Town in this State, and continue there without being liable to be removed, provided such Person procure a Certificate in Writing, under the Hands of the civil Authority in and Select-men of the Town from whence he removes, that he is a legal Inhabitant in that Town, and lodge the same with the Clerk of the Town to which he removes. And in Case such Person or any of his Family, stand in Need of Relief from said Town, he or they shall be supported at the Cost of the Town where such Person was setteled and obtained a Certificate as aforesaid; and may be returned back to such Town, provided such Person hath not been admitted an Inhabitant, or gained a Settlement, as before in this Act is provided, in any other Town, after such Certificate was given.

Provided nevertheless, That Persons coming to reside in any Town as aforesaid, they and their Estates shall be as liable to be taken under the Care of the Select-men of the Town where they dwell, for Mismanagement, Idleness or bad Husbandry, agreeable to the Law in that Case provided, as if they had a legal Settlement in such Town; and nothing in this Act shall be construed to hinder such Towns from ridding themselves of any Vagrant, or Persons whom such Town, or the Authority therein, or the Select-men thereof shall judge to be of disorderly, ungoverned or vicious Conversation.

And be it further enacted, That any Inhabitant of any Town in this State, who shall go to reside in any other Town in this State, without having a Certificate as aforesaid, may be removed and sent back to the Town to which he or she belongs, in like Manner as is before provided in this Act for the Removal of any Stranger, or transient Person: Provided such Person shall not have continued in such Town one Year before Warning given to depart, or one Year after such Warning, without being prosecuted as aforesaid.*

In 1792 an Act in addition to and alteration of an Act entitled "An Act for the admission of Inhabitants in Towns, and for preventing charge on account of such as are admitted therein," was passed as follows:

Be it enacted by the Governor, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, * Acts and Laws of Connecticut, 1784, pp. 102-104.

That the provisions of said Act notwithstanding, any Inhabitant of any Town in this State may remove with his or her family; or if such person has no family, may remove him or herself into any other Town in this State, and continue there, without being liable to be warned to depart, or to be removed therefrom, except in the case herein after provied; and shall gain a legal settlement in the Town to which he or she may have so removed, in case he or she shall reside in such Town for the full term of six years next, from and after his or her first removal into such Town; and shall during the whole of said term, have supported him or herself, and his or her family; if such person have a family at the time of said first removal, or at any time during said term, without his, her, or their becoming chargeable to such Town, or to the Town that may by law be liable to charge for the support of such person and family; but if any such person shall at any time before the expiration of said term of six years, become unable to support and maintain him or herself, and family, if any be, and chargeable to the Town, that may be liable to charge for his, her or their support; in that case every such person with his or her family, if any be, may be removed to the place of his or her last legal settlement, in manner as in said Act is already provided.

And be it further enacted, That any person who shall bring into this State, any poor and indigent person, and leave him or her in any Town within the same, of which Town he or she is not an inhabitant, such person so bringing in and leaving such poor and indigent person, shall forfeit and pay, for every such person so brought in, and left, the sum of Twenty Pounds lawful money, to be recovered in any Court proper to try the same, to, and for the use of such Towne.*

In 1796 a Settlement Act was passed, providing how inhabitants might be admitted into towns, as follows:

AN ACT FOR THE ADMISSION OF INHABITANTS IN TOWNS AND FOR PREVENTING CHARGE ON ACCOUNT OF SUCH AS ARE NOT

ADMITTED THEREIN.

Par. 1. Be it enacted by the Governor and Council, and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, That no Person

*Connecticut Laws, 1784 to 1792, p. 412.

who is not an Inhabitant of this State, or of any of the United States, who may come to reside in any Town in this State, shall gain a legal Settlement in such Town, unless admitted by Vote of the Inhabitants of such Town, or by Consent of the Civil Authority in, and Select-men of such Town, or unless such Person shall be appointed to and execute some public Office.

2. Be it further enacted, That no Person who is an Inhabitant of any of the United States (this State excepted) who may come to reside in any Town in this State, shall gain a legal Settlement therein, unless he have some one of the Requisites enumerated in the preceding Paragraph, or unless he shall have been possessed in his own Right in fee of a real Estate of the value of Three Hundred and Thirty-four Dollars, during his continuance there, but such Person not having gained a Settlement as aforesaid, if the Select-men judge he is likely to become chargeable to such Town, may be removed to the Place of his last legal Settlement, as is hereafter in this Act provided.

3. Be it further enacted, That no Inhabitant of any Town in this State, shall gain a legal Settlement in any other Town in this State, unless he have some one of the Requisites enumerated in the first Paragraph of this Act, or unless he shall have been possessed in his own Right, in Fee of a real Estate of the Value of One Hundred Dollars, in the Town to which he may have removed, during his Continuance therein, or unless he hath supported himself for the Term of six Years, agreeably to a subsequent Provision in this Act.

