ANALYSIS. BOOK IV. -OF PUBLIC WRONGS. Page 2. The will does not concur with the act, I. Where there is a defect of understanding. II. Where no will is ex erted. III. Where the act is constrained by force and violence 21 1 4 5 3. A vicious will may therefore be wanting, in the cases of, I. Infancy. II. Idiocy, or lunacy. III. Drunkenness; which doth not, however, excuse. IV. Misfortune. V. Ignorance, or mistake of fact. VI. Compulsion, or necessity; which is, Ist, that of civil subjection, 2ndly, that of duress per minas; 3rdly, that of choosing the least pernicious of two evils, where one is unavoidable; 4thly, that of want or hunger; which is no legitimate ex 7 OF PRINCIPALS AND ACCESSORIES 34 to 37 1. The different degrees of guilt in criminals are, I. As principals. II. As accessories 7 11 12 2. A principal in a crime is, I. He who commits the fact. II. He who is present at, aiding, and abetting, the commission 3. An accessory is he who doth not commit the fact, nor is present at the commission; but is in some sort concerned therein, either before or after 4. Accessories can only be in petit treason, and felony: in high treason, and misdemeanors, all are principals 5. An accessory before the fact, is one who, being absent when the crime is committed, hath procured, counselled, or commanded another to commit it 6. An accessory after the fact, is where a person, knowing a felony to have been committed, receives, relieves, comforts, or assists the felon. Such accessory is usually entitled to the benefit of clergy; where the principal, and accessory before the fact, are ex cluded from it CHAPTER IV. 31 34 35 35 36 37 CHAPTER 1. OF THE NATURE OF CRIMES, AND THEIR PUNISHMENT Page 1 to 12 1. In treating of public wrongs may be considered, I. The general nature of crimes and punishments. II. The persons capable of committing crimes. III. Their several degrees of guilt. IV. The several species of crimes, and their respective punishments. V. The means of prevention. VI. The method of punishment 2. A crime, or misdemeanor, is an act committed, or omitted, in violation of a public law, either forbidding or commanding it 3. Crimes are distinguished from civil injuries, in that they are a breach and violation of the public rights, due to the whole community, considered as a community 4. Punishments may be considered with regard to, 1. The power, II. The end, III. The measure, of their infliction. 5. The power, or right, of inflicting human punishments, for natural crimes, or such as are mala in se, was by the law of nature vested in every individual; but, by the fundamental contract of society, is now transferred to the sovereign power: in which also is vested, by the same contract, the right of punishing positive offences, or such as are mala prohibita 6. The end of human punishments is to prevent future offences, I. By amending the offender himself. II. By deterring others through his example. III. By depriving him of the power to do future mischief 1. The measure of human punishments must be determined by the wisdom of the sovereign power, and not by any uniform universal rule: though that wisdom may be regulated, and assist ed, by certain general, equitable, prin ciples CHAPTER II. OF THE PERSONS CAPABLE OF COMMIT- 20 to 33 1. All persons are capable of committing crimes, unless there be in them a defect of will; for, to constitute a legal crime, there must be both a vicious will, and a vicious act more immediately offend, I. God, and his holy religion. II. The law of nations. III. The king and his government. IV. The public, or com monwealth. V. Individuals Crimes more immediately offending God and religion, are, I. Apostacy. For which the penalty is incapacity, and imprisonment. II. Heresy. Penalty for one species thereof: the same. III. Offences against the established church.