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rules and regulations made in that behalf. then the said

Trustees or Treasurer are hereby authorized and permitted to pay and divide the same to and amongst the person or persons entitled to the effects of the deceased intestate, and that without administration.

XX. For the more effectually preventing fraud and im- position in the funds of such societies, if any officer. member, or any other person, being or representing himself or herself to be a member of such Society, or the nominee, executor, administrator or assign of any member of such Society, or any other person whatever, shall, in or by any false repre- sentation or imposition, fraudulently obtain possession of the moneys of such Society, or any part thereof, or having in his or er possession any sum of money belonging to such Society, shall fraudulently withhold the same, and for which offence no especial provision is made in the rules of such Society, it shall be lawful for any one Justice of the Peace residing within the County within which such Society shall be held, upon complaint made on oath by an officer of such Society, to summon such person against whom such com- plaint shall be made, to appear at a time and place to be named in such summons ; and upon his or her appearance, or in default thereof, upon due proof upon oath of the ser- vice of such summons, it shall and may be lawful for any two Justices, residing within the County aforesaid, to hear and determine the said complaint according to the rules of the said Society, confirmed as directed by this Act; and upon due proof‘of such fraud, the said Justices shall convict the said party and award double the amount of the money, so fraudulently obtained or Withheld, to be paid to the Treasurer, to be applied by him to the purposes of the Society s0 proved to have been imposed upon and defrauded, together with such costs as shall be awarded by the said Justices, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings ; and in case such person against whom such complaint shall he made, shall not pay the sum of money so awarded to the person, and at the time specified in the said order, such Justices are hereby required, by warrant under their hands and seals, to cause the same to be levied by distress and sale of goods of such person on whom such order shall have been made, or by other legal proceedings, together with such costs as shall be awarded by the said Justices, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings; and also the costs and charges attend- ing such distress and sale or other legal proceeding, return- ing the overplus (if any) to the owner; and in default of Such distress being found, the said Justices of the Peace shall commit such person, so proved to have offended, to the County Jail, there to be kept to hard labor for such a period, not exceeding three calendar months, as to them shall see fit ; provided, nevertheless, that nothing herein contained shall prevent the said Society from proceeding, by indict- mentor complaint, against the party complained of; and provided also that no party shall be proceeded against, by indictment or complaint, if a previous conviction has been obtained for the same offence under the provisions of this Act.

XXI. Provisions shall be made by one or more of the rules of every such Society, to be confirmed as required by this Act, specifying whether a reference of every matter in dis~ putc between any such Society or any 'person acting under them, and any individual member thereof, or persons claim- ing on account of any member, shall be made to such of Ilcr Majesty’s Justices of the Peace as may act in and for the County in which such Society may be formed, or to arbitra- tors to be appointed in manner hereinafter directed; and it the matter so in dispute shall be referred to arbitration, certain arbitrators shall be named and elected at the first meeting of such Society or Committee thereof that shall be held after the enrolment of its rules, none of the said arbi— trators being beneficially intrusted, directly or indirectly, in the funds of the said Society of whom a certain number, not less than three, shall be chosen by ballot; in each such case of dispute the number of the said arbitrators, and mode of ballot, bcin determined by the rules of each Society rc- Spcctively ; t 0 names of such arbitrators shall be duly enter- ed in the book of the said Society in which the rules are

GAZ ETTE. 4737 entered as aforesaid, and in case of the death, or refusal or neglect of any or all of the said ilI‘lJlfl‘iltlH‘b‘ to act, it shall and may. be lawful to and for the said Society, or Committee thereof, and they are hereby required, at their next meet- ing, to name and elect one or more arbitrator or arbitrators, as aforesaid, to act in the place of" the said arbitrator or arbitrators so dying, or refusing or neglecting to act as aforesaid, and whatever award shall be made by the said arbitrators, or the major part of them, according to the true purport and meaning of the rules of such Society, confirmed by the Supreme Court according to the directions of this Act, shall be in the form to this Act annexed, and shall be binding and conclusive on all parties, and shall be final to all intents and purposes without appeal or being subject to the control of one or more Justices of the Peace, and shall not be removed or removable into any Court of Law, or restrain- ed or restrain-able by the injunction of any Court of Equity : and should either of the said parties in dispute refuse or neglect to comply with or conform to the decision of the said arbitrators, or the major part of them, it shall and may be lawful for any one Justice of the Peace residing within the County within which such Society shall be held, upon good and sufficient proof being adduced before him of such award having been made, and of" the refusal of the party to comply therewith, upon complaint made by or on behalf of the party a ‘grieved, to summon the person against Whom such complaint shall be made, to appear at a time and place to be named in such summons ; and upon his or her appear- ance, or in default thereof, upon due proof upon oath of the service of such summons, any two Justices of the Peace may proceed to make such order thereupon as to them may seem just ; and if the sum of money so awarded. together with a sum for costs not exceeding the sum of ten shillings, as to such Justices shall seem meet, shall not be immediately paid, then such Justices shall, by warrant under their hands and seals, cause such sum and costs, as aforesaid, to be levied by distress, or by distresses, and sale of the moneys, goods, chattels, securities and effects belonging to the said party, or to the said Society, or other legal proceeding, together with all further costs and charges attending such distress and sale, or other legal proceeding, returning the overplus (ifany) to the said party, or to the said Society, or to one of the Trustees or Treasurer thereof; and in default ofsuch distress being found, or such other legal proceeding being ineffectual, then to be levied by distress and sale of the proper goods of the said party, or of the said Society, so neglecting or refusing as aforesaid by other legal proceed- ings, together with such further costs and charges as afore- said, returning the overplus (if any) to the owner ; provided always that when the rules of any Society provide for a re- ference to arbitrators of any matter in dispute, and it shall appear to any Justice of the Peace, on the complaint on oath of a member of any such Society, or of any person claiming on account .of such member, that application has been made to such Society, or the Trustees or Treasurer, or other officer thereof, for the purpose of having any dispute so settled by arbitration, and that such application has not, within forty days, been complied with, or that the arbitra- tors have neglected or refused to make any award, It shall and may be lawful for such Justices to summons the Trus- tee, Treasurer, or other officer of the Society, or any one of them against whom the complaint is made, and for any two J ustices to hear and determine the matter in dispute in the same manner as if the rules of the said Society had directed that any matter in dispute, as aforesaid, should be decxdcd by Justices of the Peace, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding

XXII. If by the rules of any such Society it is directed that any matter in dispute, as aforesaid, shall be decrdcd by Justices of the Peace, it shall and may be lawful for any such Justice, on complaint being made to him‘ofany refusal or neglect to comply with the rules of such Seeiety by any member or officer thereto, summon the personagamst whom such complaint shali be made to appear at a tune and place to be named in such summons, and upon his or her appear- ance, or in default thereof, upon due proof on 021th Of the service of such summons, it shall and may be lawful for any