|
A Message from the Lower House of Assembly by Colo
Mackall & Capt. Mariarte Viz.
By the Lower House of Assembly October the 29th 1724
May it please your Honours
The Bill Assented to by both Houses for securing the rights
and Inheritances of sundry the Inhabitants within this Prov-
ince against certain Impositions by pretence of suspected
deeds being what requires the utmost dispatch lest the Person
thereby provided against should get notice thereof and Get
into his Hands those Deeds from the Clerks that are intended
to be enquired into before the Clerks have notice of the Act
made We pray your Honours to move his Honour the Gov-
ernor for the dispatch of that Bill as well as the Bill for
the preventing the Exportation of Corn that the Copies of
those Acts may be rendered successful by such dispatch.
Signed p Order M. Jenifer Cl. Lo. Ho.
A message from the Lower House of Assembly by Mr Gant
& Mr Bozman viz.
By the Lower House of Assembly October the 29th 1724.
May it please your Honours
In answer to your Message of the 28th day of October
instant by James Bowles Esqr on the Supplementary Act to
the Act for Trial of all matters of Fact in the counties where
they have arisen &ca We hope your Honours will be of
Opinion that Bills of Exception ought as well to be Allowed
in Criminal Causes that do not affect Life as in Cases that
do when you shall have considered that an Honest Mans
Reputation (always dearer to him than life it self) may be
in Question and that he may suffer such an Injury in it as no
time can efface nor anything in the Power of man Efface
by the overruling a Just and lawful Challenge and Admitting
his Enemies Upon the Jury by the Allowances of incompe-
tent Witnesses, by the Juries (tho impartial) mistaking the
Evidence by the Judges Giving a wrong Charge and the
Juries being influenced by such a Charge and even the Judge
himself being prejudiced or under a Surprize All these Cir-
cumstances may possibly Occur in one mans Case and every
man is liable to some one of them which as things may be
managed may be his own and Families Ruin Now we Appre-
hend that Bills of Exception will be a Guard against an Inno-
cent persons unjustly suffering by any of the Ways already
mentioned and others too tedious to trouble your Honours
with and therefore We are of Opinion that should a Guilty
person accidentally escape some share of the Punishment
|
