Page:Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies, from the papers of Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1.djvu/144

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If any person shall, within this Commonwealth, or being a citi- zen thereof, shall without the same, wilfully destroy,* or run† away with any sea-vessel, or goods laden on board thereof, or plunder or pilfer any wreck, he shall be condemned to hard la- bor five years in the public works, and shall make good the loss of the sufferers threefold.

Whosoever committeth Robbery,‡ shall be condemned to hard labor four years in the public works, and shall make double re- paration to the persons imjured.

Whatsoever act, if committed on any Mansion house, would be deemed Burglary,§ shall be Burglary, if committed on any other

baernet and open thyfth and aeberemorth and hlaford swice aefter woruld laga is botleds.’ Word for word, ‘house break and burnt, and open theft, and manifest murther, and lord-treachery, afterworld’s law is bootless’ Bracton says it was punished by death. ‘Si quis turbida seditione incendium fecerit nequiter et in felonia, vel ob inimicitias, vel praedandi causa, capitali puniatur poena vel sententia. Bract. L. 3.c.27. He defines it as commissible by burn- ing ‘aedes alienas.’ Ib. Britton, c. 9. ‘Ausi soit enquis de ceux que felonise- ment en temps de pees eient autre blees ou autre mesons ars, et ceux que ser- rount de ceo atteyntz, soient ars issint que eux soient punys par mesme cele chose dount ilz pecherent.’ Fleta, L. 1. c. 37.is a copy of Bracton. The Mir- ror c. 1. § 8. says, ‘Ardours sont que ardent citie, ville, maison home, maison beast, ou auters chatelx, de lour felonie en temps de pace pour haine ou ven- geance.’ Again, c.2. § 11. pointing out the words of the appellor ‘ jeo dise que Sebright, &c. entiel meason ou biens mist de feu.’ Coke 3, Inst. 67. says, ‘the antient authors extended this felony further than houses, viz. to stacks of corn, waynes or carts of coal, wood or other goods.’ He defines it as commissible, not only on the inset houses, parcel of the mansion house, but the outset also, as barn, stable, cowhouse, sheep house, dairy house, mill house, and the like, parcel of the mansion house.’ But‘ burning of a barn, being no parcel of a mansion house, is no felony’ unless there be corn or hay within it. Ib. The 22. 23. Car. 2. and 9. G. 1 are the principal statutes against arson. They extend the offence beyond the Common law.


 * 1. Ann. st.2.c. 9. 12. Ann.c. 318. 4.G.1. 6.12. 26. G.2.c. 19.

† 11. 12. W. 3. c. 7.

‡ Robbery was a felony at Common law. 3 Inst. 68. ‘Scelus inexpiable,’ by the Li. Cnuti. 61. [See before in Arson.] It was punished with death. Britt. c. 15, ‘de robbours et de larouns et de semblables mesfesours, soit ausi ententivement enquis-——et tauntost soient ceux robbours juges a la mort.’ Fleta says, ‘si quis convictus fuerit de bonis viri robbatis vel asportatis ad ae regis judicium capitaie subibit. L. 1.c.39. See also Bract. L. 3. c. 32 § 1.

§ Burglary was felony at the Common law. 3 Inst. 63. It was not distin- uished by antient authors, except the Mirror, from simple House-breaking, ib. 65. Burglary and House-breaking were called ‘ Hamsockne diximus etiam de pacis violatione et de immunitatibus domus, si quis hoc in posterum fecerit ut perdat omne quod habet, et sit in regis arbitrio utrum vitam habeat. Eac we quaedon be mundbryce and be ham socnum, sethe hit ofer this do thaet he ‘dolie ealles thes the age, and sy on Cyninges dome hwaether he life age: and we quoth of mound-breach, and of home-seeking he who it after this do, that he dole all that he owe {owns], and is in king’s doom whether he life owes [owns.] Ll. Eadmundi. c. 6. and see LI. Cnuti. 61. ‘ hus brec,’ in notes on Arson. ante. A Burglar was also called a Burgessor. ‘ Et soit enquis de Burgessours et sunt tenus Burgessours trestous ceux que felonisement en temps de pees debrusont esglises ou auter mesons, ou murs ou portes de nos