ftrument in Writing under his Hand, to alienate any of the Claims or Rights above defcribed, in any fuch Manner as is above Perfons atdeclared to be void, and ineffectual in the Law, or fhall receive any tempting to Conveyance thereof to him or them; fhall forfeit one Half of the give or receive Value of the Lands attempted to be alienated, as aforefaid. To any fuch fraudulent writing be recovered by Bill, Plaint, or Information, in any Court proper &c. to hear and determine the fame: Whereof the one Half fhall be to the Informer that shall profecute the fame to Effect, and the other Half of the Penalty to the Treasury of this Colony. An Act for enabling the Proprietors of the common and undivided Lands, (declared, by an A&t 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, protecting or managing the fame: alfo to make Exchanges of faid common Land for the procuring needful and convenient Highways, PAR. 1. [ENACTED IN OCTOBER 1727.] make rates to E it enacted by the Governor and Council, and Houfe of BE Reprefentatives, in General Court affembled, That the Proprietors of the faid Common or undivided Land in any Town Proprietors to in this Colony, are hereby fully empowered at any of their legal defray necefMeetings, by their major Vote, to make a Rate or Rates as occa- fary charges, fion fhall require, for the defraying the neceffary Charges arifing &c. on faid Propriety, and to appoint Collectors for the gathering in the fame; who fhall be invefted with the fame Power as the Čollectors of Town Rates are by Law invefted with, and fhall make Payment of the Money by them collected, to the Proprietors ap-. pointing-them, or to their Order, on the fame Penalties, and to be under the fame Regulations as the Collectors of Town Rates are. make exchan 2. And it is further enacted, That the faid Proprietors are hereby fully empowered at their Meetings, as aforefaid, to make Exchanges of any of the common Land, for needful and convenient Proprietors to Highways in faid Town or Place, with any of the Proprietors, In- ges of the comhabitants, or Owners of fuch Land, as fhall be judged moft con- mon land, &c. venient and needful by the Proprietors aforefaid, which exchanges fhall be entered in the faid Proprietors Book of Records, and fhall be held good and valid, to all Intents and Purposes, to the ufe of the Perfon or Perfons receiving the fame, and to his and their Heirs and Affigns forever. And all Exchanges heretofore made for the End aforefaid, fhall also be held good and valid to all Intents and Purposes. Always provided, That the major Part of the Proprietors (to be computed by their Intereft of fuch common and undivided Land) Provilo. 268 Exacted May 5733. Preamble. Partition of Lands. do not proteft again ft fuch Exchange, and enter their Protest with the Clerk of fuch Propriety within forty Days after fuch Exchange is granted. An Act for the preventing Disputes which might arise in the Partition of Lands. THIS Affembly obferving that Difputes do or may arife, whereby the Partition of Lands whereof there are many Proprietors, may be very much perplexed for want of a fixed and determinate Period wherein the Right and Property of faid Lands are changed from a common to a particular Intereft, by Means of Entries which may be made thereon either by Strangers, or any of the Proprietors in common, after an agreement to make Partition, and before the actual Surveys are made and recorded in the feveral Towns where the Lands lie. Which Inconvenience to prevent : Eit thereforeenacted by the Governorand Council, and Houfe of Reprefentatives, in General Court affembled, That Partition of the Lands aforelaid, fhall not be deemed and looked upon as perfe& complete, till and complete in the Law, until the Surveys, as aforelaid, are actually made and recorded as aforefaid; and fhall be efteemed as an Estate in common and undivided in the Hands of the Proprietors, furvey'd and recorded. Probate to or- lands belong- To execute bate to receive An Act for the Sale of Lands belonging to this State, B [ENACTED IN MAY 1786.] PAR. 1. 2. And faid Judges of Probate refpectively, are hereby authorized and empowered in behalf of this State, to make and execute deeds of Conveyance, with Warranty, of fuch Lands in due form of Law, and the fame fhall be good, authentic, and legal Evidence of Title of fuch Lands to the Grantees, in the feveral Courts of Law in this State. 