AGREEMENTS. Prosecute Offenders. Difference to be determined by majority. of any one or more of them, some other person or persons shall be chosen into his or their room by a majority of the parties hereto, at a general meeting. THAT if any difference shall happen between the members of the committee, touching the sense or meaning of any articles or other matters herein contained, such difference may be by them referred to, and shall be settled and determined by a majority of, the parties present at a general meeting. AND the said treasurer doth Treasurer accovenant, promise, and agree to and with other the parties hereto, by these presents, to render unto them or to the committee for the time being, as often as thereunto required, a true account of all monies by him received and disbursed, and the monies remaining in his hand shall and will retain or pay into the hands of such person or persons as the parties at a general meeting shall order or appoint to receive the same. IN WITNESS, &c. counts. AGREEMENTS. Prosecute Offenders. No. LIX. * An Agreement for regulating an Association for Prosecuting Felons and other Offenders. Recitals. Parties have agreed to associate for prosecuting felons, &c. ARTICLES of agreement indented, made and concluded, this BETWEEN the several persons whose names are (1) subscribed, and seals affixed to these presents, of the one part, and (treasurer) of [or other officer of the association] &c., of the other part. WHEREAS the several persons, parties hereto of the first part, are severally inhabitants of the parish or town of in the county of , [or within the county, district, &c. (as the case may be)]. AND WHEREAS they have agreed to form themselves into an association or united body, for the prosecution of felons and other persons guilty of theft, and other crimes and offences, within the boundaries of the said parish, county, district, &c. (as the case may be), and for that purpose to give such rewards, and institute and observe such rules and regulaWITNESS. tions as hereinafter are mentioned. NOW THESE PRESENTS WITNESS, That certain re- that for the ends and purposes aforesaid, the several parties hereto do given for the de- hereby severally and respectively, and mutually and reciprocally for tection of offend themselves severally and respectively, and for their several and respective executors and administrators (but severally and respectively only, and not jointly, or any one or more of them for the other or others of them, their, his or her executors or administrators) covenant, declare and agree with and to each other, and the executors wards shall be ers. (1) In general the words " or shall be" are here added in instruments which are left open for the signature of future parties, but they cannot have any effective meaning, as those persons whose names and signatures have been actually put at the time of the construction of the agreement (whenever it may take place) are to be considered parties, without any reference to those who may afterwards execute, and so from time to time when any future parties or subsequent questions on the instrument may arise. AGREEMENTS. Prosecute Offenders. and administrators of each other, in the manner following; (that is to say) that they the said parties have agreed to become, and by these presents do become unitedly associated and bound to each other and the community, during the term of years to be computed from, &c., for the detecting, prosecuting and convicting to the utmost of their joint and respective powers and means, all and every felons, thieves, robbers, depredators and offenders of every description or kind against the laws of this realm, for crimes and offences committed within the parish, &c., aforesaid. AND to and for the ends and pur- Scale of rewards. poses of such detections and prosecutions, shall and will offer and pay the sum of £ , to any person or persons who shall, during the said term, discover or give evidence of any robbery on the highway, within the said, &c., or of the breaking or entering into any dwellinghouse, or any barn, stable, or other out-house or building, within the said, &c., and of stealing or with an intent or presumed intent to steal or take thereout any property or valuable thing whatsoever, or any evidence of stealing any horse, cow, steer or other cattle, or any sheep, hog, pig, sow, goose, duck, turkey, poultry or other farming stock, or domestic animal of any sort or kind whatsoever, in or out of any such place aforesaid; or setting on fire corn in or upon any field, yard, or other place within the limits aforesaid, or of setting fire to any dwellinghouse, barn, stable or other outhouse, building, or to any stack or rick of grain, hay, straw or fodder, within the same limits; or of maliciously killing or maiming any cattle or other animal, within the limits aforesaid, and belonging to any or either of the persons, parties hereto, of the first part and also the sum of £ to any person or persons who shall discover or give evidence against any person or persons, who shall during the time and within the limits aforesaid, steal or feloniously or clandestinely remove or take away any grain, hay, fowls, household goods, implements or utensils of trade or husbandry, belonging to all or any of the said parties, or be guilty of milking any cow, other than for the owner thereof, or of robbing any courtyard, garden, orchard or field; or of cutting down any timber, tree or trees, grove or plantation, of or belonging to all any or either of the said parties. AND also the sum of £ to any person or persons who shall discover or give evidence against any person, who, within the time and limits aforesaid, shall steal any peas, turnips or potatoes, of or belonging to all, any or either of the said parties, or shall be guilty of wilfully breaking any hedges, gates, stiles, posts, poles, pales or rails, or of stealing any hooks or eyes, or any timber, boards, quarters, or offal wood, which shall be the property of any or either of the said parties. AND the sum of &c. &c. [continue on AGREEMENTS. Prosecute Offenders. Rewards to be tion. enumeration of the rewards agreed to be given for the detecting of other particular offences] all and every of which rewards, shall be paid in full on the conviction of the offenders respectively, in addition to paid on convic- the rewards allowed by any act of parliament then