The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-14

I carefully compared or entrusted the | whole batch with the actual codes of laws of the Nutmeg State and of the 1 colonies.
 He found them, he said, to be a lit- | eral reproduction of old time Con-
 necticut or New Haven colony acts | Indeed, instead of refuting and con | futing the old tory minister's blue | law book, Attorney NewtOn'S d1sQui- sition showed, if it showed anything
 that Samuel Peters was an admirably | exact reporter. or, at least copylst.
 In fact, it is not easy to compre- l bend just what MT. Newton's conten- | tion about blue law is, unless he er- | roneously imagines that it is the pop ular idea that the colonies enacted a | special and distinct code of adaman- ! tine laws, and in so many words gave | it the theatrical title of "Connecti- 1 cut Blue Laws" But no one, prob | ably, ever supposed any such thing. And certainly, so long as it is prov en that the Rev. Samuel Peters book | is a fairly accurate compilation or summary of the exceptionally rigor- ous and iron edged Puritanic enact ments of either. the New Haven or Connecticut colonies, then MT. New tons averment that the blue laws are a myth is as incomprehensible as l it is pointless.
 Here are some of Peters bluest laws, all of which are identical in a vital sense. with old colonial enact ment:
 No. (curious rather than blue)- ''The governor and magistrates con- vened and general assembly are the supreme power. under God of this ln- dependent dominion" No. 2-.From the determination of 1 the assembly no appeal shall be made"
 No. 10-s'No one shall be a free man or give a vote unless he be con verted and a member in full com | munion of one of the churches allow ed in this dominion" No. 12-"Each freeman shall swear by the blessed God to bear true all legiance to this dominion and that
 Jesus is the only King" No. 13-"No Quaker or dissenter from the established worship of this dominion shall be allowed to give a vote for the election of magistrates or any other officer No. 14.-''No food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker, Atlantic or other heretic.''
 No. 15.-"If any person turns Qua ker he shall be banished and not suf- fered to return under the pain of death"
 No. 16-"No priest shall abide in this dominion; he shall be panished and suffer death on his return. Priests may be seized by any one without warrant.
 No. 1S.-'No one shall ride on the Sabbath day or walk in his garden or elsewhere, except reverently to and I.from meeting.
 No. 19.-.No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds sweep house, cut
 hair or shave on the sabbath day. No. 20.-'sNo woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath day or fast day"
 at sunset on Saturday" Mir. Newton commenting, said: The twenty-frst at sunset, was, of course, the law of New Haven colony and the law of our forefathers down to a compara- lively recent period. Under the Mo-
 saic laws Sabbath begins at sunset, and such has been the law of the Sab bath since the evening and morning of the first day.
 No. 22.-"To pick an ear of corn growing in a neighbor's garden shall be deemed a theft. No 24-'FWhen it appears that an accused has confederates, and he re- fuses to give a foundation in fact.
 He says: .I do not find any indication
 that this statement is true, and Trum- bull says it is false.' Anyhow, it is by no means a monstrousfy blue law, as compared with some of the black anu blue ones already quoted. .s No. 27.-"WhoSoever publishes a lie to the prejudice of his neighbor, shah
 sit in the stocks or be whipped if
 teen stripes"
 No. 2S.-"No minister shall keep a school"
 No. s8.-"Men stealers shall suffer deatf.''
 Mo-. 31.-''Whosoever wears clothes
 trimmed with gold, silver or bone lace, above two shillings by the yard, shall be presented by the Grand jur-
 ors, and the selectmen shall tax the
 offender at 300 pounds estate.' No. 33.-''Whosoever sets a fire In the woods and it burns a house shall suffer death; and persons suspected of this crime shall be imprisoned
 without benefit or bail.''
 No. 3.-''Whosoever brings cards
 or dice into this dominion shall pay
 a fine of five pounds"
 No. 35.-''No one shall read com
 mon prayer, keep Christmas, or
 Saints day, make minced pies, dance,
 play cards, or play an instrument of
 music. except the drum. trumpet and
 jewsharp.''
 No. 40-"Adultery shall be punish
 No. 42.~'No man shall court a
 maid in person or by letter without
 first obtaining the consent of her pa-
 rents; five pounds penalty for the
 first offense; ten pounds penalty for
 the second and for the third imprfs-
 onment during the pleasure of the
 court"
 No.-'Married persons must live to-
 gether or be imprisoned" Correct.
 No. 45-"Every male shall have his
 hair cut round according to a cap."
 In conclusion and self-contradiction
 the lawyer frankly admitted that
 "the blue laws of Peters are for the
 most part, a reasonably correct state
 ment of the law practised by our fore
 fathers of New Haven. Some of
 them are congregations; a few are
 fictitious, but probably not intentional
 11y