The evening times., 1895-10-08
BLUEsf OF The BLUE LAWS
They We're Certainly on The cbnnestleu1
Statute Books.
The Strange Religious Restrictions,
Stocks. Whipping Posts and Pro-
hIbition of Sunday kissing.


Attorney Henry G. Newton, Of New Ha-
ven, Conn.,, finds that the only basis for the
so-called Connecticut Blue Laws is in a
history of colonial times written by Rev.
Samuel Peters, who was pastor of a church
In Hartford about the time OF the Revolu-
ton.
But Mr.. Newton's critics have discovered
that he has not shown i'll any way that Pc
ters' version is not correct, and, as he at
tempted to show, that the laws really ex-
listed as Historian Peters described.
In fact, it is not easy to comprehend just
what Mr.. Newton's contention about blue
laws is, unless he enormously iniagtDes
that it is the popular idea that the colonies
enacted a special and distinct code Of ada
mantine aws, and in SO many ways gaveit
the theatrical title of Connecticut Blue
Laws" But no one. probably, ever sup
posed any such thing. And certainly, so
long as it is proven that the Rev. Samuel
Peters book is a fairly accurate conf
pilation or summary of the exceptionally
rigorous and Iron-edged Puritanic enact
nents Of either the New Haven or Con-
necticut colonies, then Mr.. Newton's aver
IueHb uHut Vic bluc "o aiO q Aby eh As~1S
incomprehensible as 1t is pOintless.
Here are some of Peters biuest laws, all
of which are identical. in a vital sense,
with old colonial enactments:
No. (curious rather than bluel-"The
Governor and magistrates convened and
in general assembly are the supreme power
under God of this independent dominion
No. 2.-"From the determination of the
assembly, no appeal shall be made
No. 1O.-"No one shall be freeman or
give a vote unless he is converted and a
member in full communion OF one OF the
churches allowed in this dominion
No. 12-"Each freeman shall swear by
the blessed God to bear true allegiance
to this dominion, and that Jesus is the
only King
No. l3.-"No Quaker or dissenter from
the established worship of this dominion
shall be allowed to give vote for the
election of magistrates or any other Off
GER"
No. 14-"No food or lodging shall be
afforded to a Quaker, Adanite or other
heretic.'
No. 15-"If any person turns Quaker he
shall be banished, and not suffered to
return. under pain of death"
No. 16-'No priest shall abide in this
dominion; he shall be banishcd and suffer
death on his return. Priests may be seized
by anyone without a warrant"
No. Is-"No one shall ride of the Sabbath
day or walk in his garden or elsewhere, ex-
cept reverently to and from meeting"
No. ls-'No one shall travel cook victu-
ais, make beds, sweep houses, cut hair or
shave OH the Sabbath day"
No. 20-"No woman shall kiss her Child |
on the Sabbath day or fast day"
No. 21-"The Sabbath shall begin at sun |
set on Saturday" Mr.. Newton. COM |
menting, said: THE twenty-first blue law, |
making the Sabbath begin at sunset was, !
of course. the law of the New Haven Col |
ony, and the law of our fOrefathers down to |
a comparatively recent period. Under |
the Mosaic law Sabbath begins at sunset, |
and such has been the law of the Sabbath |
since the evening and the morning of the |
first day"
No. 22-'To pick an ear of corn growing |
in n neigtrbor's garden shall be deemed
theft"
No. 24-"When it appears that an accused |
has confederates and he refuses TO dis |
cover them he may DC racked." This rs |
about the only Petersrblue law to which |
Mr. Newton refuses 10 give foundation /
in fact He says: II do not find any indica
ton that tn is staement is true. and Trum-
bull Tvs it is false Anyhow. il is by 10
means mopstrously blue law as compared |
with some of the black @ nd blue ones al
ready quoted.
No. 27-"Whosoever publishes lie to
the prejudice of his neigbbor shall sit in
the stocks. or be whipped fifteen stripes"
No. 2s-'.No minister shall keep a
school"
No. 3O-"Men stealers shall suffer death"
No. 31-"whosoever wears clothes trim
med with gold, silver or bone lace, above
two shillings by the yard shall be presented
by the Grand Jurors. and the selectman |
hall tax the offender at 800 pounds es-
tate"
No. 33-"whosoever sets a fire in the
" woods, and it burns a house, shall suffer
1eath; and persons suspected of this crime
shall be imprisoned without benefit of
bail"
No. 34-"Whosoever brings cards or dice
INTO this dominion shall pay fine of five
pOunuB-
No. 35-"No one shall read common
prayer, keep Christmas, or Saints day.
make mince pies, dance, play cards. or
,lay on any instrument of music, except
he drum, trumpet and jewsharp."
No. 4O-"Adultery shall he punished
with death"
No. 43-"No man shall court maid In
,ersGSl or by letter without first obtaining
he conscnt of her parents; five pound pen
llty for the first offense. ten pound penalty
or the second, and for the third imprison-
nent during the pleasure of the court"
No. 44-"Married persons must live to-
,ether or be imprisoned" Correct.
No. 45-"Every male shall have his
lair cut round according to cap"
In conclusion anc self-contradiction. the
awyer frankly admitted that 1.-The blue
avs of Peters are, for the most part,
correct statement of the law
md. practice of our forefathers of New
Iaven. Some of them are exaggerations;
few are fictitious, but probably not in