(Received the assent of the Governor General on the 30th August 1870).
An Act to confirm certain laws affecting European British subjects.
PREAMBLE
Whereas the Governors of the Presidencies of Fort St. George and Bombay in Council, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal in Council, have severally passed divers Acts purporting to apply generally to all persons within the local extent of the said Acts; and whereas doubts have been raised as to the validity of such Acts in so far as they affect to render European British subjects liable to be convicted and punished by tribunals other than the High Courts of Judicature at Fort William, Madras and Bombay; and whereas doubts have also been raised as to the application to European British subjects of certain Acts of the Governor General in Council: For the purpose of removing such doubts, it is hereby enacted as follows:
Every such Act passed by the Governor of the Presidency of Madras in Council, or by the Governor of the Presidency of Bombay in Council, or by the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal in Council, shall, so far as regards the liability of European British subjects to be convicted and punished thereunder, be and be deemed to have been as valid as if it had been passed by the Governor General of India in Council at a meeting for the purpose of making Laws and Regulations.
Unless there be something repugnant in the context, all Acts heretofore or hereafter passed by the Governor General in Council, which confer summary jurisdiction over offences, shall be deemed to apply to European British subjects, although such persons be not expressly referred to therein.
Act No. XVIII of 1859 (to amend the law relating to??? declared to be punishable on conviction before a Magistrate) shall be construed as if, in sections one, two and four, after the word heretofore the words or hereafter were inserted.
Nothing in this Act shall be taken to authorize a Magistrate to exceed the limits of his ordinary jurisdiction as to the amount of punishment which he may inflict, or to confer jurisdiction on any Magistrate not being a Justice of the Peace.
All Magistrates and other persons are hereby indemnified for anything done before the passing of this Act which might lawfully have been done if this Act had been then in force; and no suit or other proceeding shall be maintained against, any such Magistrate or other person in respect of anything so done.