which have been alienated and fettled according to the faid Cullom fhall be, and are hereby declared to be good and valid.

Deeds of real

And that for the future, any real Eftate, whereof any Woman at the Time of her Marriage is feized as her Effate of Inheritance, or does during fuch Cover- eftate from ture, become fo, either by defcent or otherwife, fhall not be alienable by her feme covert, Hulband's Deed, without her Coufeut, teftified by her Hand and Seal to fuch without the Deed and Acknowledgement of the fame before an Alliftant or Justice of the content of her

Peace.

And that all Sales or Alienations of fuch Eftate, whether, abfolute or conditional, which shall hereafter be made without fuch Confent witneffed and acknowledged, as aforetaid, are hereby declared, and made to be ipjo Facto, void.

husband,

void.

Provided nevertheless, That if any Wife at the Time of fuch Alienation of fuch Eftates to her belonging, did actually refufe to give her Affent to fuch Sale A provifo. made by her Hufband, that then she shall be underflood and taken to hold the faid Estate; and neither the, nor her Heirs fhall be barred from Recovery of

the fame: Provided, They bring an Action for it within the Time limited by Vide p. 111. the Law, entituled, An A&t (or Ats) concerning Poffeffion of Houses, Lands, Sc. any Law, Ufage, or Cuftom to the contrary notwithstanding.

An Act declaring the Exchange of Lands made by Towns or
Proprietors, to be good and valid.

WHEREAS fome Perfons have în Time paft, moved to feveral Towns in this
Colony, to exchange Lands with them, for their particular Conveniency:
And the Custom hath been for the Town, in Compliance with their Motion, to ufe
no other Formality therein, lave only to make an Entry thereof or of the Land
given by them in Exchange, in the Records of the Town: And fome are or more be
jo unjust as to retain or re-enter upon the Lund proposed by them to be given in Ex-
change, as aforesaid, having ather Lands in Lieu of them to them jecured by the
Grunt or Record of the jaid Town, as aforefaid.

Which Injustice to prevent:

Preamble.

to towns, or

BE E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Court Lands given affembled, and by the Authority of the jame, That whenfoever it fhall ap- in exchange pear on the Trial of any Cafe, that the Land in Controverfy was given, or furrendered up unto the Town, in Manner as aforelaid, and other Lands fe proprietors, any perfon cured to him or them by Grant and Record thereof, as aforefaid, that he who makinge! on makes Claim thereto, fhall be concluded thereby, and be ettopped from plead- thereto to be ing any precedent Title which he had thereunto; any Law, Ufage or Custom estopped. to the contrary notwithstanding.

At a General Affembly held at Hartford, on the eleventh Day of May, Anno
Domini, One thoujand jeven hundred and twenty jeven.

An Act to prevent Frauds, Quarrels and Disturbances in Bar-
gains, Sales, Leafes or other alienations of Land, &c. in this
Government.

THIS Affembly obferving the growing Inconveniency on this Government by Preamble. Means of 100 many taking in Hand, bearing up or upholding of Quarrels

and Sides; to the Disturbance of the common Right and the Peace and Quiet of

122

All fraudu

alienations of Land, &c. to be null and voide

Lands.

the good People in this Government: Which tendeth to their Impoverishment, by
the Mifpence of Time and Treasure.
Which to prevent:

BR

Eit Enacted and Declared, by the Governor, Council and Representatives, in General Court affembled, and by the Authority of the jame, That all Bargains, Sales, Leafes or other Alienations for Years, Life, Lives, or forever, or for any other Term or Time whatsoever, of any Lands, Tenements or Hereditalent bargains ments within this Colony, whereof the Leafor, Vendor, Grantor, or the Perfon in fales and that doth otherways execute any Inftrument in Writing for the transferring any Right or Title to any Lands, Tenements or Hereditaments to another Person or Perfons, the prefent Poffeffor thereof only excepted, is diffeifed or outed of the Poffeffion thereof, by the Entry, Poffeffion and Improvement of any other Perfon or Perfons; or that does claim or challenge to have Right or Title to any Lands, Tenements or Hereditaments by Force and Virtue of any Title or Claim, aliene from, and in oppofition to the Title granted by the Royal Char, ter to this Corporation, and not warranted by the Laws of this Colony, fhall be null and void, and of no Effect in the Law for the transferring and conveying any of the pretended Rights or Titles above defcribed, to any Perfon or Perfons whatsoever.

Perfons attempting to give or receive any

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, For the more effectual preventing the Mischief aforefaid, That whosoever shall attempt by any Inftrument in Writing under his Hand, to alienate any of the Claims or Rights above fuch fraudu- defcribed, in any such Manner as is above declared to be void, and ineffe&tual lent writing, in the Law, or fhall receive any Conveyance thereof to him or them; fhall forfeit one half of the Value of the Lands attempted to be alienated, as aforesaid, To be recovered by Bill, Plaint, or Information, in any Court proper to hear and determine the fame: Whereof the one Half fhall be to the informer that fhall prosecute the fame to Effect, and the other half of the Penalty to the Trea fury of this Colony,

&c.

