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Imposing an Oath

Governmt.

said vnder the colour and pretext aforesaid & respecting only their owne private Lucre and gaine in their publiq Court or Assembly aforesaid held att New England aforesaid to witt att Westm' aforesaid did make and publish one other Law or Ordinance by them de facto enacted to the effect following that is to say That noe man should be vrged to take an oath or subscribe to any Articles Covenants or Remonstrances of publique and Civill nature but such as the Generall Court (meaning the publique Assembly aforesaid) had considered allowed and required And that noe oath of any Magistrate or other Officer should bind him any further or longer then hee was resident or reputed an Inhabitant of that Jurisdiccon (meaning the bounds and premisses in the said Letters Patents aboue specified and granted And forasmuch as of Fidelity to their divers Inhabitants of that Jurisdiccon who had long continued amongst them receiveing Proteccon from that Government had as they were informed vttered offensive speeches whereby their fidelity to that Government might justly be suspected and also that divers strangers of Forreigne parts did repaire to them of whose fidelity they had not that assurance which was comonly required of all Governments Xtt was therefore ordered by that Court and the authority thereof That the County Courts or any one Magistrate out of Court should haue power and were thereby authorized to require the oath of Fidelity of all setled Inhabitants amongst them who had not already taken the same as also to require the Oath in the said Law or Ordinance Vnderwritten of all strangers who after two moneths had their abode there And if any person should refuse to take the respective oath he or they should be bound over to the next County Court or Court of Assistants where if he should refuse should forfeit fiue pounds a week for every week he should continue in that Jurisdiccon (meaning the said places lymitts bounds and the premisses aforesaid in the said Letters Patents exprest and granted) after his said refusall vnlesse he could give sufficient security to the Satisfaccon of the Court or Magistrate for his fidelity during his or their residence amongst them Which said Oath soe as aforesaid in the said Law & Ordinance sub

The Oath.

scribed followed in these words out AB doe acknowledge your selfe subject to the Lawes of this Jurisdiccon dureing your residence vnder this Government, And doe here sweare by the great name of the ever Liveing God and engage your selfe to be true & faithfull to the same and not to plott contrive and conceale any thing that is to the hurt or detriment thereof And that the said Governor and Company of Mattachusetts Bay aforesaid for the space of seaven Yeares last past haue imposed and cause to be imposed to witt att Westm' aforesaid without any other right or authority in that behalfe had or obtained and against our Will the said oath on all Inhabitants and Residents within the places lymitts bounds and premisses in the said Letters Patents aboue expres't & granted in contempt of Our Laws of this Kingdome of England and to the disherison and apparent losse of our Royall State and contrary to the tenor and effect of the said Letters Patents By reason whereof Our service of and for the keeping of our peace and good Rule and Government of Our people there was and is much impeded to the great damage of Our People residing there and to our noe small prejudice and grievance By reason whereof the said Governor and Company of Mattachusetts Bay aforesaid haue forfeited the said Letters Patents And because Wee are Willing that Justice should be done therein Wee therefore comand you (as Wee haue otherwise comanded) that by honest and lawfull men of yo Baylywick you cause to be knowne to the pany. said Governor and Company of Mattachusetts Bay in New England aforesaid that they be before Vs in Our Chancery aforesaid in eight dayes of the Holy Trinity next comeing wherever it shall then be to shew cause if they haue or can why the said Letters Patents soe as aforesaid to them the said Governor and Company made and granted and the Inrollment thereof for the reasons aforesaid forfeited ought not to be cancelled vacated annihilated and restored into our said Court of Chancery there to be cancelled And further to doe and receive what our said Court shall consider in that behalfe and haue you there the names of them by

