Viz. By distress or otherwise, as provided by the act 5 & 6 Will. 4, c. 25, $. 24.

Personation of persons

entitled to

well as one matter or thing, unless it be otherwise specially provided, or there be something in the subject or context repugnant to such construction.

SECTION 6.

Offences relating to the Payment of the Army, Navy, and Ordnance.

47 Geo. 3, sess. 2, c. 25, s. 1. [ [Recites the 46 Geo. 3, c. 69, and the convenience of having army pensions paid to the persons entitled to them, at or near their residences; and enacts, that after the 24th of December, 1807, the secretary at war and paymaster-general for the time being, may direct all pay, pensions, and allowances, to which any officer in any of his majesty's forces, or the widow of such officers, or any person on the compassionate list, shall be entitled, shall be paid the same at or near their respective places of residence, under such rules and regulations as may from time to time be established at Chelsea Hospital, by virtue of the said act; or under such other regulations, as may be established by the secretary at war and paymaster-general for the time being.]

7. That from and after the passing of this act, if any person shall wilfully and knowingly personate, or falsely assume the pay; felony. name or character of, or procure any other person to personate, or falsely to assume the name or character of any other person entitled, or supposed to be entitled to any such pay, pension, allowance, or relief as aforesaid, in order to receive the same or any part thereof; every such person so offending, and being lawfully convicted thereof, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and may be transported for such period, not exceeding fourteen years, as the court shall adjudge.

of persons

Forging the 8. That if any person shall knowingly and wilfully forge or hand-writing counterfeit, or cause or procure to be forged or counterfeited, entitled to or knowingly and wilfully act or assist in forging and counterpay; felony. feiting the name or handwriting of any person entitled to any such pay, pension, allowance, or relief or of any person or persons required by any rules or regulations made under and by virtue of this act to sign any certificate, voucher, or receipt, in relation to the payment of any such pay, pension, allowance, or relief, for and in order to the receiving or obtaining any money on any such pension, allowance, or relief, or shall utter any such, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited, with an intention to defraud any person whatsoever; every such person, so offending, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be, and is hereby declared and adjudged to be guilty of felony, and may be transported for such period, not exceeding fourteen years, as the court shall adjudge.

Justices may

9. That it shall be lawful for any justice of the peace or mainquire into gistrate, or any receiver-general of the land-tax, collector of the cess in Scotland, collector of the customs, or collector of excise, to inquire into the truth of any certificate or voucher required by any such rules or regulations, and produced to him by

the truth of the certi

cate.

c. 25.

any person claiming any such pay, pension, allowance, or relief, 47 G. 3, s. 2, under any such certificate or voucher, or any person acting for him, by the oath or affirmation of the person producing the same, which oath or affirmation, any such justice of the peace or magistrate, or receiver-general, or collector aforesaid, is hereby authorised and required to administer; and, upon being satisfied of the truth of such certificate or voucher, to testify the same on the back of such certificate or voucher; and every person who False swearshall, in any such oath or affirmation, wilfully and corruptly swear ing; perjury. or affirm any matter or thing which shall be false or untrue, every such person so offending, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be, and is hereby declared to be subject and liable to the like pains and penalties, as any person convicted of perjury is, by any law now in force, subject and liable to.

7 Geo. 4, c. 16 (a), s. 25.—That if any person shall, by the Obtaining sending or production of any false certificate, or any altered cer- pension &c. by false certificate or discharge, instructions or other document, knowing tificate. the same to have been fraudulently altered, or, by making any false representation, obtain or endeavour to obtain for himself or any other person, from the commissioners of the said hospital at Chelsea, any pension or increase of pension, or other allowance of money, or any inrolment, or other privilege or advantage; such person or persons shall, upon conviction of such offence, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and punished accordingly, and shall for ever forfeit all claim and title whatsoever to pension or inrolment on account of service, wounds, or disability.

35. (pars.) That in all indictments, informations, prosecu- How offentions, or other proceedings against any person or persons, forces to be charged in in. personating or falsely assuming the name or character of, or dictments. causing or procuring any other to personate or falsely assume the name or character of any person entitled, or supposed to be entitled to wages, pay, prize-money, or pension, or other allowance of money, for service done or supposed to be done in his majesty's army, or in any other service entitling or supposed to entitle any person to pay, prizemoney, pension, or allowance, or the executor, administrator, wife, relation, or creditor of any such person, in order to receive, obtain, or claim wages, pay, or other allowance of money, pension, or prize money, due or supposed to be due; or for forging, counterfeiting, or altering, or causing or procuring to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, or aiding or assisting in forging, counterfeiting, or altering, or uttering or publishing as true, or causing or procuring to be uttered or published as true, or aiding or assisting in uttering or publishing as true, knowing the same to be false and counterfeited, any letter of attorney, bill, ticket, order, certificate, assignment, last will, or power of

(a) Entitled, " An act lo consolidate and amend several acts relating to the royal hospitals for soldiers at Chelsea and Kilmainham."

