Mutiny Act 1695
1695 CHAPTER 23 7 and 8 Will 3
An Act for continueing severall former Acts for punishing Officers and Soldiers who shall Mutiny or Desert His Majesties Service and for punishing False Musters and for Payment of Quarters for One Yeare longer

W. & M. c. 13.
5 & 6 W. & M. c. 15; further continued by 6 & 7 W. & M. c. 8; 4 W. & M. c.13.Whereas an Act was made in the Fourth and Fifth Yeares of the Reigne of King William and Queene
Mary intituled An Act for punishing Officers and Soldiers who shall mutiny or desert theire Majesties
Service and for punishing false Musters and for the Payment of Quarters to continue and bee in force untill the
First Day of March in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety three and noe longer which Act
by an Act made in the Fifth and Sixth Yeares of the Reigne of King William and Queene Mary intituled An
Act for continueing the Act for punishing Officers and Soldiers whoe shall mutinne or desert Theire Majesties Service
and for punishing false Musters and for the Payment of Quarters for One Yeare longer was declared and enacted
to bee and continue in full Force and Virtue from the said First Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety
three untill the First Day of March in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety foure and noe
longer which Two before recited Acts by an Act made in the Sixth and Seventh Yeares of the Reigne of
His present Majesty King William intituled An Act for continueing Two former Acts for punishing Officers and
Soldiers who shall Mutiny or Desert His Majesties Service and for punishing False Musters and for Payment of
Quarters for One Yeare longer and every Clause Matter and Thing therein contained were declared and enacted to bee and continue in full force and virtue to all Intents Constructions and Purposes from the Tenth Day of
April One thousand six hundred ninety five until the Tenth Day of April One thousand six hundred ninety six
and noe longer. And whereas the raiseing or keeping a Standing Army within this Kingdome in tyme of Peace
(unless it bee with Consent of Parliament) is against Law And whereas itt is judged necessary by His Majesty and
this present Parliament That dureing this tyme of Warr severall of the Forces which are now on Foot should bee
continued and others raised for the Safety of this Kingdome for the common Defence of the Protestant Religion
and for the carrying on the Warr against France. And whereas noe Man may bee fore-judged of Life or Limbe or
Subject to any kind of Punishment by Martiall Law or in any other manner than by the Judgement of his
Peers and according to the knowne and established Lawes of this Realme yett neverthelesse itt being requisite
for the retaineing such Forces as are or shall bee raised dureing this exigence of Affaires in theire Duty That an
exact Discipline bee observed and that Soldiers who shall mutiny or stirr up Sedition or shall desert His Majesties
Service bee brought to a more exemplary and speedy Punishment than the usuall Formes of Law will allow. Bee
itt therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords
Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same
That the said Act made in the Fourth and Fifth Yeares of the Reigne of King William and Queene Mary intituled
An Act for punishing Officers and Soldiers whoe shall mutiny or desert Theire Majesties Service and for punishing
false Musters and for Payment of Quarters, and every Clause Matter and Thing therein contained shall bee and
continue and is hereby declared and enacted to bee and continue in full Force and Virtue to all Intents Constructions
and Purposes from the Tenth Day of April One thousand, six hundred ninety six untill the Tenth Day of Aprill
One thousand six hundred ninety seaven and noe longer And that all and every the Clauses in the said first recited
Act wherein there is any Commencement of tyme expressed to bee from the Tenth Day of March One thousand six
hundred ninety two the same shall bee construed by vertue of this Act to bee accounted from the Tenth Day of
Aprill One thousand six hundred ninety six And in any Clause wherein the like tyme shall bee expressed to bee
betweene the said Tenth Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety two and the First Day of March One
thousand six hundred ninety three the same shall bee by virtue of this Act intended to bee betweene the said
Tenth Day of April One thousand six hundred ninety six and the said Tenth Day of Aprill next ensueing Any
thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.
5 &6 W. & M. c.15. continued.
II. 
