Odger's English Common Law

144 TREASON.
deed. 1 And if a man slay the chancellor, treasurer or the
King's justices of the one bench, or the other, justices in eyre
or justices of assize, and all other justices assigned to hear
and determine, being in their places doing their offices." 2
2. Any person who shall endeavour to deprive or hinder
the person next in succession to the Crown for the time being,
according to the limitations of the Act of Settlement, 1701,
from succeeding to the imperial Crown of this realm, " and
the same malitiously, advisedly and directly shall attempt by
any overt act or deed," shall be guilty of treason. 3
3. It is also treason maliciously, advisedly and directly to
maintain by writing or printing that any person has a right to
the Crown except in accordance with the Act of Settlement,
or to maintain that an Act of Parliament cannot bind the
Crown, and limit the descent thereof. 4
Publication of such
writing or printing does not appear to be necessary in order to
complete the offence under this statute.
4. By an Act passed in the year 1795, 5 made perpetual by
an Act of 1816, 6 "whosoever shall within the realm or with-
out compass, imagine, invent, devise, or intend death or
destruction, or any bodily harm tending to death or destruction,
maim or wounding, imprisonment or restraint " of the King,
his heirs and successors, " and such compassings, imagina-
tions, inventions, devises, or intentions or any of them shall
express, utter, or declare, by publishing any printing or
writing, or by any overt act or deed ; being legally convicted
thereof upon the oaths of two lawful and credible witnesses,"
shall be guilty of high treason.
Bach clause of the Statute of Treasons requires separate consideration.
1. The first and most heinous act of treason mentioned in it is where
a man " doth compass or imagine the death of the King." The word
" compass " signifies the " purpose or design of the mind or will, and not,
1 The statute was written in Norman French, and the original language of this
clause is " & de ceo jvablement soit atteint de o9t faite jj gentz de leur condition."
2 By the above statute some other acts are also declared to be treasonable which
have ceased to be so. Thus, it was treason to counterfeit the King's Great Seal
or his Privy Seal, or to counterfeit his money. These two offences were reduced
to felony by statutes passed in 1832.
» 1 Anne, st. 2, c. 21, s. 3.
* Succession to the Crown Act, 1707 (6 Anne, c. 41), s. 1.
6 36 Geo. III. c. 7 ; extended to Ireland by 11 Vict. c. 12, s. 2.
« 57 Geo. III. c. 6.