THIS COURT being desirous to prevent all occasions of Com­plaint referring to the Prophanation of the SABBATH; And as an Addition to former LAWES;

DO ORDER and Enact, that all the Lawes for Sanct­ification of the Sabbath, Order to pre­vent [...] of the Sabbath. and preventing the prophaning thereof, be twice in the year, viz. in March and September publickly Read by the Minister or Ministers on the Lords dayes in their several respective Assemblies within this Jurisdiction; and all people by him Cautioned to take heed to the observance thereof. And the Select men are hereby Ordered to see to it that there be one man appointed to inspect the [Page 50] ten Families of their Neighbours, which Tithing man or men shall and hereby have power in the absence of the Constable to apprehend all Sabbath-breakers; disorderly Tiplers, or such as keep Licensed Houses, or others that shall suffer any disorder in their Houses on the Sabbath-day or evening after, or at any other time, and to carry them before a Ma­gistrate or other Authority, or commit to Prison, as any Constable may do; to be proceeded with according to Law.

And for the better putting a restraint and securing Offenders that shall any way transgress against the Laws [...] Sabbath, either in the Meeting House, by any abusive Carriage, or misbehaviour, by making any noise, or otherwise, A Cage to be Erected. or during the day time, being laid held on by any of the Inhabitants, shall by the said person appointed to inspect this Law, be forthwith carried forth and put into a Cage in Boston which is ap­pointed to be forthwith by the Select Men set up in the Market place, and in such other Towns as the County Courts shall appoint, there to remain till Authority shall examine the person offending, and give order for his punishment, as the matter may require according to the Laws relating to the Sabbath.

QUAKERS-MEETINGS.

AS an Addition to the last Law relating to Quakers meetings,

The Constables of every Town, are hereby Required to make diligent Search in their respective Townes, especially on the Lords day, in all suspected places and houses, and where they know, or may be informed that any Quakers are meet to Celebrate their Irregular and prohibited worship, and are hereby Impowred to break open the doore where they are denyed peaceable entrance, Addition to the Lawes against Qua­kers meeting and such persons as shall be found at such meetings, shall be apprehended and proceeded with and punished as the Law provides in that case; and every Constable neglecting his duty herein, and being Legally convicted thereof, shall forfeit the summ of forty shillings to the use of the County:) And for all such persons that shall be present­ed or complained of for absenting themselves from the publick allowed worship of God on the Lords days, and will not so much as affirme they were there, or necessarily absent by the providence of God, it shall be adjudged a conviction of the breach of the Law, and punished accordingly.

ADMINISTRATIONS.

IT is Ordered by this Court, and the Authority thereof, That when any person Dyeth Intestate, Administrations to be [...] to the estate of persons dying whose Estate is Insolvent, and not sufficient to satisfie the several Creditors, and upon informa­tion thereof given to the Court of that County, the said Court shall grant Administration as the Law directs, and Impower Commis­sioners to receive and examine the Claimes of the several Creditors, [Page 51] and give notice by posting up a Paper in the most publick place in Boston, and in the Town where the person lived, and in the three next adjacent Towns, that all persons concerned may come and make their Claims, and prove their Debts within twelve Months after publication at farthest (unless upon occasion the County Court see cause to give fur­ther time) before the said Commissioners, and such as they shall finde clear and unquestionable Debts, to receive and allow them, and so the said Court shall make a just and equal division to all the Creditors accor­ding to their several proportions so far as the said Estate will extend unto And whatsoever Creditor shall not come in within the time limited as a­foresaid to chalenge and prove his Debt, he shall be debarred from any part of his or her said Debt, How to be divided unless such person afterward can finde some other Estate of the Deceased not found out before, and put into the In­ventory: And any Estate of like nature now depending, and not fully issued by an equal Division among all the Creditors, according to their proportions, shall be settled according as this order directs, any proceed­ings or actings in any Courts or otherwise to the contrary notwith­standing.

In-keepers Liberty.

FOR the advancement of the Countries Commodities;

It is Ordered by this Court and the Authority thereof, Inkeepers liberty to retail Beer at 2 pence, 3 pence 4 pence a quart on condition that all Re­tailers of Strong Beer, being Licensed thereto, shall have liberty to sell strong Beer above two pence per quart, provided they put in of Barley Malt proportionable, viz Beer at three pence per quart three bushels of Malt to a Barrel; at four pence per quart four bushels to a Barrel, any Law, Usage or Custome to the contrary notwithstanding.

Musketiers to provide Snapsacks.

AS an Addition to the Law tit. Military Sect. 7. requiring Pikemen to provide Snapsacks, Musketiers to provide with Snapsacks and being wholly silent as concerning Musketiers;

This Court do Declare that Musketiers are alike required to provide Snapsacks with their other Amunition that Law expresseth.

Indians to be settled in four Plantations.