At a General Affembly held at New-Haven, on the twelfth Day of October
Anno Domini, One thousand seven hundred and twenty Jeven.

An Act for enabling the Proprietors of the common and un-
divided Lands, (declared, by an Act of this Affembly, made
at Hartford, the ninth Day of May, A. D. 1723, to belong
to the Proprietors, and not to the Towns) to make Rates to
defray the neceffary Charges arifing in the defending, pro-
tecting or managing the fame: alfo to make Exchanges of
faid common Land for the procuring needful and convenient
High-ways.

E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Court affembled, and by the Authority of the jame, That the Proprietors of the Proprietors faid Common or undivided Land in any Town in this Colony, are hereby fully to make rates impowered at any of their legal Meetings, by their major Vote, to make a neceffary Rate or Rates as occafion fhall require, for the defraying the neceffary Charges charges, &c. arifing on faid Propriety, and to appoint Collectors for the gathering in the

to defray ne

fame; who fhall be invested with the fame Power as the Collectors of Town Rates are by Law invested with, and shall make Payment of the Money by them

collected, to the Proprietors appointing them, or to their Order, on the fame Penalties, and to be under the fame Regulations as the Collectors of Town Rates

are.

changes of

And it is further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Proprietors are hereby fully impowered at their Meetings, as aforefaid, to make Proprietors Exchanges of any of the common Land, for needful and convenient High- to make ex ways in faid Town or Place, with any of the Proprietors, Inhabitants, or the common Owners of fuch Land, as fhall be judged most convenient and needful by land, &c. the Proprietors aforefaid, which Exchanges thaii be entred in the faid Proprie tors Book of Records, and fhall be held good and valid, to all Intents and Purpoles, to the use of the Perion or Perfons receiving the fame, and to his and their Heirs and Afigns forever. And all Exchanges heretofore made for the 2nd aforefaid, shall alio be held good and valid to all intents and Purpoles.

Always provided, That the major Part of the Proprietors (to be computed by Provifu their intereft of fuca common and undivided Land) do not protett against fuch Exchange, and enter their Proteft with the Clerk of fuch Propriety within forty Days after fuch Exchange is granted,

At General Aembly held at Hartford, on the eighth Day of Alay, Anno
Domini, One thousand jeven hundred and twenty ninę.

Whereas the Proprietors of fome ancient Towns in this Government, which were
fettled before any Patents were granted out to them did agree, or accuftom
themfelves to divide the common or undivided Lands within their Townships among Preamble,
themselves, according to the Methods and the Interests and Proportions, as by them-
jelves were agreed on or consented to; and did not grant their Lands in Town
Meetings, as fome other Towns in this Colony have done, and have continued to
practice according to their faid ancient Customs in the Divifions of their common
Land from Time to Time ta this Day,

And whereas many of the ancient Proprieters in fuch Townships, bave fold not enly Divifions fo obtained, but aljo a confiderable Part of their Interefts and Proportions in faid common Land, and thereby the Purchasers thereof have obtained confiderable Eftates to themselves, in the Manner and Form aforejaid.

And whereas fome Doubt hath arisen whether the Law made May the ninth, One thousand feven hundred and twenty-three, entituled, "An Act for the better Establishing and Confirmation of Titles of Land, anciently obtained in Townships according to the Custom heretofore used; and for the preventing Contentions about the fame," "doth effectually quiet and confirm Titles obtained in the For

aforejaid.

Whereupon a Question arifes, and is put to this Affembly, namely,

WHETHER Difpofitions of Lands made by the Proprietors of any Town in

this Government, and the Divifions and Interests obtained in the Form aferelaid, be within the Equity of the At aforefaid a Confirmation of fuch Inter efts and Divifions?

RESOLVED by this Affembly in the Affirmative.

A queftion.

Refolved in the affirma

tive.

124

Preamble.

Partition of lands not

compleat, till furvey'd and recorded.

Preamble.

Perfons guilty of lafcivious carriage and behavi

Lands. Lafciviousness.

An Act for the preventing Difputes which might arise in the
Partition of Lands.

be

THIS Affembly obferving that Difputes do or may arife, whereby the Partition of Lands wher of there are many Proprietors, may very much perplexed for want of a fixed and determinate Period wherein the Right and Property of Jaid Lands are changed from a common to a particular Intereft, by Means of Extries which may be made thereon either by Stangers, or any of the Proprietors in common, after an agreement to make Partition, and before the actual Surveys ave made and recorded in the feveral Towns where the Lands lie.

Which Inconvenience to prevent:

E it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Lands aforefaid, fhall not be deemed and looked upon as perfect and compleat in the Law, until the Surveys, as aforefaid, are actually made and recorded as aforefaid; and thali be efteemed as an Eftate in common and undivided in the Hands of the Proprietors.

At a General Affembly held in New-Haven, on the eleventh Day of October,
Anno Domini, One Thousand seven Hundred and Thirty-three,

An Act limiting and directing the County Surveyors, re-
specting their laying out Grants of Lands in Towns.