Directions to summons the

Return of the

Nothing in the

whome you shall make it to be knowne unto them and this Writt Witnes Our selfe att Westm' the Twelveth day of May in the six and Thirtieth yeare of our reigne Att which said eight dayes of the holy Trinity Writt. before our said soveraigne Lord the king that now is in his Chancery here that is to say att Westm aforesaid came the said S Robert Sawyer knight his Mats Attorney Gen" who prosecutes this cause for our said Soveraigne Lord the king in his propper person and the Sheriffe of Middx aforesaid did comand the said other Writt in like manner to be executed and returned in forme That ye Govr following that is to say That the said Governor & Compy have and Company had nothing nor any of them had Bailiwick. any thing in his Baylywick whereby hee might make knowne unto them or any of them nor were they nor any of them found in the same Whereupon the aforesaid ST Robert Sawyer knight the kings Attorney Gen" who prosecutes this cause for our said Soveraigne Lord the king prayed Judgm' and that the said Letters Patents soe as aforesaid to the said Governor and Company made and granted and the Inrollment of the same for the reasons aforesaid forfeited be Cancelled vacated and annihilated and restored into the Chancery of our said Soveraigne Lord the king there to be Cancelled And the said Governor and Company the fourth Day of the Plea of Eight daies of the holy Trinity aboue menconed before the said king in his Chancery here That is to say att Westm1 aforesaid being solemnly called did not appeare but made default whose Default is recorded by the said Court here. Judgment. That Therefore by the said Court here itt is adthat judged That the aforesaid Letters Patents soe be vacated. as aforesaid to them the said Governor and Company made and granted and the Inrollment thereof be vacated Cancelled and annihilated and into the said Court restored there to be cancelled The tenor of which said Judgm' Wee haue thought fitt to be exemplified by these presents En witnes whereof Wee haue caused these our Letters to be made Patent Witnes Our selfe att Westm' the Thirteenth Day of October in the First Yeare of Our Reigne.

tents & Inrolemt

PENGRY.

ORDERS IN COUNCIL, 1660-1 TO 1692.

[These Orders in Council, concerning New England, were copied from the original books of the Privy Council by George Adlard, Esq., and communicated by J. W. Thornton, Esq.-ÉDS.]

At Whitehall, the 13th of February, 1660. Present, The King's most excellent Majestie.

Concerninge the Qualifyinge of ye

tion.

for Naviga

Upon reading a Narrative from the Officers and Commissioners of his Mats Customs, setting forth That some Merchants trading for New England, finde themselves much grieved in respect of the strictnesse of the Act for Navigation (lately passed in Parliament,) requiringe Bond to bee given heere, for such Comodityes as shalbee there laden, That the same shalbee brought to some part of England, Ireland or Wales &c And the Comodityes of that Country, being generally Clove-Boards, Pipe-staves and other Tymber, Fish, and such other Gruff [?] Comodityes do better vend in other parts then heere in England, and, by proceed thereof, Comodityes of greater value from Spain and other parts haue been usually imported into England, and his Matie thereby much advantaged in his Revenew. Upon due consideracion whereof, and at the humble suit of some Merchants, now outward bound, upon that Trade, It is thought fitt, and accordingly this day Ordered by this Board (his Majestie present in Council,) That the Right hon the Lord High Treasurer of England do giue power and authority to the Officers and Commissioners of his Mats Customes in this

bl

Port of London, That they take Bond of the Merchants tradeing to those parts, onely to returne the Proceed of those Comodityes that they shall there lade, and not binde them up to returne the Comodityes in specie, the said Clause in the said Act of Navigacion notwithstanding. And further, That the Lord High Treasurer bee (and accordingly hee is) hereby desired to write his effectuall Letters to the Governour of that Plantation, givinge him the same liberty to take the like Bond there, as being most conducible to the benefit and advantage of Trade, and Improvement of his Majesties Revenew. - [Charles II. Vol. II. p. 126.]

At Whitehall the 17th of May 1661. Present, The King's most excellent Majesty.

Committee for

It was then ordered by his Majestie in CounNew-England. cell, That the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seale, the Duke of Albemarle, the Duke of Ormond, the Lord Chamberlaine, the Earle of Anglesey, Lord Viscount Say & Seale, Lord Hollis, Lord Cornwalleis, Sir Edward Nicholas, and Sr. William Morice Knts principall Secretaryes of State, should bee a Committee touching the settlement of the Government of New-England, and to that end that they or any 4 or more of them should first meete at Worcester-house upon Tewesday next at 3 in the afternoone, then to consider of drawing up and framing such Letters, Proclamations or Orders as they shall judge fitt to offer to his Majestie to signe or publish in referrence to the settlement of the Government of that Plantation., And afterwards the said Committee to meete at such time & place as they shall from time to time appoint, untill they haue perfected that affaire

Charter of Corpo

England.

Whereas Mr Attorney Generall had formerly ration for New directions to prepare a Charter of Corporation for New England, and to insert therein such names as hee should receive Order for; Whereupon the names of the persons hereafter mencioned beeing this day read and approved of at the Board; It was thereupon Ordered in Councell that M' Attorney Generall should

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