Acts and Laws of the State of Connecticut, in America

To be deft

royed.

No bills, for a medium to iffue from a private fund

uniefs, &c. on penalty, &C.

Forfeiture

of double the value; how reco. vered, &c.

method to

Counties named.

And that if any Court, Affiftant, or Juftice hath had the poffeffion of fuch falfe or counterfeit Bill the pace of one Year, he shall destroy the fame.

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Perfon, Society, Number of Perfons, or Company within this State, without fpecial Authority from the Legiflature, fhall prefume to ftrike, emit, or put out any Bills of Credit, on any Fund or Credit of any Perfon or Perfons, Society or Company. to be ufed and improved as a general Currency, or medium of Trade, as, and in Lieu of Money; fuch Perfon or Perlons, Society or Company, and every of them, fhall be fubject to the fame Pains, Penalties and Forfeitures, and be punished in the fame Manner as thofe are by this Act fubjected to, who shall be convicted of forging or counterfeiting the Bills of Credit of this State.

And that if any Perfon or Perfons in this State. fhall utter, vend or pass any Bills or Notes, or any other Currencies whatever, which either have been, or hereafter shall be ftruck, emitted or put out to be used as aforesaid, on the Fund or Credit of any private Perfon or Perfons, Society or Company whatever, either in this or in the neighbouring States; he or they fo offending, fall forfeit double the Sum, or Value expreffed in fuch Bill, Note or other Currency: The one Half thereof to him or them that fhall profecute the fame to Effect, and the other Half to the Town Treasury, when the Trial fhall be before an Affiftant or Juftice; and to the County Treatury when it thall be before the County Coart.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Treasurer The fame and Civil Authority be, and they hereby are authorized and directed, to take the fame Method to difcover, detect and fecure all falfe and counterfeit be taken to Coins made in imitation of any Gold or Silver Coins that are or may be current in this State, and to detect the Authors of the Fraud, as is in terteit coins. this Act before provided and directed in cafe of falfe or counterfeit Bills of

detect coun

Like reme.

dy of recovering over

as in cafe of

counterfeit bills, &c.

Grandjurors

public Credit.

Any any Perfon who hath fuftained or may faftain any Damage by receiving any falfe or counterfeit Coin, or any falfe, forged, counterfeit, or altered Note, Security, Certificate or Order, made in Imitation of, or purporting to be a Note, Security, Certificate or Order, iffued under the Authority of the the United States, or of this State, fhall and may have remedy for Recovery of fuch Damages, in the fame Manner as is by this Act provided and directed in Cafe of Damages fuftained by receiving falfe or counterfeit Bills of public Credit.

And all Grand-jurors and Conftables are hereby required to make Prefentto prefent. ment of all Breaches of this A&t.

Names of counties.

Hartford

county.

New-Haven

County.

An Act for ftating, limiting, and naming the Counties in this

~State.

BE E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Court affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the Towns of Hartford. Weathersfield, Middletown, Farmington, Symfoury, Haddam, Eaft-Haddam, Hebron, Glaffenbury, Bolton, Willington, Stafford, Tolland, Eaft-Windfor, Suffield, Enfield, Somers, Southington, Chatham and Eaft-Hartford, fhall be and remain one County, by the Name of the County of Hartford.

That the Towns of New-Haven. Milford, Branford, Wallingfora, Derby, Durham, Waterbury, Guilford, Chefbire and Woodbridge, thall be and remain che County, by the Name of the County of New-Haven.

That the Towns of New-London, Norwich, Lyme, Groton, Prefton, Stoning- New-London ton, Say-Brook, Killingworth and Colchester, fhall be and remain one County, County. by the Name of the County of New-London.

That the Towns of Fairfield, Stratford, Norwalk, Stanford, Greenwich, Fairfield Danbury, Newtown, Ridgfield, Redding and New-Fairfield, thall be and remain one County, by the Name of the County of Fairfield..

County.

That the Towns of Windham; Lebanon, Plainfield, Canterbury, Mansfield, Windham Coventry, Pomfret, Killingly, Woodstock, Abford, Volantown, and Union, fall County. be and remain one County, by the Name of the County of Windham.

That the Towns of Litchfield, Woodbury, New-Milford, Harwinton, NewHartford, Barkbempted. Hartland, Colebrook, Norfolk, Canaan, Salisbury, Sha- Litchfield zan, Kent, Cornwall, Watertown, Torrington. Gofben and Winchefter, thall be County. and remain one County, by the Name of the County of Litchfield.

