Masters of ships bringing in vagabonds or beggars from Ireland or the colonies shall forfeit five pounds for each one. This money shall be used for reconveying such people back at a price determined by a Justice of the Peace. A master of a ship refusing to take such a person shall forfeit five pounds. These vagabonds and beggars may be whipped.
Anyone who profanely curses or swears shall suffer the following penalties: day laborer, common soldier, common sailor, common seaman - 1s., anyone else below the degree of gentleman - 2s., gentlemen and above - 5s., and for the second offense, a double fine, for further offense, a treble fine. If a person can't pay, he shall be put to hard labor at a House of Correction for ten days, or if a common soldier, common sailor, or common seaman, he shall be set in the stocks for 1-2 hours. This is to prevent the provocation of divine vengeance.
Anyone setting up or maintaining lotteries or deceitful games must forfeit 200 pounds, or go to prison up to 6 months. Any one who plays at such, such as by drawing lots or using cards or dice, must forfeit 50 pounds. Sales of lottery items, such as houses, lands, plate, jewels, or ships, are void and these items will be forfeited to any person who sues. Such have caused many families to become impoverished, especially through their children or through the servants of gentlemen, traders, and merchants. Backgammon games are exempt. Later, People who lost up to ten pounds in deceitful gaming were allowed to sue to recover this money from the winners. Also, anyone winning or losing ten pounds at one time or twenty pounds within 24 hours shall be fined five times the value of such. Offenders discovering others, who are convicted, are indemnified from all penalties and shall be admitted to give evidence.
No one may run more than one horse, mare, or gelding in a horse race. No prize may be under 50 pounds value. This is because a great number of horse races for small prizes have contributed to idleness, to the impoverishment of the meaner sort of people, and has prejudiced the breed of strong and useful horses.
Wagers and agreements in the nature of puts and refusals relating to prices of stocks or securities are void. Those making or executing such agreements must forfeit 500 pounds. Those selling stock which one does not possess must forfeit 500 pounds. Brokers negotiating such agreements must forfeit 100 pounds.
Only a person with an interest in the life or death of another may have insurance on this other, to prevent the mischievous kind of gaming that has been introduced.
The punishment for forgery or counterfeiting or assisting in such or claiming a counterfeit item is good while knowing that it is not, with an intent to defraud is death without benefit of clergy. The punishment for perjury or subordination of perjury is hard labor in the House of correction for up to seven years or transportation for up to seven years. The punishment for altering numbers on bills of exchange or other payment papers is death.
It is high treason to counterfeit the coinage. A person who tenders coin, knowing it to be false, shall spend six months in prison and acquire sureties for good behavior for the next six months. If he offends again, he shall spend two years in prison and acquire sureties for good behavior for the next two years. The third offense is felony without benefit of clergy.
In 1773, making or possessing any frame, mould, or instrument for forging paper notes of the Bank of England and putting this identification thereon is felony with penalty of death without benefit of clergy. Anyone who forges promissory notes, bills of exchange, or inland bills of the Bank of England by engraving or etching on metal or wood "Bank of England" or "Bank Post Bill" shall go to gaol for up to six months.
Anyone selling gold or silver ware, vessel, plate or other item large enough to be marked which has not been marked by its maker shall forfeit 10 pounds or be kept at hard labor up to six months. Anyone counterfeiting such mark shall forfeit 100 pounds. Later, vendors of these items were required to be licensed and the penalty for counterfeiting was raised to felony for which one shall suffer death without benefit of clergy. Later still, transportation for fourteen years was allowed as an alternative. If an item was not all silver, e.g. had metal underneath, 100 pounds was to be forfeited.