Clarke, Richard [Editor]: The regulations of the government of Fort William in Bengal in force at the end of 1853 - to which are added, the acts of the government of India in force in that presidency: with lists of titles and an index (3): Acts from 1834 to 1853 (London, 1854)

A.D. 1840.]

ACT XXII.

93

A.D. 1840. ACT XXII.
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I. WHEREAS great inconvenience is experienced in the towns of Cal-
cutta and of Madras, and in the islands of Bombay and Colaba, from
mendicants who endeavour to extort alms by offensive and disgusting
exhibitions and practices :
It is hereby enacted, that persons within the town of Calcutta or of
Madras, or within the islands of Bombay and Colaba, who shall seek to
extort alms by offensively exhibiting any bodily ailment or deformity, or
by any offensive or indecent practices, or by inflicting, or threatening to
inflict bodily injury on themselves, shall be liable, on conviction before
any justice of the peace, to imprisonment, with or without labour, for a
term not exceeding one calendar month.
II. And it is hereby enacted, that all persons guilty a second time of
any of the above offences shall be liable, on conviction before a justice of
the peace, to imprisonment with hard labour for a term not exceeding twice
the period assigned for the first offence, and for the same term upon any
subsequent conviction.
III. And it is hereby enacted, that persons guilty of any of the offences
above mentioned who shall violently resist any peace officer attempting to
apprehend them, shall be liable, on conviction before a justice of the peace,
to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding
three calendar months.
IV. And it is hereby enacted, that it shall be lawful for the Governor-
General in Council, from time to time, by notice in the Gazette, to extend
the provisions of this Act to any towns or districts besides the places spe-
cified in this Act.

Preamble.

Punishment for ex-
torting aims by offen-
sive exhibitions and
practices.

Punishment for a
second offence.

Punishment for re-
sistance to officers
attempting to appre-
hend.

Governor-General in
Council may extend
operation of this Act.