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Mode of application for and presentment of compensation for malicious injuries.
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135. In all cases of maliciously or wantonly setting fire to, burning, or destroying any house, outhouse, or other building, or any haggard, corn, hay, straw, or turf, or of maliciously setting fire to, burning, or sinking any boat or barge laden with corn or other provisions, or of maliciously killing, maiming, houghing, or injuring any horse, mule, ass, or swine, or any horned cattle or sheep, or of maliciously damaging, injuring, or destroying any bank, gate, lock, weir, sluice, bridge, dam, or other work, belonging to any person, public canal or navigation, any person or persons injured by any such offence, and intending to apply for compensation for any loss or damage sustained thereby, shall serve notice in writing of such injury and of such his or their intention upon the high constable of the barony and the churchwardens of the parish, and at the nearest police station, or, if there be no churchwarden, upon two of the principal inhabitants of the parish wherein such offence shall have been committed, within six days at least after the commission of the same, and shall lodge with the high constable or secretary of the grand jury, in like manner and time as applications for presentments for public works are herein-before directed to be lodged, an application setting forth the loss or damage occasioned by such offence, and stating the time and place when and where such injury was done, the particular property consumed, injured, or destroyed, and the amount of damage thereby sustained, and by what number of persons, and whom, by name and description, such injury was done, if such offender or offenders shall be known, and if not, stating such particulars respecting such offender or offenders as may be known; and like notices shall be posted of such application as herein-before prescribed in cases of other applications to presentment sessions; and such application shall be scheduled by the secretary of the grand jury, and by him dealt with in all respects as other applications under this Act; and the presentment sessions shall examine into the serving and posting the notices of such application, and into the merits of the same, and the chairman shall endorse their opinion thereupon, and such secretary shall deliver such application so endorsed to the grand jury at the next assizes; and the said grand jury shall during the time appointed for transacting the fiscal business of the county examine into the matter of such application upon the oath of the party injured, or such other evidence as can be produced touching the said offence; and the said grand jury shall on the consideration of the said matter either disallow such application altogether, or present such sum or sums of money as the person or persons so injured ought to receive for such injury or damage, to be levied off the county at large, or such barony, parish, district, townland, or sub-denomination thereof, as the grand jury shall direct.
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