An Act for conftituting and regulating Courts; and appointing the Times and Places for holding the fame.

BE E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives, in General Court TwoGeneral affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That there fhall be yearly, Courts yearly two General Courts, or Affemblies, held in this State; the one at Hartford, on the fecond Thursday in May, and the other at New Haven, on the fecond Thursday in October, (unless neceffitated by infectious or epidemical Difeafes or otherways, occafionally to remove to fome other Place): And the first fhall be called the Court of Election; wherein thall be chofen from Time to Time, One Governor, who shall be the Chief Magistrate of this State, and be filed, His Excellency; and one Lieutenant-Governor, whofe Title fhall be, His Honer; and twelve Affillants or Counfellors; a Treasurer, and Secretary for this State.

And the said General Court fhall be compofed of two Branches; the Governor and Council, and the House of Reprefentatives; who fhall convene of whom to in different Apartments to tranfact the public Bufinefs: And any Act may conlift. be originated by either Branch, but not be valid without the Concurrence of both. The Governor, or in his Abfence the Lieutenant-Governor fhall prefide in Council: And when the Governor is prefent to prefide, the LieutenantGovernor fhall have a Voice in Council; and the Governor, or LieutenantGovernor and fix Councellors, fhall be neceffary to make a Quorum for doing Buunefs. That if at any Time, by Death or otherwife, the Offices of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor thall be vacant, or if the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor shall be Abfent out of the State, or be unable to attend the General Court, the fenior Member of the Council prefent, fhall prefide in Council; who, together with fix other Members, fhall have Power to tranfact the Bufinefs of the Council. And not lefs than forty of the Deputies or Representatives from the feveral Towns in this State, that fhall be prefent to attend the faid Court, fhall make a Houfe of Reprefentatives for tranfacting Bufinefs.

In which General Court, fhall confift the Supreme Power and Authority of this State; and they only fhall have Power to make Laws and repeal them; to grant Levies, to difpofe of Lands undifpofed of, to Towns, or particular Peruns: And ano to inititute and tile Judicatories and Officers as they thail fee ceeffary for the good Government of this State.

Their power.

To call any

Ao to call any Court, or Magistrate, or any other Officer or Perfon officer to ac whatever to an Account, for any Millemeanor or Male-Adminiftration; and count.

Provifo.

To grant reprieve

Not to be diffolv'd with

out, &c.

Courts.

for juft Caufe, may fine, difplace or remove them or deal otherwife as the Nature of the Caufe fhail require; and alio may deal and act in any other Matter that concerns the good of this State; except the Election of Governor, Lientenant-Governor, Affilants or Counsellors; which fhall be done by the Votes of the Fréemen, at the yearly Court of Election.

Provided, That if there be any want of any of the faid Officers, by reafon of Death or otherways, after the E ection, fuch Want shall or may be fupplied and made up by the General Court's Election, or appointing fome fuitable Perfon or Perfons to supply fuch Vacancy.

That the General Court only, fhall have Power, upon Grounds to them fatisfying, to grant Pardons, Sufpenfions and Gaol-Delivery upon Reprieve in capital and criminal Cafes, unto any Perion or Perfons that have been lentenced in any other Court whatever in this State.

That none of our General Courts fhall be diffolved or prorogued without the confent of the major Part thereof.

That the Governor, or in his Abfence the Lieutenant-Governor, by himself or the Secretary, fhall upon any emergent or ipecial Occafion, cail a General Power to call Court upon fourteen Days Warning, or left, if he fee it needful; proinded, fpecial affem- he give an Account.thereof to the Affembly, when they shall be met together. bly. That if any Member of the General Court, fhall reveal or difclole any Matterwhich the Court enjoins to be kept fecret; or fhall make known to any Perfon what any one Member of the Court fpeaks concerning any Perion, or Bufihers that may come in Agitation in the Court, he shall for every fuch Offence, forfeit ten Pounds to the publie Treatury.

Penalty for revealing fe crets, 101.

No member

attorney.

That no Member of the General Court fhall appear as an Attorney at the to appear as Bar of the faid Court; unless it be in his own Caute, or in bena of the Town he reprefents; or fuch Cafes wherein the Law will not allow him to it as Judge. Nor fhall any Member of the said Court, during the Seffions thereof, or in going to, or from the faid Court, be arrested, fued or impriioned, or any ways inoleted or troubled, or compelled to answer to any Suit, Bill, Plaint, Declaration arrefts, &c. or otherwile, before any other Court, Judge or Juftice; Cafes of Hign, Tieafon and Felony excepted.

