Chimney Sweepers Acts.

The Chimney Sweepers Act, 1840, 3 & 4 Vic., chap. 85 -S. 2. Any person who shall compel, or knowingly allow any child or young person under the age of 21 years, to ascend or descend a chimney or enter a flue for the purpose of sweeping, cleaning, or coring the same, or for extinguishing fire therein, P. not ex. £10.-S. 3. No child under 16 years of age shall be apprenticed to a chimney sweeper such indentures void.

The Chimneys Regulation Act, 1864, 27 & 28 Vic., chap. 37.-S. 4. This Act shall be construed together with the Principal Act (3 & 4 Vic., c. 85), as one Act.

S. 6. It shall not be lawful for a Chimney Sweeper to employ a child under the age of 10 years to do or assist in doing any work or thing in or about the trade or business of such Chimney Sweeper, elsewhere than within the house or place of business of such Chimney Sweeper, or the yard or buildings (if any) connected therewith.

S. 7. It shall not be lawful for a Chimney Sweeper, on any occasion of his entering a house or building for the purpose of sweeping, cleaning, or coring a chimney or flue therein or belonging thereto, or for extinguishing fire in any such chimney or flue, to cause, or knowingly allow a person under the age of 16 years, in his employment, or under his control, to enter before, with, or after him into any part of such house or building, or to be therein for any part of the time during which such Chimney Sweeper himself continues therein for any such purpose as aforesaid.

S. 8. Penalties for before-named offences, not ex. £10. S. 10. In any prosecution, where the age of any young person or child comes in question, the proof of age shall lie on the defendant.

The Chimney Sweepers Act, 1875, 38 & 39 Vic., c. 70.-S. 5. The Sub-Inspector in each police district shall issue certificate to carry on the business of Chimney Sweeper in the district.--S. 6. Every person who carries on the business of a Chimney Sweeper, and who employs any journeyman, assistant, or apprentice, shall take out a certificate.-S. 7. A person desirous of having a certificate shall apply for one to the Sub-Inspector of the district, by delivering the application at the police station nearest to the applicant's dwelling; thereupon a certificate is to be delivered to applicant, signed by the Sub-Inspector.-S. 8. One certificate is sufficient for two or more partners.--S. 9. Journeyman or assistant Chimney Sweeper not required to have a certificate. S. 10. Fee for certificate is 2s. 6d.S. 11. Certificate to be in force for one year.-S. 13. Certificate to be endorsed without fee by Sub-Inspector of new district on Chimney Sweeper changing to another district.

-S. 14. Sub-Inspector to keep register of certificates.-S. 15. Every person who carries on the trade of Chimney Sweeper without certificate, P. not ex. 10s.-S. 16. Every Chimney Sweeper shall, when required by a Constable, give his name and address; for failing to do so, P. not ex. 10s S. 17. Chimney Sweeper, on demand, shall produce and show his certificate to any Constable; failing to do so, P. not ex. 10s.-S. 18. Not lawful to lend or transfer certificate, under P. not ex. 20s.-S. 19. Making false statements knowingly, in application for certificate, fabricating, or altering certificate, carrying or producing a fabricated or altered certificate, P. not ex. 40s.-S. 20. If any person having certificate is convicted of any offence against Acts 1840 and 1864, Court may deprive him of certificate.--S. 21. The Constabulary shall enforce and put in execution Acts 1840 and 1864.

[A Chimney Sweeper not employing any journeyman, assistant, or apprentice does not require a certificate. Every Chimney Sweeper's certificate expires on the 31st December of the year in which the same is granted, and the following fee is paid for each such certificate:-For a certificate granted before the 25th March, 2s. 6d. ; for a certificate granted on or after the 25th March, and before the 24th June, 2s.; for a certificate granted on or after the 24th June, and before the 29th September, Is. Gd.; for a certificate granted on or after the 29th September, and before the 31st day of December, 1s. If any certificate shall be lost or destroyed, a new certificate shall have to be obtained on payment of fee.]

