Obligation of the States to abide by the determination of con

grefs, &c.

ART. XIII. EVERY ftate fhall abide by the determinations of the united ftates in congrefs affembled, on all questions which by this confederation are fubmitted to them. And the Articles of this confederation fhall be inviolably obferved by every ftate, and the union fhall be perpetual; nor fhall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless fuch alteration be agreed to in a congrefs of the united states, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every ftate.

THESE Articles fhall be propofed to the legislatures of all the united states, to be confidered, and if approved of by them, they are advifed to authorize their delegates, to ratify the fame in the congress of the united states; wh.ch being done, the fame fhall be come conclufive.

By order of Congress,

HENRY LAURENS, PRESIDENT,

A Catalogue of the several Acts, in alphabetical Order.

Equity, as to Depreciation,

49

Error.

50

Actions civil.

3

Eftates, confifcated.

56

Adultery.

8

Excife.

58

Executions.

σε

Page

135

.135

143

144

A Catalogue of the feveral Acts, in alphabetical Order.

138 Secretary.

218

142 | Select-men,

218

Sewers,

219

144 Sheep.

222

Sheriffs.

223

Mountebanks.

161

Slaves.

233

235

Stocks.

237

238

N

AVIGATION.

162

Subjects, French,

238

New-Haven City.

164

Surveyors.

239

Night-walkers.

180 Swine.

240

Abstract and Declaration of Rights, &c.

TOUTENS

GILL

Ι

ACTS AND LAWS,

Paffed by the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the State of CONNECTICUT.

An Act containing an Abstract and Declaration of the Rights and Privileges of the People of this State, and securing the fame.

THE

E People of this State, being by the Providence of God, free and indepen dent, have the fole and exclufive Right of governing themselves as a free, fovereign, and independent State; and having from their Ancestors derived a free and excellent Conftitution of Government, whereby the Legislature depends on the free and annual Election of the People, they have the best Security for the Prefervation of their civil and religious Rights and Liberties. And forafmuch as the free Fruition of fuch Liberties and Privileges as Humanity, Civility and Christianity call for, as is due to every Man in his Place and Proportion, without Impeachment and Infringement, bath ever been, and will be the Tranquility and Stability of Churches and Commonwealths; and the Denial thereof, the Disturbance, if not the Ruin of both..

E it enacted and declared by the Governor, Council, and Reprefenta tives, in General Court affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the ancient Form of Civil Government, contained in the Charter from Charles the Second, King of England, and adopted by the People of this State, fhall be and remain the Civil Conftitution of this State, under the fole Authority of the People thereof, independent of any King or Prince whatever. And that this Republic is, and fhall forever be and remain, a free, fovereign and independent State, by the Name of the STATE OF CONNECTICUT.

Preamble.

Conftitution

and name of the State.

And be it further enacted and declared by the Authority aforefaid, That no General feMan's Life fhall be taken away: No Man's Honor or good Name fhall curity of the be flained: No Man's Perfon fhall be arrested, reftrained, banished, dif- rights of the membered, nor any Ways punished: No Man fhall be deprived of his Wife people.

A

or

2

Abatement and Amendment of Writs.

or Children: No Man's Goods or Eftate fhall be taken away from him, nor any Ways indamaged under the Colour of Law, or Countenance of Authority; unless clearly warranted by the Laws of this State.

That all the free Inhabitants of this or any other of the United States of Equal juftice America, and Foreigners in Amity with this State, fhall enjoy the fame Juf

to be admi.

niftred.

No perfon to be imprison

cd without law-and

tice and Law within this State, which is general for the State, in all Cafes proper for the Cognizance of the Civil Authority and Court of Judicature within the fame, and that without Partiality or Delay.

And that no Man's Perfon fhall be restrained, or imprisoned, by any Authority whatsoever, before the Law hath fentenced him thereunto, if he can and will give fufficient Security, Bail, or Mainprize for his Appearance and good Behaviour in the mean Time, unless it be for Capital Crimes, all cafes, ex- Contempt in open Court, or in fuch Cafes wherein some exprefs Law doth allow of, or order the fame.

bailable in

cept, &c.

Writs abat

ed, and amendable on payment of cofts.

No writ a

An Act relating to the Abatement and Amendment of
Writs, reverfal of Judgments, &c.

Baffembled, and by the authority of the Jame, That when any Plea fhall be

E it enacted by the Governor, Council, and Representatives, in General Court

made in Abatement of any Writ or Procefs, before the Superior or County Court, or before any Affiftant or Juftice of the Peace, that if it be ruled in Favour of the Defendant, the Plaintiff shall have Liberty to amend that Defect, on his paying down to the Defendant his Cofts to that Time; and then to proceed as he might have done if no fuch Defect had been: And in Cafe the Defendant appeal from a Judgment given on Pleas of Abatement and shall not make good his Plea, by the Judgment of that Court to which he appeals, Costs shall by fuch Court be awarded against him, however the Cafe fhall finally iffue, and Execution granted for the fame.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That no Writ, Pleadbateable for ing, Judgment, or any Kind of Proceeding in Court or Courfe of Justice, fhall be abated, fufpended or reverfed for any Kind of circumftantial Errors, Miftakes or Defects, if the Perfon and the Caufe may be thereby rightly understood and intended by the Court.

circumftanti

al error.

Death of the party fhall not abate the writ, in case originally profecutable by or against

the executors, &c.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That when any Action being commenced fhall be depending in any of the Superior or County Courts in this State, and the Plaintiff in fuch Action fhall afterward, and before final Judgment thereon die, the fame fhall not abate if the Action might originally be profecuted by his Executor or Administrator, but in fuch Cafe the Executors or Adminiftrators may enter, if they fee Cause, and profecute the fame. And if the Defendant in any Action die, after the fame is commenced and depending as aforefaid, and before final Judgment, then the fame shall not abate, if fuch Action might be originally profecuted against his Executors or Adminiftrators, and the Plaintiff, or the Executor or Administrator of such Plaintiff may in fuch Cafe, have a Scire Facias against the Executors or Adminiftrators of fuch deceased Defendant, to fhew Cause why Judgment fhall not be rendered against them; which being duly ferved, at least twelve Days before the Court, to which the fame is returnable, and returned, the Action shall proceed to final Iffue according to Law.

And be it further enaded, That if in any Action commenced, there be two or more Plaintiffs or Defendants, and one or more of them die, pend

ing