Connecticut western news., 1874-02-27
The old "RIue Lnws.0

grants from Massachusetts at Windsor, in l633, and Hartford and Wetherstield, in ls35-6 The other colony, styled by it's founders, the dominion of New Haven, was founded by emigrants from England, in 1865. The statutes copied below from an ancient volume relating the history of the American colonies, were enacted by tho people of the dominion of New Ha- ven, and being printed on blue paper came to be known as blue laws:
 The Governor and magistrate convened in General Assembly, are the supreme power, under God, of this independent dominion.
 From the determination of the Assembly uo appeal shall be made.
 The Governor is amenable to the voice of the people.
 The Assembly of the people shall not be dismissed by tho Governor, but shall dis miss itself.
 Conspiracy against the dominion shall be punished with death.
 Whosoever says there Is power and jur- isdiction above and over the dominion, shall suffer death and loss of property.
 Whosoever attempts to charge or over turn the dominion shall suffer death.
 The judges shall determine no con,ro- versies without jury. No one shall be freeman or give vote unless he be converted and member of one of the churches allowed in the domin. ion.
 Each freeman shall swear by the blessed God to bear true allegiance tc this domin. ion and that Jesus is the only king.
 No Quaker, no dissenter from the es. tablished worship of this dominion, shall be allowed to give a vote for the election of magistrates or any other officer.
 No food or lodgings shall be offered to a Quaker, Adamit or heretic.
 If any person turns Quaker he shall be banished and not suffered to return but on pain of death.
 No priest shall abide in the dominion !; he shall be banished, and suffer death on his return.
 Priests may be seized by any one without warrant.
 No one to cross a river but an authorized clergyman.
 No one shall run on the Sabbath day or walk in his garden, or elsewhere, except reverently, to and from meeting.
 No ono shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair or shave on the Sabbath day.
 No one shall kiss her children on Sab bath or fasting days.
 The Sabbath shall begin at sunset on Saturday.
 To pick an ear of corn growing in neighbours garden shall be deemed theft.
 A person accused of trespass in the night shall be judged guilty, unless he clears himself on his oath.
 When it appears that the accused has confederates, and he refuses to discover them he may be racked.
 None shall buy or sell lands without per mission of the selectmen.
 A drunkard shall have a master appoint ed by the selectmen, who arc to bar him from the liberty of buying and selling.
 Whoever publishes a lie to the prejudice of his neghbor, be set ia the stocks, or be whipped ten strips.
 No minister shall keep q school.
 Every ratable person who refuses to pay his proportion to support the minister of the town or parish, shall be fined by court 5ld As, every quarter until he or she pay the rate to the minister.
 Men stealers shall suffer death.
 Whosoever wears clothes trimmed with gold, silver or bone lace above Is per yard shall be presented by the grand jurors, and the selectmen shall tax the offender G900 estate.
 A debtor in prison, swearing he has no estate, shall be let out and sold to make satisfaction.
 Whosoever sets fire in the woods, and it burns house shall suffer death, and per sons suspected of this crime shall be i'm prisoned without benefit of bail.
 Whosoever brings cards or dice into this dominion, shall pay fine of E5
 No one shall read common prayer books, keep Christmas or set days, eat mince pies dance, play cards, or play on any instru. ment of music except the drum trumpet and Jews harp.
 No gospel minister shall join people in marriage. The magistrate only shall join them in marriage, as he may do 1t with less scandal to Christ's church.
 When parents refused their children con- venient marriages, the magistrates shall determine the point.
 The selectmen on finding children igno- rant may take them away from their pa rents and put them in better hands at tn expense of their parents.
 Fornication shall be punished by com polling marriage, or as the court shall think proper.
 Adultery shall be punished with death.
 A man that strikes his wife shall pay fine of fl0.
 A woman that strikes her husband shall be punished as the law directs.
 A wife shall be deemed good evidence against her husband.
 No man shall court maid in person or by letter, without first obtaining consent of her parents; e5 penalty for the first of fence, Gl0 for the second, and for the third, imprisonment during the pleasure of the court.
 Married persons must live together or be imprisoned.
 Every male must have his hair cut round according to his cap.