By Chimney Sweepers Act, 1894 (57 & 58 Vic., c. 51), any person who shall for the purpose of soliciting employment as a Chimney Sweeper, knock at the houses from door to door, or ring a bell, or, to the annoyance of any inhabitant thereof, ring the door bell of any house, &c., commits an offence and is liable to penalty. See page 463.

Clergymen. Obstructing or Assaulting.--24 & 25 Vic., C. 100, s. 36.--Whosoever shall, by threats or force, obstruct or prevent, or endeavour to obstruct or prevent any clergyman, or other minister, in or from celebrating Divine service, or otherwise officiating in any church, chapel, meeting-house, or other place of Divine worship, or in or from the performance of his duty in the lawful burial of the dead in any churchyard, or other burial place, or shall strike or offer any violence to, or shall, upon any civil process, or under the pretence of executing any civil process, arrest any clergyman or other minister who is engaged in, or, to the knowledge of the offender, is about to engage in, any of the rites or duties in this section aforesaid, or who to the knowledge of the offender shall be going to perform the same, or returning from the performance thereof, shall be guilty of M.

Clerk of Petty Sessions.-Act prescribing mode of appointing, duties, &c., 21 & 22 Vic., c. 100, see also 14 & 15 Vic., c. 93, s. 5.

current

Coinage Offences.--24 & 25 Vic. c. 99.

S. 1. Interpretation of Terms.-In the interpretation of and for the purposes of this Act, the expression, "The Queen's current gold or silver coin," shall include any gold or silver coin coined in Her Majesty's mint, or lawfully ; and the expression, "The Queen's copper coin," shall include any copper coin of bronze or mixed metal coined in any of Her Majesty's mints, or lawfully current ; and the expression, "false or counterfeit coin resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current gold or silver coin, ‚" shall include any of the current coin which shall have been gilt, silvered, washed, coloured, or cased over, or in any manner altered, so as to resemble or be apparently intended to resemble, or pass for, any of the Queen's current coin of a higher denomination; and the expression, "The Queen's current coin," shall include any coin coined in any of Her Majesty's mints or lawfully current

and whether made of gold, silver, copper, bronze, or mixed metal; and where the having any matter in the custody or possession of any person is mentioned in this Act, it shall include not only the having of it by himself in his personal custody or possession, but also the knowingly and wilfully having it in the actual custody cr possession of any other person, and also the knowingly and wilfully having it in any dwelling-house or other building, lodging, apartment, field, or other place, open or inclosed, whether belonging to or occupied by himself, or not, and whether such matter shall be so had for his own use or benefit, or for that of any other person.

S. 2. Falsely making or counterfeiting any coin resemb ling, or apparently intended to resemble, or pass for, current gold or silver coin, F.-S. 3. Gilding, silvering, or washing, &c., any coin whatsoever, or any piece of metal with intent to make them pass for gold or silver coin, or colouring or altering genuine coin, with intent to make it pass for gold or silver coin, F.-S. 4. Impairing, diminishing or lightening any of the current gold or silver coin with intent that it might pass as current coin, F.-S. 5. Unlawful possession of any filings or clippings, or any gold or silver bullion or dust obtained by impairing, &c., current