3. And all fuch Land, already agreed to be fold by Order of Judges of pro- Law, and Deeds not yet given, may be confirmed to the Purchafers by Deeds executed by the refpective Judges of Probate, as by this Act is provided. And faid Judges of Probate fhall receive Payment for all fuch Lands in Specie, or liquidated Securities of this State for Lawful Money, on Intereft, and fhall render an Ac . Lands. Laciviousness. count thereof to the Treasurer of this State within one Year from the Time of fuch Sale. 269 4. The Lands in New-Haven, New-London and Groton, ap- Refervation. propriated for building Forts, &c. for defence of this State, to be reserved for that Ufe, any Thing in this A&t notwithstanding. to account. 5. And be it further enacted, That faid Judges of Probate fhall call to Account all Perfons in their several Districts, who by Virtue of any Law, or otherwife have had the Poffeffion of any Eftate for the Ufe of this State, and not duly accounted for the fame, Call leffees and receive Payment as aforefaid, and pay the Balance that shall be due into the Treasury; and in Cafe any Person accountable as aforefaid, shall neglect or refufe to render an Account, it fhall be the Duty of fuch Judge of Probate to proceed in a duc Courfe of Law against fuch Perfon, in the Name and Behalf of this State, to final Judgment and Execution for recovery thereof. An A&t limiting and directing the County Surveyors, respecting their laying out Grants of Lands in Towns. [ENACTED IN OCTOBER 1733.] E it enacted by the Governor and Council, and Houfe of Repre Proprietors in any Town fhall refufe or neglect to choose Perfons to lay out any Grant of Land heretofore obtained from the Town County furor Proprietors of fuch Town, fince the Year of our Lord One veyors to lay out grants of Thousand feven Hundred and Twenty, and not yet laid out; or if land when fuch Perfons be chofen, and do neglect the Space of one year, af- proprietors reter being defired to lay out any of the Lands aforefaid by the Per- fufe or neg fon 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 aforefaid, had laid out the fame. An A&t for the Punishment of lafcivious Carriage and lect. FOR the preventing of lafcivious Carriage aad Behaviour, against and for the Punishment of which, (in Regard of the Variety of the Circumftances) particular and exprefs Laws cannot be eafily fuited and Preamble. made. B Therefore : E it enacted by the Governor and Council, and Houfe of Reprefentatives, in General Court affembled, That the feveral and refpective County Courts within this State, fhall be, and are hereby empowered and directed to proceed againft, and punifh fuch Perfons guilty of lafcivious carriage and behaviour, to 270 be fined, or imprisoned, fent to the house of cor Leather. Perfons as fhall be guilty of lafcivious Carriage and Behaviour;. either by impofing a Fine on them, or by committing them to the House of Correction, or by inflicting corporal Punishment on rection, or cor- them, according to the Nature and Aggravation of the Offence, porally pun- and according to the Difcretion of fuch Court: That fuch feahed. fonable and exemplary Punishment may be inflicted upon Offenders. in that Kind, that others may hear and fear. No butcher to hide. An A& concerning Leather; and for regulating the PAR. 1. Berentatives, in General Court offembled, That cut or gath any no Butcher whatsoever, by himself or any other Perfon, fhall gafh or cut any Hide or Skin of Ox, Cow or Calf, in fleaing thereof, or otherwife, whereby the fame fhall be impaired or damaged, on pain of forfeiting to the Owner the Sum of Eleven Cents, for every fuch, gafh or cut; and of paying the Damage occafioned thereby in any fuch Hide or, Skin E it enacted by the Governor and Council, and Houfe of No perfon to fet up the trade of tanning without liberty from the C. court 2. And for the better preventing of Deceits and Abufes by Tanners, Curriers, Dreffers, and Workers up of Leather. Be it further enacted, That no Perfon whatsoever shall set up the Trade or Mystery of tanning of Leather in this State: or for that End erect or fet up, or make any Tan-vats, or other Place to tan in; nor carry on, or ufe that Trade or Myftery, except he do manifeft his Skill therein to the County Court of that County. wherein he lives, and obtain a Licence from fuch Court to fet up and manage that Trade; on Pain that every Perfon fo offending. fhall forfeit the Sum of Sixty-feven Dollars: One Moiety to the County Treafury, and the other to him or them who fhall profecute the fame to Effect. 