acts of parliament, made felonies without benefit of clergy. By statute 13 Geo III. c. 52 and 59, forging or counterfeiting any stamp or mark to denote the standard of gold and silver plate, and certain other offences of the like tendency, are punished with transportation for fourteen years.57 By statute 12 Geo. III c. 48, certain *frauds on the stamp-duties therein described, principally *249] by using the same stamps more than once, are made single felony, and liable to transportation for seven years. And the same punishment is inflicted, by statute 13 Geo. III. c. 38,58 on such as counterfeit the common seal of the corporation for manufacturing plate-glass, (thereby erected,) or knowingly demand money of the company by virtue of any writing under such counterfeit seal. There are also certain other general laws with regard to forgery, of which the first is 2 Geo. II. c. 25, whereby the first offence in forging or procuring to be forged, acting or assisting therein, or uttering or publishing as true, any forged deed, will, bond, writing obligatory, bill of exchange, promissory note, endorsement, or assignment thereof, or any acquittance or receipt for money or goods, with intention to defraud any person, (or corporation,)(e) is made felony without benefit of clergy. And, by statutes 7 Geo. II. c. 22 and 18 Geo. III. c. 18, it is equally penal to forge or cause to be forged or utter as true a counterfeit acceptance of a bill of exchange, or the number or principal sum of auy accountable receipt for any note, bill, or any other security for money, or any warrant or order for the payment of money or delivery of goods.59 So that, 1 believe, through the number of these general and special provisions, there is now hardly a case possible to be conceived wherein forgery that tends to defraud, *whether in the name of a real or fictitious person,(ƒ) is not made a capital crime. *250] 60 () Stat. 31 Geo. II. c. 22, § 78. 57 This is now a capital felony.-CHITTY. 58 Revived, by 33 Geo. III. c. 17, s. 23.-CHITTY. (5) Fost. 116, &c. 59 See 45 Geo. III. c. 89, 49 Geo. III. c. 35, and 8 Geo. IV. c. 8, respecting widows' pensions, remittance-bills, the forging of which, or procuring others to forge them, is made a felony punishable with transportation.-CHITTY. It has frequently been determined that drawing, endorsing, or accepting a bill of exchange in a fictitious name is a forgery. Bolland's case, &c., Leach, 78, 159, 192. 1 Hen. Bla. 588. Fost. 116. It is also forgery to fabricate a will by counterfeiting the name of a pretended testator who is still living. Cogan's case, ibid. 355. If a person puts his own name to an instrument, representing himself to be a different person of that name, with an intent to defraud, he is guilty of forgery. 4 T. R. 28. But where a bill of exchange is endorsed by a person in his own name, and another represents himself to be that person, he is not guilty of forgery, but it is a misdemeanour. Hevey's case, Leach, 268. A bill or note may be produced in evidence against a prisoner prosecuted for the forgery of it; and he may be convicted upon the usual evidence of the forgery, though it has never been stamped pursuant to the stamp-acts. Hawkeswood's and Reculist's cases, Leach, 292 and 811. For the forgery in such a case is committed with an intent to defraud; and the legislature meant only to prevent their being given in evidence when they were proceeded upon to recover the value of the money thereby secured. But lord Kenyon has declared that he did not approve of the decision of the majority of the judges in these cases. Peake, 168. It has been declared that the forgery of a bill of exchange in a form which rendered it void under the 17 Geo. III. c. 30 (see 2 book, 467) was not a capital offence, because if real it was not valid or negotiable. Moffat's case. Leach, 483. Every indictment for forgery must set out the forged instrument in words and figures. Mason's case, 1 East, 182. But it is sufficient to set forth the receipt at the bottom of an account without setting out the account itself. Testick's case, ibid. 181. The word purport in an indictment for forgery signifies the substance of an instrument as it appears on the face of it: tenor means an exact copy of it. Ibid. 180. Leach, 753. The most effectual statute for the prevention of the forgery of bank-notes is the 41 Geo. III. c. 41, which enacts that if any one shall knowingly have in his possession or in his house any forged bank-notes, knowing the same to be forged, without lawful excuse, the proof whereof shall lie upon the person accused he shall be guilty of felony, and shall be transported for fourteen years. These are the principal infringements of the rights of property, which were the last species of offences against individuals or private subjects which the method of distribution has led us to consider. We have before examined the nature of all offences against the public or commonwealth; against the king or supreme magistrate, the father and protector of that community; against the universal law of all civilized nations; together with some of the more atrocious offences of publicly pernicious consequence against God and his holy religion And these several heads comprehend the whole circle of crimes and misdemeanours, with the punishment annexed to