4. Be it further enacted, That any Inhabitant of any Town in this State, may remove with his or her Family, or if such Person have no Family, may remove him or herself into any other Town in this State, and continue there without being liable to be warned to depart, or to be removed therefrom, except in the Case herein after provided; and shall gain a legal Settlement in the Town to which he or she may have so removed, in Case he or she shall reside in such Town, for the full Term of six Years next, from and after his or her first removal into such Town; and shall during the whole of said Term, have supported him or herself, and his or her Family; if such Person have a Family at the time of said first removal, or at any Time during said Term, without his, her, or their becoming Chargeable to such Town, or to the Town that may by law be liable to Charge for the Support of such Person and Family; but if any such Person shall at any Time before the

Expiration of said Term of six Years, become unable to support and maintain him or herself and Family, if any be, and become chargeable to the Town, that may be liable to charge for his, her, or their Support; in that Case every such Person, with his or her Family, if any be, may be removed to the Place of his or her last legal Settlement, in the same Manner as is hereafter provided in this Act, respecting the removal of Inhabitants of other States.*

5. Be it further enacted, That when an Inhabitant of any of the United States (this State excepted) shall come to reside in any Town in this State, the Civil Authority or major part of them in such Town are hereby authorized (upon the application of the Select-men) if they judge proper, by warrant under their hands directed to either of the Constables of said Town, to order said Person to be conveyed to the State, from whence he or she came; and such Constable on receiving said Warrant, is hereby authorized to execute the same, and the Expence thereof being liquidated and allowed by the Select-men of the Town to which such Constable belongs, shall be paid out of the Treasury of such Town. And also the Expence of conveying an Inhabitant of this State as aforesaid, shall be liquidated, allowed and paid in the same Manner; Provided such Person in either Case has not gained a legal Settlement as aforesaid.

6. Be it further enacted, That the Select-men of any Town be, and they are hereby authorized, either by themselves, or by Warrant from an Assistant or Justice of the Peace, in such Town, directed to either Constable of such Town, which Warrant such Assistant or Justice is hereby authorized to give, to warn any Person not an Inhabitant of this State, to depart such Town, and the Person so warned, shall forfeit and pay to the Treasurer of such Town, One Dollar and Sixty-seven Cents per Week, for every Week he or she shall continue in such Town, after Warning given as aforesaid; and when any such Person who shall be convicted of the Breach of this Act, in refusing to depart on Warning as aforesaid, hath no Estate to satisfy the Fine, such Person shall be whipped on 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. Provided nevertheless, That nothing contained in this Paragraph, or the Paragraph next preceeding, shall be con

* The foregoing paragraph was enacted in May, 1792.

strued to effect Apprentices under Age, or Servants bought for Time.

7. Be it further enacted, That if any Person not an Inhabitant of this State, shall return after such sending away as aforesaid, and abide in said Town from whence sent, after Warning given him to depart as aforesaid, he shall be whipped on the naked Body not exceeding ten Stripes, and may again be sent away, and dealt with as aforesaid, as often as there shall be Occasion; and the Select-men in the respective Towns are hereby empowered and directed to prosecute all Breaches of this Act.

8. Be it further enacted, That if any Inhabitant in any Town, shall contrary to the intent of this Act, entertain or hire any such Person not an Inhabitant of this State, who shall come to reside in such Town, or let any House or Land to such Person, unless such Inhabitant shall first give Security to the Acceptance of the Authority and Select-men of such Town, to save said Town from all Expence that might be occasioned thereby; such Inhabitant shall forfeit and pay to the Treasury of such Town, One Dollar and Sixty-seven Cents, per Week, for every Week he or she shall harbor, entertain, hire, or let Estate as aforesaid.

9. Be it further enacted, That any Person who shall bring into this State any poor and indigent Person, and leave him or her in any Town within the same, of which Town he or she is not an Inhabitant, such Person so bringing in and leaving such poor and indigent Person, shall forfeit and pay for every such Person so brought in and left, the Sum of Sixty-seven Dollars, to be recovered in any Court proper to try the same, to and for the Use of such Town.

10. Be it further enacted, That whosoever shall entertain any Person not an Inhabitant of any Town in this State, for the space of fourteen Days, and the said Person shall, when so entertained, be reduced by Sickness, or otherwise, to necessitous Circumstances, so as to need Relief, the Person so entertaining shall support and sustain the Charge thereof, excepting only when he hath within the said fourteen Days, given sufficient Notice thereof to the Select-men of the Town in which such Person is so entertained, in which Case it shall be defrayed out of the public Treasury of this State, by Order of the Governor and Council, (unless the Person so entertained hath Relations who by Law are liable for his Support) and all Expence that may be incurred in the Support of such Person within the Term of three Months, from