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Which to prevent:

Be it Enacted by the Governour, Council and Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That no Person shall be received or admitted an Inhabitant in any Town in this Colony, but such as are known to be of an honest Conversation, and shall be accepted by the major Part of the Town; or by the Authority in, and Select-men of the Town.

That no Stranger or transient Person shall be allowed to reside, and make his or her Abode in any Town in this Colony, (Apprentices under Age, and Servants bought for Time excepted) upon pretence of hiring, of being hired, or of Tenantship, or Inmates, without the approbation of the Authority in, and the Select-men of such Town.

And the more effectually to prevent Persons from making their Abode in any Town contrary to this Act.

Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons shall contrary to the intent of this Act, entertain or hire any Stranger or transient Person; or Let any House or Land to such Stranger or transient Person; except he or they shall first give Security to the acceptance of the said Authority and Select-men, that such Town shall not be Burthened and Charged by him or them, (which Security such Authority and Selectmen may take or refuse at their Discretion) he or they so entertaining or hiring or Letting any House or Land to such Stranger, or transient Person, shall forfeit and pay to the Treasurer of the Town whereto he or they belong, the Sum of Ten Shillings per Week, for every Week he or they shall Harbour, Entertain, Hire, or Let such Estate to such Person.

And if any such Stranger, or transient Person, shall contrary to the intent of this Act, make his or her Abode within any Town in this Colony, every such Person shall forfeit and pay to such Treasurer Ten Shillings per Week for every Week that he or she shall continue in such Town after warning given to him or her, by Order of the Select-men of said Town; or upon their Request, by Warrant from Authority to Depart such Town, (which Warning the said Select-men are Impowred to order, or give: And the said Authority, on Request, as aforesaid, is Impowred to issue a Warrant to the Constable, to warn such Persons to Depart as aforesaid.)

And when it shall so happen that any such Stranger, or transient Person, who shall be Convicted of the Breach of this Act,

and hath not Estate to satisfy the Fine, such Person shall be Whipped upon the naked Body, not exceeding Ten Stripes; unless he or she Depart the Town within Ten Days next after Sentence given, and reside no more therein without Leave of the Select

men.

Any one Assistant, or Justice of the Peace to hear and determine the Breach of this Act.

Provided nevertheless, That if such Stranger, or transient Person hath continued in any Town for the space of One Year before such Warning given, or shall continue in such Town One Year after such Warning, and be not in that Time prosecuted for Breach of this Act, then it shall not be Lawful to proceed against, or prosecute any such Person by Virtue of this Act, for continuing in such Town contrary to the same; but such Person may continue in such Town this Act notwithstanding.

Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That whosoever shall entertain any such Stranger, or transient Person or Persons for the space of Four Days, and the said Person shall while so Entertained be reduced by Sickness, or other Accident to necessitous Circumstances, whereby he, she, or they shall want Relief, the Person so entertaining such Stranger, or transient Person or Persons shall Support and Sustain the Charge thereof; excepting only when the Person Entertaining, as aforesaid, hath within the said Four Days, given sufficient Notice thereof to the Select-men of the Town: In which Case, if the Select-men do not use proper Methods to save the Town from Charge, then it shall be defrayed by such Town.

Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons within any Town in this Colony, shall sell, or convey any Land to any Person or Persons, who contrary to this Act would under Colour of such Purchase make his, her or their Abode in such Town; he or they Selling, as aforesaid, shall for every such Offence forfeit, and pay as a Fine, the Sum of Ten Pounds: One Moiety to the Town Treasurer where such Land lies; and the other Half to him who shall Complain of, and Prosecute the same to Effect.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Civil Authority, when and so often as there shall be Occasion in any Town, shall be, and they are hereby Impowred, to Order any Vagrant, or Suspected, or transient Person or Persons to be sent. back from Constable to Constable, to the Town, Place, or Places

from whence he, she, or they came; unless such Person or Persons produce good Certificate of their good Behaviour and Freedom from all Engagements, and that they are at liberty to remove themselves as they see meet.

And if any such Persons shall return after such sending back, as aforesaid, and abide and continue in said Town from whence sent, after Warning given them to Depart, they shall be Whipt on the naked Body, not exceeding Ten Stripes: And may again be sent, and dealt with as aforesaid, as often as there shall be Occasion.

