Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-26
NEW HAVEN BLUE LAWS.
Some Good and Bad suggestions for the
Advocates of Sumptuary Legislation.

4
Philadelphia Record
Through the kindness of 4 gentleman in
New Haven an opportunity has been af-
forded me of inspecting the manuscript
records of the colony, including its ancient
laws. My time, however, was short, and
the manuscripts were long, so that l am
now indebted to modern historian for the
extracts that are SubiOined. But this au-
| thor give the sense, and not the wOrds-a
mode of transcription very unsatisfactory
/ a mode in the adoption Of which a writer
/ should rarely trust himself and in which
| he is rarely to be trusted. As to the sub
stance of the specimens subjoined, a part
will discover the little SubOrdinatiOn to the
mother country, acknowledged from the
] first by the Dominion Of New Haven; a
part is distinguished by unnecessary rigOr;
! part by ignorance and injuSticc;a part is
common to the codes, ancient and modern,
| in New England; part is unexception-
able, and only small remainder is strict
\ ly characteristic Of the peculiar persons
| from which it came. The following alb
stractS are from the Portfolio for the year
1913.
No Quaker OF diSsenter from the eStab-
liShed worship Of this dominion shall be
allowed to give vote for the election Of
magistrates OF any officer.
No food or lodging shall be afforded to n
| Quaker, Adamite or other hereto.
II any person turns Quaker he shall be
| banished and not suffered to return but
upon pain of death.
No priest shall abide in the dominion;
he shall be banished, and suffer death on
/ his return Priests may he seized by any
| one without q warrant.
| No one to cross a river but with an au-
thOrized terryman.
| No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or
walk in his garden OF elsewhere except
reverently to and from meeting.
No one shall travel, cook yictualS, make
beds, sweep house, cut hair or shave on the
sabbath day.
No one shall kiss her child on the Sab
bath or fasting day.
The Sabbath shall begin ut sunset on
Saturday.
To pick an ear of corn growing III 4
| neignbor's garden shall be deemed theft.
4 person accused OF treSpaSSlng IN the
| night shall be adjudged guilty unless he
clear himself by his oath.
When it appears that an accused has con-
federateS, and he refuses to discover them,
\ he may be racked.
No one shall buy or sell lands without
permission of the selectmen.
4 drunkard shall have master APP
| pointed BY the selectmen who are to dehlr
| him from the liberty of buying ana sell
ing. ..,;.,
Whoever publishes lie to the prejudice
| nf his neighbOr shall sit in the stocks or DE
whipped fifteen stripes.
No minister shall keep school.
Every ratable person who refuses TO pay
his proportion to the support OF the MINIS
ter of the town or parish shall he hned by
the court e., and q every quarter untll
he or she shall pay the rate to the minister
Men stealerS shall suffer death.
/ Whoever wears clothes trimmed with
/ cold. silver or bone lace above two shllllngs
bv the yard, shall be presented by the
4 grand Jurors, and the selectmen shall tax
/ the offender ut $500 estate.
| A debtor in prison swearing he mas no
/ estate. shall be let out and sold 10 make
! satisfaction.
| whatsoever sets fire in the woods, and
| Il bnrps a house, shall suffer death; and
persons suspected OF this crime snail De
| imprisoned without benefit OF bail.
| Whoever brings cards or dice INTO thiS
| dominion shall pay fine OF 70.
No one shall read Common Prayer, Keep
| Christmas or saint days, make minced PIES,
dance, play cards or play on any lnStru-
ment of music, except the drum, trumpet
and iews-harp.
| No o,ospel minister shall join people IN
marriage: the magistrates only shall JON
in marriage; as they may do 1t with less
scandal to Christ's Church.
| When narents refuse their children con,
venient marriages, the magistrate snail
determine the point.
| The seIectmen on finding children lgnor-
ant NAV take them away from their par
ents and put them into better hands at the
expense of their parents.
| 4 man that strikes his wife shall pay 4
fine of G10; q woman that strikes her nus,
band shall be punished rs the court
directs. H.,
A wife shall be deemed good eVldehc'
AGAINST her husband.
No man shall court a maid IN person. OF
nv letter without first obtaining consent
Of her parents; G5 penalty for the tirSt OF
Tense. E1O for the second, and for the tnlru,
Imprisonment during the'pleaSure oil the
Married persons must live together OF d
imprisoned. ,;b,;, ont ronnf
according to cap. hr IN.
Ofsuch sort were the laws hl''uS y ;.,>
people of New Haven previous 70 U tIlo4 -
corporation with Saybro0S anu . iat 'i oS
colonies by the charter. Ihey colLsLss =.
vast multitude, and were very PrU Ip g,
termed Blue Laws, j. E., bloody LAVE, ~ ~
they were sanctifed with exeOmmInlc a;Uo.
eonfiscation, fines, banishments, wmpplnsS
cutting off the ears, burning the tongue
and death. -. L,,a no