And bee itt further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That all and every the Articles Clauses Matters and
Things contained in the said recited Act made in the Fifth and Sixth yeares of King William and Queene Mary
intituled An Act for continueing the Act for punishing Officers and Soldiers who shall mutiny or desert Their
Majesties Service and for punishing false Musters and for the Payment of Quarters for one yeare longer, shall bee
and continue and are hereby declared and enacted to bee and continue in full force and virtue to all Intents
Constructions and Purposes from the said Tenth day of April One thousand six hundred ninety six untill the said
Tenth day of Aprill One thousand six hundred ninety seaven and noe longer.
6 & 7W. & M. c.8. continued.
III. 
And bee it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the said recited Act made in the Sixth and Seaventh
yeares of the Reigne of His now Majesty King William intituled An Act for continueing Two former Acts for
punishing Officers and Soldiers who shall mutiny or desert His Majesties Service and for punishing false Musters
and for Payment of Quarters for one yeare longer, and all and every the Clauses Articles Matters and Things
therein contained shall bee and continue and is hereby declared and enacted to bee and continue in full force and
virtue to all Intents Constructions and Purposes from the said Tenth Day of Aprill One thousand six hundred
ninety six untill the said Tenth day of Aprill One thousand six hundred ninety seaven and noe longer.
Persons harbouring, & c. or receiving Arms, & c. from Deserter, Penalty £5.
IV. 
Persons prosecuted and found not guilty, Treble Costs.
Provided alwayes That if any Person shall harbour conceale or assist any Deserter from His Majesties Service
knowing him to bee such or shall knowingly buy or exchange or otherwise receive any Armes Cloaths Caps or
other Furniture belonging to the King from any Deserter upon any Account or Pretence whatsoever the Person soe
offending shall forfeite for every such Offence Five Pounds and being convicted thereof att the Generall or Quarter
Sessions the same shall bee levyed by Distresse by Warrant under the Hands of Two or more Justices of the Peace
upon the Goods and Chattells of such Offender the one Moiety thereof to bee paid to the Informer by whose meanes
such Deserter shall bee apprehended and the other Moiety to the Officer to whome such Deserter did belong And
if any Person soe prosecuted for harbouring concealing or assisting a Deserter or for buying exchanging or receiving
Armes Cloaths Caps or other Furniture shall bee found not Guilty hee shall recover Treble Costs to bee recovered
in such manner as Costs in any other Case where by  Law Costs are given to Defendants.
Recital of 6 & 7 W. III. c. 8. § 8.
V. 
Limitation of Suit upon Bonds given in pursuance of the said Act.
And whereas by an Act made in the Sixth and Seaventh Yeares of His Majesties Reigne entituled An Act for
continueing Two former Acts for punishing Officers and Soldiers who shall mutiny or desert His Majesties Service and
for punishing false Musters and for Payment of Quarters for One Yeare longer Itt was provided That the Pay-Master
of His Majesties Forces should not issue or pay any Moneys to any Agent Clerke or other Person by Order from
any Colonell or other Officer untill such Person should give Bonds to His Majesty with two Sureties to bee approved
by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury or Lord High Treasurer for the tyme being for answering and due
issueing the same according as in the said Act is directed but noe Meanes is thereby provided for the Discharge
or Acquittall of the said Persons or theire Sureties from the said Bonds Bee itt enacted by the Authority
aforesaid That in case noe Demand Suite or Prosecution shall bee had or made by Order or Warrant from the
said Lords Co[m]missioners or Lord Treasurer upon or by Warrant of any Bond or Bonds given or to bee given
pursuant to the Directions of the said Act against the said Agent Person or Persons who gave the same dureing the
space of Three Yeares after the said Person or Persons shall cease to bee Agent or Agents or bee out of his or theire
Employment or Employments of receiving Moneys as aforesaid (upon account of which such Bond was given) the
Bond or Bonds soe given shall bee and is and are hereby enacted and declared to bee null and void to all Intents
and Purposes whatsoever:.