at the Court to be holden at Hallowell, may be continued Actions entered That when and so often as any action or actions, shall be entered and prosecuted at the Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at Hallowell as aforesaid, by any inhabitant or to the Court at inhabitants of the said county, against any person or persons, who at the time of the commencement thereof, shall be an inhabitant or inhabitants of that part of the said county, which lies to the eastward of Damascotta River and Damascotta Great Pond, so called, the Justices of the Court shall ex officio, continue every such action or actions, to the then next Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at Pownalborough as aforesaid, unless the defendant or defendants, shall by him, or themselves, or attorney, consent to a trial. at the Court to be holden at Waldoborough, may be continued to the Court at Pow. nalborough. And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Actions entered That when and so often as any action or actions, shall be entered and prosecuted at the Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at Waldoborough as aforesaid, by any inhabitant or inhabitants of the said county, against any person or persons who at the time of the commencement thereof, shall be an inhabitant or inhabitants of that part of the said county which lies to the westward of Sheepscut River, so called, the Justices of the same Court, shall ex officio continue every such action or actions, to the then next Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at Pownalborough as aforesaid, except as in the preceding clause of this act is excepted. Licences to be granted at the Court in Pownalborough. People of the county not held goal or county And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all licences for innholding, and for retailing of spirituous liquors within the said county, shall in future be granted and allowed, at the Court of General Sessions of the Peace, to be holden annually at Pownalborough as aforesaid, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. And whereas from the events of the late war, a thorough compliance at this time, with the terms of an act of the Legislature of this Commonwealth, made and passed in the present year, entitled, "An act for providing and regulating of prisons" would be peculiarly burthensome and expensive to the good people of the said county; for remedy whereof: It is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the to provide any people of the said county, shall not be held to provide any permanent county house or goal, within the same, except in the town of Pownalborough aforesaid, any thing contained in the said act to the contrary notwithstanding: house, except in Pownalborough. Provided always, and it is to be understood, that the Justices of the said Court of General Sessions of the Peace, shall provide, and they are hereby directed and enjoined, to make such provision from time to time, for the securing of prisoners, who may be committed, and for the holding of Courts at Hallowell and Waldoborough as aforesaid, as shall in their judgment, be best calculated to prevent escapes, and most conducive to the public interest. March 11, 1786. 1785. Chapter 64. [February Session, ch. 25.] AN ACT FOR ANNEXING A CERTAIN TRIANGULAR PIECE OR Chap. 64 PARCEL OF LAND TO THE TOWN OF SANFORD, WHICH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the aforesaid triangular piece or parcel Boundaries. of land, beginning at the south east corner of Shapleigh, from thence running north east seven hundred and sixty rods to the north corner of Sanford; from thence north west seven hundred and sixty rods to said Shapleigh line; from thence south by said line one thousand and sixty rods to the place where it began, containing eighteen hundred and thirty-nine acres, be, and it hereby is, annexed to the town of Sanford, and forever hereafter shall be considered as part of said town. March 11, 1786. 1785.- Chapter 65. [February Session, ch. 26.] AN ACT GIVING TO PAUL REVERE AND JOHN NOYES, THE Chap. 65 EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGE OF ERECTING A STEAM ENGINE, FOR Whereas it is of importance that encouragement should Preamble. be given to promote useful manufactures in this Commonwealth; and whereas Paul Revere, Esq; of Boston, and John Noyes, of Watertown, gentleman, have represented that by considerable expence, labour and application, they have attained a knowledge of the new invented steam engine, and of manufacturing iron in various ways, not before practised in this Commonwealth; and whereas it of the use of the steam engine, granted. appears to this Court, that the use of said steam engine, and every improvement in the iron manufactory must be greatly beneficial to this Commonwealth, and to the United States: Therefore Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority Exclusive right of the same, That the exclusive right of the use of the steam engine aforesaid, for manufacturing iron into flat, round, square, hollow, or any other shaped or fashioned bars, or pieces of iron, for any use or purpose whatever, of which they shall produce patterns as herein after provided, in a manner not heretofore used and practised in this Commonwealth, be, and hereby is, granted to, and vested in the said Paul Revere and John Noyes, their heirs and assigns, for and during the full term of fifteen years, from the time they shall establish their manufactory. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Persons making That no person shall from and after the passing this act, engine, without and during the said term of fifteen years, make use of the steam engine for manufacturing iron as aforesaid, without the consent and licence of said Revere and Noyes, their heirs or assigns, first had and obtained for that purpose. use of the steam consent. Forfeiture. Proviso. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall, from and after the passing this act, and during the said term of fifteen years, make use of the steam engine for manufacturing iron as aforesaid, without the consent and approbation of said Revere and Noyes, first had and obtained for that purpose, every person so offending shall forfeit and pay the sum of One hundred pounds, for each time he, she, or they shall so offend, to be recovered in an action of debt, in any Court proper to try the same, by the said Revere and Noyes, their heirs or assigns, to the use of said Revere and Noyes, their heirs and assigns. Provided, and this act is upon this condition, that the said Revere and Noyes, shall within eighteen months from the passing this act, establish their manufactory in this Commonwealth, and shall prosecute the business for the term of fifteen years aforesaid, and shall within the said term of eighteen months aforesaid, exhibit to the Governour and Council, exact patterns, as nearly as may be of the particular articles they mean to manufacture, and also a model and description of the machinery to be made use of in said manufactory. March 14, 1786. 1785.- Chapter 66. [February Session, ch. 27.] AN ACT FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF FORNICATION, AND FOR Chap. 66 THE MAINTENANCE OF BASTARD CHILDREN. committing Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That if any man commit fornication with any Penalty for single woman, upon due conviction thereof, he shall be fornication. fined to the use of the county where the crime may be committed, not exceeding the sum of Five pounds, nor less than thirty shillings; and if he declare himself unable, or shall neglect for the space of twenty-four hours after passing the sentence, to pay the fine and costs, then he shall be whipped, not exceeding ten stripes, at the discretion of the Justices of the Sessions, before whom the matter shall be tried; and the woman so offending, upon due conviction thereof, shall be fined to the use of the county where the crime may be committed, not exceeding the sum of Three pounds, nor less than six shillings; and if she shall declare herself unable, or shall neglect for the space of twenty-four hours, to pay the fine and costs, then for the first offence, she shall be committed to prison, or to the house of correction, there to remain not more than ten days, nor less than twenty-four hours; and for each offence after the first, she shall pay a fine not exceeding Six pounds, nor less than twelve shillings; and if she shall declare herself unable, or shall neglect for the space of twenty-four hours, to pay the fine and costs, then she shall be committed to prison, or to the house of correction, there to remain not more than thirty days, nor less than forty-eight hours. any woman herself guilty Provided nevertheless, If any woman guilty of the crime Proviso, when aforesaid, shall appear before any Justice of the Peace shall confess within the county where such offence may be committed, before a Justice and confess herself to be guilty as aforesaid, and offer to of the Peace. pay into the hands of the said Justice, for the first offence, the sum of six shillings, and for any offence after the first, the sum of twelve shillings, it shall be the duty of such Justice to receive said fine, or to bind her over to the next Court of General Sessions of the Peace, to be holden within and for said county, at his discretion; and a certificate of the payment of the said fine, signed by the same Justice, and filed in the Clerk's office of the Court of the General Ses When any woman is deliv. ered of, or is pregnant with a bastard child, and shall accuse any man of being the father, &c. he shall be adjudged the sions of the Peace, shall be a full bar to any process against her for the same offence, unless such process be commenced previous to the filing of the said certificate in the Clerk's office as aforesaid. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever any woman who hath been delivered of a bastard child, or being pregnant with a child, which if born alive may be a bastard, shall accuse any man of being the father thereof, before any Justice of the Peace, upon examination on oath, and being put upon the disreputed father. Covery of the truth respecting the same accusation in the time of her travail, shall thereupon accuse the same person of being the father of the child, of which she is about to be delivered, and shall continue constant in such accusation, and shall prosecute him as the father of such child before the Court of the General Sessions of the Peace, in the manner hereinafter prescribed (in which prosecution she shall be admitted as a competent witness, and her credibility be left to the Jury) he shall be adjudged the reputed father of such child, notwithstanding his denial, and stand charged with the maintenance thereof, with the assistance of the mother, as the Justices of the same Court shall order; and shall give security to perform the said order, and to save the town or place which might be otherwise chargeable with the maintenance of such child, free from charge for its maintenance; and may be committed to prison until he find sureties for the same, unless the pleas and proofs made and produced on the behalf of the man so accused, and other circumstances, be such as the Jury, by whom the issue, whether he is guilty or not guilty, shall be tried, shall find him not guilty; in which case the Justices of the said Court shall acquit him thereof; and the verdict of the Jury of the same Court, whether guilty or not guilty, shall be final respecting such issue. Provided, That no woman shall be admitted as a witness as aforesaid, who has been convicted of any crime, which would by law disqualify her from being a witness in any other cause. And every Justice of the Peace, to when complaint whom complaint is made by any woman, that she hath woman, that she been delivered, or is pregnant as aforesaid, and desires a prosecution against the man whom she accuses of being the father of the child, the Justice shall then proceed to take her accusation and examination in writing, under oath, respecting the man so accused, and the time and Proviso. Duty of Justices of the Peace, is made by any is pregnant, &c. |