Free from

Towns liber.

ty to fend one or two depu

ties.

And that the Freemen in every Town in this State, fhall have Liberty to fend one, or two Deputies to every Setlion of the General Affembly;"which" Deputies fhall have the Power and Voices of all the Freemen deputing them in any Matter, proper for faid Affembly to act in."

That the Deputies or Representatives, who are returned from the refpective Deputies to Towns to ferve in the General Affembly in May annually, fhall meet at their meet on election day at 8 Chamber in the State-Houfe, at eight of the Clock in the Morning on the faid' o'clock, and Day of Election; when and where they fhall choofe a Speaker and Clerk for chufe fpeaker their Houfe, for that Seffion; and do any other Matter proper and meet for and clerk. them to act, before the public Service, and Election on laid Day: And that the faid Deputies returned to ferve in the General Affembly in October, annualIn October at ly, fhall meet at the State-Houfe in New-Haven, at nine of the Clock in the Morning, on the fecond Thurfday of October, and proceed to form the Houfe,

9 o'clock.

Right to de

election of

as abovesaid.

And when the faid Deputies or Reprefentatives are met together at any Gene-termine the ral Affembly, it fhall be lawful for them, or the major Part prefent, to examine, hear, and determine any Difference that may arite about the Election of any of their Members.

their own

members.

Deputy must be a freeman, and regularly chofen.

And that no Perfon fhall be accepted a Deputy in the General Court, that is' not known to be a Freeman of this State, and regularly chofen thereunto by the Freemen of that Town for whom he ferves; nor before he takes the Deputy's Oath by Law provided to be adminiftered to them.

That at the opening of every General Affembly, the Clerk of the Houfe

of Representatives, then, and every Morning, from Day to Day during the whole Seffions, fhali in the Lower-Houfe, call over the Names of the feveral Abfenceto be Deputies or Reprefentatives of the refpe&ive Towns in this State, returned to daily noted. ferve as aforefaid, and note thofe that are abfent when called.

Governor & And the Governor, or in his Abfence the Lieutenant-Governor,, fhall have fpeaker to a cafting Voice, whenever an equi-vore thail happen in the Upper-Houle have cafting And the Speaker fhall have a cafting Voice whenever an equi-vote fhall happen in the Lower-Houfe.

voice, &c.

Powers of

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforelaid, That there fhall be a Superiour Court of Judicature over this State, held and kept annually, at the refpective Times and Places hereafter in this Act mentioned, by one Chief füperior Jadge, and four other Judges; to be appointed and commiffioned for that court. Purpose: Any Three of whom shall have Power to hold aid Court: Which Court thall have Cognizance of all Pleas of a crimina! Nature, that relate to Life, Limb or Banishment, and other high Crimes and Misdemeanors, and "of Divorce, and of Adultery; and alfo fhall have Cogrizance of all Pleas, real, perfonal or mixt, in civil Caufes or Actions, between Party and Party, whe ther the fame do concern the Realty, and relate to any right of Freehold or Inheritance; or whether the fame do concern the Perforalty, and relate to mate ters of Debt, Contract, Damage, or any other perfonal Right or Injury; or whether the fame do concern and relate both to the Realty and Perfonalty, and are of a mixt Nature, brought before them by Appeal, Writ of Error, Scire Facias, Complaint or otherwife as the Law directs; and the fame to try by a Jury or otherwife, according to Law; and therein to proceed to Judg ment, and award Execution thereon accordingly.

And also thall have Jurifdiction of all Suits for Relief in Equity, wherein Jurifdiction the Value of the Matter or Thing in Demand, exceeds the Sum of One Hundred of matters of Pounds; and to enquire into the fame by themselves, or a Committee; and equity. proceed therein to final Sentence and Decree, and enforce the fame according

to the Rules of Equity.

Times and

That the Times and Places for holding the faid Superior Court of Judica- places of ture, fhall be as follows, That is to jay;

feffions.

Within and for the County of Litchfield, at Litchfield, on the firit Tuesday in AtLitchfield; February and Auguft, annually.

Within and for the County of Fairfield, at Fairfield, on the last Tuesday fave' Fairfield. Two, in February and duguft, annually.

Within and for the County of New-Haven, at New-Haven, on the laft New-Haven. Tuesday fave One, in February and Auguft, annually.

Within and for the County of Hartford, at Hartford, on the first Tuesday in Hartford. March and September, annually.