gold or silver coin, knowing the same to have been so obtained, F.-S. 6. Buying, selling, receiving, paying, &c., any counterfeit coin at or for a lower value than the same imports, F.-S. 7. Importing counterfeit coin from beyond the seas, knowing the same to be counterfeit, F.--S. 8. Exporting counterfeit coin to pass for the Queen's coin, knowing the same to be counterfeit, M.-S. 9. Tendering, uttering, or putting off false or counterfeit gold or silver coin, knowingly, M.-S. 10. Tendering, uttering, or putting off knowingly, and having in possession at the time of tendering, &c., any other counterfeit gold or silver coin; or either on the same day of such tendering, &c., or within ten days, knowingly tendering, &c., any counterfeit gold or silver coin, M.-S. 11. Knowingly having in possession three or more pieces of counterfeit coin, apparently intended to resemble current gold or silver coin, and with intent to pass off the same, M.--S. 12. Every second offence of uttering, &c., after a previous conviction, F.--S. 13. With intent to defraud, tendering, or putting off as current gold or silver coin, any coin not being such, or any medal or piece of metal resembling the current coin, and being of dess value, M.-S. 14. Counterfeiting coin to pass for current copper coin, without lawful authority; making, mend. ing, or having in possession, any instrument, tool, or engine adapted and intended for counterfeiting the current copper coin; buying, selling, or putting off any counterfeit copper coin at a lower value than the same imports, F.-S. 15. Knowingly tendering, uttering, or putting off, or having in possession three or more pieces of counterfeit coin, apparently intended to resemble current copper coin, M.-S. 16. Defacing any of the current gold, silver, or copper coin by stamping thereon any names or words, M.—S. 17. Counterfeiting any foreign gold or silver coin, F.-S. 19. Knowingly importing foreign counterfeit gold or silver coin, F.-S. 20. Tendering, uttering, &c., any foreign counterfeit gold or silver coin, M.-S. 21. Second offence of tendering, uttering, &c., foreign gold and silver coin, M.; third like offence, F.-S. 22. Counterfeiting foreign coin other than gold or silver coin, M.--S. 24. Knowingly making, mending, buying, selling, or having in possession any coining tools or instruments, F.-25. Knowingly convey. ing tools, coin, bullion, metals, &c., out of Her Majesty's Mint without lawful authority, F.--S. 26. Coin tendered as current gold or silver coin diminished otherwise than by reasonable wearing, or which shall be counterfeit, may be cut, broken, bent, or defaced.-- S. 27. Counterfeit coin, resembling current or foreign coin, or coining instruments or any

filings, or gold or silver bullion, or dust produced by diminishing current gold or silver coin, may be seized and carried forthwith before some Justice of the Peace; and where it shall be proved on oath before a Justice that there is reasonable cause to suspect that any person has been concerned in counterfeiting any such coin, or has in his possession any such coin or coining instruments, or any such filings, &c., the Justice may, by warrant, cause any place belonging to, or in the occupation, or under the control of, such suspected person to be searched either in the day or in the night, and if any such false or counterfeit coin, or instrument, &c., shall be found, to be seized and carried forthwith before some Justice, who shall, if necessary, cause the same to be secured for the purpose of evidence.-S. 28. Offences committed in more than one county may be tried in either.-S. 29. Any credible witness may prove coin to be counterfeit.--S. 30. Every offence of falsely making or counterfeiting coin, or of buying, selling, receiving, or uttering, or of offering, so to do, shall be deemed complete, although the coin shall not be in a fit state to be uttered, or the counterfeiting perfected.-S. 31. Any person whatsoever may apprehend any person found committing any crime or offence against this Act, and deliver him to a Constable, in order to his being conveyed before a Justice.

The following offences are punishable on summary conviction:-S. 17. Tendering, uttering, &c., defaced gold, silver, or copper coin, as in sec. 16.-S. 23. Having in one's possession, without lawful excuse, more than five pieces of false or counterfeit coin apparently intended to resemble gold, silver, or copper foreign coin.

Also, by 33 Vic, c. 10, s 61, any person making or issuing any piece of gold, silver, copper, or bronze, or any metal, as a coin or token for money, is liable to a penalty.

Compounding Offences.-Compounding Felonies.— Everyone commits a misdemeanour who, in respect of any valuable consideration, enters into an agreement not to prosecute any person for felony, or to show favour to any person in any such prosecution. Though the bare taking again of a man's own goods which have been stolen (without favour shown to the thief) is no offence; yet where a man either takes back the goods, or receives other amends on condition of not prosecuting, it is a misdemeanour. Compounding Misdemeanours.-It is doubtful whether