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Goods and Commodityes which shall be Imported into, or Exported out of, any the aforesaid places in any other Ship or Vessell, as alsoe of the Ship or Vessell with all its Guns Furniture Tackle Ammunition and Apparell.

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[III.] And it is further Enacted . . . that noe Goods or Commodityes whatsoever of the growth production or manufacture of Africa Asia or America or of any part thereof. . . be Imported into England Ireland or Wales Islands of Guernsey or Jersey or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede in any other Ship or Ships Vessell or Vessels whatsoever, but in such as doe truely and without fraude belong onely to the people of England or Ireland, Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede or of the Lands Islands Plantations or Territories in Asia Africa or America to his Majesty belonging as the proprietors and right owners therof, and wherof the Master and three fourthes at least of the Mariners are English under the penalty of the forfeiture of all such Goods and Commodityes, and of the Ship or Vessell in which they were Imported with all her Guns Tackle Furniture Ammunition and Apparell. . . .

[IV.] And it is further Enacted . . . that noe Goods or Commodityes that are of forraigne growth production or manufacture and which are to be brought into England Ireland Wales, the Islands of Guernsey & Jersey or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede in English built shiping, or other shiping belonging to some of the aforesaid places, and navigated by English Mariners as abovesaid shall be shiped or brought from any other place or Places, Country or Countries but onely from those of their said Growth Production or Manufacture, or from those Ports where the said Goods and Commodityes can onely or are or usually have beene first shiped for transportation and from none other Places or Countryes under the penalty of the forfeiture of all such of the aforesaid Goods as shall be Imported from any other place next ensuing and expresly named in the said List shall enjoye the priviledge of a Ship belonging to England or Ireland although owned or manned by English (except such Ships only as shall be taken at Sea by Letters of Mart or Reprizal and Condemnation made in the Court of Admiralty as lawfull Prize) but all such Ships shall be deemed as Aliens Ships . . . it is to be understood that any of His Majesties Subjects of England Ireland and His Plantations are to bee accounted English and no others. .." - ED.

or Country contrary to the true intent and meaning hereof, as alsoe of the ship in which they were imported with all her Guns Furniture Ammunition Tackle and Apparel.

[VI.] [Foreign vessels excluded from the English coasting trade.]

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[VIII.] And it is further Enacted . . . That noe Goods or Commodityes of the Growth Production or Manufacture of Muscovy or of any the Countryes . . . to the Great Duke or Emporer of Muscovia or Russia belonging, As alsoe that noe sorts of Masts Timber or boards noe forraigne Salt Pitch Tar Rozin Hempe or Flax Raizins Figs Prunes Olive Oyles noe [sort 1] of Corne or Graine Sugar Pot-ashes Wines Vinegar or Spirits called Aqua-vite or Brandy Wine shall from and after . . . [April 1, 1661]... be imported into England Ireland Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede in any Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels whatsoever but in such as doe truely and without fraude belong to the people therof or of some of them as the true Owners and proprietors therof, and wherof the Master and Three Fourths of the Mariners at least are English, and that noe Currants, nor Commodityes of the growth production or Manufacture of any the Countryes . . . to the Othoman or Turkish Empire belonging shall from and after . . . [September 1, 1661] . . . be imported into any the forementioned places in any Ship or Vessel, but which is of English built and navigated as aforesaid and in noe other, except onely such forraigne ships and vessels as are of the built of that Country or place of which the said Goods are the growth production or Manufacture respectively, or of such Port where the said Goods can onely be or most usually are first shiped for transportation, and wherof the Master and three Fourths of the Mariners at least are of the said Country [and 2] place under the penalty and forfeiture of Ship and Goods.

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[XVIII.] And it is further Enacted.

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. . [April 1, 1661]. noe Sugars Tobaccho Cotton Wool Indicoes Ginger Fustick or other dyeing wood of the Growth Pro

1 sorts in the original Ms.

2 or in the original Ms.

duction or Manufacture of any English Plantations in America Asia or Africa shall be shiped carryed conveyed or transported from any of the said English Plantations to any Land Island Territory Dominion Port or place whatsoever other then to such [1] English Plantations as doe belong to His Majesty . . . or to the Kingdome of England or Ireland or Principallity of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede there to be laid on shore under the penalty of the Forfeiture of the said Goods or the full value thereof, as alsoe of the Ship with all her Guns Tackle Apparel Ammunition and Furniture. . . .