each, that are cognizable by the laws of England. CHAPTER XVIII. OF THE MEANS OF PREVENTING OFFENCES. *WE are now arrived at the fifth general branch or head under which [*251 I proposed to consider the subject of this book of our commentaries, viz., the means of preventing the commission of crimes and misdemeanours. And really it is an honour, and almost a singular one, to our English laws, that they furnish a title of this sort, since preventive justice is, upon every principle of reason, of humanity, and of sound policy, preferable in all respects to punishing justice, (a) the execution of which, though necessary, and in its consequences a species of mercy to the commonwealth, is always attended with many harsh and disagreeable circumstances. This preventive justice consists in obliging those persons whom there is a probable ground to suspect of future misbehaviour to stipulate with and to give full assurance to the public that such offence as is apprehended shall not happen, by finding pledges or securities for keeping the peace, or for their good behaviour. This requisition of sureties has been several times mentioned before as part of the penalty inflicted upon such as have been guilty of certain gross misdemeanours; but there also it must be understood rather as a caution against the repetition of the offence than any immediate pain or punishment. And, indeed, if we consider all human *punishments in a large and extended view, we shall find them all rather calculated to prevent future crimes than to expiate the past; since, as was observed in a former chapter, (b) all punishments inflicted by temporal laws may be classed under three heads: such as tend to the amendment of the offender himself, or to deprive him of any power to do future mischief, or to deter others by his example; all of which conduce to one and the same end of preventing future crimes, whether that can be (3) See page 11. (a) Beccar. ch. 41. [*252 And if any person shall make any plate or instrument for forging bank-notes, or any part of a bank-note, or shall knowingly have them in his possession without authority in writing from the governor and company of the Bank of England, he shall be guilty of felony, and shall be transported for seven years. But before this statute this must have been an indictable offence as a misdemeanour. See ante, 99, note 7. By the 45 Geo. III. c. 89, the statutes for the punishment of forgery are extended wo every part of Great Britain.-CHITTY. By statute 11 Geo. IV., and 1 W. IV. c. 60, all the statutes making this offence capital, as well those mentioned by Blackstone as all others, were repealed; but some of the statutes not having this effect mentioned by him were left unrepealed. Forgeries are now punished either with transportation for life (which is now the severest punishment which can be awarded to this crime) or for a term of years, or imprisonment for a term of years, according to the nature of the forgery,—and for all these penal servitude may now be substituted.-STEWART. 61 See a complete collection of the acts of parliament relating to the crime of forgery (too numerous even to abstract here) in Collyer's Crim. Stat. 142, et seq., with the notes thereon.-CHITTY. effected by amendment, disability, or example. But the caution which we speak of at present is such as is intended merely for prevention, without any crime actually committed by the party, but arising only from a probable suspicion that some crime is intended or likely to happen; and consequently it is not meant as any degree of punishment, unless perhaps for a man's imprudence in giving just ground of apprehension. By the Saxon constitution, these sureties were always at hand, by means of king Alfred's wise institution of decennaries or frank pledges, wherein, as has more than once been observed, (c) the whole neighbourhood or tithing of freemen were mutually pledges for each other's good behaviour. But this great and general security being now fallen into disuse and neglected, there hath succeeded to it the method of making suspected persons find particular and special securities for their future conduct; of which we find mention in the laws of king Edward the Confessor,(d) "tradat fidejussores de pace et legalitate tuenda." Let us therefore consider, first, what this security is; next, who may take or demand it; and, lastly, how it may be discharged. 1. This security consists in being bound, with one or more securities, in a recognizance or obligation to the king, entered on record, and taken in some court or by some judicial officer; whereby the parties acknowledge themselves to be indebted to the crown in the sum required, (for instance, 1007.,) with condition to be void and of none effect if the *party shall appear in cou.t *253] on such a day, and in the mean time shall keep the peace, either gene. rally towards the king and all his liege people, or particularly, also, with regard to the person who craves the security. Or, if it be for the good behaviour, then on condition that he shall demean and behave himself well, (or be of good behaviour,) either generally or specially, for the time therein limited, as for one or more years, or for life. This recognizance, if taken by a justice of the peace, must be certified to the next sessions, in pursuance of the statute 3 Hen. VII. c. 1; and if the condition of such recognizance be broken by any breach of the peace in the one case, or any misbehaviour in the other, the recognizance becomes forfeited or absolute; and being estreated or extracted (taken out from among the other records) and sent up to the exchequer, the party and his sureties, having now become the king's absolute debtors, are sued for the seve ral sums in which they are respectively bound. 