those who endeavour to seduce those subject to the Act from their allegiance (¿).

ILLEGAL TRAINING AND DRILLING.

Meetings for the purpose of training or drilling to the use of arms without authority from the Sovereign, or the lieutenant or two Justices of the Peace of the county, are illegal. Any person who is present for the purpose of training or assisting in training is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to penal servitude to the extent of seven years. If he is present for the purpose of being himself trained, he is punishable with fine and imprisonment not exceeding two years. The prosecution must be commenced within six months after the offence is committed. Any magistrate, constable, or peace officer may disperse such meetings, and arrest and detain any person present (k).

UNLAWFUL DEALINGS WITH PUBLIC STORES.

The law on this point is consolidated by the Public Store Act, 1875 (1). Certain marks are appropriated by the Government for the distinguishing of public stores. If any one, without lawful authority, which he must prove, applies any of these marks in or on any such stores, he is guilty of a misdemeanour, and may be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two years (m). If any one, with intent to conceal His Majesty's property in such stores, obliterates these marks, wholly or in part, he is guilty of felony, and is punishable with penal servitude to the extent of seven years (n). The unlawful possession of public stores is punishable on summary conviction (o).

(1) See page 48 for general remarks as to the punishment of offences by those in the Army or Navy.

(k) 60 Geo. III. and 1 Geo. IV. c. 1, ss. 1, 2.

(1) 38 & 39 Vict. c. 25

(m) Ibid. s 4.

(n) Ibid. s. 5.

(0) Ibid. ss. 7-11

It is also an offence punishable on summary conviction knowingly to buy or receive from a soldier arms, ammunition, regimental clothing, military decorations, &c., or to be found in possession of such articles without being able to account satisfactorily for such possession (p).

OFFENCES BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMY AND NAVY.

It may be convenient to notice shortly offences of a strictly military nature which are punishable by a court-martial. As to the Army.-It is provided by the Army Act, 1881, that every officer or private who shall incite or join any mutiny, or knowing of it shall not give notice to the commanding officer, or shall desert, or enlist in any other regiment, or sleep upon his post, or leave it before he is relieved, or hold correspondence with a rebel or enemy, or strike or use insolence to his superior officer, or disobey his lawful commands, shall suffer death or such other punishment as the Act prescribes for these offences. Other offences are set forth and their punishments prescribed.

The Act does not, however, exempt soldiers from being punishable by the ordinary criminal Courts. It expressly provides that nothing therein is to exempt any officer or soldier from being proceeded against by the ordinary course of law, when accused of felony or misdemeanour, or of any offence other than absenting himself from service or misconduct respecting his contract (q). And if a person who has been sentenced for an offence by a court-martial is afterwards tried by a civil Court for the same offence, that Court in awarding punishment shall have regard to the military punishment he may have already undergone. No person acquitted or convicted by a competent civil Court is to be tried by court-martial for the same offence.

As to the Navy.-The Naval Discipline Act, 1866 (r), and the amending Act of 1884 (s) make similar provisions for the

(p) 44 & 45 Vict. c. 58, s. 156; 5 & 6 Geo. V. c. 58, s. 6.

(q) Ibid. ss. 144, 162.

(7) 29 & 30 Vict. c. 109.

(s) 47 & 48 Vict. c. 39.

navy as to courts-martial, the trial of offences, no exemption from ordinary criminal jurisdiction, &c.

COINAGE OFFENCES.

The law on this subject has been consolidated by the Coinage Offences Act, 1861 (t). It will be our task to present its matter under several heads.

A. Counterfeit Coin.-A distinction is made as to the kind of coin. Whosoever falsely makes or counterfeits any coin resembling, or apparently intended to resemble or pass for(i). The King's current gold or silver coin of this realm (u), (ii) Foreign gold or silver coin (w),

(iii) The King's current copper coin (x),

is guilty of felony, and is punishable, in the case of gold and silver coin of the realm, with penal servitude to the extent of life, in the other cases to the extent of seven years; (iv) Foreign coin other than gold or silver coin (y) is guilty of a misdemeanour, punishable for the first offence with imprisonment not exceeding one year; for the second offence with penal servitude to the extent of seven years.

