Whereas, by an act, passed in the fifteenth year of his present Majesty’s reign, intituled, _An act for the encouragement of the fisheries carried on from ~Great Britain~, ~Ireland~, and the ~British~ dominions in ~Europe~, and for securing the return of the fishermen, sailors, and others employed in the said fisheries, to the ports thereof, at the end of the fishing season_, it was, amongst other things, enacted, That all disputes which should arise concerning the wages of every and any such seaman or fisherman, and all offences which should be committed by every hirer or employer of such seaman or fisherman against that act, should and might be enquired of, heard, and determined; and the penalties and forfeitures thereby incurred should and might be recovered in the court of session in the said act mentioned, or in the court of vice admiralty having jurisdiction in the island of _Newfoundland_: And whereas, by another act, passed in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, _An act to amend and render more effectual the present laws now in force for encouraging the fisheries carried on at ~Newfoundland~, and parts adjacent, from ~Great Britain~, ~Ireland~, and the ~British~ dominions in ~Europe~; and for granting bounties, for a limited time, on certain terms and conditions_; so much of the said first-mentioned act, as gives any jurisdiction to the court of vice-admiralty for the said island of _Newfoundland_, with respect to inquiring, hearing, and determining disputes concerning the wages of any seaman or fisherman, or any offence committed by any hirer or employer of such seaman or fisherman, or any controversies or differences arising from their contracts or agreements, should be, and the same was thereby repealed: And whereas the provisions made by the said first-mentioned act, for the administration of justice in civil cases, are insufficient, and it is highly expedient that a court of civil jurisdiction, having cognizance of all pleas of debt, account, contracts respecting personal property, and all trespasses against the person, goods, or chattels, should be established in the said island of _Newfoundland_, for a limited time; be it therefore enacted by the King’s most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty, by his commission under the great seal, to institute a court of civil jurisdiction, with full power and authority to hear and determine, in a summary way, all pleas of debt, account, contracts respecting personal property, and all trespasses committed against the person or goods and chattels in the island of _Newfoundland_, and islands and parts adjacent, or on the banks of the said island of _Newfoundland_; which court shall consist of a chief judge, to be appointed by his Majesty, and two