AN ACT For the Better Observation of the LORDSDAY, Commonly Called SUNDAY.  
DUBLIN, Printed by Andrew Crook, Printer to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, on Ormonde-Key, 1695.   

An Act for the Better Observation of the Lords Day, Commonly called Sunday. CHAP. XVII.  
FOR the Better Observation and Keéping Holy the Lordsday, Commonly called Sunday,  
Be it Enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament Assembled; and by the Authority of the same, That all and Every Person and Persons whatsoever, shall on Every Lordsday apply themselves to the Observation of the same, by Exercising themselves thereon in the Duties of Piety and True Religion, Publicly and Privately: And that no Tradesman, Artificer, Workman, Labourer, or other Person whatsoever, shall Do or Exercise any Worldly Labour, Business or Work of their Ordinary Callings upon the Lordsday, or any part thereof (Works of Necessity and Charity only Excepted.) And that Every Person being of the Age of Fourteéns Years, or Upwards, Offending in the Premises, shall for Every such Offence Forfeit the Sum of Five Shillings. And that no Person or Persons whatsoever shall Publicly Cry, Show Forth, or Expose to Sale any Wares, Merchandizes, Fruit, Herbs, Goods or Chattles whatsoever upon the Lordsday, or any part thereof, upon pain that Every Person so Offending shall Forfeit the same Goods so Cried, or Shown Forth, or Exposed to Sale.  
And it is further Enacted, That no Drover, Horse-Courser, Waggoner, Carrier, Butcher, Higler, their or any of their Servants, shall Travel, or come into his or their Inn, or Lodging upon the Lordsday, or any part thereof, upon pain that Each and Every such Offender shall Forfeit Twenty Shillings for such Offence: And for prevention of Disorders and Breaches of the Peace, which commonly happen in Divers parts of the Kingdom, by reason of Tumultuous and Disorderly Meétings, which have been, and frequently are, used on the Lordsday, Commonly called Sunday, under pretence of Hurling, Commoning, Foot-Ball-Playing, Cudgels, Wrestling, or other Sports.  
Be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, shall Play, Use, or Exercise any Hurling, Commoning, Foot-Ball-Playing, Cudgels, Wrestling, or any other Games, Pastimes, or Sports on the Lordsday, or any part thereof. And if any Person or Persons shall Offend therein, and be thereof Convicted in such manner as herein after Directed; Every such Person and Persons shall Forfeit the Sum of Twelvepences, sterl. for Every such Offence, to be immediately paid to such justice of the Peace, Officer or Officers, before whom such Conviction shall be. And that if any Person Offending against this Act, or any thing therein Contained, shall be thereof Convicted before any justice of the Peace of the County, or of the Chief Officer of Officers, or any justice of the Peace, of, or within any City, Burrough, or Town Corporate, where the said Offence shall be Committed upon his or their View, or Confession of the Party, or proof of any one, or more Witnesses, by Oath, which the said justices, Chief Officer or Officers is by this Act Authorized to Administer: The said justice, or Chief Officer or Officers shall Give Warrant under his or their Hand and Seal to the Constables or Churchwardens of the Parish or Parishes where such Offence shall be Committed, to Seize the said Goods Cried, Shown Forth, or put to Sale, as aforesaid; And to Sell the same: And to Levy the said other Forfeitures or Penalties, by way of Distress and Sale of the Goods of Every such Offender Distrained, rendering to the said Offender the Overplus of the moneys Raised thereby. And in Default of such Distress, or in Case of Insufficiency, or Inability of the said Offender to pay the said Forfeitures and Penalties, That then the Party Offending be Set Publicly in the Stocks by the space of two Hours, and all and singular the Forfeitures or Penalties aforesaid, shall be Employed and Converted to the use of the Poor of the Parish where the said Offences shall be Committed, saving only that it shall and may be Lawful to and for any justice, Mayor, or Head Officer or Officers, out of the said Forfeitures or Penalties; to Reward any Person or Persons that shall Inform of any Offence against this Act, according to their Discretions; so as such Reward Exceéd not the third part of the Forfeitures or Penalties.  
