The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-05-21
For the MASSACHUSETTS SPY
WinebsHdOn MAY 7, I772'


Mr.. THOMAS,
IF lion, wolf, or Tiger, ihculd be let Iooie
among people, it would be lnnumsn
no, to give the earlish notice :: Is 1t not OF
as much importance, to found an alarm
when men, who fometimes are more mercl-
lefs than the mof lavage brutal animals,
have broke through the bounds of law, and
are ravaging upon the property OF their TEL
low men Are not the men that exerc'ie
the pretended powers Of courts OF admiral
ty, now diifrefing the indufrious huiDand-
man; and tacitly declaring that they inaiI no
longer fit every one under his own vIne' and
under his own fig tree, and have none TO
make him afraid. :,
Who would have thought that thefe mil
creants would have penetrated 10 tar into
the country as Winchendon More tnan
fxty miles from the Sea, force the farmer
from his plough, compel him to appear be-
fore court ofAdmiralty, and anfwer THREE
for the great crime of cutting rotten pine
tree off his own land. That this has been
the cafe with one of my neighbours, may be
feen by the procefs lately ferved upon MI
John Boynton, copy of which follows,Vlz'
&c PysVincs of The MaDGebajstts- BGy'
e. "Court of Vice Admiralty of Bottom.
GEORGE the cd. by the grace OF God'
of Great Britain, France and Ireland, AIng'
defender of the faith, sc.
$50 the MARTIAL q or Jaid court or bis de-
~
9WE command you, that you arreit
the body Of John Boynton, of Wnchendon,
in the county of WorceRer, yeoman; w6er-
foeyer you fhal find him in your diitriet, and
him keep in fate cufody, 70 that you
have him at court Of vice Admiralty
90 be holden at Bofon,in the province afore-
faid. ON Tuefdaythe Izth day of May next
at 70 O'Clock before noon, before our Com-
military, whereof he is implicated, being In
certain articles whereof he is impleaded'
being n a certain information before our
CommiHary of faid court, by John
Wentworth, ETC; fnryeyor General OF all
and angular his MseRy's woods on the con-
tinent of North America who protecutes
as well for US, as for himlelf, exhibited tor
the forfeiture Cf one hundred pounds tterlIng
money of Great Britain for the offence IN
the information afoTelaid mentioned, and
further to do and receive in the premifes
what our faid court then and there ihall de
Eeefto be done and have Youthers this writ.
W;tne6 ROBERT AUcHMUTY En-;
CsmmiOSry Ja;d Curt at Bsff0H, TIL
* i3fb day Of Ipyiianno Samini II 2,dHd
:, hsf cur raiga the faci5ftb.
a4.. + BY order of Court,
-,4. Ez. Price, Dept. Reg"
!. II is true, there is re(eTve in the charter
of all the pine trees (of two feet diameter,
which were growing at the time the
charter was agreed to- on lands which had
not then become private property, and that
a-penalty of1oo pounds feeling is annexed
to the cutting fuch trees, but it mutt be fup-
pofed that the trees are fit for the royal navy,
and are growing where they may be come
at, but in cafe of irefpafs of this nature, all
crimes being local, the offender cannot regu-
larly be compelled to anfwer without the IL
fnts of the county where the crime is com
n1it;ed, nor before peIicns but hi; peers,
chofen from the vieinage, that is BY A JU-
RY. The fees for ferving the foregoing
wit are enormous, and are as follows, VIZ.
Service Of the writ, 10 o.
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