The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-07-09
Popular Talks on Law.

4oQul8T X3AAS Ou A30Ws
The government which the Puri-
tans founded was democratic. All
the members of the church met in
a general assembly, and made the
laws, until 1889, representative
body was elected to take the place
of the popular legislature, Their
governor was elected from their own
number. In 1929, King Charles l
confirmed grant made by a Ply
mouth company to 'sThe governor
and company of the Massachusetts
Bay in New England" and gave
them powers of government.
The charter gave power to elect
annually a governor, deputy gov
ernor and eighteen assistants. Four
'sgreat and general courts" were to
be held every year, to consist OF the
governor or deputy, the assistants
and the freemen. These courts were
authorized to appoint such officers
as they should think proper, and
also to make such laws and ordin-
ances as to them should seem meet
provided they were not contrary to
the laws of England.
It's form of government was the
same as that of the Pilgrims at
Plymouth-first popular and final
lv representative. This charter was
declared. forfeited to the king in
1854, and in 1891, a second charter
was granted, which continued in
force down to the Revolution. This
second charter merged Plymouth,
New Hampshire, Maine and Nova
Scotia in Massachusetts. Maine
continued part of Massachusetts
until it became a state in 1920, and
Massachusetts and Plymouth were
never separated.
Discontented Massachusetts col
onists planted three towns on the
Connecticut River, between 1884
and 1886, and, in 1899, these towns
united and adopted constitution
called "The fundamental orders of
Connecticut These three, with a
settlement at New Haven, and
others on Long Island Sound soon
united in one colony under the
name of New Haven. They had no
charter and no title to their land ;
but, in 1862, Charles II granted
them charter, which remained in
force, save during five years, for
one hundred and fifty. six years.
The people Of this colony, by the
express words of their charter, were
entitled to the privileges of natural
born subjects, and invested with all
the powers of government, the only
limitation being that their laws
should not be contrary to those of
England. So well were the people
satisfied with it that Connecticut
did not adopt a constitution till the
year 1878.
Another offshot from Massachu-
setts was Rhode Island, and. as in
the last cases, the Rhode Island
colonists had, at first, no grants
either of land or power.
The Rhode Island colonists were
Bptists, under the lead of Roger
Williams. They were driven out
of the Massachusetts, colony in
1885, one division of them founding
Providence, and the other Rhode
Island plantation. In 1868, Charles
II united them under the name of
"Rhode Island and Providence
Plantations" and gave it powers Of
government similar to those of the
Connecticut colonies. The Rhode
Island charter continued in force,
with but briefinterim, until 1912.
The colony of New Hampshire,
which became q royal colony in
1892, was founded by Captain John
Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges
by a grant of the old Plymouth
colony in 1922. Their territory be-
ing between the Merrimac and Ken
nebec rivers. Massachusetts claimed
this territory, and for the most part
the New Hampshire settlements
were subject to her government
until 1692.-Wm. c. Sprague, Esq.
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