Provided that nothing in this Act Contained shall Extend to the Prohibiting of Dressing Meat in Families, or Dressing or Selling of Meat in Inns, Cooks-Shops, or Victualling-Houses, for such as otherwise cannot be provided: Nor the Crying or Selling of Milk or Fish before Ten of the Clock in the Morning, or after Four of the Clock in the Afternoon; Nor to the Using of Hackney-Coaches in or about the City of Dublin.  
Provided also that no person or persons shall be Impeached, Prosecuted or Molested for any Offence  in this Act, unless he or they be Prosecuted for the same within Ten Days after the Offence Committed.  
Provided; And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons whatsoever, which shall Travel on the Lord's-Day, shall be then Rob, that no Hundred, or the Inhabitants thereof, shall be Charged with, or Answerable for any Robbery so Committed; but the person or persons so Rob shall be harred from bringing any Action for the said Robbery, Any Law to the Contrary Notwithstanding.  
Nevertheless the Inhabitants of the Counties, Hundreds, or Baronies, after Notice of any such Robbery to them, or some of them given; or after Hue and Cry for the same to be brought, shall make, or Cause to be made, fresh Suit and Pursuit after the Offenders, with Horsemen and Footmen, according to the Statute made in the Tenth Year of the Reign of King CHARLES the First, upon pain of Forfeiting to the King's Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, as much Money as might have been Recovered against the said Hundred or Barony, by the Party Robbed, as if this Law had not been made.  
Provided also, and be it Enacted, That no person or persons upon the Lord's-Day, Commonly called Sunday, shall Serve, or Execute, or Cause to be Served or Executed, any Writ, Process, Warrant, Order, judgement, or Decreé (Except in Cases of Treason, Felony, or Breach of the Peace) But that the Service of Every such Writ, Process, Warrant, Order, judgement or Decreé, shall be Void to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever; And the person and persons so Serving or Executing the same shall be as Liable to the Suit of the Party grieved, and to Answer Damage to him for Doing thereof, as if he or they had done the same without any Writ, Process, Warrant, Order, judgement or Decreé at all. And for the better preventing, Drinking and Intemperance on the Lord's-Day, Commonly called Sunday.  
Be it also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no keeper of any Tavern, Alehouse or public Victualling-House, shall Receive, Entertain or permit to remain in his House any person or persons, During the Time of Divine Service, Except those who are of their own Family, or Lodgers in the said House; or furnish them with Wine, Ale, Beér, or other Liquor of any sort, upon the penalty of Forfeiting of Ten Shillings for Every such Offence, to be paid by Every such keeper of Taverns, Alehouses, or Public Victualling-Houses; and also of the sum of Five Shillings to be Forfeited by Every such person or persons who shall Enter or Remain in such Taverns, Alehouses, or Victualling-Houses, Contrary to this Act.  
And for the better Execution thereof all Constables and Churchwardens of Parishes, within the several Cities and Towns Corporate within this Realm, are Commanded and Required Frequently, and as often as they have Reasonable Cause so to Do, to Enter into all Taverns, Alehouses, and Victualling-Houses, within their Parishes or Districts, where they shall Reasonably suspect any person to be and Remain, Contrary to the Intent of this present Act: And to Apprehend such persons as they shall find or Reasonably suspect to be Offenders against the same: And also the Master or keeper of such House where such Offenders shall be Apprehended; and them in Custody to Carry before the next, or some other, justice of Peace near the place where such person shall be Apprehended; which justice or justices of the Peace are hereby Empowered to Examine Witnesses upon Oath touching the Breach of this Law: And after Examination to proceéd to a Conviction or Acquittal of the persons Accused, which shall be Final to all Parties. And if such justice or justices of the Peace shall upon proof Convict the persons Accused to have Offended against this Law, the said justice of Peace shall forthwith Demand from such Offenders the Penalties on them Intended to be Imposed by this Act, and to Receive the same; and in Default of payment, to Commit the Offender to the Goal of the said County, till he shall have made payment of the same; which Sum so paid and Received shall be Applied to the Use of the Poor of the Respective Parishes where such Offences have been or shall be Committed.  
Provided nothing herein Contained shall Extend to Persons who have been in any Inns before the Lordsday, Commonly Called Sunday, and Design to Abide there on Sunday: But it shall and may be Lawful for such persons to Continue and Remain in such Inns and Public Houses, as if this Act had never been made.  
Provided always that this Act shall Commence and Take Effect on the First Day of November, in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Five, and not before.  
FINIS.