And the Select-men in the respective Towns in this Colony, are hereby Impowred and Directed to prosecute all Breaches of this Act.*

In 1784 an Act was passed for the admission of inhabitants in towns and for preventing charge on account of such as are not admitted therein, as follows:

Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That no transient Person or Inhabitant of any other State, who may come to reside or dwell in any Town in this State, shall gain a legal Settlement in such Town by dwelling there, unless admitted by a major Vote of the Inhabitants of such Town, or by Consent of the civil Authority in and Select-men of said Town, or unless such Persons shall be appointed and execute some Public Office, or have been possessed in his own Right in Fee of a real Estate of the Value of One Hundred Pounds in such Town, during his Continuance there; but such Persons, not having gained a Settlement as aforesaid, if the Select-men judge they are likely to become chargeable to said Town, may be removed to the Place of their last legal Settlement, notwithstanding any length of Time that they may have been suffered to continue in such Town.

That no Person shall be received or admitted an Inhabitant in any Town in this State, but such as are known to be of an honest Conversation, and shall be accepted by the major Part of the Town, or by the Authority in and Select-men of the Town. And no Stranger or transient Person shall be allowed to reside

* Acts and Laws of His Majesty's English Colony of Connecticut in New-England in America, 1769, pp. 99, 100, 101.

or make his or her Abode in any Town in this State, (Apprentices under age and Servants bought for Time excepted) upon Pretence of hiring or being hired, or of Tenantship, or Inmates without the Approbation of the Authority in and Select-men of such Town.

That if any Person or Persons shall contrary to the Intent of this Act, entertain or hire any Stranger or transient Person, or let any House or Land to such Stranger or transient Person, except he or they shall first give Security to the Acceptance of the said Authority and Select-men, that such Town shall not be burthened and charged by him or them; which Security such Authority and Select-men may take or refuse at their Discretion; he or they so entertaining, or hiring, or letting any House or Land to such Stranger or transient Person, shall forfeit and pay to the Treasurer of such Town, the Sum of Ten Shillings per Week, for every Week he or they shall harbour, entertain, hire, or let such Estate to such Person.

And if any such Stranger or transient Person shall, contrary to the Intent of this Act, make his or her Abode within any Town in this State, every such Person shall forfeit and pay to such Treasurer Ten Shillings per Week, for every Week that he or she shall continue in such Town, after Warning given to him or her, by order of the Select-men of said Town; or upon their Request, by Warrant from Authority to depart such Town, (which Warning the Select-men are impowered to order, or give:) And the said Authority, on Request as aforesaid, is impowered to issue a Warrant to the Constable, to warn such Persons to depart, as aforesaid.

And when any such Stranger or transient Person, who shall be convicted of the Breach of this Act, and hath no Estate to satisfy the Fine, such Person shall be whipped upon his naked Body, not exceeding Ten Stripes; unless he or she depart the Town within Ten Days next after Sentence given, and reside no more therein without Leave of the Select-men.

Any one Assistant or Justice of the Peace, to hear and determine the Breach of this Act.

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That whosoever shall entertain such Stranger or transient Person or Persons, for the Space of Four Days, and the said Person shall, when so entertained, be reduced by Sickness, or other Accident, to necessitous Circumstances, whereby he, she or they shall want

Relief, the Person so entertaining such Stranger or transient Person or Persons, shall support and sustain the Charge thereof; excepting only when the Person entertaining as aforesaid, hath within the said Four Days, given sufficient Notice thereof to the Select-men of the Town; in which Case, if the Select-men do not use proper Methods to save the Town from Charge, then it shall be defrayed by such Town.

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons within any Town in this State, shall sell or convey any Land to any Person or Persons, who contrary to this Act, would under Colour of such Purchase, make his, her or their Abode in such Town; he or they selling as aforesaid, shall for every such Offence, forfeit and pay as a Fine, the Sum of Ten Pounds: one Moiety to the Town Treasury where such Land lies, and the other Half to him who shall complain of and prosecute the same to Effect.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the civil Authority, when and so often as there shall be Occasion in any Town, shall be, and they are hereby impowered to order any Vagrant, suspected or transient Person or Persons to be sent back, from Constable to Constable, to the Town, Place or Places from whence he, she or they came; unless such Person or Persons produce good Certificates of their good Behaviour, and Freedom from all Engagements, and that they are at Liberty to remove themselves as they shall see meet. . . .

And that said Authority may in like Manner remove any Stranger or transient Person or Persons who shall neglect or refuse, or be unable to depart such Town after Warning given, as before in this Act is provided.

And if any such Persons shall return after such sending back, as aforesaid, and abide and continue in said Town from whence sent, after Warning given them to depart, they shall be whipt on the naked Body, not exceeding ten Stripes; and may again be sent and dealt with as aforesaid, as often as there shall be Occasion.

And the Select-men in the respective Towns in this State, are hereby impowered and directed to prosecute all Breaches of this Act.

And be it further enacted, That any Inhabitant of any Town within this State, may, for the better Support of himself or Family, have Liberty to remove with his Family into any other

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