EXTRACTS FROM THE BLUE LAWS OF VIRGINIA. 1662.-All persons that shall be cast in any cause (whether Plaintiff or Defendant,) shall be emerced, besides damages and costs, 50 lbs. of Tobacco in General Courts, and in County Courts 30 lbs. of Tobacco, to be levied by the Sheriffs of the respective Counties by distress, (Executors and Administrators excepted.) Every man able to bear arms, shall have in his house a fixed Gun, 2 lbs. of powder, and 8 lbs. of Shot at least, to be provided by the master of the Family, under the penalty of being fined 50 lbs. of Tobacco. 1662. All causes of what nature soever, may be tryed at the County Courts, except for Life or member. No arrests shall be to the General Court under the value of 1600 lbs. of Tobacco, or £16 Sterling. 1662.-Every person who refuses to have his child Baptized by a lawful Minister, shall be amerced 2000 lbs. of Tobacco; half to the Parish, half to the informer. 1662. A church shall be built in each parish of the country, unless the Inhabitants are so few and poor as they are incapable of so great a charge: then they shall be an nexed to some great parish of the same county, and a chapel of ease built for them. For the more orderly managing of all parochial affairs, twelve of the most able men of every parish shall be chose to make a Vestry; out of which number, the minister and Vestry shall choose two church wardens yearly. None shall be admitted of the Vestry without taking the oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, and subscribing to be conformable to the church of England. The whole Liturgy of the church of England shall be thoroughly read at church or chapel, every Sunday; and the Canons for divine service and sacraments duly observed. No other Catechism shall be taught or expounded than the church Catechism inserted in the Book of common prayer. Church Wardens shall present at the County Court twice every year, in December and April, such misdemeanors of Swearing, Drunkness, Fornication, &c., as by their own knowledge, or common fame, have been committed during their being Church Wardens. To steal, or unlawfully to kill any Hog that is not his own, upon sufficient proof, the offender shall pay to the owner 1000 lbs. of Tobacco, and as much to the informer: and in case of inability, shall serve two years, one to the owner, and one to the informer. He that brings home a Hog, or Hogs, without their Ears, shall be adjudged a Hog Stealer. The receiver shall be accounted an actor in the trespass. Where a Freeman is punishable by Fine, a servant shall receive corporal punishment, viz., for every 500 lbs of Tobacco, 20 lashes, and so proportionable, unless the master, or other, will redeem them by making payment, 1662.-The Man and Woman committing Fornication, shall pay each 500 lbs of Tobacco, and to be bound to their good behaviour. If either of them be a servant, the master shall pay the 500 lbs. of Tobacco, and the servant shall serve half a year longer than his time. If the master shall refuse to pay, then the servant to be whipt. If a Bastard be got and born, then the woman to serve her master two years longer than her time, or pay him 2000 lbs. of Tobacco; and the reputed Father to give security to keep the child. 1662.-No Indians shall come into the English bounds without a Badge in their company to shew what King they belong to, and if any damage or injuries be done by any of them to any Englishman, then the King, or great man of the place the badge denotes, shall be answerable for it. No person of whatever quality, shall entertain any of the neighbouring Indians without licence from the Governour. 1662.-No marriage shall be reputed valid in law but such as is made by the minister according to the laws of England. And no minister shall marry any person without licence from the Governour or his Deputy, or thrice publication of Bans, according to the Rubrick in the common prayer Book. The minister that doth marry contrary to this act, shall be fined 10,000 lbs. of Tobacco. Glebe shall be laid out in every parish, and a convenient House built for the Minister, and such provision made for his maintenence, in the valuable and current commodities of this country, as may be rally worth 80£ per An. besides his perquisites and Glebe, viz., if in Tobacco, at 12s per hundred; in corn, 10s. per Barrel; if in Bills of exchange, security for thé certain payment; and in case of protest, he shall recover 50 per cent damages. 1662. All persons keeping tipling Houses without li cence, shall be fined 2000 lbs. of Tobacco, half to the county, and half to the informer. No master of any Ship, Vessel, &c., shall transport any person out of this colony without a pass under the Secre taries hand, upon the Penalty of paying all such debts as any such person shall owe at his departure, and 1000 lbs. of Tobacco to the Secretary. The Court in every county shall cause to be set up near the Court House, a Pillory, a pair of Stocks, a Whipping Post, and a Ducking Stool, in such place as they shall think convenient: which not being set up within 6 months after the date of this Act, the said Court shall be fined 5000 lbs. of Tobacco. 1662. In actions of slander occasioned by a mans wife, after judgment past for damages, the woman shall be punished by Ducking, and if the slander be such as the Damages shall be adjudged at above 500 lbs. of Tobacco, then the woman shall have ducking for every 500 lbs. of Tobacco adjudged against the Husband, if he refuse to pay the Tobacco. Enacted that the Lords Day be kept holy, and no journeys be made on that day unless upon necessity. And all persons inhabiting in this country having no lawful excuse, shall every sunday resort to the parish church or chappel, and there abide orderly during the common prayer, preaching, and divine service, upon the penalty of being fined 50 lbs. of Tobacco by the County Court. This act shall not extend to Quakers, or other Recusants, who totally absent themselves, but they shall be liable to the penalty imposed by the Stat. 23, Eliz. viz., £20 sterling for every months absence, &c., and all Quakers assembling in unlawful conventicles, shall be fined every man so taken, 200 lbs. of Tobacco for every time of such meeting. All ministers officiating in any public cure, and 6 of their Family, shall be exempted from public Taxes. 1663. If any Quakers, or other Separatists whatsoever in this colony, assemble themselves together to the number of 5 or more, of the age of 16 years, or upwards, under the pretence of joyning in a Religious worship not author ised in England or this country, the parties so offending, being thereof lawfully convicted by verdict, confessions, or notorious evidence of the fact, shall for the first offence forfeit and pay 200 lbs. of Tobacco; for the second offence 500 lbs. of Tobacco, to be levied by warrant from any Justice of the Peace, upon the goods of the party convicted; but if he be unable, then upon the goods of any other of the Separatists or Quakers then present. And for the third offence, the offender being convicted as aforesaid, shall be banisht the colony of Virginia. Every master of a Ship or Vessel that shall bring in any Quakers to reside here after the 1st of July next, shall be fined 5000 lbs. of Tobacco, to be levied by distress and sale of his goods, and enjoyned to carry him, her, or them out of the country again. Any person inhabiting this country, and entertaining any Quaker in or near his House to preach or teach, shall for every time of such entertainment, be fined 5000 lbs. of Tobacco. 1665.—The sale of Arms to the Indians shall be wholly prohibited, and whosoever shall sell or barter Powder, Shot, Guns or Ammunition, to any Indian, shall be fined 10,000 lbs. of Tobacco, or suffer two years Imprisonment for the first offence, and for the second be prosecuted as a Felon. Where any Englishman is murdered by the Indians, the next Indian town shall be answerable for it with their lives and liberties. 1667.-Enacted and declared, that Baptism of the children of Slaves, or those of greater groth, doth not alter the condition of the person as to his Bondage or Freedom. 1668.—The 27th of August appointed for a day of Humiliation fasting and prayer, to implore Gods mercy; if any person be found upon that day, Gaming, Drinking or working, (works of necessity excepted) upon presentment |