214. If in any of the said actions or suits, judgment¹ be given for the plaintiff and the same be reversed by error, or a verdict passed for the plaintiff, and upon matter alleged² in arrest of judgment, the judgment be given against the plaintiff, that he take nothing by his plaint, writ³ or bill, then and in every such case, the party plaintiff, his heirs, executors, or administrators⁴, as the case may require, may commence a new action or suit, from time to time, within a year after such judgment reversed, or given against the plaintiff, as aforesaid, and not after. Id. s. 2.

215. In all actions upon the cause, for slanderous⁵ words, to be sued or prosecuted⁷ by any person or persons, in any court within this province, after the said twenty-fifth day of April next, if the jury upon trial of the issue in such action, or the jury that shall inquire of the damages, do find or assess the damages under forty shillings, then the plaintiff or plaintiffs in such action shall have and recover only so much costs as the damages so given or assessed do amount unto without any further increase of the same. Id. s. 4.

216. Provided nevertheless, that if any person or persons who is or shall be entitled to any such action or trespass⁸, detinue, trover, replevin, actions of account, debt, actions for trespass, for assault, menace, battery, wounding or imprisonment⁹, actions upon the case for words, be, or, at the time of any cause of such action given or accrued¹¹, fallen, or come, shall be within the age of twenty-one years, feme covert¹², non compos mentis, imprisoned¹³ or beyond the sea, that then such person or persons shall be at liberty to bring the same actions, so as they take the same within such times as are hereby before limited, after their coming to or being of full age, discoverture, of sound memory, at large, or returning into this province as other persons. id. s. 5.

217.-3. As to penal¹⁴ actions. All actions, suits, bills, indictments¹⁶ or information, which shall be brought for any forfeiture¹⁷ upon any penal act of assembly made or to be made, whereby the forfeiture is or shall be limited to the commonwealth¹⁸ only, shall hereafter be brought within two years after the offence was committed, and at no time afterwards, and all actions, suits, bills, or informations which shall be brought for any forfeiture upon any penal act of assembly made or to be made, the benefit and suit whereof is or shall be by the said act limited to the commonwealth, and to any person or persons that shall prosecute⁶ in that behalf, shall be brought by any person or persons that may lawfully¹⁹ sue for the same, within one year next after the offence was committed; and in default of such pursuit, then the same shall be brought for the commonwealth, any time within one year after that year ended; and if any action, suit, bill, indictment¹⁵ or information shall be brought after the time so Iimited, the same shall be void, and where a shorter time is limited by any act of assembly, the prosecution²⁰ shall be within that time. Act of March 26, 1785, s. 6.

218. Rhode Island. 1. As to lands. It is enacted²¹ that where any person or persons, or others from whom he or they derive²² their titles, either by themselves, tenants²³ or lessees²⁴, shall have been for the space of twenty years, in the uninterrupted, quiet, peaceable and actual seisin and possession of any lands, tenements²⁵ or hereditaments in the, state, during the said time, claiming the same as his, her or their proper, sole and rightful estate in fee simple, such actual seisin and possession shall be allowed to give and make a good and rightful title to such person or persons, their heirs and assigns, forever; saving and excepting however, the rights and claims of persons under age, non compos mentis, feme covert, and persons imprisoned, or beyond seas, they bringing their suits for the recovery of such lands, &c., within the space of ten years next after the removal of such impediment saving also, the rights and claims of any person or persons, having any estate in reversion or remainder, expectant or dependent on any lands, &c., after the determination of the estate for years, life, &c.; such person or persons pursuing his or their title by due course of law, within ten years after his or their right of action shall accrue¹⁰.