BE it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives in General Court

affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That whenfoever the Proprietors in any Town fhall refufe or neglect to choose Perfons to lay out any Grant of Land heretofore obtained from the Town or Proprietors of fuch Town, fince the Year of our Lord One Thousand seven Hundred and Twenty, and not yet laid out; or if fuch Perfons be chofen, and do neglect the Space of one Year, after being defired to lay out any of the Lands aforefaid by the Person concerned, then in such Cafe, and no other, the County Surveyor of that County in which faid Town fhall lie, fhall (if thereunto required) lay out any fuch Grant; which laying out fhall be good and valid to all intents and Purposes, as if the Committee chofen, as aforesaid, had laid out the fame.

An Act for the Punishment of lafcivious Carriage and Be-haviour.

F

OR the preventing of lafcivious Carriage and Behaviour, against and for the Punishment of which, fin Regard of the Variety of the Circumftarcés } particular and exprefs Laws cannot be easily fuited and made.

Therefore,

BE it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Court affembled, and by the Authority of the jame, That the feveral, and refpective County Courts within this State, fhall be, and are hereby impowered and directed to proceed against, and punish fuch Perfons as fhall be guilty of lascivious Carriage and Behaviour: either by impofing a Fine on them, or by committing them to the House of Correction, or by inflicting corporal Puni ment on them, according to the Nature and Aggravation of the Offence, and according to the Difcretion of fuch Court: That such seasonable and exempla. of correction, ry Punishment may be inflicted upon Offenders in that Kind, that others may or corporally hear and fear,

our, to be fi. ned, or imprifoned, fent

to the house

punished.

An Act concerning Leather; and for regulating the feveral
Artificers concerned in Working or Making up the fame.

BE it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Court No butcher
affembled, and by the Authority of the jame, That no Butcher whatfoever, to cut or gath
by himselfor any other Perion, thall gah or cut any Hide or Skin of Ox, Cow any hide.
or Calf, in fleaing thereof, or otherwife whereby the tame thall be impaired or,
damaged, on pain of forfeiting to the Owner the Sum of Eight-pence, for every
fach gath or cut; and of paying the Damage occafioned thereby in any fuch

Hide or Skin.

And for the better preventing of Deceits and Abuses by Tanners, Curriers, Drefjers, and Workers up of Leather.

Beit further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Perfon whatsoever No perfon to fhall fet up the Trade or Mistery of tanning of Leather in this State; or for fet up the that End erect or fet up, or make any Tan-vats, or other Place to tan in; nor trade of tancarry on, or ufe that Trade or Mistery, except he do manifeft his Skill therein ning without to the County Court of that County wherein he lives, and obtain a Licence liberty from from fuch Court to fet up and manage that Trade; on Pain that every Perlon to ofending fhall forfeit the Sum of Twenty Pounds: One Moiety to the County Treasury, and the other to him or them who fhall profecute the fame to Effect.

the C. court.

ficiently tan

That no Perfon or Perfons whatsoever that now doth, or hereafter fhall use the Art, Trade or Mistery of Tanning, fhall at any Time offer or put to Sale, any Kind of Leather which fhall be infufficiently or not thoroughly tanned; or No tanner to which hath been over limed, or burnt in the Limes; or which fhall not after put off any Tanning be well and fufficiently dried, upon pain of forfeiting fuch Leather, leather infufor the full Value of it, or fo much thereof as by any Searcher or Sealer of Lea- ned. ther lawfully appointed and fworn, fhall be found infufficiently tanned and dried as aforefaid: One half of which Forfeiture fhall be to the Complainer, who All profecute to Effect, and the other half to the Town Treasury of that Town wherein such Tanner dwells.

to go out of

Nor fhall any Perfon using the said Art, Trade or Mistery, fuffer any Leather tanned by him, to go out of his Cuftody before faid Leather be fearched and Nor fuffer fealed by the Sealer of the Town in which fuch Tanner dwells, upon the Penal- faid leather ty of forfeiting the Sum of Three Pounds for each Hide or Skin fo difpofed of, his cuftody or fuffered to go out of his Cultody before Sealing: One half to the Complainer, till fealed. as aforefaid, and the other half to the Town Treafury of the faid Town.

That no Perfon using the faid Trade, fhall fet any of his Vats in Tanhills' or other Places where the Oufe, or Leather put therein to tan, fhall or may Nor fet his take any unkind Heats; nor fhall put any Leather into any hot or warm Oufe vats on tants whatsoever, on pain of forfeiting Fourteen Pounds: To be recovered as afore. hills, &c. faid, for the Ufes aforefaid.

lelf,

Penalty of gi to work up leather:be

And no Perfon or Perfons whatsoever shall cause, or suffer any Leather by him.. or them tanned, to be wrought up by any Shoe-maker employed either by himor by any other Perfon or Perfons for him; nor fhall he work, up the fame himfeif before fuch Leather be viewed and fealed, as aforefaid, on Penalty of forfeiting the Sum of five Pounds for every Hide or Skin, fe as aforefaid, by fore it. be him or them wrought, caufed or fuffered to be wrought up before Sealing as fealed. aforefaid: To be recovered as aforefaid, to the Ufes aforesaid.

And for the effecting the Purpojes aforesaid.

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Town in this
State, where need fhall require, fhall choofe one or two honeft Men, skilful