Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-11-05

Hawthorncs immortal rOmanCCs in which
the Winthrops, and the BellinEhams and the
Nanes step, instinct with life, from their dusty
graves, are aware that SO late as hundred
years ago this Commonwealth was govern
ed by laws in many respects similar to
those which we have become accustomed
TO regard as peculiar 10 the Pilgrims. Rare
and curious reading is that afforded by
the volume embracing the first revision
Of the statutes Of our Commonwealth.
Times change and laws as well IS men
change with them and Il glu ce at these
ancient laws may well repay the time, as
showing the changes and the progress of
century and the advance in the way Of
''sweeter manners, purer laws The ook
has the old-time prolix and stately title-page
a part of which is: The statutes co. the
State of Vermont, revised and established
by authority in the year 11s7, incIJ dinz
those passed since that period un'il tn.
session of the Assembly OF said Stat,
holden at Bennington in January, 1191.
Printed by Anthony Haswell,
Bennington, MDCCXCL" These laws,
therefore, were in force for at least some
ten years. The notable thing about them :
not their sanguinary character, to- ,i.c death
tality. The pillory, the st,c&s anil the
brandins-iron figure largely; aul the Coloni-
al criminal was invested with every circunl-
s,o,ca oF .i,,n,a o,J ;r,op,in,- N,.f tbi-
'''' u S W '7''' ~ ''
too, was coupled with certain ten lcrress
which strikes modern rs very luaaT- Not
only is this shovn lint ala, tba p.,terpalI,
'A'' 10 ''4'' 'N' "" '' '''N l'''
benignant character OF oar Govcinmeni, 10y
the following preamble and enactment,
adopted by the Legislature in l'0l
hersas h, af ps"pe "a. T iiSS ia UNI,
them that they feel a tenderness IN iheir eoascienc:
which sums of money are paid 10 the cnlpllHs OF
lure are ever wna 10 show ther r,.a .-S to
e2mp % %sY wih ihe ISi5s ,ha1 yg I | Az a %
iringed on; therefore ii IS heFeb' enae;s.i by ie
such sums as may be Necessary for thar purpose he
sun SUPREME e petsi CoGri ou' o' tue
Here indeed is a tenderness ior the disci-
ples of Fox and the RIGHTS of conscience. cx-
pressed in A most futbrrly WAY. But on the
other hand the Legislature turned upon
counterfeiters and repded them in the fol
-. e,oa-,,, -. o., H. r,,ar;,.r
i0"iio 4ei0ei''' ii-''N'i'' '''-' ''
/ date of 1.S.l-
-..
hn'ocstr sn'i pi..7ih 70 10 '.'... 80 -
ai.el any M oi w pil's 1i c'ee' ~. ~ - %
shall be punished by having lis raht ar
Suo on 1 6ot i ron s, and nd h e",a~r mite 10 iy goal e.
house Of correction there TO b. r.aii.iYi l1 S,.
part thcrefrom without SPECIAL leave from tl' y
fs,r'i their death" al '''' '''''''' "''''
I Surely here is sufficient punishment for
presumption loss Of that useful or
/ can the car, an artistic hot-iron mono ss;.m
and Imprisonment for life, The career Of
counterfcter could hardly Lave been a happy
one.
| The human ear seems tolave been a favor
ite TARGET for punitive legislation. and one or
both of the auricular appeudag,s were clop-
ned off for A great number Of offences. An
s.eve for an eve and n tooth for Il tooth" is an
!
/ established maxim but why man sLOu!u
/
| s'e an e''i Va e'' 0' "
| uuite so Dlain. So il was, however, Us may
-..-,
/ be seen from the following statute, cE&ctel
,-o,
.u.Sa.c,.a- r0-so, shall h, cO,,vf,.-, -, ,,ors..
stealing, before the suprem, Cont slaII BE- pul
lsnep S .! nne Ion ~ $1,000 IN tb M N,
r n, a hnt ron AMI hts rar ,- rl-s en- oil a ne
! di,rrltlon "a n r Of tba ro,,rt
| u4>oie''oi VI 'he '''i''
Z bn Ton n
|
\ agaln SHOWN IN tne aurlciiar usCIe'lnn SlNth
| %, La oorr. Iror,o ,,,ol;r-r ,,..,, . -; ,,,i,. n
| " iS '0''it. A9 W." -'' =
! : offence that smcllPd TO heaven in those
|
| days the oiftnGeT lost an Ear or tWc, i'a.u
,.o,,-,. e ,l no, n cbro,,,,, =, ,I,z sbo,,a nj
hed'y hHe anu S"' Il '''''l''' IA XIV N.'i' u
that I'll. l.
To return for moment 10 the counter
feiterS, there were some Ornamental vara-
tions in punishment, according To degree.
Thus ''hard-money-order' coun'erfeitor
lost both ears, paid fine and enjoyed
season in that agreeable Institution the ril-
lory-as follows:
III any person SHAH it!'eiy 1 ma: f =; ar ~, ~ ,oe CT
orders issued by the Treasurer of ms State Or
hs ts ps t of Of is suore @ @ CONT mi or
BE- drawn on the Treasurer Of the STAT. wrh intent
10 defraud any person or shall WITH >ucl H!lrai
knowingly, pay utter or publish the same a. t!ur
he shall b. set III the pilioTy. and have h1tI ears
| cut OH and pay such nne To The Ircl MY "t r."
state as the supreme Court siall direct. v.tl'.
| The old ..Scsrlet Letter law fisrures in the
! Statute book, as follows
az ar, ,,.r.,, ab,i, commit ll,ry al, i t.
of ronvi,fej hrf,r,. m. Sui,r,.in. ,'snrt he b,. M
they shall be Sc; upon the eI!nws for IN. >ra'' pf
arcS or necSs ar,! the other end east owe, IN, .,
nJ o%s anu hy iSS nt s xae9y E IgtTl o. G ,
snail from the exratloa OF tweaty,ionr ho';-s ,rE
wear capital A. OF two inches long. aud rrofo.-
n fnei c5rbes and sxe o, Il mon me nn5r rn,
on the outside OF their arm or on their back III open
Drr-l.o,ross ,.os M, =, co,,,,r,- or, ra
,-,r,,.I os tho colossal c,i,,a of crimes an,
tho hardy v.rror,er had ,o M. vary, f,r ror..
!, ir,oxic,tiop bcfore he vas robIr tn 1sw-
..bersaved" observe the ,aach of mclan-
cb,lv, ..of ,he use of his u,dcrs.and,p, or
Of Lis limbs - If ore s,fr.-ir., srrj, ,
de,ree of bereavement had tL, means he
was levied unou for the benefit Of the poor
otherwise he WAS trussed up in the stocks
The law Zone of 1887 was as follows.
she Is 9 iheTsSy of5Sgysg of M me ue o @ I @ a eT @ a
,y sSS; s,s ng fn- eyrrv sh ~ m tt
of the town where such conviction = hl l. fO- f1r
use o inf poor S ihefgo. iin 9 a M II ,a G Say %I I m
wherein 10 make distress, he sEIll be- sci lh,
stocks MOI exceeding 'nF'S H'u'''
TOT Quiet CURIOUS ie'''''eS VI 'HNsS ''''-
time statutes we have no room-the pun
ishmeut of punishment for the crime of de