in force; and also any part thereof, or other sum or sums of money in the mean time as an encouragement to the detection of and giving evidence against any such offenders as aforesaid, which the committee of the said association shall in their discrimination think fit; and every of the said parties aforesaid shall and will contribute towards the same rewards, and the expense of prosecuting such felons, thieves and offenders, in equal proportions. AND for the better regulating and conducting the said association and the concerns thereof, it is hereby further declared and agreed by and between the present and future parties hereto, that the affairs of the association shall be under the conduct, Regulations of the association. Affairs of asso ciation to be ma naged by a com- regulation and management of a committee of mittee of mem bers. To supply vacancies. Distribute rewards, &c. tion money. persons to be chosen from the members for the time being of the same association, by ballot, at a meeting of the to be held on the Tuesday in every month, any of which committee shall constitute a quorum or acting body of members. That in case of any vacancy happening in the said committee by death or otherwise, the same shall be supplied by the election, by the said committee, out of other the members of the association. THAT the said committee shall have the adjudication of all rewards to be given, and the controul and direction of all indictments and prosecutions to be Call for prosecu- instituted by virtue of these presents. ALSO the right of making calls on the parties for subscription or other sums of money for the paying such rewards, and defraying the expenses of such indictments Calls to be an- and prosecutions, and which said sums of money shall be paid within calendar months next, after notice of the same being requisite shall be given to the respective parties. And each subscriber shall contribute and pay an equal proportion, according to the number of subscribers, towards all money which shall be called for to answer and pay such rewards, or to defray the expenses of prosecutions, and all other incidental expenses. The money which shall be called for from time to time, shall be paid to the treasurer for the time being of the said association, and shall be applied and paid by him in such manner and to such persons, as the committee for the time being, Solicitor to con- or the major part of them shall direct. All prosecutions which shall duct all prosecu- be conducted on account, and at the expense of the said association, shall be solicited and carried on by the solicitor for the time being of Subscribers to be the association. And every subscriber shall be entitled to have every prosecutions for prosecution for any offence which, during the said (seven) years shall swered in one month. Subscribers to contribute equally. Money to be paid to treasurer. To be applied as committee direct. tions. entitled to have AGREEMENTS. Prosecute offences on their persons or property carried on by association. Power to com mittee to carry on prosecutions to be members when they cease to be inhabitants, owners or occu piers. Subscribers to be discharged from their liability on their death. Treasurer and chosen by yearly solicitor to be ballot, be committed on his person or property, within the limits aforesaid, and which he or she shall be duly bound to prosecute, carried on by the solicitor for the time being of the said association, at the expence of the same association, under the direction and control of the committee for the time being of the said association or the major part of them. And the committee for the time being, or the major part of them, shall have full power to undertake any other prosecutions for offences committed within the limits aforesaid, at the expence of the for poor persons. said association, in those instances in which the poverty or situation of the persons, on whose persons or property the offences shall be committed, shall render it expedient that the offender or offenders shall be punished at the expence of the said association. Each and every Subscribers not subscriber shall cease to be a member of the said association, from the time he or she shall cease to be an inhabitant, or to be an owner or occupier of the lands aforesaid. And each subscriber shall be discharged from his or her engagement herein contained, on his or their death, so as not to impose any obligation on his or her heirs, executors or administrators, for or in respect of any offences to be committed subsequent to his or her death. A treasurer and solicitor to the said association shall be chosen once in every year by ballot, by the major part of the members who shall be present at a meeting, to be held on the day of The same person may be chosen a treasurer and solicitor, or a different person may be chosen to either of those offices. No treasurer or solicitor shall be eligible on committee. In case of a vacancy in the office of treasurer or solicitor either by death or any other cause within a year, such vacancy may be supplied for the remaining part of the year by the committee for the time being, or by the major part of them. The said treasurer and solicitor shall be treasurer and solicitor for the said association for the first year. The treasurer shall produce his account Treasurer to from time to time to the committee or major part of them. the end of every year, or on any other election of a new the preceding one, or his heirs, executors or administrators, shall pay to the succeeding one, the balance of money in hand, as the same balance shall be settled and ascertained by the said committee for the time being, or the major part of them; and the account so stated shall be paid, and such payment be a good discharge. No account settled or allowed by the committee for the time being, or the major part of them, shall be afterwards examined or questioned. calls made by that committee, or the major part of them, shall be duly to be answered answered without any right to question the expediency or necessity without enquiry. of the same. AND each and every of the several persons, partics at SUP.-VOL. I. Q And at treasurer, Vacancy of citor in interim of the year may be supplied for remainder by treasurer or soli committee. produce ac- mittee. balance to suc- Accounts mittee to be settled by com And all final. Calls for money |