ssibility.

_IV.--Division of Offences_

An offence--a punishable act--is constituted such by the community;
though it ought not to be an offense unless contrary to utility, it may
be so. It is assumed to be a detrimental act; detrimental therefore to
some person or persons, whether the offender himself or other assignable
persons, or to persons not assignable.

Offences against assignable persons other than the offender form the
first class; offences against individuals, or private offences, or
private extra-regarding offences. The second class is formed by
semi-public offences, _i.e._, not against assignable individuals, nor
the community at large, but a separable group in the community, _e.g._,
a class or a locality. The third class are those which are simply
self-regarding; the fourth, against the community at large; the fifth,
multiform or heterogeneous, comprising falsehood and breaches of trust.

The first class may be subdivided into offences against (1) the person,
(2) reputation, (3) property, (4) condition--_i.e._, the serviceableness
to the individual of other persons, (5) person and property together,
(6) person and reputation together.

The second, "semi-public," class, being acts which endanger a portion of
the community, are those operating through calamity, or of mere
delinquency. The latter are subdivided on the same lines as private
offences. So with the third or self-regarding class.

In class four, public offences fall under eleven divisions: (1)
offences against external security--_i.e._, from foreign foes; (2)
against justice--_i.e._, the execution of justice; (3) against the
preventive branch of police; (4) against the public force--_i.e._,
military control; (5) against increase of national felicity; (6) against
public wealth--_i.e._, the exchequer; (7) against population; (8)
against national wealth--_i.e._, enrichment of the population; (9)
against sovereignty; (10) against religion; (11) against national
interests in general.

In class five, falsehood comprises simple falsehoods, forgery,
personation, and perjury; again distributable like the private offences.
In the case of trusts, there are two parties--the trustee and the
beneficiary. Offences under this head cannot, for various reasons, be
conveniently referred to offences against property or condition, which
also must be kept separate from each other. As regards the existence of
a trust: as against the trustee, offences are (1)