2. Any justices of the peace, by virtue of their commission, or those who are ex officio conservators of the peace, as was mentioned in a former volume, (e)a may demand such security according to their own discretion; or it may be granted at the request of any subject, upon due cause shown, provided such. demandant be under the king's protection; for which reason it has been formerly doubted whether Jews, pagans, or persons convicted of a pramunire were entitled thereto.(f) Or, if the justice is averse to act, it may be granted by a mandatory writ, called a supplicavit, issuing out of the court of king's bench or chancery; which will compel the justice to act as a ministerial and not as a judicial officer; and he must make a return to such writ, specifying his compliance, under his hand and seal.(g) But this writ is seldom used; for, when application is made to the superior courts, they usually take the recognizances there, under the directions of the statute 21 Jac. I. c. 8. And, indeed, a peer (e) See book i. p. 114. (d) Cap. 18. (See book i. p. 350. ()1 Hawk. P. C. 126. It is now settled that a justice of the peace is authorized to require surety to keep the peace for a limited time,- -as two years,-according to his discretion, and that he need not bind the party over to the next sessions only, (2 B. & A. 278 ;) but if a recognizance to appear at the sessions be taken, and an order of court for finding sureties applied for, articles of the peace must be exhibited. 5 Burn, J., 24th ed. 304. 1 T. R 696.-CHITTY. 2 But, by 1 & 2 Ph. and M. c. 13, in cases of felony the recognizances are to be certified to the general gaol-delivery.—CHITTY. A secretary of state or privy-counsellor cannot bind to keep the peace or good behaviour. 11 St. Tr. 317.-CHITTY. [*254 or peeress cannot be bound over in any other place than the courts of *king's bench or chancery; though a justice of the peace has a power to require sureties of any other person, being compos mentis and under the de gree of nobility, whether he be a fellow-justice or other magistrate, or whether he be merely a private man.(h) Wives may demand it against their husbands; or husbands, if necessary, against their wives.(i) But feme-coverts and infants under age ought to find security by their friends only, and not to be bound themselves; for they are incapable of engaging themselves to answer any debt; which, as we observed, is the nature of these recognizances or acknowledg ments. 3. A recognizance may be discharged either by the demise of the king, to whom the recognizance is made; or by the death of the principal party bound thereby, if not before forfeited; or by order of the court to which such recognizance is certified by the justices, (as the quarter sessions, assizes, or king's bench,) if they see sufficient cause; or in case he at whose request it was granted, if granted upon a private account, will release it, or does not make his appearance to pray that it may be continued.(k) Thus far what has been said is applicable to both species of recognizances, for the peace, and for the good behaviour: de pace, et legalitate, tuenda, as expressed in the laws of king Edward. But as these two species of securities are in some respects different, especially as to the cause of granting or the means of forfeiting them, I shall now consider them separately; and first, shall show for what cause such a recognizance, with sureties for the peace, is grantable; and then, how it may be forfeited. 1. Any justice of the peace may, ex officio, bind all those to keep the peace who in his presence make any affray, or threaten to kill or beat another, or contend together with hot and angry words, or go about with unusual weapons *or attendance, to the terror of the people; and all such as he knows [*255 to be common barretors; and such as are brought before him by the constable for a breach of peace in his presence; and all such persons as, having been before bound to the peace, have broken it and forfeited their recognizances.(1) Also, wherever any private man hath just cause to fear that another will burn his house, or do him a corporal injury by killing, imprisoning, or beating him, or that he will procure others so to do, he may demand surety of the peace against such person: and every justice of the peace is bound to grant it, if he who demands it will make oath that he is actually under fear of death or bodily harm, and will show that he has just cause to be so by reason of the other's menaces, attempts, or having lain in wait for him, and will also further swear that he does not require such surety out of malice, or for mere vexation.(m) This is called swearing the peace against another: and if the party does not find such sureties as the justice in his discretion shall require, he may immediately be committed till he does.