-Either, by reviling its ordinances. Penalties: fine; deprivation; imprisonment forfeiture. Or, by non-conformity to its worship: 1st, through total irreligion. Penalty: fine. 2ndly, through protestant dissenting. Penalty: suspended (conditionally) by the toleration act. 3rdly, through popery, either in professors of the popish religion, popish recusants convict, or popish priests. Penalties: incapacity; double taxes; imprisonment; fines; forfeitures; abjuration of the realm; judgment of felony, without clergy; and judgment of high treason. IV. Blasphemy. Penalty: fine, imprisonment, and corporal punishment. V. Profane swearing and cursing. Penalty: fine, or house of correction. VI. Witchcraft; or, at least, the pretence thereto. Penalty: imprisonment, and pillory. VII. Religious impostures. Penalty: fine, imprisonment, and corporal punishment. VIII. Simony. Penalties: forfeiture of double value; incapacity. IX. Sabbath-breaking. Penalty: fine. X. Drunkenness. Penalty: fine, or stocks. XI. Lewdness. Penalties: fine; imprisonment; house of correction CHAPTER V. OF OFFENCES AGAINST THE LAW OF NATIONS Page 42 43-65 66 to 73 2. In England, the law of nations is adopted, in its full extent, as part of the law of the land 3 Offences against this law are principally incident to whole states or nations; but, when committed by private subjects, are then the objects of the municipal law 67 67 1. Crimes against the law of nations, animadverted on by the laws of England, are, I. Violation of safe-con ducts. II. Infringement of the rights of ambassadors. Penalty, in both: arbitrary. III. Piracy. Penalty: judgment of felony, without clergy CHAPTER VI. OF HIGH TREASON 68-73 74 to 92 Crimes, and misdemeanors, more pe culiarly offending the king and his government, are, I. High treason II. Felonies injurious to the prerogative. III. Præmunire. IV. Other mispinsions and contempts 2. High treason may, according to the statute of Edward III. be committed, I. By compassing or imagining the death of the king, or queen-consort, or their eldest son and heir; demonstrated by some overt act. III. By violating the king's companion, his eldest daughter, or the wife of his eldest son, III. By some overt act of levying war against the king in his realm. IV. By adherence to the king's enemies. V. By counterfeiting the king's great or privy seal. VI. By counterfeiting the king's money, or importing counterfeit money. VII. By killing the chancellor, treasurer, or king's justices, in the execution of their offices 76-87 3. High treasons, created by subsequent statutes, are such as relate, I. To papists: as, the repeated defence ot the pope's jurisdiction; the coming from beyond sea of a natural-born popish priest; the renouncing of allegiance, and reconciliation to the pope, or other foreign power. II. Το the coinage, or other signatures of the king: as, counterfeiting (or, importing and uttering counterfeit) foreign coin, here current; forging the sign manual, privy signet, or privy seal; falsifying, &c. the current coin. 111. To the protestant succession: as, corresponding with, or remitting money to, the late pretender's sons; en deavouring to impede the succession, writing or printing in defence of any pretender's title, or in derogation of the act of settlement, or of the power of parliament to limit the descent of the crown 4. The punishment of high treason, in males, is (generally) to be, I. Drawn. II. Hanged. III. Embowelled alive. IV. Beheaded. V. Quartered. VI. The head and quarters to be at the king's disposal. But, in treasons relating to the coin, only to be drawn, and hanged till dead. Females, in both cases, are to be drawn and burned alive CHAPTER VII. OF FELONIES INJURIOUS TO THE KING'S PREROGATIVE 87-92 92 94 to.02 1. Præmunire, in its original sense, is the offence of adhering to the tempo- tal power of the pope, in derogation of the regal authority. Penalty: out- lawry, forfeiture, and imprisonment: which hath since been extended to some offences of a different nature Among these are, I. Importing po- pish trinkets. II. Contributing to the maintenance of popish seminaries abroad, or popish priests in England. III. Molesting the possessors or ab- by lands. IV. Acting as broker in an usurious contract, for more than ten per cent. V. Obtaining any stay of proceedings in suits for monopolies. VI. Obtaining an exclusive patent for gunpowder or arms. VII. Exertion of purveyance or pre-emption. VIII. Asserting a legislative authority in both or either house of Parliament. IX. Sending