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The Second Year of Anne.

A.D. 1703

CHAP. V.

An Act to make it High Treason in this Kingdom to impeach the Succession of the Crown, as limited by several Acts of Parliament.

FORASMUCH as the future security of your Majesty's protestant subjects of this kingdom doth (next under God) depend upon the safety of your Majesty's royal person (whom God long preserve to reign over us) and upon the succession in the protestant line, as the same is limited by an act of Parliament passed in England, intituled, An Act declaring the rights and liberties of the subject, and settling the succession of the crown; and by one other act made in England in the twelfth year of the reign of his late Majesty King William the third of blessed memory, intituled, An Act for the further limitation of the crown, and better securing the rights and liberties of the subject; by which it is enacted, "That the Imperial crown and government of the kingdoms of England, France, and Ireland, and of the dominions hereunto belonging, with the royal state and dignity of the said realms, and all honours, styles, titles, regalities, prerogatives, powers, jurisdictions and authorities to the same belonging and appertaining, should, after the deceases of his said Majesty, and her then royal highness the princess Anne of Denmark (our now most gracious sovereign lady Queen Anne) without issue of her body, and for default of issue of her said Majesty and of his said Majesty respectively, be, remain, and continue to the most excellent princess Sophia electoress and duchess dowager of Hanover, daughter of the most excellent princess Elizabeth, late Queen of Bohemia, daughter of our late sovereign lord King James the first of happy memory, and the heirs of her body, being protestants:" and forasmuch as it most manifestly appears that the papists of this kingdom, and other disaffected persons, do still entertain hopes of disappointing the said succession, as the same stands limited: for prevention whereof be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons in this present parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, That if any person or persons at any time from and after the first day of February in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and three, shall endeavour to deprive or hinder any person, who shall be the next in succession to the crown for the time being, according to the limitations in the before recited acts

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mentioned, from succeeding after the decease of her Majesty (whom God long preserve) to the Imperial crown of the realm of England, and the dominions and territories hereunto belonging, according to the limitations in the beforementioned acts (that is to say) such issue of her Majesty's body as shall from time to time be next in succession to the crown, if it shall please God to bless her Majesty with issue; and during the time her sacred Majesty shall have no issue, the princess Sophia, electoress and duchess dowager of Hanover, and the heirs males of her body, being protestants; and after the decease of the said princess Sophia, the next in succession to the crown for the time being, according to the limitation of the said acts; and the same maliciously, advisedly, and directly shall attempt by any overt act or deed, every such offence shall be adjudged high treason, and the offender or offenders therein, their abettors; procurers and comforters, knowing the said offence to be done, being thereof convicted or attainted, according to the laws and statutes of this realm, shall be deemed and adjudged traytors, and shall suffer pains of death, and all losses, and forfeitures, as in cases of high treason.

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons, being a native of this realm, shall offend contrary to this act in any parts beyond the seas, or on the high sea, that every such offender shall and may be tried in such county in this kingdom, as her Majesty, her heirs and successors, shall by her or their commission under the great seal of this kingdom nominate, limit and appoint.

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