duties of excise and impost on wine, rum, and other liquors and drink, due to the treasury of this Colony, shall render an accompt according to law, of all that they have received and shall receive of the said duties, until the last day of November next, unto the treasurer of this Colony, upon his demand, and also pay and deliver all the money they have received and shall receive as aforesaid, unto the said treasurer for the use of this Colony. And the treasurer is hereby ordered and impowred to demand and receive of the said officers, all the said money due, and to be due as aforesaid, and accompts as the law requires, and to allow and pay out of the said duties to the said officers their part thereof according to law; and to lay an account thereof before this Assembly in May next.

Whereas the General Assembly of this Colony, held at Newhaven, October 14th, 1703, upon the request of Rachell Mead, widow, relict of Nathanael Mead, late of the town of Greenwich, deceased, did grant power to Capt. Jonathan Sellick and Mr. Samuell Hoit, to give legal conveyances of several parcels of land, which the said Nathanael Mead sold and alienated in his life time, but did not give deeds thereof, that is to say, a small parcel of woodland of about eight acres and an half, lying in the bounds of Greenwich, and five roods of meadow lying in the bounds of Stanford, also his right in Coscob Neck, also for ten acres of land exchanged by the said Nathanael Mead for ten acres of land which is inventoried to the estate of the said Nath. Mead: And whereas the said Jonathan Sellick and Samuell Hoit have refused and do refuse to accept that trust, and to give conveyances of the said land: This Assembly do therefore now grant full power and authority to James Ferris, jun', of Greenwich aforesaid, (who hath marryed the said Rachell Mead, widow,) to give legal and sufficient deeds and conveyances of the said several pieces of land aforementioned, according to the intent of the bargain and sale thereof made by the said Nathanael Mead in his life time.

Whereas the General Assembly of this Colony, held at Hartford, May 12th, 1709, did grant liberty and full power to Sarah Crane of Wethersfield, widow, administratrix on the estate of her late husband, Joseph Crane of said Wethersfield, deceased, to sell so much of the lands belonging to the said estate as may produce effects sufficient with the moveables thereof, to pay all the debts due from the said estate: And whereas the condition and circumstances of the said widow, and the children of the said deceased, is such, that they cannot subsist without keeping for their use many of the

said moveables: This Assembly do therefore now grant liberty and full power to the said Sarah Crane, (with the allowance and advice of the court of probates in the county of Hartford,) to sell so much of the said lands for the end and use aforesaid as the said court of probate shall judge meet.

Whereas the General Assembly of this Colony, holden at Hartford, May 13th, 1708, upon the petition of sundry of the inhabitants of the town of Norwalk, praying for liberty to purchase of the Indians a certain tract of land lying within this Colony, bounded northerly or northeasterly with the town of Danbury, southerly with the said town of Norwalk, and west or westerly with the line or boundary between this Colony and the Province of New York, to the end they might make a plantation there and settle upon the same, did grant to the said petitioners a liberty to purchase the same tract of land; and pursuant thereunto, the said petitioners did buy and purchase of Catoonah, a sachem, and other Indians, the aforesaid tract of land, as by their deed or conveyance thereof under their hands and seals, bearing date September 30th, 1708, now laid before this Assembly, hath been made ap[83] pear: | And whereas the General Assembly of this Colony, holden at Hartford, May 12th, 1709, did desire and impower Major Peter Burr, Mr. John Copp, and Mr. Josiah Starr, to make a survey of the said tract of land, and to lay out a town plat there, and to make return of their doings therein to this Assembly at this time; and the said Peter Burr and John Copp, in pursuance thereof, having taken a view of the said tract of land, have thereupon made a return or report thereof to this Assembly, which hath been read and

considered :

This Assembly do now give and grant to the said petitioners, that is to say, to the persons hereafter named, viz: John Belden, Samuell Keelar, senior, Mathew Seamore, Mathias Saint John, Benjamin Wilson, Samuel Saint John, James Brown, Benjamin Hickcock, Joseph Keelar, Samuel Keelar, jun', Samuel Smith, Mathew Saint John, Jonathan Stevens, Daniell Olmstead, John Stirdevant, Jonathan Rockwell, Joseph Whitnee, Thomas Hyot, James Bennedick, Joseph Crampton, and Richard Olmstead, of the said town of Norwalk, and Thomas Smith, Thomas Canfield, Samuel Smith, and Ebenezer Smith, of the town of Milford, and to their heirs and assigns forever, all the aforementioned tract or parcel of land, butted and bounded as followeth, that is to say, on the south or southerly with the said town of Norwalk, on the west or westerly with the line or boundary between this Colony and

the Province of New York, on the east or easterly partly with a line to be continued and run like unto the line between the said town of Norwalk and the town of Fairfield, from the north end thereof unto a certain black oak tree marked with letters and having stones laid about the same, standing upon the mountain commonly called the West Cedar Mountain, and partly with a direct and straight line to be run from the said black oak tree to a certain large white oak tree marked and having stones laid about it, standing at or near the northwest corner of Umpewaug Pond; and on the north or northerly with a direct straight line to be run from the said white oak tree to the southwest corner of the town of Danbury, and continued unto the said line or boundary between this Colony and the Province of New York, be the same tract of land more or less; with all and singular the rights, members and appurtenances thereof. And this Assembly do hereby enact and grant that the said tract of land shall be an entire township of itself, and shall be called and known by the name of Ridgfield, and shall be held and enjoyed by the said John Belden, Samuel Keelar, senior, Mathew Seamore, Mathias Saint John, Benjamin Wilson, Samuell Saint John, James Brown, Benjamin Hickcock, Joseph Keelar, Samuel Keelar, jun', Samuel Smith, Mathew Saint John, Jonathan Stevens, Daniell Olmstead, John Sturdevant, Jonathan Rockwell, Joseph Whitnee, Thomas Hyot, James Benedick, Joseph Crampton, and Richard Olmstead, of Norwalk, and Thomas Smith, Thomas Canfield, Samuel Smith, and Ebenezer Smith, of the town of Milford, and their heirs and assigns, in equal and even shares, and be divided accordingly into lots and parcels, from time to time, by the order of the major vote of them, to be accounted by the major part of interest therein.