This offence, as also the offences, to be noticed later, of buying, selling, and uttering counterfeit coin is complete although the false coin has not been finished, or is not in a fit state to be uttered (2); nor is any attempt to utter necessary. Any one, not necessarily an officer from the Mint, may at the trial prove the falseness (a). In this offence is included that committed by persons lawfully engaged in coining, but who make the coin lighter, or of baser alloy. The counterfeiting can generally only be proved by circumstantial evidence; for example, by proof of finding coining

(t) 24 & 25 Vict. c. 99. In the present division the quoting of a section must be understood to refer to this Act.

(u) s. 2.

(w) s. 18.

(z) s. 14. (y) s. 22. (z) s. 30. (a) s. 29.

tools in working order, and pieces of the money, some in a finished, some in an unfinished state.

B. Colouring Coin. To gild, silver, or colour counterfeit coin, or any piece of metal with intent to make it pass for gold or silver coin; or to colour, file, or otherwise alter genuine coin with intent to make it pass for coin of a higher degree, is a felony punishable with penal servitude to the extent of life (b).

C. Impairing Gold and Silver Coin.-Impairing, diminishing, or lightening any of the King's gold or silver coin, with the intent that it shall pass for gold or silver coin, is felony, punishable with penal servitude to the extent of fourteen years (c).

Having in possession any filings, clippings, dust, &c., obtained by the above-mentioned process, is a felony, the limit of penal servitude for which is seven years (d).

D. Defacing Coin.-Defacing the King's gold, silver, or copper coin, by stamping thereon any names or words, although the coin be not thereby lightened, is a misdemeanour, punishable with imprisonment not exceeding one year (e). It should be added that coin so defaced is not legal tender; and by the permission of the Attorney-General or Lord Advocate, any person who tenders or puts off coin so debased may be brought before two magistrates, and on conviction be fined not exceeding forty shillings (f).

E. Buying or Selling, &c., Counterfeit Coin at Lower Value. -Any person, without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof lies on the accused), buying, selling, receiving, or putting off any counterfeit coin for a lower rate or value than it imports, is guilty of felony. If the counterfeit be of gold or silver the extent of penal servitude is life (g); if copper, the limit is seven years (h).

(b) s. 3.

(d) s. 5.

(f) s. 17.

(h) s. 14.

(c) s. 4.
(e) s. 16.
(g) s. 6.

F. Importing and Exporting Counterfeit Coin.-Importing or receiving into the United Kingdom from beyond the seas, without lawful authority, &c., counterfeit coin resembling the King's gold or silver coin, knowing the same to be false and counterfeit, is a felony, punishable with penal servitude to the extent of life (i). Importing foreign counterfeit coin is a felony, the limit of penal servitude for which is seven years (k).

Exporting, or putting on board any vessel for the purpose of being exported from the United Kingdom any coin counterfeit of the King's current coin, without lawful authority, &c., is a misdemeanour punishable with imprisonment not exceeding two years (1).

G. Uttering Counterfeit Coin.-Tendering, uttering, or putting off counterfeit gold or silver (m) coin, knowing the same to be false and counterfeit, is a misdemeanour punishable with imprisonment not exceeding one year. If at the time of uttering the offender has any other counterfeit gold or silver coin in his possession, or if he within ten days utters another coin, knowing it to be counterfeit gold or silver, the punishment may extend to two years (n). If the uttering is after a previous conviction for either of these offences, or for having in possession three or more pieces of counterfeit gold or silver coin, or for any felony relating to the coin, the utterer is guilty of felony, and may be sentenced to penal servitude for life (o).

Knowingly uttering counterfeit copper coin, or having in possession three or more pieces of counterfeit copper coin with intent to utter them, is a misdemeanour punishable by imprisonment for one year (p).

Knowingly uttering counterfeit coin meant to resemble a foreign gold or silver coin is punishable for the first offence with imprisonment not exceeding six months; for the second

(i) 8. 7.
(1) 8. 8.

(n) s. 10.

(p) s. 15.

(k) s. 19.

(m) s. 9.

(o) s. 12.