The St. Johns herald., 1890-12-25
LAWS OF OUR FATHERS.
Full List of Oonnecticut's Famous
 Puritan Enactments.
Quai<ers Ead Hard Time in Colonial Days, and TaiIOrs and Barbers Were Closely yTatched-A Had C0un-
 try for Divorce Lawyers.

N-OSeiy bS2IcnSG-A Had GOun- try for Divorce Lawyers. The term ''blue laws" is applied to such as relate to the private consciences of individuals. All countries formerly had such statutes, and the thirteen colo nies were no exception before the revo- iutiOn. The code of Connecticut is often spoken of in this respect. Those most noted were of the colony of New Haven, which was united with the Connecticut colony in 1855. Here is Q full copy of the New Haven lists, often called the ''ConneCticut Blue Laws:''
 The Governor and magistrates, con- yened in General Assembly, and the supreme power under God, of this inde- pendent dominion.
 Conspiracy against the dominion shall be punished with death.
 Nhosoover says there is 6 power and jurisdiction above and over this do- minion shall suffer death and the loss of his property.
 Whosoever attempts to change or overturn this dominion shall suffer death.
 No one shall be freeman, or give vote, unless he be converted and 9 mem- Der in full communion of one of the churches allowed in this dominion.
 Each freeman shall swear by the blessed God to bear true allegiance to this dominion, and that Jesus is the only King.
 No Quaker or dissenter from the es- tablishCd worship of this dominion shall be allowed to give vote for the cleo tion of magistrate or any officer.
 No food or lodging shall be offered 9 Quaker, Atlantic or other heretic.
 If any person shall turn Quaker he shall be banished, and not suffered to return on pain of death.
 No Quaker priest shall abide in this dominion; he shall be banished and suffer death on return.
 Priests may be seized by any one without warrant.
 No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk in his garden, or elsewhere, eX- cept rcverently to and from meeting.
 No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair or shave on the Sabbath day.
 The Sabbath shall begin at sunset on Saturday.
 To pick an ear of corn growing on a neighbor's garden shall be deemed theft.
 A person accused of trespass in the night shall be judged guilty until he clear himself by his oath.
 No one shall buy or sell land without permission of the selectmen.
 When it appears that an accused per- son has confederates, and refuses to dis cover them, he may be racled.
 4 drunka shall have master ap- pointed by tho selectmen, who arc to debar him the liberty of buying and selling.
 Whoever publishes lie to the preiu- dice of his neighbor shall be put in the stocks, or receive ten stripes.
 No minister shall keep school.
 Men staaleT5 shall suffer death.
 Whoever wears clothes trimmed with gold, silver, or bone lace above two shillings yard shall be presented by the grand jurors, and the selectmen shall tax the offender three hundred pounds on his estate.
 A debtor in prison, swearing he has no estate, shall be laid out and sold, to make satisfaction.
 Whoever brings cards or dice into this dominion shall pay fine of five pounds.
 No one shall read the common prayer book, keep Christmas, or set days, or play or any instrument except the drum or jew's-harp.
 No Gospel minister shall join people in marriage. The magistrate only shall join them in marriage, as they do it with less scandal to Christ's church.
 When parents refuse their children convenient marriage Che magistrate shall determine the point.
 The scloctmen, on finding the chil- dren ignorant, may take them away from their parents and put them in better hands at the expense of their parents.
 A man who strikes his wife shall pay a fine Of ten pounds.
 A woman who strikes her husband shall be punished as the court directs.
 4 wife shall be deemed good evidence against her husband.
 No man shall court 9 maid, in person or by letter, without first obtaining con- sent of her parents.
 Married persons must live together or be imprisoned in jail.
 Every male shall have his hair cut round according to a cap.
 cl,;+tor,t--,,. 4j,, T-,os No thoughtful person can fail to see how the lines arc being oblitcrated and how mon are takinr up the work of Wo-.