| OCR Text |
Show 154 POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL Profecutions for the Breach of thofe Laws would be to little or no Effect, if carried on in firm. rican Courts, or before flmerz‘mn Juries, that it is exprefsly ordained, " It lhall, and may be law. " ful for any Perfon or Perfons t0 profecute " fuch Ship or VeITel [offending as defcribed in " the preceding Seétion] in any Court ofAd" miralty in England; the one Moiety of the " Forfeiture, in Cafe of Condemnation, to be " to his Majefly, his Heirs, and Succeilors; and " the other Moiety to fuch Profecutor or Pro" fecutors thereof." [See 22 and 23 ofC/z. II. Cap. 26, § 12 and 13.] And we find, that two Years afterwards, viz. 25 of C11. II. Cap. 7. the fame Complaints were again renewed, and in Confequence thereof higher Duties and additional Penalties were laid on, for the more ef« feéttially enforcing of the Obfervance of this and of the former Laws: But in Spite of all that was done, Things grew worfe and worle every Day. For it is obferveable, that in the Year 1696, the very Authority of the Eng/M; I..egillature, for making l‘uch Laws and Regulations, fecmed to have been called in Ogrefiion; which Authority, therefore, the Parliament was obliged to ali‘ert in Terms very peremptory "r" and 1 may liltewile add, very prophetical. The Law made on this Occalion was the famous Statute of the 7th and 8th of WM. 111. CW 7' wherein, after the Recital of " divers ACTS ' " made SUBJECTS. ,5, E‘ made for the Encouragement of the Naviga" tion of this Kingdom, and for the betterifc" curing and regulating the Plantation Trade, 0‘ itis remarked, that notwithfiandingfuch Laws, " great abufes are daily committed to the Pm- "judice of the Eaglz'flz Navigation, and the "Lois of great Part of the Plantation Trade "to this Kingdom, by the Artifice and Cunning " of ill difpofed Perfons." Then, having pre- fcribed fuch Remedies as thefe great Evils leemed to require, the Aft goes on at §. 7. to ordain, " That all the Penalties and Forfeitures "beforementioned, not in this Act particular" ly difpofed of, {ball be one third Part to "the Ufe of his Majel'ty, his Heirs, and Suc~ "ceffors, and one third Part to the Governor " of the Colony or Plantation where the OHencc " lhall be committed, and the other third Part " to fuch Perfon or Perfons as {hall fue for the " fame, to be recovered in any of his Majefiy's "Courts at lVr/z‘mirzflcr, or in the Kingdom of " Ireland, or in the Courts of Admiralty held in "his Majef'ty's Plantations relpeé‘tively, where " fuch Offence {hall be committed, at the Plea- "fure of tile Oficer or Informer, or in any otheg. " Plantation belonging to any Subjeét of Englcmd: "wherein no Eflbin, Protection, or Wager Of "Law {hall be allowed; and that where any " uei'tion fhall arife concerning the Importa- .‘_‘ tion or Exportation of any Goods into or on; 6‘ o l l . .‘ A'Il'lnn » II |
