The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-04

by unlhWiul bppTl Tt'TfdllDH, VI oehN' W'''' |
whether wfully or in careless neglect, shall |
be duly punished by fine. Imprisonment, or
corporally. But IL the court upon examination.
by clear and satisfying evidence find that the
Sin was proudly. preeumptuously. and with
high hand committed against the known com
mand and authority OF tho blessed God. such
person therein desDisng and reprodchtng Me
LORD shall be pat 10 dedth."
Such was the forbddng side Of legislation
which followed with pitcss mechanical exacti-
tudc the text OF the old Hebrew law. But II had
a ludicrous side as well. Tho vigilance with
| which a parental government looked after the
private morals Of the citizen is papable in many
enatments. For example. we learn from the
Connecticut Code that the infant commonwealth
| had grave reason TO complain Of the disorder
! arising from tho use Of the game called shunle-
hoard. whereby much precious timc is spent
unfruitfully. and much waste OF wine and beer
occasioncd" wherefore il was ordered that
mo person shall hencciorth use the said game
| of shinlc- board, in any house OF common enter
tainment. on pain for the keeper Of said house
to forfeit for every such offence twenty sh-
llngs." Not only gaming after this primitive
fashion. but every species of idlcncss and un-
profitable employment was severely reprobatcd
! by the General Court, which cnioined upon the
constablcs ofcvory town to "uso especial care and
diligence to take knowledge OF offenders in this
kind especially Of common coasters Improbable
! fo,ciers and tobacco takers" 1t will be noticed
| that this warrant was even more sweeping than
Doghorry'5 to comprehend all vagrom men,
As regards ono Of the categorcs OF offenders
above specified. II appears that by the frequent
taking of tobacco divers abuses had crept in
But there is ground for supposing ma
jority Of tho General Court were smokers.
since the lawmakers show themselves kccny
a. t,t nai rbu If u pfTt the cuppipg Of
! this modicament" from such as haye accus-
toned themselves to its use" For the rcgulat-
ing, however. Of these persons 1t Is ordered
| that " no man within Il is colony after the pub
LEGATION hereof shall take any tobacco publicly
in the street. highways. or any barnyards," the
latter, we infer. being a favorte lounging place.
s., too. tho necessary fun ton in n common
wealth OF such houses nc retail wine beer. and
strong waters is distinctly recognized 10y the
Connecticut Code; yet. with II view OF controll-
ing abuses Of that liberty, 1t is ordered that
no person licensed for common entertainment
shall suffer any to be drunken or drink excess
sively viz: above half pint OF wine iot one
person ut one time. or to continue tipping above
the space OF half an hour. or ut unreasonable
times "-proysions which seem 10 afford scope
enough for reasonable indulgence. and with
which the most thirsty descendants of these
Purtans now dwelling in New England would
probably be satisfied
A far moro rigorous and unqualified condcm-
nation l. pronounced by the Colonial legislator
upon the "practice Of cOurtship" both in view
of the deplorable waste of tmc v)lved in that
occupation and OF divers perils incident there
to. We cite from the Laws OF New Haven, which
on this head arc moro stern and finite than
T the Connecticut statute. The court. wisely con-
sidering that much sin hath been committed
against God and much inconvenience grown 10