statute of Henry Vili was at no time enlarged by
the subsequent statutory additions in England to
the list of felonies.
apart from tue distinction drawn in the law
of England between felony and aisleseanour it is also necessary in interpreting the admiralty offences (Colonial) act, 1849, to inquire what meaning has
been given in England both in statutes and in
indictments to the word "pirasy". it has been
agreed that so far as recorded cases have been
investigated in connection with the present matter
no case has been found in which a conviction for
piracy has been entered in circumstances where no
stealing nas occurred. The authoritative statement
for the courte of British Colonies in contained in
the judgment of the rivy Council in "The Attorney
General for the Colony of hong kong v. Kwok a Sing"
( (supra) at p. 199,) from which judgment i quote the
following opinion of the Judicial Committee
"Iney see no reason to doubt that the charge of
Sir Charles ledges, Judge of the High Court of
admiralty, to the grand jury, as reported in the
case of "Rex v. Dawson" (13 State Trials, 454) and
which was made in the presence and with the approval
of molt C.J. and several other common law judges,
contains a correct exposition of the law as to what
constitutes piracy jure gentius. He there says
piracy is only a sea term for robbery, piracy being
a robbery within the jurisdiction of the admiralty.......
If the mariners of any ship shall
violently dispossess the master ani afterwards
carry away the saip itself or any of the goods, with
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