Voted, This Assembly is adjourned till the last Tuesday in March next, which will be the 25th of the said month, then to assemble againe at Newport. March 25th, 1679. Accordinge to the aforesaid adjournment, the Governor, Deputy Governor, Mr. Joseph Clarke, Mr. Caleb Carr and Capt'n John Albro, Assistants, were present. [The Records contain no proceedings of the General Assembly at this session.] Proceedings of the Generall Assembly held for the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at Newport, the 6th of May, 1679. Mr. Joseph Jencks. For Providence. For New Shoreham. For Kings Towne. For East Greenwich. For James Towne. The Governor chosen Moderator. John Sanford, Recorder, chosen Clerke. Voted, Edward Thurston, Jun'r, Bartholomew Hunt, Jun'r, Thomas Brookes and John Coddington, being freemen of the towne of Newport, are admitted freemen of this Collony. Voted, Abiall Tripp being a freeman of the towne of Portsmouth, is admitted a freeman of this Collony. Voted, That John Greene, Jun'r, being a freeman of the towne of Warwick, is admitted a freeman of this Collony. Voted, Henry Mathewson, Charles Mecarta, and Mordica Bouden, being freemen of the towne of East Greenwich, are admitted freemen of this Collony. Voted, That Ebenezer Slocum, Nicholas Carr, Caleb Carr, the sonn of Robert Carr, and Peter Wells, freemen of Jamestowne, are admitted freemen of this Collony. Voted, This Assembly is dissolved. At the Generall Assembly and Election held at Newport, the 7th of May, 1679, at the house of Robert Lovis. The Assembly consisted with the afore written Governor, Deputy Governor, Assistants and Deputys. The Governor chosen Moderator. John Sanford chosen Clerke. Voted, Mr. Thomas Ward shall receive the votes from each person that bring in their votes for the Election, and take care that they be truly brought in, and putt into the hatt. And that Capt'n Samuell Gorton and Mr. Caleb Carr shall open the proxies; and as the election proceeds, putt the votes into the hatt: and that John Williams, and the Recorder shall in writeing take the names of all those that vote. Voted, That the Assembly remove and sitt in the lower roome, for the conveniency of the Election. By the Election, was chosen the following, who were severally engaged. John Potter, of the towne of Warwick, haveing petitioned this Assembly for the sum of thirty-six shillings, currant pay, due to him for service, by him done some yeares since, being Constable, in secureing and sending an Indian to Newport, the said sum is ordered, to be paid by the Generall Treasurer. Upon the petition of John Correy, and John Wood Weaver, to be accommodated with lands at East Greenwich, their petition is granted, and they are to be accommodated as others out of the shares which that are yett not taken up. Voted, Whereas there hath complaint been made that sun dry persons being evill minded, have presumed to employ in servile labor, more than necessity requireth, their servants, and alsoe hire other mens' servants and sell them to labor on the first day of the week for the prevention whereof, bee it enacted by this Assembly and the authority thereof, That if any person or persons shall employ his servants or hire and employ any other man's servant or servants, and set them to labor as aforesaid, the person or persons soe offending, shall upon proof thereof made, pay for every offense by him or them committed, five shillings in money, to the use of the poore of the towne or place in which the offenses are committed; which said five shillings, if the person offending refuse, upon conviction before one Magistrate, to pay; a warrant under the hand of one Magistrate, directed to the Sergeant of the towne, where the offense was committed, shall be his sufficient warrant to take by distraint soe much of the estate of the offending party, together with two shillings for his service therein. if And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That any person or persons shall presume to sport, game or play at any manner of game or games, or shooting on the first day of the weeke as aforesaid, or shall sit tippling and drinking in any tavern, ale-house, ordinary or victualling house on the first day of the weeke, more than necessity requireth; and upon examination of the fact, it shall be judged by one Justice of the Peace; the persons offending as aforesaid, upon conviction before one Justice of the Peace, shall by the said Justice of the Peace be sentenced for every of the aforesaid offenses, to sitt in the stocks three houres, or pay five shillings in money, for the use of the poor of the towne or place where the offense was committed. Voted, Whereas there have been many complaints by masters of ships and other vessells, to the authority in this jurisdiction, that the seamen by them shipped and retained, have been entertained by persons keeping taverns, ale-houses, ordinarys or victualling-houses, to their great neglect and hinderance in their employment; and at the time of their being ready to saile and putt forth to sea, their men are by the per sons aforesaid, attached, imprisoned and kept from their lawfull service to their loss and damage. For preventing whereof, this Assembly doe enact and declare, That if any person or persons, that shall keep tavern, ale-house, ordinary or victualling-house within this jurisdiction, and shall give creditt unto, and trust any seaman or seamen, that shall be shipped and retained by any master of a ship or other vessell, without order from the master of the said ship or vessell, above the sum of five shillings, noe action or suit shall lye or bee for the same. And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons keeping all or any of the houses aforesaid, shall presume to arrest, attach or imprison any seaman or seamen, contrary to this act, he or they and every of them, shall be lyable to pay to the master of the ship or other vessell, the damage or damages that he or they shall sustaine thereby; whoe by himselfe or his attorney may have his action against any person or persons soe offending for the same, as in action of debt. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all ships and other vessells that shall come into any harbour on this Island, or other harbour in this Collony, not under the burthen of twenty tons, the master thereof shall immediately repaire to the Governor (if in Newport), if in any other port in the Collony, then to the head officer in that towne or place, and shall give a just account of their designe, and shall not presume to sett saile out of any of the said harbours without giveing the knowledge thereof to the Governor, or head officer, as aforesaid, before their sailing; and if they remain above ten days in any of the said harbours or ports, they shall then sett up their bills in two public places in that towne or place where they shall come in this Collony, at least three days before they sett saile. Voted, Upon a petition presented to this Assembly by Capt'n John Albro, relating to an action upon an indictment against John Albro, Jun'r, at the General Court of Tryalls, held the 12th of this instant, this Generall Assembly doe enact and declare, That judgment concerning the said John Al |