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vember, 1675, but on that day it was adjourned until the 29th of the same month. It met, like the first, at Elizabeth Town. It was a busy Legislature and passed thirty-seven different acts. Its first care seems to have been the providing "for the better security of ourselves and families with reference to the Indians." This Legislature continued in session certainly until the 9th of December, on which day it re-enacted the same laws relating to crimes, which had been passed by the first Legislature in 1668.

The last statute, the 37th, is very significant, and, if carefully read by the historian, will give some idea of the state of affairs in the province prior to the year 1675. That act is quoted entire on account of its great significance and of the information it gives:

"Acts of Oblivion. XXXVII. WHEREAS divers disorders and disturbances have arisen in this Province by reason of some endeavouring and making an alteration of the Government established by the Lords Proprietors thereof, by which means several damages, costs and charges have accrued to divers the inhabitants of the same, and the Lords Proprietors having by their last orders given liberty to such as have received such damages, costs and charges to recover the same by due course of law, whereby many actions, quarrels and other differences may arise among the inhabitants, in general, for prevention whereof; WHEREFORE BE IT ENACTED, by this General Assembly, that there shall be an utter abolishing of all actions, tending to recover damages, costs and charges, for any action, committed or done against any one within this Province, that hath been a party or any way concerned in the endeavouring and making an alteration in the Government here. settled by the Lords, any time from the year 1670, until June, 1673, and likewise of all actions tending to recover price for any goods, or labor imployed during the same time for the defence of the said Province, excepting such accompts as have been settled and allowed by this Assembly. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the authority aforesaid, that no contract made with any parties, then in rebellion against the government, or any person of that party, to the use and behoof or maintainance of the said difference against this government, or any person belonging to the same, shall be actionable in any court. within this Province. And the honoured the Governor and his Council, out of their tender affection to the inhabitants of this Province, is further pleased that it should be enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all the inhabitants and members of this Province.

shall be absolutely and freely pardoned of all the offences whatsoever, capital, or other committed or perpetrated at any time from the aforesaid year, 1670, until the first of June in the year 1673. And for the better preserving of peace and unity, it is also enacted by the aforesaid authority, that all revilling speeches, practices, or intents tending to the disturbance of the amity desired and intended, namely all reviling or upbraiding of others with matters of difference whatsoever, remitted and pardoned by the honoured Governor, or abolished by virtue of this act, be buried in oblivion, not to be urged upon what pretence soever, upon pain of imprisonment during pleasure, fine, banishment, stocking, whiping, any or more of these as upon due examination, all circumstances being first considered, the court of assizes shall judge meet. PROVIDED, that whatsoever hath been recovered by law from any person or persons, or imposed by way of fine or otherwise at any court or courts within this Province to this present sessions, shall stand good and not be discharged or made void by this act."

Sessions of the Legislature for the whole province were held at various times from the year 1675 until some time after the division of the Province into East and West Jersey, which took place in 1676; but there were different places of meeting In October, 1676, it met at Woodbridge; in October, 1677, it began at Woodbridge and ended at Elizabeth Town; in 1678, it met at Elizabeth Town, as it also did the next year; in 1679, part of the session was held at Middletown and part at New Piscataqua; in 1681, it returned to Elizabeth Town and then began the separate sessions for the two Provinces.

By the "Grants and Concessions" it was provided that the laws enacted by the Legislature should be in force for the "space of one year and no more unless contradicted by the Lords Proprietors." So, at the expiration of a year from the time when the first General Assembly adjourned, there was not a single binding law in force in the colony until the meeting of the Legislature, in 1675. Just how the government of the colony was administered in the interim does not appear, but it can well be imagined that those citizens who were disposed to resist the authority of the Lords Proprietors did not object to this. strange state of affairs.

In 1675 the following oath of "Fedility" to his Majesty and the Lord Proprietor was prescribed:

"That I will bear true allegience to the King of England his heirs and successors, and I will be faithful to the interest of the Lord Pro

prietor of this Province, his heirs, executors, or assigns, and endeavour the peace and welfare of the said Province, and that I will truly and faithfully discharge the trust imposed upon me, according to my best skill and judgment, and without corruption favour or affection. So help me God."

