An Act for allowing Persons impeached of High Treason, whereby any Corruption of Blood may be made, or for Misprision of such Treason, to make their full Defence by Council.
An Act for vesting in His Majesty the Estates of certain Traitors, and for more effectually discovering the same, and applying the Produce thereof to the Use of His Majesty; and for ascertaining and satisfying the lawful Debts and Claims thereupon.
The Vesting Act 1747 (20 Geo. 2. c. 41) stated that any traitor who had been convicted since 24 June 1745, or who had been attainted by statute before 24 June 1748, was to automatically forfeit all of their property to the Crown, without the need for any further legal procedure whatsoever.[a]
An Act to prevent the Return of such Rebels and Traitors, concerned in the late Rebellion, as have been, or shall be, pardoned on Condition of Transportation, and also to hinder their going into the Enemy's Country.
A third act, the Traitors Transported Act 1746 (20 Geo. 2. c. 46), made it a felony, punishable with death without benefit of clergy, for anyone who had been pardoned for treason and transported to America to return to Great Britain or Ireland, or to go to the dominions of the French or Spanish kings. It was also felony for anyone else to aid and abet a pardoned traitor to commit the same offence, or to correspond with one. However an indictment had to be brought within two years.[13]
^This Act is sometimes called the Forfeited Estates Act 1747,[9] the Crown Lands, Forfeited Estates Act 1746,[10] or the Vesting Act 1747.[11] The amended title of this Act was "An Act for vesting in His Majesty the Estates of certain Traitors . . .".[12] The title originally read "An Act for vesting in His Majesty the Estates of certain Traitors, and for more effectually discovering the same, and applying the Produce thereof to the Use of His Majesty; and for ascertaining and satisfying the lawful Debts and Claims thereupon."