Provided that this act shall not be construed to the prejudice of any former grant of this Court; and provided always, nevertheless, that if the said John Belden, Samuel Keelar, [84] sen, Mathew Seamore, Mathias Saint John, || Benjamin Wilson, Samuel Saint John, James Brown, Benjamin Hickcock, Joseph Keelar, Samuell Keelar, junior, Samuell Smith, Mathew Saint John, Jonathan Stevens, Daniell Olmstead, John Stirdevant, Jonathan Rockwell, Joseph Whitnee, Thomas Hyot, James Benedick, Joseph Crampton, and Richard Olmstead, Thomas Smith, Thomas Canfield, Samuell Smith, and Ebenezer Smith, their heirs, assigns, or associates, do not or shall not, within four years next after the date of this act or grant, settle and dwell upon the said tract of land, to the number of twenty eight families, and after continue and dwell there for the space of four years next following, that then it

shall be in the liberty and power of this Assembly to grant of the said tract of land, settlements to any other persons, as they shall see cause.

An Act for repealing one clause in the printed Law, page 108, respecting Swine, and for the better preventing of Damage by Swine in Improved Lands.

It is ordered and enacted by the Deputy Governour, Council and Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the last clause in the said printed law, in these words, viz: Except any town shall see meet to agree and order to the contrary within their own precinctsbe repealed, and the same is hereby repealed and made void.

And it is enacted and ordained by the authority aforesaid, That whensoever any damage shall be done by swine (not yoaked and ringed according to the direction of the said printed law,) in any common field or particular inclosure, the value of such damage shall be paid by the owner or owners of such swine, to the person or persons damnified, any deficiency in the fence of such field or inclosure notwithstanding. Provided, that this act shall continue and be in force until the last day of November, Anno Dom., 1712, and no longer.

This Assembly do establish and confirm Mr. Joseph Hulls to be Lieutenant, and Mr. Samuell Nickols to be Ensign of the trainband in the town of Derby.

Wedensday, October 19th, 1709. This day the Honourable Gurdon Saltonstall, Esqr, Governour of this Colony, came into this Assembly and took his seat; and by order of his Honour, the gentlemen members of both Houses being met together, his Honour laid before them sundry letters and writings relating to the expedition against Canada, and the transactions and conclusions of the Congress of the several Governours with Colonel Nicholson and Colonel Vetch, and other officers and gentlemen, at Rehoboth, the last week, and an address by them prepared to send to her Majestie concerning the said expedition, and particularly relating to the present state of the camp at the Woodcreek, and several other matters of great importance; all which letters and writings his Honour recommended to the consideration of this Assembly; and this Assembly having read and considered the said address, do judge the same to be very proper and seasonable, and do fully agree and concur therein.

Whereas information hath been laid before this Assembly by the listers of the town of Fairfield, that the list of that

town for the year 1708, was under cast the sum of six hundred thirty four pounds nine shillings and six pence, upon which the levy granted by this Assembly in October last, amounts to eighteen pounds nine shillings and ten pence, and that Isaac Ginnens, constable of that town, appointed to gather and collect the country rate that year, hath not been accountable with the Colony Treasurer for the same as he ought to have been :-This Assembly do therefore order that the said constable shall (upon demand made by the Colony Treasurer,) pay the said sum of 187 98 10d, into the Colony treasury; [85] and that if the said constable shall neglect or || refuse to pay the same, the treasurer shall issue forth a warrant directed to the sheriff of the county of Fairfield, to levy the said sum of 187 9s 10d, out of the estate of the said constable, by distress and sale of his goods, and to pay the same into the said treasury; and the treasurer shall be accountable for the said sum to the auditors of the Colonys accompts in October next.

Whereas it hath been represented to this Assembly, that there is not any town officers at present within the town of Haddam, who have been chosen at a meeting lawfully warned, and who can order a meeting of the inhabitants in December next, as the law requires, to choose officers and order the affairs of the town: This Assembly do therefore order and enact, that Lieut. James Wells shall warn all the said inhabitants on the west side the great river, and Capt. Thomas Gates shall warn all the said inhabitants on the east side said river within the said town of Haddam, to meet and assemble at the meeting house on the west side the river there, on the third Tuesday of December next, to choose town officers, and make orders as the law directs in such town meetings.

This Assembly considering the sorrowfull circumstances of the forces of this Colony under the command of Colo William Whiting, and that her Majestie hath laid aside the designed expedition against Canada, do order, that a post be sent forthwith, with orders to Colo Whiting to take the best care he can of our sick men that yet remain at Albany,to transport them. home by water, or provide for their comfort there in case they cannot safely come by water, as he shall judge best; and that the Colonel march home with all convenient speed himself, with those of his souldiers that are able to march with him, providing the best he may for the comfort of the weak by the way; and to order his captains or other chief officers to disband their men, when they come to the several towns where they belong; and that an order be sent to Mr. Joseph Whit-