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LYONEL COPLEY, Esq; Governor.
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1692. |
Each Act if sub-signed by the Clerks of both Houses (according
to the Dates when it passed either
House) in Manner following, viz.
" June 2d, 1692.
" June
4th, 1692.
The House of Assembly have Assented.
" Assented to by the Council Board.
Signed by Order,
" Signed per Order.
HEN. DENTON, Clerk.
" JOHN LLEWLLIN, Clerk.
At the Conclusion of the Whole, at End of the last Act:
" June 5th, 1692.
" On Behalf of their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, &c.
" I WILL THESE BE LAWS.
" L. COPLEY."
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An Act of Recognition. Lib. LL. fol. 1. Lib.
WH and L*. fol. 1. and Lib.
LL. N° 2, fol. 2.
Viz. That their Majesties
were, and of Right ought to be, by the Laws of the Realm of
England, our Sovereign Liege Lord and Lady, King and Queen of England,
Scotland, France and
Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging, in and to whose
Princely Persons, the Royal
Estate, Crown and Dignity of the said Realms, with all Honours, Stiles,
Titles, Regalities,
Prerogatives, Powers, Jurisdictions and Authorities, to the same belonging
and appertaining,
were most rightfully and intirely invested, and incorporated, and annexed.
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Passed 9th of
June 1692. |
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CHAP. II.
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An Act for the Service of Almighty GOD, and the Establishment of
the Protestant
Religion in this Province. Lib. LL. fol.
1. Lib. WH and L*. fol. 1.
and Lib, LL. N° 2. fol. 2.
REP. 1696, ch. 18.
N.B. This Act laid the first
Foundation for the Establishment of the Protestant Religion in
this Province, and contains many notable Particulars, relating to parochial
Rights obtained under
it: And enacted (1.) That the Church of England, within
this Province, shall have and enjoy
all her Rights, Liberties and Franchises, wholly inviolable, as now is,
or hereafter shall be,
established by law: And also, that the Great Charter of England
be kept and observed in all Points.
(2.) Sabbath-breaking to be punished by a Fine of 100 lb Tobacco,
to the Use of the Poor of
the Parish, City, or Borough, where such Offences shall be committed:
And Ordinary keepers
selling Liquor on the Lord's-day (Cases of Necessity excepted) or permitting
Tippling, Drunkenness,
Gaming, &c., to forfeit 2000 lb Tobacco, one Half to the Support of
Government, the
other Half to the Informer. (3.) The County Justices to meet,
by Appointment, at the respective
County Court-Houses, giving Notice to the principal Free-holders to attend
them, some
Time before the 1st September next, and there, with the Advice of
the said principal Freeholders,
lay out their several Counties into Parishes, and the same cause to be
laid out by Metes and
Bounds, and fair Certificates of each Parish, with the most evident and
demonstrable Bounds of
the same, return to the next County Court, to be entered upon Record, and
a fair Copy thereof,
under Hand and Seal of the County Clerk, to be transmitted to the Governor
and Council, to be
kept on Record on the Council Books. (4.) The several Parishes
being thus limited, the Freeholders
of each parish to meet, by Appointment of the Justices of the County Courts,
and
make Choice of Six Vestry-men, who shall have a Clerk to take Accounts,
&c. and with the
first Tobaccoes, Wares, Goods, &c. by this Act, or any other Ways or
Means whatsoever,
given, granted, raised or allowed to the Use of the Church, or Ministry
of the said Parish to
which they belong, shall erect and build one Church, &c. in the Parish
(such Parishes as have already
Churches and Chapels built in them excepted) and keep a Record, how and
in what Manner,
they shall execute and perform the several Trusts in this Act reposed in
them: And shall procure
yearly, from the Constables in each Hundred, a true List of the Taxables
within their
Parish, and cause the same yearly to be Recorded among their Proceedings,
the better to enable
them to know what Sums of Tobacco to demand of the Sheriff, &c. viz.
(5.) Forty per Poll,
deducting 5 per Cent, for the Sheriff's Salary, on all Taxables; which
Tobacco so raised (after
building a Church or Chapel within each Parish) to be appropriated and
applied by the Vestry-men,
to the Use and Benefit of the Minister. But if no Minister be Inducted,
then to be laid
out for the necessary Reparation of the Churches, or other pious Uses,
at the Discretion of the
Vestry. (6.) The Vestry were impowered to take Possession of
any Bequests, Grants, &c. by
any persons piously inclined, either by their Last Wills and Testaments,
or by Deed executed in
their Life-time, for the Use and Benefit of any Minister or Ministers,
or to the Ministry or
Poor of any Parish, and apply the same to the Use and Intent of the Donor
or Donors. (7.) The
Vestries impowered to prosecute and maintain any Actions
whatsoever, real, personal or mixed,
for the Recovery of all or any of the Premises aforesaid, from any persons
detaining any Goods
or Chattels, Tenements or Hereditaments given and granted, and otherwise
appointed to the
Uses aforesaid, and for any Damages, Trespasses, &c. as amply as a
Body Politic, or Corporate,
might or could do, for recovering and preserving the Premises aforesaid:
The principal Vestry-man,
with other Vestry-men, to be mentioned in the Writ and Declaration, and
other Proceedings.
(8.) On Death or Removal of any Vestry-man, the other Vestry-men,
at their next
Meeting, were impowered to chuse another in his Room, &c. |
Ditto. |
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CHAP. III.
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An Act for the better Administration of Justice in Probat of Wills,
Granting
Administrations, Recovering of Legacies, and securing
filial Portions. Lib. LL.
fol. 10. and Lib. WH and L*. fol.
51. REP. |
Ditto. |
An Additional Act was made 1695, ch. 4. and
a new Law 1699, ch. 41.
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