Connecticut Historical Collections

Tlie pursuit of the Peipiots to the westward led to an acijuainlance will) (lu; lands du the sea-coast, liom Say brook to Faiilield. It was reported lo be a veiy fine country. 'J'his I'uvoirJjJe report iiuhiced jMr. F.aloii, Mr. Hojikins, tiio Uev. .Mr. Davenport, and others, who emi- Rratt'd fioin London lo Massachusetts, in 1037, lo think of this part of llic coiinlry as ihe jiku-e of tlieir settlement. Their friends in Alassa- cliusc'ils, extremely unwillin;; lo jiait with acomjiany of such respecta- bility, endeavored lo dissuade them from their purpo.=;e. Influenced, however, by the invitin^^ prospects which the couniry promised, and flattering themselves that they should he out of tlie jurisdiction of the other colonies, and that they should be able to form such a government as woidd be most aL^reeable to them, they determined to proceed. Ac- {•ordin'jly, on the 30tli of March, l(V38, they sailed from Boston for (Juinnipiac, now New Haven, and laid the f(jundation of a tlourishing colony. The inbabltanis of Hartford, Windsor and Weihersfield, finding them- selves without the limits of the Massachusetts [)atent, fuiincd themselves inio a distinct commonwealth. On the Idth of January, 1039, all the frci; planters convened at Hartford, and adojiled a constilution of civil i;ovtTnment. 'l"he fullowini^f is the preand^le and constitution adopted at liiii ii(ne. " riora.Mu:i.:li ;i.s it li:itli plcas>>(l iliu' Aliiii-I.ly Cio.l, l.y l!ie v, i-j i!i>po .i:i'.ii of his iliviae iMoviiicncf, so lv» ouler ami iii>|>oM; of tliinf;*, lli.ii wi- il.i.' Ilihi^lllIiUll^ and K•^i- licnts uf \Vintisi)r, llnrirord nnil \VoiillH'i>reil(.l, mo nowculialiiiiiij,', aini ilwclliiig in and ii|)j)uii llic river ol ComieiictiU, nml ilie lauds ihciclo adjuuiiiif^, ami well kimw- iiif,' when a pouplc arc >^uihoi\(l iDgftlifr, tiie wurd of (Jod requires, iliai lo mciniL-ine Ilie pt-acu and nnidn ol'.siicii a iieopli.', lliere should bee an ordtily and deceni, tro\eine- incnt eslablished according to God, lo order and di.-po>e of the all'aues ol' the |ieo|ile ai all seasons as oecassnui j-hall rcqnii-e; doe ihercfuic asscciiitc and ccjiijoinc oui-- scU'es lo bee as oiii; jiublHiui' S'r.vi'K or (.'oivimo.nwk u/j u ; and dec lur oniselvcs anil our snccessors, and suidi a.^ shall bee adjoined lo us al any lime hercalier eiilcr mlo combinaii.in and cuiilei.!i:ration toj^eihi.i', to nicinleiiie and pi oei vc ihe iildicrly ami purity of the Liospell ol' our Loid Jesus, which ue now prolc^s^ as aho the discipline of ih'e churches, which, accoiding to the Uuili of the said Go^pell, is now pracii.-.ed amongst us ; as allso in our civill allaircs to lie guided and govci ncd ;,ccoidiiig to sucli hiwes, lules, orders, and decrees, as shall bee made, ordered, and dccuctl, as lollowetli: " 1. U isurcltrcl, icnttaccd, and decried, Thai ihere shall bee ycaily tuoGeiierall Assembly's or Courts, the cjiie the second I'lniisday in Aprill, the (jthcr the sccoiid Thursday in Seplcinber following: The lirsl shall be called the Couite of Election, wlierein shall bee yearly chosen, I'rom time lu lime, so many magistiates and olher publique ollicers, as shall bee found requl^ite, uiiereof one to be cliosen Governor for the year ensuing, and until another bee chosen, and no other magistiaie to bee cho- sen for more then one yeare; provided always, there bee six clmsen besides ihe Gov- ernor, which being chosen and sworne, according to an oath recordeii for that pur- jiose, shall have [Jower to administer justice according to the laues heie establisiietl, Mason's History. 11 OUTLINK HISTORY. and for want thereof, according to the rule of ilie word of G(h1; which choyce shall bee made by all that are adinitleil Freemen, and have taken the oath ol' hdelily, and do cohabit within this jiirissdicliun, having beene adniuied inliabitanis by the major parte of the town where ihey live or tlie major pane ol'such as shall bee then present. "2. It is urdcred, sentenced, and decreed, That llie Election ot' the aforesaid magis- trate shall bee on this manner; every person pieseiii and ([ualificd for choyce, shall bring in (lo the persons deputed to receive ihem) one single paper, with the name of him written in it whom he desires tu have GuveVnor, and hee that hath the greatest number of papers shall bee Governor for that yeare: And liie rest of the Magistrates or pubiiqLie officers, lobe chosen in this manner; the Secretary for tlie lime being, shall hrst read the names of all that are to bee juit to chovce, and then shall severally nominate them distinctly, and every one that v\ould havelhe peison nominated to bee chosen, shall