WHereas after this time of Trouble and War with the Indians, the well-ordering and settlement of those that remain, and are under Command, is a matter of great concernment to the peace and security of the Country, Order to settle our Neighbour Indians in [...] Plantations and the welfare, civilizing, and good education of the said Indians and their Children;

It is hereby Ordered and Enacted, that all such Indian Children or Youths that are settled or disposed by order of Authority, or with their [Page 52] Parents [...] Relations consent to any of the English Inhabitants within this Jurisdiction, shall so remain with them as Servants; and to be taught and instructed in the Christian Religion, until each of them at­ [...] to the age of twenty four years; except by special contract it be otherwise provided: And for such Indian Children Youths or Girls, whose Parents have been in Hostility with us, or have lived a­mong our Enemies in the time of the War, and were brought in by force, and given or sold to any of the Inhabitants of this Jurisdiction, such shall be at the disposal of their Masters or their Assignes. Provided they be instructed in Civility and Christian Religion; And for all other Indians that are admitted to live within this Jurisdiction, as well such as are called Praying Indians as well as others, they shall be reduced to In­habit in four places for the present, Nauck, Punckepaug, Hassanemisit and Wamesit, and within the limits of those Townships, as they are gran­ted to them by the General Court, where they may be continually in­spected, and from time to time ordered and governed by such as this Court or Council shall appoint: And when they are once settled as a­foresaid, a List to be taken of all the Men, Women and Children of the several Companies once a year at least, and kept upon Record with a strict charge and prohibition upon the penalty of the displeasure of this Court, not to receive or entertain any stranger or forreign Indian or In­dians into their society without the knowledge or approbation of Au­thority; Law to [...] our Indians out of [...] and that the Indians about Pascataqua, shall be settled about Quechecho as shall be further Ordered by the Council; and all other Laws and Orders relating to the Indians and made since the War began, as to their confinement to this or that place, or giving liberty to any to take or kill any of them found without the limits appointed are hereby repealed and declared void.

Indians Liberty.

FOR the prevention of all inconveniences that may fall out by the setting of the Indians at liberty, to be freed from any fears of being shot, found out of their limits;

It is hereby Ordered, that all Neighbour Indians and Friends though at liberty to hunt, Order to pre­vent inconven­iences by Indians liberty to travail the woods with their Guns. &c. yet carrying their Guns with them into the woods and not easily discovered whether friends or not, shall and hereby are enjoyned on the sight of any English person, or being called unto, shall immediately lay down his Gun and leaving it, repair to the said English person, and make it out by his certificate from some person in Authority of his name, and place of aboade, and liberty, as aforesaid, or o­therwise, shall be liable to have his Gun took from him, and to be look­ed at as an Enemy; Not to go without cer­tificates nor shall any Indian on this side Merrimack River have liberty to travail the woods with their Guns without a Certificate from Major General Daniel Denison, or Major Daniel Garkin, or on the other side of Merrimack without like Certificate from Major Richard Waldern.

Book-Debts.

IN Answer to the Petition of sundry the Inhabitants of Boston, humbly desiring that the Law respecting Book-Debts be repealed, Law about Book-Debts suspended for 3 years &c.

It is Ordered, that the Law respecting Book-Debts shall be and hereby is suspended for three years longer from this time.

Double Custome for all Wines, Brandy & Rum.

IT is Ordered by the Authority of this Court, Double Cus­tome for all wines, Bran­dy and Rum that the Custome of al Wines, Brandy and Rum Imported into this Jurisdiction shall be doubled from henceforth to what hath been paid.

Prises of Horses to the Country Rate.

WHereas it is manifest that the prises of Horses is much fallen to what they formerly were, and yet by Law are to be Rated at five pounds per Horse;

It is therefore Ordered by this Court and the Authority thereof, that henceforth all Horses and Mares from three years old and upwards, Prises of hor­ses to the Country rate shall be Rated at three pounds in a single Country Rate; between two and three years old at forty shillings; and between one and two years old at twenty shillings; any Law, Custome or Usage to the contrary notwith­standing.

Prises for Disbursements

THis Court doth Order, That all disbursements (since the first of May 1676 relating to the Indian War) according to their seve­ral species, shall be reduced to the prises or valuation hereafter expressed viz. that the prises and payments of all things referring to the premises to be at the Country Rate price.

To Billeting of Souldiers, viz. one man per week, five shillings four pence.

To provision for Souldiers out, i. e. one man per week, five shillings four pence.

The Souldiers Billeting or provision out, as aforesaid from the date of these presents, per week, five shillings.

To Billeting Souldiers by the meale, not ex­ceeding [Page 54] two dayes, after two meales a day, six­penee per meale.

To loss & damage of Armes and furniture as the Committees of militia in the several Towns shall value, at a just and equal price.

To a Horse at grass a day and a night, not exceeding two dayes at a time, Stated prises for all dis­bursements about the War▪ four-pence.

To a Horse at grass one week, one shil. six-pen

To a Horse at dry meat a day & night, not exceeding two dayes at a time, six-pence

To one Horse a week at dry meat, two shill.

To a Horse hire by the week, two shillings.

To a Horse hire for a day or two, not excee­ding four dayes, six-pence per day.

To Horses Imprest as Dragoons, to be paid as Troopers horses.

To Posts as the Law directs.

To Provisions of all sorts, as Bread per hun­dred: Beef, Pork, by the barrel &c. at the cur­rent prizes they are sold at the time they are ta­ken up, to be paid in money.

To Horses lost as the Law directs.

To carting, four oxen & a man, five shil. p. d.

To a man with three Horses & a cart at five shillings per day, and so prportionable.

To Amunition, powder two shillings p. pound musket bullets eight pence per score, and small shot proportionable.

To Ferriage of Souldiers & horses half pri.

To Oates according to two shil. per bushell.

[Page 55] Provided the Billets of Souldiers in parti­cular places, be allowed by the Committee for the Warr: and that the allowances for Ferriage concerning some few particular persons, be sus­pended to further Consideration.

And that all Bills Signed and allowed by the Committee of Militia of the respective Towns according to these Rates, shall be accepted and payed by the Treasurer.