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Lot 298
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Colonial Massachusetts & Early National New York Deal with Pressing Social and Administrative Issues
Colonial Massachusetts & Early National New York Deal with Pressing Social and Administrative Issues
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Description:

Colonial Massachusetts; New York
Massachusetts & New York, ca. 1729-1802
Colonial Massachusetts & Early National New York Deal with Pressing Social and Administrative Issues
Printed document

[MASSACHUSETTS; NEW YORK.] Printed Documents, Acts and Reports, 1729-1802. 12 pp.
- Acts passed during the Reign of King George II, Massachusetts, 1729. Including "An Act in Addition to the Act Intitled, An Act for Allowing necessary Supplies to the Eastern Indians, &c." and "An Act for Erecting a New Town within the County of Middlesex, by the Name of Bedford." 3 pp. [417-419], 8" x 11.5". Edge toning and some edge tears.
- Laws of New-York, Twentieth Session, 1797, containing all or part of five acts, including "An Act for the support of the St. Domingo French Refugees in the City of New-York," "An Act to remove doubts concerning the Courts of Common Pleas and General Session of the Peace in the County of Onondaga," and "An Act Concerning the Supreme Court." 8 pp. [9-16], 5.5" x 9.75". Uncut; punched on left margin for binding; very good.
- Adam Comstock, Report of Committee on Memorial of Anthony Lispenard and four thousand others, March 3, 1802, New York General Assembly, Albany, NY. 1 p., 6" x 9". Very good.

This small collection of acts from eighteenth-century Massachusetts and New York covers a variety of topics from the sale of alcohol to Indians and the creation of a new township in Massachusetts to provisions of relief for white refugees from Haiti and the schedule of the Supreme Court in New York. A final document addresses petitions for revisions to the colonial charter of New York City to make elections more democratic.

Excerpts
["An Act in Addition to the Act Intitled, An Act for Allowing necessary Supplies to the Eastern Indians, &c.":]
"Be it Enacted...That no Person or Persons after the Publication of this Act do presume by themselves or others for them, directly or indirectly to give, sell, barter or exchange any Strong Beer, Ale, Cyder, Perry, Rhum, Brandy, or any other Strong Drink to any Indian or Indians resorting to any of the Truck-houses now built...." (417)

["An Act for Erecting a New Town within the County of Middlesex, by the Name of Bedford":]
"Whereas the Inhabitants of the North-easterly part of Concord, and the Southerly part of Billerica, labour under great difficulties in their Attendance on the publick Worship of GOD, and there-upon have addressed this Court, that the Lands on the North-easterly part of Concord, and the Southerly part of Billerica, lying together, and whereon they dwell, may be erected into a Township, and that they may be set off a distinct and separate Town vested with all the Privileges of a Town:
"Be it therefore Enacted...That the North-easterly part of the said Town of Concord, and the Southerly part of the said Town of Billerica, be and hereby is set off and constituted a separate Township, by the Name of Bedford...." (418)

["An Act for the support of the St. Domingo French Refugees in the City of New-York":]
"Be it enacted by the people of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That a sum not exceeding twenty-five hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to be paid by the treasurer of this state, out of any monies not otherwise appropriated in the treasury, for the support of such of the inhabitants of St. Domingo, resident in the city of New-York, as shall be found in want of such support." (11)

["An Act Concerning the Supreme Court":]
"Be it enacted.. .That from and after the term of January, in the present year, the supreme court of judicature of this state, shall begin, sit, and be held at the four several terms following, to wit, on the last Tuesday of July, and the third Tuesdays of January, April and October in every year...and that the term commencing the last Tuesday of July...shall be held in the city of New-York, and the term commencing on the third Tuesday of October...shall be held in the said city of New-York; and the term commencing on the third Tuesday of January...shall be held in the city of Albany; and the term commencing on the third Tuesday of April shall...be held in the said city of Albany." (13)

[Comstock's Committee Report:]
"That in the opinion of your Committee the primary object of every political institution should be to promote the general welfare of the people—That the police of cities as well as the government of states, should be to preserve the essential interest of the public, and not to enable the few to sacrifice the rights and liberties of the many.
"That all political charters must from the nature of things be (in their operation) matter of experiment; and when the Legislature, who have the power to grant such charters, find by experience, that the primary object of such institution is not thereby obtained, they have the power, and it becomes their duty, to alter, amend or abolish them.
"That your Committee have carefully examined the present charter of the city of New-York, from which it appears, that the equal rights of man were disregarded, and perhaps (at the time) but imperfectly understood; that the promoting the authority of the Monarch, and guarding his regal prerogative, were the primary objects of the grant; and that it abounds with aristocratic and regal features, derogatory of, and inconsistent with the spirit, the principles, and the genius of a Republican Government."
"And that your Committee having also duly considered the case of the Memorialists, are of opinion that they are entitled to relief; have prepared a bill for that purpose, and directed me to ask leave to bring in the same."

Historical Backgrounds
Throughout the colonial era, New England colonists repeatedly tried to limit the sale of alcohol to Indians. As early as 1633, provincial officials in Massachusetts Bay prohibited the sale or gift of alcohol to any Indian. The colony later relaxed its position when it offered a reward of three quarts of wine for any Indian who brought in the head of a wolf. Despite the prohibitions, trade in alcohol with the Indians continued, though many colonists were troubled by the violence that Indian drinking produced against European settlers and other Indians.

Many refugees from the French colony of St. Domingue, now known as Haiti, settled in New York City during the 1790s. Beginning in 1793, they fled the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution. Other refugees settled in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Norfolk, Virginia. Their actions and those of European radicals led Congress to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts. The xenophobia they experienced in the United States and a temporary improvement in political stability in France and St. Domingue caused many of the refugees to return home.

The first New York State Constitution, adopted in 1777, recognized the colonial charters of two cities—New York City and Albany. It also authorized the state legislature to establish new cities and amend a city charter. By 1834, the legislature had passed charters for Brooklyn, Buffalo, Hudson, Rochester, Schenectady, Troy, and Utica. After considering the petition of Anthony Lispenard and four thousand others from the City of New York, the committee delivered a report and proposed "An Act for the better regulation of the election of charter officers in the city of New-York, and designating the qualifications of electors." The House passed a bill for the revision of the city charter in March 1803, but the Senate took no action. The General Assembly finally passed "An Act relative to the election of Charter Officers in the city of New York" in April 1804, loosening the qualifications for voters in New York City to free males of age twenty-one or older, who were citizens of the state, had lived and paid taxes in the city for six months, and were homeowners or rented for at least $25 per year. The bill was passed over the objections of the Council of Revision.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8" x 11.5"; 5.5" x 9.75"; 6" x 9"
  • Medium: Printed document

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