A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis: Containing a Detail of the Various Crimes and Misdemeanors by which Public and Private Property and Security are, at Present, Injured and Endangered: and Suggesting Remedies for their PreventionColquhoun, Patrick
History
A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis: Containing a Detail of the Various Crimes and Misdemeanors by which Public and Private Property and Security are, at Present, Injured and Endangered: and Suggesting Remedies for their Prevention
Colquhoun, Patrick
Crime -- England -- London; Police -- England -- London
The Laws being still found insufficient, the Statute of the fourth of
George the First, cap. 11, enacted, "_That Receivers of stolen Goods,
knowing them to be stolen, should, on conviction, be transported for
fourteen years; and that buying at an under value should be
presumptive evidence of such knowledge_:--and the same statute _makes
it felony (according to the nature of the felony committed in stealing
the Goods) for any person directly or indirectly to take a reward for
helping any person to stolen Goods; unless such person bring the felon
to his trial, and give evidence against him_."
But these amendments also proving ineffectual, and not being found to
apply immediately to persons receiving stolen _lead, iron, copper,
brass, bell-metal or solder_ taken from buildings, or from ships,
vessels, wharfs, or quays--It was enacted by the 29th of George the
Second, cap. 30, "_That every person who shall buy or Receive such
articles, knowing the same to be stolen, or who shall privately
purchase these respective metals by suffering any door, window, or
shutter, to be left open between sun-setting and sun-rising, or shall
buy or receive any of the said metals in any clandestine manner,
shall, on conviction, be transported for fourteen years, although the
principal felon has not been convicted_." Sec. 1.
The same Act _empowers one Justice to grant a warrant to search in the
day time for such metals suspected to be stolen, as by the oath of one
witness may appear to be deposited or concealed in any house or
place_; and if goods are found, the Act goes so far as _to empower two
Justices to adjudge the person having the custody of the same, guilty
of a misdemeanor, if he cannot produce the party from whom he
purchased, or give a satisfactory account how they came into his
possession; and the offender shall, for the first offence forfeit
40s. for the second 4l. and for every subsequent offence 6l._
Sec. 2; 6.
This Act also _empowers officers of justice (and watchmen while on
duty) to apprehend all persons suspected of conveying any stolen
metals, as already described, after sun-set or before sun-rise; and if
such persons cannot give a good account of the manner in which they
were obtained, two Magistrates are in like manner authorized to
adjudge them guilty of a misdemeanor, and they forfeit forty
shillings, &c._ Sec. 3; 6.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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