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1806.

CARR

versus

JONES.

Pleading.

Game. Stat. 5.
Ann, c 14.
2 Geo. III.
c. 19.

CLANRICARD

versus

STOKES,

to amend). "If parties choose to take upon themselves to publish the proceedings of courts of justice, and either do not justify, or do not justify in the best manner which they can, the court will not help them."

JUDGMENT for the PLAINTIFF.

Lord CLANRICARD against STOKES.-June 13th. Declaration in debt that the defendant kept a snare for killing hares, contra formam statuti, whereby and by force of the statute, an action hath accrued to demand 5l., held good, in arrest of judgment; the offence being created by one statute, and the action for the whole penalty to the informer being given by several subsequent statutes incorporated in the statute 2 Geo. III. c. 19. The first clause refers to the first statute, the second to the last.

Qu. Whether vigore statuti may be omitted in such a declaration.

THE plaintiff declared, in debt, for a penalty upon a statute, that the defendant did keep a snare for the destruction of the game, the said snare being then and there an engine to kill and destroy the game, contrary to the form of the statute in that case made and provided, the said defendant not being in any wise qualified or having any lawful authority so to do; by reason whereof, and by force of the statute, in such case made and provided, an action hath accrued to the said plaintiff to demand and have of defendant 51. &c." The defendant being found guilty, it was moved in arrest of judgment, that it should have been contrary to the form of the statutes, in the plural number, and whereby and by force of the statutes; for that the of fence is created by one or more statutes, and the remedy to the informer is given by another, if not by two; viz. the offencee is created by statute 5 Ann, c. 14, s. 4, that statute is constructed by a subsequent

stalute, and gives half the penalty, to be recovered by summary proceeding, to the informer; by statute 8 Geo. I. c. 19, an action is given to the common informer to recover half the penalty within a limited time, and lastly the statute 2 Geo. III. c. 19, s. 5, gives the whole penalty to the informer; so that there are two statutes by which the offence is created and two which enable the party to bring his action.*

* 5 Ann, c 14, s. 4, if any person not qualified by the laws of this realm shall keep or use any greyhounds, setting dogs, hayes, durokes, tunnels,, or any other engines to kill and destroy the game, and shall be thereof convicted upon the oath of one or two credible witnesses, by the justice or justices of the peace where such offence is committed, the person or persons so convicted shall forfeit the sum of 51. one half to be paid to the informer, and the other half to the poor of the parish. This act shall remain in force for the space of three years, from 1st of May, 1707, to the end of the next session of parliament. The 9 Ann. c. 25, made the 5 Ann, c. 14, perpetual,subject nevertheless to the additions or alterations after-mentioned, viz. whereas by the former act a lord of a manor might appoint more than one gamekeeper for one manor: it is enacted he shall appoint only one for one manor. 8 Geo. I. c. 19, entitled an act for the better recovery of penalties inflicted upon persons who destroy game. For rendering more effectual the laws now in being for the better preservation of the game, be it enacted, that, wherever any person shall for any offence to be hereafter committed against any law now in being for the better preservation of game be liable or subject to pay any pecuniary penalty or sum of money upon conviction before a justice of the peace, It shall be lawful for any other person whomsoever, either to proceed to recover the said penalty, by information and conviction before a justice of the peace, or to sue for the same by action of debt. Sect. 2. The action is to be brought before the end of the next term after the said offence. 26 Geo. II. c. 2, recites the last act, and enacts that all ac

3

1806.

CLANRICARD

versus

STOKES.

1806.

CLANRICARD

versus

STOKES.

BURROUGH and GASELEE shewed cause.

"The

offence and the penalty are created by one statute, namely, by the statute 5 Ann, c. 14, although the mode of recovery is altered by the subsequent statutes; in that case it is not necessary to allege the offence to be contra forman statutorum; but, where the offence is created by one statute, and the penalty is given by another statute, there, being so much connected together, in order to enable the plaintiff to maintain his action, the offence must be laid contra formam statutorum. If an act is made forbidding one to do such a thing and another act gives the penalty, the declaration should conclude contra formam statutorum, but where the statute is only revived it is otherwise, Stradling v. Morgan: so in Rex v. West,t cited in Lee v. Clarke In Broughton v. Moore,§ by the 1 Eliz. c. 2, every one is to go to his own church, upon pain of 12d. to be levied by the churchwardens; then the 23d Eliz. e. 1, gives a further penalty of 201. per month; and the 29th Eliz. c. 6, gives the third part

