Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-05-26
TCor. of the New York Evening Post.I
BLUE LAWS OF VEGENIA.
How Sinners were Punished lin
OIden Times.

| O1SAO1A
Virginia was styled the "Old Dominion
because during the protectorate of Cromwell
something like an attempt was made to invite
Charles II, it is said, then a refugee, to es-
tablish an independent dominion within her
territory, Many of the SO called "blue
laws of Virginia are, in their way, as
laughable as those of any other of the coloni-
al governments. We may well wonder if
posterity will laugh at US in future time,
twenty years from now, as we love in the
present generation to pokefun at our ances-
tors, or rather, as we should say, at our
neighbours ancestors.
Well, the ssblue laws'' of Virginia these
are few extracts:
In 1910, attendance at church twice every
Sunday was enjoined "upon pain, for the
first fault, to lose their provisions and allow
ance for the whole week following for the
second, to lose said allowance, and also to
be whipped and for the third to suffer
death" The laws was subsequently, modi-
fed as follows, the Governor published sew
eral edicts "That every person should go
to church Sundays and holidays, or lie neck
and heels that night, and be slave to the
colony the following week for the second
offense he should be "a slave for month !;
for the third, year and day."
I do wish we had such funny law in
our time. 1t would make the lazy folks get
up early in the morning on Sunday.
-."Every person who refuses to
have his child baptized by lawful minister,
(of the Church of England) shall be amerced
2, 900 lbs Of tobacco. The whole liturgy
of the Church of England shall be thorough
ly read at church or chapel every Sunday"
1663-''If any Quakers or other separa-
fists whatsoever in this colony assemble
themselves together to the number of five
or more of the age of 16 years Or upward,
under the pretense of joining in a religious
worship not authorized in England or this
country, the parties SO offending shall for
felt and pay for the first ofense, 500 pounds
of tobacco, and for the third ofense shall be
banisbed the colony" Puritanical intoler-
ance, indeed Mr.. Royalist!
They did not let people travel on Sundays
in Connecticut They tell amusing stories
alb ,ut the selectmen stopping people ON the
highways there in ancient times. Well,
they did nothing of the sort in Virginia Of
course not. Let US see
1902 ENACTED, That the Lords day
be kept holy, and no journeys be made on
that day, unless upon necessity. And all
persons inhabiting in the country, having
! no lawful excuse, shall every Sunday re-
sort to the parish church or chapel" Good;
this was jolly. Again:
1.-THE Court in every county shall cause
to be set up near the courthouse pillory,
pair of stocks, a whipping post, and a
ducking stool, in such place as they shall
think convenience which not being set up
within six months after the date Of the act,
the said Court shall be fined 5000 pounds
Of tobacco" Funny decidedly !; but the
funniest part of this tale is the ducking or
ducking-stool This was sort of a long
beam Or pole, moving on pivot at the
middle, and having seat fastened at the
further end, wherein scolding woman be-
ing placed, was conveniently let down and
ducked in pond Or stream of water.
This was a favorite pastime of the 10Y
alists in early days. I have never discover
ed that the Puritans practiced it in New
England Not they. They were too
strai ght-laced for any such amusemcnts. -
And the method of Furnishing scolds was in
PRODUCED into the City of New York by the
royalists England-most ungallant fellows
and not by the Dutch, and the practice pre-
vailed here for a long period. We have a
city ordinance that one be erected as early
1892. The machine then stood on the
wharf in front of the old Stadt Hugs of City
Hall in Coenties slip.
But one more and I have done.
1679-"The first offense of hog-stealipg
shall be punished according to the former
law Ito pay 1000 pounds of tobacco anc
in case of inability, serve two years upor
a second conviction the offender shall stanc
two hours in the pillory and lose his ears
and for the third ofense he shall be tied by
the laws of England, as in case of felony
Poor hog-stealer This was hard on hin
1t predicament truly laughable.