THOMAS JOHNSON, Esq; Governor.
shall make a fair and alphabetical list of the names of all such persons
as aforesaid,
and transmit the same to the governor and council. |
1777.
CHAP.
XX. |
XXII. And,
whereas many of the male subjects of this state, above the age of
eighteen years, are out of this state on some lawful purposes in some of
the neighbouring
states, or in parts beyond the seas, Be it
enacted, That no such person
shall be affected by any matter or thing contained in this act, unless
such person,
for three months after his return, shall wilfully neglect to take the said
oath, or
affirmation, (as the case may be) before the governor and council, or some
magistrate
of the county or city where he resides. |
Persons absent
on lawful business
not affected
by this
act, &c. |
XXIII. And,
That in order to discover whether the persons aforesaid, absent from
this state on or before the first day of March next, and returning after
that day,
have taken the oath of affirmation aforesaid, within the time limited as
aforesaid,
Be it enacted, That the justices of
the several county courts shall annually, at
their respective August courts, make diligent inquiry after all such persons
returning
as aforesaid; and omitting to take the oath or affirmation aforesaid within
the
time limited as aforesaid, and shall enter their names on the minutes of
the proceedings
of their court, and fair and alphabetical lists make thereof, and transmit
them to the governor and council. |
Justices to
make inquiry
after persons
returning, &c. |
XXIV. And,
whereas all persons in the regular service of this state, or of the
United States, or any of them, have already given, by such service, sufficient
proof
of their attachment to the freedom and independence thereof, Be
it enacted, That
no general, field, commissioned, warrant, or staff officer, or other officer,
nor
any soldier or person in the regular service of this state, or the United
States, or
any of them, shall be affected by any manner or thing herein contained. |
Officers, &c.
not affected
by this act. |
XXV. And,
to prevent this state from becoming an asylum for the disaffected
fugitives from other states, Be it enacted,
That the governor and council,
or any magistrate of the county, on their or his own knowledge, or on information,
that any male person above the age of eighteen years, belonging to any
of the United States, has taken shelter in this state, shall immediately
cause such
person to be apprehended and examined, and if such person cannot, upon
such examination,
produce a certificate of his having taken the oath or affirmation prescribed
by this state, or if such person has not taken the oath, or affirmation,
(as
the case may be) which has been prescribed by this state, and refuses to
take the
said oath or affirmation, and shall also refuse to take the following oath,
or affirmation
if a quaker, menonist or dunker, viz. " I, A. B. do swear, or solemnly
" affirm, (if a quaker, menonist or dunker,) that I do not hold myself
bound to
" yield any allegiance or obedience to the king of Great-Britain, his heirs
or successors,
" and that I will be true and faithful to the United States of America,
" and will, to the utmost of my power, support, maintain and defend, the
freedom
" and independence thereof," the governor and council, or the said magistrate,
may commit such person to the public gaol, or the governor and council
may remand such person back to his own state, and in such manner as they
may
adjudge the most expedient, and if such person hath property in this state,
he
shall be subject to the treble tax aforesaid, in manner and form prescribed
as aforesaid,
and such person shall also be subject to all the disabilities imposed by
this act;
and upon every commitment of such person by any magistrate as aforesaid,
the said
magistrate shall immediately give notice thereof to the said governor and
council. |
Persons taking
shelter in this
state to be apprehended,
&c. |
XXVI. IT being represented to this general
assembly, that many persons who
gave bonds to the presidents of the late conventions, councils of safety,
and to the
committees of observation, for their good behaviour and fidelity to this
state, have
been guilty of breaches, Be it enacted,
That all bonds, taken in the name of any
president of convention, council of safety, or in the name or names of
any other
person or persons, for the use of this state, be transmitted as soon as
possible to
the clerk of the county where the principal and the security reside, or
if the principal
has departed this state, to the clerk of the county where the security
may
reside, and thereupon scire facias shall immediately issue in the
name of this state |
Bonds to be
transmitted to
the clerk, &c. |
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