[XIX.] And be it further Enacted . . . That for every Ship or Vessel which from and after . . . [December 25, 1660] . . . shall set saile out of, or from England Ireland Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede for any English Plantation in America Asia [or] Africa sufficient bond shall be given with one surety to the cheife Officers of the Custome house, of such Port or place from whence the said Ship shall set saile . . . That in case the said Ship or Vessel shall loade any of the said Commodityes at any of the said English Plantations, that the same Commodityes shall be by the said ship brought to some Port of England Ireland Wales, or to the Port or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede and shall there unload and put on shore the same, the danger of the Seas onely excepted, And for all ships coming from any other Port or Place to any of the aforesaid plantations who by this permited to trade there, that the Governour of such English plantation shall before the said Ship or Vessel be permited to loade on board any of the said Commodityes take Bond in manner and to the value aforesaid for each respective Ship or Vessel, That such Ship or Vessell shall carry all the aforesaid Goods that shall be laden on board in the said ship to some other of His Majestyes English Plantations, or to England Ireland Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede [under penalty of forfeiture of the vessel, &c.]. . . .

Act are

1 The Ms. inserts other.

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No. 16.

Charter of Connecticut

April 23/May 3, 1662

IN May, 1661, the General Court of Connecticut appointed a committee to prepare a petition for a royal charter. Governor Winthrop, to whom the negotiations were intrusted, had the influential support of Lord Say and Sele and the Earl of Manchester; and in April, 1662, the charter was granted. The boundaries, as defined by the charter, included New Haven. The delay of

the latter colony in proclaiming Charles II., and its tender treatment of the regicides, had brought it into disfavor with the king; and it now, under the lead of Davenport, resisted annexation and appealed to the Commissioners of the United Colonies. But the conquest of New Netherland by the English, in 1664, and the grant to the Duke of York of territory as far east as the Connecticut River, hastened submission; and in December of the latter year a committee was appointed to arrange for the union. A quo warranto was issued against the Connecticut charter in 1684, but judgment was not entered. When Andros demanded the charter, in 1687, it was secreted, and remained hidden until 1689, when, upon the deposition of Andros, government under the charter was resumed. The State constitution of 1776 continued the charter in force, with a few changes, and it remained the fundamental law of Connecticut until the adoption of a new constitution in 1818. REFERENCES. - Text in Connecticut Colonial Records, II., 3-11. Winthrop's instructions, the address to the King, and the letter to the Earl of Manchester, are in ib., I., 579-585. For the proceedings in New Haven, see the New Haven Colonial Records, 1653-1665, passim.

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Charles the Second, [&c.] Whereas . . We have byn informed by the humble Petition of our Trusty and welbeloved John Winthrop, John Mason, Samuell Willis, Henry Clerke, Mathew Allen, John Tappen, Nathan Gold, Richard Treate, Richard Lord, Henry Woolicot, John Talcott, Daniell Clerke, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Obedias Brewen, John Clerke, Anthony Haukins, John Deming, and Mathew Camfeild, being Persons Principally interested in our Colony or Plantation of Conecticutt in New England, that the same Colony or the greatest parte thereof was purchased and obteyned for greate and valuable considerations, And some other parte thereof gained by Conquest and with much difficulty, and att the onely endeavours, expence and Charge of them and their Associates, and those under whome they Clayme, Subdued and improved, and thereby become a considerable enlargement and addition of our Do

minions and interest there, Now Know yea, that .. wee ... by theis presents . Doe Ordeine, Constitute and Declare That they, the said John Winthrop . . . [and others]

and all such others as now are or hereafter shall bee Admitted and made free of the Company and Society of our Collony of Conecticut in America, shall . . . bee one Body Corporate and Pollitique in fact and name, by the Name of Governour and Company of the English Collony of Conecticut in New England in America; . . . And further, wee . . . Doe Declare . . . that for the better ordering and manageing of the affaires and businesse of the said Company and their Successors, there shall be one Governour, one Deputy Governour and Twelve Assistants, to bee from tyme to tyme Constituted, Elected and Chosen out of the Freemen of the said Company for the tyme being, in such manner and forme as hereafter in these presents is expressed; which said Officers shall apply themselves to take care for the best disposeing and Ordering of the Generall busines and affaires of and concerning the lands and hereditaments herein after mentioned to bee graunted, and the Plantation thereof and the Government of the People thereof. And . . . Wee doe . . . appoint the aforesaid John Winthrop to bee the first and present Governour of the said Company; And the said John Mason to bee the Deputy Governour; And the said Samuell Willis, Mathew Allen, Nathan Gold, Henry Clerke, Richard Treat, John Ogden, Thomas Tappen, John Talcott, Thomas Wells, Henry Woolcot, Richard Lord and Daniell Clerke to bee the Twelve present Assistants of the said Company; . . . And further, wee . . . Doe Ordaine . . . that the Governour of the said Company for the tyme being, or, in his absence by occasion of sicknes, or otherwise by his leave or permission, the Deputy Governour shall and may . . . give Order for the assembling of the said Company and calling them together to Consult and advise of the businesse and Affaires of the said Company, And that for ever hereafter, Twice in every yeare, (That is to say,) on every second Thursday in October and on every second Thursday in May, or oftener, in Case it shall be requisite, The Assistants and freemen of the said Company, or such of them (not exceeding twoe Persons from each place, Towne or Citty) whoe shall bee from tyme to tyme thereunto Elected or Deputed by the major

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