In the same year the following “Oath of Allegience" was also prescribed:

"I do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare in my conscience, before God and the world, that our Sovereign Lord KING CHARLES, is lawful and rightful King of this realm, and of all other his Majesty's dominions and 'country's, and that the Pope, neither of himself, nor by any authority of the Church, or Sea of Rome, or by any other means with any other, hath any power or authority to depose the King, or dispose any of his Majesty's kingdoms or dominions, or to authorize any foreign prince to invade or annoy him or his country's, or to discharge any of his subjects of their allegiance and obedience to his Majesty, or to give license or leave to any of them to bear arms, raise tumults, or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesty's royal person, state, government, or to any of his Majesty's subjects within his Majesty's dominions. Also I do swear from my heart, that notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of excommunication, or deprivation made or granted, or to be made or granted by the Pope or his successor, or by any authority derived or pretend to be derived from him or his See against the said King, his heirs and successors, or any absolution of the said subjects from their obedience, I will bear faith. and true allegience, to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, and him and them will defend to the utmost of my power, against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against his or their persons, their crown and dignity, by reason or colour of any such sentence or declaration, or otherways, and will do my best endeavours to declare and make known unto his Majesty, his heirs and successors, all treasons and tratorus conspiracies, which I shall know or hear of, to be made against him or any of them. And I do further swear, that I do from my heart abhor, detest and abjure, as impious and heretical, this damnable doctrine and positions that princes which be excommunicate or deprived by the Pope, may be deposed or murthered of their subjects, or any other whatsoever, and I do beleive and in conscience am resolved, that neither the Pope nor any other person whatsoever hath power to absolve me of this oath or any part thereof, which

I acknowledge by good and full authority to be lawfully administered unto me, and do renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary, and these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to the express words by me spoken, and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words, without any equivocation, or a mental evasions, or secret reservation whatsoever, and I do make make this recognition and acknowledgement heartily, willingly and truly, upon the true faith of a Christian. help me God."

So

The first day for public thanksgiving in the province, recognized by legislative authority, was appointed by an act passed in October, 1676. As this is the first legislative action in New Jersey relative to the now national holiday, the quaint act and its quainter preamble are quoted: "X. WHEREAS there hath been signal demonstration of God's mercy and favour towards us in this colony, in the preserving and continuing our peace in the midst of wars round about us, together with many other mercies which we are sensible of, which call aloud for our acknowledgment and thanksgiving to the Lord,

"Wherefore be it enacted by this Assembly, that there be a day of publick thanksgiving, set a part throughout the whole Province, to give God the glory and praise thereof, and oblige us to live to his praise, and in his fear always, which day shall be the second Wednesday in November next ensuing."

The second Legislature specifically re-enacted such laws passed at the first meeting as they deemed necessary, so as to resuscitate them and again put them in force, but in 1676, this general act was passed:

"XIV. WHEREAS by the Concessions no laws made by the General Assembly, shall stand in force for above one year, except confirmed by the Lord Proprietor."

"BE IT ENACTED THEREFORE by this present Assembly that the laws already made the last year, shall continue in as full force as before, until the next General Assembly."

In 1678 the Legislature passed an act by which it was provided "that the laws formerly made and in being shall be renewed again for the year ensuing."

In 1679 a special statute was passed providing that the act prohibiting any person from supplying the Indians with strong drink should still continue and stand in force for the ensuing year." And at the same session it was enacted that laws formerly made and in being

should be renewed again for the ensuing year, except one, which provided for the expenditure of 150 pounds for the encouragement of trade.

There seems to have been no meeting of the Legislature for 1680, and in 1682 the meetings for the two provinces-East and West Jersey -were held separate and continued to be so held until the year 1702, when the authority granted the Lords Proprietors for organizing a government in New Jersey was surrendered to Queen Anne and East and West Jersey were again united, the government continuing under one Legislature and Governor.

When the owners of West Jersey became vested with the title in fee, they took measures for the settlement by immigration of their part of the province and issued a proclamation inviting settlers and offering. the most liberal terms to any who should transfer themselves or servants before "the first day of the month commonly called April, which shall be in the year of our Lord 1677." They promised this: For each immigrant, seventy acres of land, English measure, and for every able bodied man servant coming with such immigrant, he was to receive seventy acres more. To those who should send servants before that date, they promised for every able bodied man servant, seventy acres, and for every woman servant, and for every weaker servant, male or female, "over fourteen years," fifty acres of land, and after the expiration of service, fifty acres of land were guarantied to such servants, to them and their heirs forever. To immigrants arriving after 1677, lesser amounts were promised; but, to all these grants was attached the condition that one-half penny per acre should be paid for rent. Very liberal provisions were made for the laying out of towns and of streets and highways.

These provisions were embodied in what were called the "concessions and agreements," which were of the most liberal character possible, and were declared to be the common law or fundamental rights and privileges of West New Jersey and "are individually agreed upon by the Proprietors and freeholders thereof to be the foundation of government, which is not to be altered by the Legislative authority or free Assembly hereafter mentioned and constituted, but that said legislative authority is constituted according to these fundamentals, to make such laws as agree with and maintain the said fundamentals and to make no laws that in the least contradict, differ or vary from the said fundamentals, under what pretence or alligation soever." The broad

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