Our sovereign Lord the King chargeth and commandeth all persons being
assembled immediately to disperse themselves and peacefully to depart to
their habitations or to their lawful business, upon the pains contained in
the Act made in the first year of King George for preventing tumultuous and
riotous assemblies.

"The Riot Act" King George I
This must be read by the High Sheriff or by the Lord High Mayor

There you have it folks. This is the Riot Act we have heard of all our
lives.

Guess that's the original, TJ. In the NJ Statutes (and, I'm sure, in most other states as well) there is an announcement eerily similar in language and text to that. It's required to be read (via bullhorn) by the senior police officer present to the crowd at the scenes of riots, routs and affrays before charges are made under those statutes. The language is, naturally, modernized, i.e. 'I charge and command you....', but the contant is essentially unchanged.

Not surprising, since NJ statutes were originally devised from old English Common Law, NJ being a colonial state.

The 'Riot Act' has never gotten much use in modern times. Any police commander would have to research it for the precise statements should the occasion arise. The last I remember it being used locally was during the riots in Newark and Plainfield in the summer of 1967. Those of us who would have expected to be called upon to use it studied the text and had it pretty well memorized for the period of time.

Neat little bit of history, TJ. Is that a 'moosetik?'

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Gunslinger
'Never teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.'

In Capital letters!!!