bring in one single paper written u|)pon, and hee that would nut have him chosen, shall bring in a blanke, and every one that hath more written pajjcrs ihan blanks, shall bee a magistiate for that yeare, which papers shall bee received and told by one or more that shall bee then chosen, by ihe Courte, and sworn lo bee laithfuU therein ; but in case there should not bee six persons as aforesaid, besides ihe Gover- nor, out of those which are nominated, then hee or they which have the rnu.st written papers, shall bee a Magistrate or Magistrates for the en.suing \care, to make up the albresaid number. "3. // is ordered, sentenced, and decreed. That the .Secretary shall not nominate any person, nor shall any peison bee chosen newly into ihe Magistracy, wIulIi was not propounded in some General Courte belure, to bee nominated the next election : And to thai end, it shall be lawfull fof each of ihe Towncs aluresaid, by their Dejuities, to nominate any two whoe ihey conceive lilt to be put to election, and the Courte may add so many more as they judge rccjui.stle. "4. It is ordered, scnleitced, and decreed, Thal'no person bee chosen Governor above once in two years, and that the Governor bee always a member of some approved con- gregation, and formerly ol the magistrac}^, within this .Turissdiction. and all the Ma- gistrates, (freemen of this Commonwealth ; and that no Magistrate or other publiipie Officer, shall execute any parte ol' his ortheire office before Uiey are severally swoine, which shall bee done in the face of the Coune, if they bee present, and in case of ab- sence by some deputed for that purpose. "5. it is urdcred, sentenced, and decreed, That lo the albresaid Courle of Election, the severall Townes shall send iheire Deputies, and when the fllcciions are ended they may proceed in any publique service, as at other Courlcs ; allso, the other Gen- erall Courle in September, shall bee lor making of lawes and any other publique occassion, which concerns ihe good of the Commonwealth. " G. It IS ordered, sentenced, and decreed, That the Governor shall, either by himselfe or by the Secretary, send out summons to the Constables of every Towiie, for the call- ing of these two standing Courts, one month at h.Msi before iheire seveiall liine.-,: And allso, if the Governor ami the greatest parte of lUc m iLri^iiaies see cause, uppon any speciall occassion, lo call a Generall Courle, th.y m iv give order lo the Secretary so to doe, withm foiirlernc dayes warning, and if urgi m necessity so lequire, uppon a shorter notice, giving sullicient grounds for it, to The Deputys, when they meete, or else, bee (juestioneil for the same; and if tlie Olovenior and major parte of the Magis- trates, shall either neglect or refuse, to call the two Generall standing Courts, or either of them ; as allso, at other limes, when the occassions of the Commonwealth require ; the Freemen thereof, or the major parte of them, shall petition to ihem so to doe, if then it bee either denied or neglected, the said Freemen or the major pane of them, shall have power to give order lo the Constables of the severall Towns lo doe the same, and so many meele together and choose to themselves a moderator, and may proceed to doe any act of power which any other Geneiall Courle may. " 7. // is ordered, sentenced, and decreed, That after there are warrants given out for any of the said Generall Courts, the Constable or Constables of each Towneshall Ibrlh- with give nolice distinctly to ihe inhabilants of tlie same, in some publique Assembly, or by going or sending from howse lo howse, that at a jilace and time, by hiin or them limited and sell, ihey ineele and a.ssemble iheniseh es together, lo elect and choose cer- laine Deputies, to bee at llie generall Courle then following, lo agitate the allaires of the Commonwealth ; v.hichsaid Deputies, shall bee chosen by all that are admitted inhabilants in the severall Towns and have taken the oath of lideliiy ; provided, that none bee chosen a Deputye for any Generall Courte which is nol a Freeman of this Commonwealth: The aforesaid De|)ntyes shall bee chosen in manner following: Ev- ery person that is piescnl and qualilied as before expressed, shall bring the names of such wrilten in severall papers, as ihey desiie to have chosen, for that employment; and these three or Ibure, more or less, being the number agreed on lo bee chosen, lor kijr; that time, that have greatest number of papers written for them, shall be Depulyes OUTLINE HISTORY. 15 for that CoHrte; whose names shall be indorsed on the backside of the warrant and returned into the Courle, svith the Constable or Constables hand unto the same.