tions brought by virtue of that act shall and may be brought before the end of the second term after the said offence. 2 Geo. III. c. 20, recites 8 Geo. I. c. 19, the part above transcribed, and that, by several acts, a moiety of the penalty goes to the poor of the parish where the offence committed, by reason whereof the inhabitants have been disallowed to give evidence; and whereas suits by action of debt or case, bill, plaint or information are often attended with great costs, be it enacted that, after the passing of this act, it shall be lawful for any person to sue for the whole of the penalties to his own use by action of debt or on the case, bill, plaint or information in any of his majesty's courts of record. S. 6. No action to be brought but within the 6 months.

*Pl. 206. + Owen, 135.

2 East. 339.

§ Cro.

Jac. 142.

1806.

CLARINCARD

of the forfeiture to the poor, for all who offend against that statute: this must necessarily be contra formam statutorum; for it is in truth pro tanto, a repeal of the penalty of the first act. In Dingly v. Moore,t there was an information for buying worsted yarn, within the county of Norfolk, not being a weaver, on the 33 H. VIII. c. 16, and the 1 Edw. VI. c. 6, the latter whereof made the former perpetual; and it was laid contra formam statuti, 33 H. VIII. c. 16, but there was this variance between the statutes; viz. by the statute 33 H. VIII. c. 16, no person from thenceforth shall bring within the city of Norwich worsted yarn, but only weavers, upon a penalty, half to the king and half to the informer; then the latter statute instead of barely continuing the first, introduces new matter, and therefore it was necessary to say contra formam statutorum. Here the 5 Ann creates the offence and gives a certain penalty to be recovered summarily; a subsequent statute requires the action to be brought within the next term, and another within six months; but the 2 Geo. III. contains all that is necessary to give the action, in its present form, to the plaintiff. It gives in terms an action of debt to the informer law fully to sue for the penalty to his own use. The court need, therefore, in order to found their authority, only to resort to the 5 Ann and the statute 2 Geo. III. The 5th of Ann. was a temporary statute, which was never suffered to expire, and there was formerly a distinction taken as to this point between acts which. had expired, and those which had not; but, by the later cases, this distinction is denied, and by the 9 Ann, c. 25, the 5 Ann, c. 14, is made perpetual. The statute 9 Ann, c. 25, makes no alteration as to this particular offence, but only as to the appointment of

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versus

STOKEO,

1806.

CLARINGARD

versus

STOKES,

a game-keeper. Yet though the second act should make
some alteration, contra formam statuti, would be suffi-
cient. Then the 12 Geo. II. in order to render niore
effectual all the laws for preservation of game, in-
stead of making the penalty recoverable before the
justices, directs that an action shall be brought for
the whole penalty, by any person, for the informer and
the poor of the parish, if brought within the next
term. The next statute 22d Geo. II. c. 2, extends
the time so that it may be brought before the end of
the second term, and the last act 2 Geo. III. c. 2, re-
cites the statute of Ann, and enables the informer to
sue for the whole penalty by action of debt, bill, plaint,
&c.; and by s. 6, no action shall be brought but within
six months after the offence shall be committed. Here
then are two statutes only to be referred to, and the
declaration states' contrary to the form of the statute,'
which refers to the statute of Ann, and then follows,
'whereby and by force of the statute an action hath
accrued,' which latter words must refer to the statute 2
Geo. III. But there are many precedents in the
books wherein vigore statuti is wholly omitted, and it
is sufficient to conclude contrary to the form of the
statute, per quod actio accrevit, and therefore the alle-
gation may, after verdict, be rejected as surplusage.*
Barnby v. Mandyke,† Bennet v. Tatbois. And if it
is said there is any uncertainty which statute is meant,
now after verdict that cannot be alleged in arrest of
judgment, and the court are bound to take notice of
the statute law." They observed that in Lee v. Clarke,
it was held to be unnecessary to notice the statutes
which create the limitation as to time. They con-
tended also that, if it was necessary to look to two

Lutw. 132.

+ Lutw. 208. Lilly's Entries, 175, 1 Lord Raym, 145.

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