Discourse Delivered Before the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, February 21, 1842, on the Colonial History of the Eastern and Some of the Southern States (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 edition. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX. 57 struccons, and Purposes whatsoever, as yf they and everieofthem were borne within the Realme of England." It is further provided, (p. 253, ) that the Company shall "have full and absolute Power and Authoritie to correct, punishe, pardon, governe, and rule all such the Subjects of Vs, our Heires and Successors, as shall from Tyme to Tyme adventure themselves in any Voyadge thither or from tlience, or that shall at any Tyme hereafter, inhabite within the Precints and Paries of Newe England aforesaid, according to the Orders, Lawes, Ordinances, Instruccons, and Direccons aforesaid, not being repugnant to the Lawes and Statutes of our Realme of England, as aforesaid." It is evident from these provisions that the colonists laboured under no restrictions, as to the amount of liberty which they might give to the inhabitants. The stipulation on the contrary was, that they should not be curtailed of any of the liberties and immunities which they were entitled to as free and natural-born subjects of the Realm of England. Whether the policy adopted disfranchising all who were not church members, no matter what their estates or personal respectability, was not an abridgement of the rights of British subjects, is a question too plain for discussion. The propositions made by the Commissioners of Charles II. to Connecticut in the year 1665, contain this requisition, "that all men of competent estates, and of civil conversation, (though of different judgment) may be admitted to be freemen, and have liberty to choose, or to be chosen officers, for the military and civil." Letters, &c., by R. R. Hinman, pp. 62-3. The word, freeman, in the Charter, was intended at most to signify a freeholder, . e., that every English natural born subject who...