Within and for the County of Windham, at Windham, on the third Tuesday Windham. in September and March, annually.

And within and for the County of New-London, at Norwich on the fourth New London Tuesday in March, and at New-Londen on the fourth Tuesday in September, & Norwich. annually.

call a fpeci

And the Chief Judge, or in his Abfence any three of the other Judges, fhall Power to be, and they are hereby impowered to call a Special Superior Court, upon any al court. extraordinary Occafion

And when it fhall fo happen, that the faid Court cannot conveniently be held at the Time or Place appointed, any three of the Judges fhall have Power to Three judgadjourn it, to any other Time or Place within the County; or may continue es of the futhe Matters therein depending, to the next ftated Term; giving Notice thereof perior court; to the Sheriff in Writing under their Hands; who fall proclaim and publish the to adjourn, impowered fame, in fuch Manner as the laid Judges fhall direct.

&c.

To call in affitants.

One judge, power to o

Courts.

That when, and fo often as it fhall happen, tha by reafon of the neceffary Abfence of, or just Exception again any of the Judges of the laid Supérior Court, there shall not be a fufficient Number of them to hold faid Court, to try any Caufe, the fame fhall be tupplied by any of the Au Rints a thi State,

That any one of the Judges of faid Court, being at the Place and Time for pen and ad- opening taid Court, fhall have full Power to open and adjourn the fame.

journ.

And that if all the Judges of faid Court fhall be providentially hine ed, or fhall not be there at the Time for opening faid Court, the Sheriff of the County shall, and he is hereby impowered to adjourn the faid Court by Proclamation to Sheriff pow- the next Day, till the Judges may arrive at the Place. Which Adjournments er to adjourn fhall be good and effectual; and all Parties concerned in faid Court are to take Notice accordingly.

That the judges of faid Court fhall have full Power to appoint and fwear Judges pow- a Clerk for faid Court, who fhall be, and he is hereby fully inpowered to grant er to appoint Executions on judgments rendered in faid Court, to act and do all Things proper for him as Clerk of faid Court in the Execution of his Office, according to the Rules, Orders and Directions of faid Court, and according to Law.

a clerk, &c.

County

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That there fhall be held and kept in each refpective County in this State. yearly, and every Year, at the Times and Places hereafter in this A&t mentioned, two Courts of Common Pleas or County Courts, by a Judge with two or more fuftices of the Quorum, courts, their to be appointed and commisioned for that Purpofe; any three of whom shall have Power to hold faid Court, which Court thall have full Power to hear, examine, try and determine, by a fitry or otherwife, according to Law, all civil Caufes, real, personal or mixt; and alfo all criminal Matters, not extending to Life, Limb, Banishment, Adultery or Divorce, regularly brought before them:

powers, &c.

Jurifdi&tion

And alfo, all Suits for Relief in Equity, wherein the Matter or Thing in of matters of demand does not exceed the Sum of One Hundred Pounds; and proceed therein equity! to a final Sentence and Decree, and enforce the fame according to the Rules of Equity.

To tax.

When and where held.

Hartford.

New-Haven

NewLondon

Fairfield.

Windham.

Litchfield.

To call fpe

And the faid County Courts or Courts of Common Pleas in each County, and the Grand-jurors there prefent, fhall also have Power and Authority, and they are hereby impowered to grant and levy a Tax annually, as the Necefity of the Cafe may require, upon each Town in the faid County, according to the Lifts of Eftate for fuch Year, for the Paying thofe Debts of the County or neceffary Charges thereof which cannot be paid out of the Fines and Perquifites allotted for that End.

That the Times and Places for holding the faid County Courts within the feveral and refpective Counties shall be as follows: That is to fay;

For the County of Hartford, at Hartford, on the first Tuesday in April and November, annually.

For the County of New Haven, at New-Haven, on the firft Tuesday in April, and on the fecond Tuesday in November, annually.

For the County of New-London, at New London, on the fecond Tuesday in June, and at Norwich, the fourth Tuejday in November, annually.

For the County of Fairfield, at Fairfield, on the third Tuesday in April and November, annually.

For the County of Windham, at Windham, on the third Tuesday in June, and the fecond Tuesday in December, annually.

And for the County of Litchfield, at Litchfield, on the fourth Tuesday in March and September, annually.

That the Judge of cach refpective County Court fhall be, and he is hereby cial court. impowered to call a fpecial County Couré ápon any extraordinary Occafion

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