3. That no Perfon or Perfons what foever that now doth, or No tanner to hereafter shall use the Art, Trade or Mystery of Tanning, fhall at put offany any Time offer or put to Sale, any Kind of Leather which fhall he feather infuf- infufficiently or not thoroughly tanned; or which hath been over Sciently tanlimed, or burnt in the Limes; or which fhall not after Tanning ned. be well and fufficiently dried, upon pain of forfeiting fuch Leath er, or the full Value of it, or so much thereof as by any Searcher, or Sealer of Leather lawfully appointed and fworn, fhall be found infufficiently tanned and dried as aforelaid : One half of which Forfeiture fhall be to the Complainer, who fhall profecute to Effect, and the other half to the Town Treasury of that Town wherein fuch Tanner dwells. 4. Nor fhall any Perfon ufing the faid Art, Trade or Myftery, Nor fuffer faid leather to go fuffer any Leather tanned by him, to go out of his Cuftody before out of his cuf. faid Leather be fearched and fealed by the Sealer of the Town in tody, till which fuch Tanner dwells, upon the Penalty of forfeiting the fealed. Sum of Ten Dollars for each Hide or Skin fo difpofed of, or luffer ed to go out of his Cuftody before Sealing: One half to the Com- vats on tan 5. That no Perfon using the said Trade, fhall fet any of his Vats in Tanhills, or other Places where the Oufe, or Leather put there- Nor fet his in to tan, fhall or may take any unkind Heats; nor fhall put any hills, &c. Leather into any hot or warm Oufe whatsoever, on pain of forfeiting Forty-feven Dollars: To be recovered as aforefaid, for the Ules aforefaid. 6. And no Perfon or Perfons whatsoever fhall caufe, or fuffer any Leather by him or them tanned, to be wrought up by any Penalty of 17 Shoe-maker employed either by himself, or by any other Perfon dols. to work or Perfons for him; nor fhall he work up the fame himself before up leather bes 1uch Leather be viewed and sealed, as aforefaid, on Penalty of for- fore it be feiting the Sum of Seventeen Dollars for every Hide or Skin, fo as aforefaid, by him or them wrought, caufed or fuffered to be wrought up before fealing as aforefaid: To be recovered as aforefaid, to the Ufes aforefaid. 7. And for effecting the Purpofes aforefaid fealed. Be it further enacted, That every Town in this State, where One or twe need fhall require, fhall choose one or two honeft Men, fkilful in honeft men to Leather, within their Township, who fhall be fworn to a faithful be chofen by discharge of their Truft, who fhall make Search and View within each town to the Limits of their Town, as oft as they fhall think it needful, view and feal who fhall have a Mark or Seal prepared by fuch Town for that leather, Purpofe and with the faid Mark or Seal they fhall feal fuch Leather in faid Town as they fhall find in all Points fufficient, and 'no other. 8. That if the faid Searchers or Sealers, or any of them, find a ny Leather fold or offered to be fold, or any way difpofed of, which fhall be either tanned, wrought, converted or ufed contra- Leather offerry to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, it fhall and may ed to fale, not be lawful for the faid Searchers or Sealers, or any of them, to feize, well wrought, to be feized. or procure to be feized, all fuch Leather, and retain the fame in their Cuftody, until fuch Time as the Matter be tried by fuch Triers, and in fuch Manner as in this A&t is appointed; That is to Jay, When any Leather is feized as being forfeited, as aforefaid, the Officer fo feizing the fame, fhall within three Days, inform fome Affiftant or Juftice of the Peace thereof; who fhall forthwith fummon four or fix Men, honeft and skilful in Leather, to view the fame, in the Prefence of the Party, (who fhall have timely Notice thereof) or without him in cafe he do not appear: Which Men being duly fworn for that Purpose, fhall upon their Oaths certify to the faid Affiftant or Juftice the Defect of fuch Leather: And if thereby it appears the faid Leather is forfeited by Virtue of this Act, the faid Affiftant or Juftice fhall give Judgment accordingly; and order the Difpofition thereof as in this A&t is provided: 9. And every of the faid Searchers and Sealers of Leather, fhall be, and are hereby empowered to fearch for all fuch Shoes, Boots and other Ware made by Shee-makers or Cordwainers, as the faid |