448
TWENTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 37. 1831.
Statute II.March 2, 1831.
Offences.
Punishment.
Manslaughter,
&c.
Arson.
Assault andbattery to com-mit rape.
Burglary.
Horse theft,mayhem, biga-my.
Chap. XXXVII .—An Act for the punishment of crimes in the District ofColumbia , (a)
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the UnitedStates of America, in Congress assembled, That, from and after thepassage of this act, every person who shall be convicted, in any court inthe District of Columbia , of any of the following offences, to wit: man-slaughter, assault and battery with intent to kill, arson, rape, assault andbattery with intent to commit a rape, burglary, robbery, horse stealing,mayhem, bigamy, perjury, or subornation of perjury, larceny, if theproperty stolen is of the value of five dollars or upwards, forgery, obtain-ing by false pretences any goods or chattels, money, bank note, promis-sory note, or any other instrument in writing for the payment or deliveryof money or other valuable tiling, or of keeping a faro bank or othercommon gaming-table, petty larceny upon a second conviction, com-mitted after the passage of this act, shall be sentenced to suffer punish-ment by imprisonment and labour, for the time and times hereinafterprescribed, in the penitentiary for the District of Columbia .
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That every person duly convictedof manslaughter, or of any assault and battery with intent to kill, shallbe sentenced to suffer imprisonment and labour, for the first offence fora period not less than two nor more than eight years, for the secondoffence for a period not less than six nor more than fifteen years.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That every person duly convictedof the crime of maliciously, wilfully, or fraudulently burning any dwell-ing-house, or any other house, barn, or stable, adjoining thereto, or anystore, barn, or out-house, having goods, tobacco, hay or grain therein,although the same shall not be adjoining to any dwelling-house; or ofmaliciously and wilfully burning any of the public buildings in the cities,towns, or counties, of the District of Columbia, belonging to the UnitedStates , or the said cities, towns or counties; or any church, meeting-houseor other building for public worship, belonging to any voluntary society,or body corporate; or any college, academy, school-house, or library; orany ship or vessel, afloat or building; or as being accessary thereto ;shall be sentenced to suffer imprisonment and labour, for a period of notless than one, nor more than ten years for the first offence, and not lessthan five nor more than twenty years for the second offence.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That every free person, duly con-victed of rape, or as being accessary thereto before the fact, shall besentenced to suffer imprisonment and labour, for the first offence for aperiod not less than ten nor more than thirty years, and for the secondoffence for and during the period of his natural life.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That every free person duly con-victed of an assault and battery with intent to commit a rape, shall bepunished for the first offence by undergoing confinement in the peni-tentiary for a period not less than one nor more than five years, and forthe second for a period not less than five nor more than fifteen years.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That every person duly convictedof burglary, or as accessary thereto before the fact, or of robbery, or asaccessary thereto before the fact, shall be sentenced to suffer imprison-ment and labour, for the first offence for a period not less than three normore than seven years, and for the second offence for a period not lessthan five nor more than fifteen years.
Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That every person convicted ofhorse stealing, mayhem, bigamy, or as being accessary to any of saidcrimes before the fact, shall be sentenced to suffer imprisonment and