(n) 2. Such recognizance for keeping the peace, when given, may be forfeited by A peeress may demand surety of the peace against her husband. Fost. 359. 2 Stra 1202. 13 East, 171. N. Cas. temp. Hard. 74. 1 Burr. 631, 703. 1 T. R. 696.-CHITTY. The surety of the peace will not be granted but where there is a fear of some present or future danger, and not merely for a battery or trespass, or for any breach of the peace that is past. Dalt. c. 11. The articles to entitle a party to have sureties of the peace must be verified by the oath of the exhibitant. 1 Stra. 527. 12 Mod. 243. The truth of the allegations therein cannot be controverted by the defendant; and, if no objections arise to the articles exhibited, the court or justice will order securities to be taken immediately. 2 Stra. 1202. 13 East, 171, n. If the articles manifestly appear to contain perjury, the court will refuse the application and even commit the exhibitant. 2 Burr. 806. 3 Burr. 1922. The articles will not be received if the parties live at a distance in the county, unless they have previously made application to a justice in the neighbourhood, (2 Burr. 780;) unless the defendant be very old, &c. 2 Stra. 835. 2 Burr. 1039. 1 Bla. Rep. 233, S. C -CHITTY. any actual violence, or even an assault or menace to the person of him who demanded it, if it be a special recognizance; or if the recognizance be general, by any unlawful action, whatsoever, that either is or tends to a breach of the peace; or, more particularly, by any one of the many species of offence which were mentioned as crimes against the public peace in the eleventh chapter of this book; or by any private violence committed against any of his majesty's subjects. But a bare trespass upon the lands or goods of another, which is a ground for a civil action, unless accompanied with a wilful breach of the peace, is no forfeiture of the recognizance.(9) Neither are mere reproachful words, as calling a man knave or liar, any breach of the peace so as to forfeit one's recognizance, (being looked upon to be merely the effect of unmeaning heat and passion,) unless they amount to a challenge to The other species of recognizance with sureties is for the good abearance or good behaviour. This includes security for the peace, and somewhat more: we will therefore examine it in the same manner as the other. *256] fight.(p) 1. First, then, the justices are empowered, by the statute 34 Edw. III. c. 1, to bind over to the good behaviour towards the king and his people all them that be not of good fame, wherever they be found; to the intent that the people be not troubled nor endamaged, nor the peace diminished, nor merchants and others, passing by the highways of the realm, be disturbed nor put in the peril which may happen by such offenders. Under the general words of this expression, that be not of good fame, it is holden that a man may be bound to his good behaviour for causes of scandal, contra bonos mores, as well as contra pacem; as, for haunting bawdy-houses with women of bad fame, or for keeping such women in his own house; or for words tending to scandalize the government, or in abuse of the officers of justice, especially in the execution of their office. Thus also a justice may bind over all night-walkers; eaves-droppers; such as keep suspicious company, or are reported to be pilferers or robbers; such as sleep in the day and wake in the night; common drunkards; whoremasters; the putative fathers of bastards; cheats; idle vagabonds; and other persons whose misbehaviour may reasonably bring them within the general words of the statutes as persons not of good fame: an expression, it must be owned, of so great a latitude as to leave much to be determined by the discretion of the magistrate himself. But if he commits a man for want of sureties, he must express the cause thereof with convenient certainty, and take care that such cause be a good one.(q) *257] *2. A recognizance for the good behaviour may be forfeited by all the same means as one for the security of the peace may be; and also by some others. As, by going armed with unusual attendance, to the terror of the people; by speaking words tending to sedition; or by committing any of those acts of misbehaviour which the recognizance was intended to prevent. But not by barely giving fresh cause of suspicion of that which perhaps may never actually happen :(r) for though it is just to compel suspected persons to give security to the public against misbehaviour that is apprehended; yet it would be hard, upon such suspicion, without the proof of any actual crime, to punish hem by a forfeiture of their recognizance. () 1 Hawk. P. C. 131. (9) Ibid. 132. Another mode of preventing offences has been much more recently adopted: it is the regulation and improvement of prisons, which has been of late a fertile source of legislation. The former acts for this purpose were consolidated and amended by stat. 4 Geo. IV. c. 64, amended by stat. 5 Geo. IV. c. 85. The other acts on this subject are stat. 5 & 6 W. IV. c. 38, (by which inspectors of prisons are appointed,) and 6 & 7 W. IV. c 105, amended by stat. 2 & 3 Vict. c. 56, by which the justices are authorized to make rules for the classification and separation of prisoners, which are to be submitted to a secretary of state, who is to certify their fitness.-STEWART. 518 |