7 G. 4, c. 16. attorney, or other power or authority whatsoever, in order to receive, obtain, or claim wages, pay, allowances of money, pension money, or prize-money, due or supposed to be due to any such officer or soldier or other person; or for knowingly or willingly taking a false oath, or causing or procuring any other to take a false oath, to obtain probate of any will, or to obtain letters of administration in order to receive, obtain, or claim wages, pay, prize-money, or pension money, due or supposed to be due to any such officer or soldier, or other person, or for any fraud, misbehaviour, or other offence to which such form is applicable; it shall be sufficient to charge the same as being done with intent to defraud the lords and others, commissioners of the royal hospital for soldiers at Chelsea, in the county of Middlesex.

Personation

ers;

38. That if any person shall willingly and knowingly perof pension- sonate, or falsely assume the name or character, or procure any other to personate, or falsely assume the name or character of any officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier, or other person, entitled or supposed to be entitled to any pension, wages, pay, grant, or other allowance of money, prize money, or relief, due or payable, or supposed to be due or payable, for or on account of any service done or supposed to be done by any such officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier, or other person as aforesaid, in his majesty's army or other military service; or shall personate, or falsely assume the name or character of the executor or administrator, wife, relation, or creditor of any such officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier, or other person as aforesaid, in order fraudulently to receive any pension, wages, pay, grant, or other allowance of money, prize-money, or relief, due or payable, or supposed to be due or payable, for or on account of any services done or supposed to be done by any such officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier or other person as aforesaid; or if any person shall forge, or counterfeit, or alter, or cause or procure to be forged, or counterfeited, or altered, or knowingly and willingly act, aid, or assist in forging, counterfeiting, or altering the name or hand-writing of any officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier, or other person entitled or supposed to be entitled to any pension, wages, pay, grant, allowance of money, prize-money, or relief, due or payable, or supposed to be due or payable, for or on account of any such service or supposed service as aforesaid, or the name or handwriting of any officer, under officer, clerk, or servant of the said commissioners of the said hospital at Chelsea, or of any officer or person in any way concerned in the paying or ordering, directing or causing the payment of the said pensions, wages, pay, money, allowance of money, prize-money, or relief, or any of them; or shall forge, counterfeit, or alter, or cause or procure to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, or knowingly and willingly act, aid, or assist in forging, counterfeiting, or altering any letter of attorney, bill, ticket, order, certificate, voucher, receipt, will, or any other power, instrument, warrant, docu

Forging documents, or knowingly utter. ing such; felony.

ment, or authority whatsoever, relating to, or any wise con- 7 G. 4, c. 16. cerning the payment, or obtaining or claiming any pension, wages, pay, grant, allowance of money, prize-money, or relief, for and in order to the receiving, obtaining, or claiming any such pension, wages, pay, grant, allowance of money, prize-money, or relief; or shall utter or publish as true, or knowingly and willingly act, aid, or assist in uttering or publishing as true, knowing the same to be forged, counterfeited, or altered, any such letter of attorney, bill, ticket, order, certificate, voucher, receipt, will, or any other power, instrument, warrant, document, or authority whatsoever, with intent to obtain the payment of any such pension, wages, pay, money or allowance of money, prize-money, or relief, from the said commissioners of the said hospital at Chelsea, or from any officer, under-officer, clerk, or servant of the said commissioners, or from the person authorised or supposed to be authorised to pay the same, or with intent to defraud any person whatsoever, or any corporation whatsoever; every such person so offending, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be, and is hereby declared and adjudged to be guilty of felony, and shall and may be transported for life, or for such term of years as the court shall adjudge.

2 Will. 4, c. 53 (a), s. 49.—That if any person shall Personation of soldiers, knowingly and willingly personate, or falsely assume the name their wives, or character, or procure any other person to personate, or falsely &c., in order assume the name or character of any officer, non-commissioned to obtain their pay, officer, soldier, or other person entitled or supposed to be &c.; entitled to any prize-money, grant, bounty-money, share, or other allowance of money due or payable, or supposed to be due or payable for or on account of any service performed or supposed to have been performed by any officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier, or other person, who shall have really served or be supposed to have served in his majesty's army or in any other military service; or shall personate or falsely assume, or act, aid, or assist, in personating or falsely assuming the name or character, or procure any other person to personate or falsely assume the name or character of the executor or administrator, wife, widow, next of kin, relation, or creditor of any such officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier, or other person as aforesaid, in order to receive, or to enable any other person to receive any prize-money, grant, bounty-money, share, or other allowance of money due or payable, or supposed to be due or payable, for or on account of any service performed or supposed to have been performed by any such officer, noncommissioned officer, soldier, or other person as aforesaid; or

(a) Entitled, "An act for consolidating and amending the laws relating to the payment of army prize-money."