any subject a prisoner beyond sea. X. Refusing the oaths Preaching, teaching, or advised speaking, in defence of the right of any pretender to the crown, or in de- rogation of the power of Parliament to limit the succession. XII. Treat- ing of other matters, by the assembly of peers of Scotland, convened for electing their representatives in Par- liament. XIII. Unwarrantable un- dertakings by unlawful subscriptions to public funds 3 Negative misprisions are, 1. Mispri- sion of treason. Penalty: forfeiture and imprisonment. II. Misprision of felony. Penalty: fine and imprison- ment. III. Concealment of treasure trove. Penalty: fine and imprison- ment 120-1 1. Positive misprisions, or high misde- meanors and contempts, are, I. Mal- administration of public trusts, which includes the crime of peculation. nomy 2. Offences, against the public justice, are, I. Embezzling, or vacating re- cords, and personating others in courts of justice. Penalty. judgment of fe- Compelling prisoners to become ap- provers. Penalty: judgment of felo- ny. III. Obstructing the execution of process. IV. Escapes. V. Breach of prison. VI. Rescue. Which four may (according to the circumstances) be either felonies, or misdemeanors punishable by fine and imprisonment. VII. Returning from transportation. This is felony, without clergy. VIII. Taking rewards, to help one to his stolen goods. Penalty: the same as for the theft. IX. Receiving stolen goods. Penalties: transportation. fine; and imprisonment. X. Theft- bote. XI. Cominon barretry, and su- ing in a feigned name. XII. Main- tenance. XIII. Champerty.-Penal- ty, in these four: fine and imprison ment. XIV. Compounding prosecu- tions on penal statutes. Penalty: fine, pillory, and disability. XV. Conspiracy; and threats of accusation in order to extort money, &c. Penal ties: the villenous judgment; fine, imprisonment, pillory; whipping; transportation. XVI. Perjury, and subornation thereof. Penalties: in- famy; imprisonment; fine, or pillory; and, sometimes, transportation house of correction. XVII. Bribery. Penalty: fine, and imprisonment. XVIII. Embracery. Penalty: infamy, fine, and imprisonment. XIX. False verdict. Penalty: the judgment in attaint. XX. Negligence of public officers, &c. Penalty: fine and for- feiture of the office. XXI. Oppres 12 ! Offences, against the public peace, 1. Offences, against the public trade, are, 1. Owling. Penalties: fines ; forfeiture; imprisonment; loss of left hand; transportation; judgment of felony. II. Smuggling. Penalties: fines; loss of goods; judginent of felony, without clergy. III. Fraudu- lent bankruptcy. Penalty: judgment of felony, without clergy. IV. Usurv. Penalty: fine, and imprisonment. V. Cheating. Penalties: fine; imprison- or other corporal punishment; trans- Regrating. VIII. Engrossing. Pe- nalties, for all three loss of goods; fine; imprisonment; pillory. IX. Mo- nopolies, and combinations to raise the price of commodities. Penalties; fines; imprisonment; pillory; loss of ear; infamy; and, sometimes, the pains of præmunire. X. Exercising a trade, not having served as appren- tice. Penalty: fine. XI. Trans- porting, or residing abroad, of artifi- cers. Penalties: fine; imprisonment; are, I. Irregularity, in time of the plague, or of quarantine. Penalties: whipping; iudgment of felony, with and withou clergy. II. Selling un wholesome provisions. Penalties. amercement; pillory; fine; imprison- 2. Offences, against the public police and economy, or domestic order of the kingdom, are, 1. Those relating to clandestine and irregular marriages. Penalties: judgment of felony, with and without clergy. II. Bigamy, or (more properly) polygamy. Penalty: judgment of felony. III. Wandering, by soldiers or mariners. IV. Remain- ing in England, by Egyptians; or being in their fellowship one month. Both these are felonies, without cler- gy. V. Common nuisances: 1st, by annoyances or purprestures in high- ways, bridges, and rivers; 2ndly, by offensive trades and manufactures; 3rdly, by disorderly houses; 4thlv. by nishment 162-175 4. Homicide is justifiable, I. By ne- 6. Felonious homicide is the killing of 161 to 175 7. Killing one's self, or self-murder, is |