Bridges Act 1670

IV. Resisting Officers employed in executing Act, rescuing Goods, &c.

Penalty 40s or Imprisonment; Actions brought under this Act to be laid in the proper County; General Issue, Treble Costs, Times for repairing the Highways.

And it is further enacted That in case any person or persons shall resist or make forceable opposition against any person or persons imployed in the due Execution of this Act or any the Acts before mentioned, or shall make any Rescue of any Cattell or other Goods destrained by vertue of this or any of the said Acts That every such person being thereof convicted in manner aforesaid shall for every such Offences forfeite the summe of forty shillings, And in case he doe not pay the said summe within seaven dayes after notice of such Conviction, Then it shall and may be lawfull for any Justice of the Peace resideing neere the place where such Opposition or Rescue shall be made to committ such person or persons to the Common Goale of the County where such Offence shall be committed, there to remaine untill the said Forfeiture shall be paid to the Surveyour or Surveyours of the Highwayes for that Parish where the Offence was committed to be imployed for the amendment of the Highwayes of the same Parish; And if any Action or Suite shall be brought against any person or persons for or by reason of any matter or thing done by meanes of this Act, the same shall be laid in the proper County where the Fact was done and not elsewhere, and the Defendants may pleade the generall Issue and give the speciall matter in Evidence, And if it appeare at the Tryall that the Fact was done by Authoritie of this Act, and the Jury shall finde for the Defendant, he thereupon (as alsoe in case the Plaintiffe be Non suite or discontinue his Action) shall recover his treble Costs sustained by reason of such Action or Suite, Provided That in such places where the Highwayes cannot be sufficiently repaired before the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist yearely, the same may and shall be sufficiently repaired before the Feast of Saint Luke yearely without incurring any penalty for the not doeing thereof before the said Feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist according to the said former Act.