be no just cause, then for the party that raised the hubbub to satisfy men for their time lost in it.
VI. Agreed, that if any man have a difference with any of the 5 Disposers which cannot be deferred till general meeting of the towne, then he may have the Clerk call the towne together at his [discretion] for a tryall.
Instance. It may be, a man may be to depart the land, or to a farr parte of the land; or his estate may lye uppon a speedy tryall or the like case may fall out.
VII. Agreed, that the towne, by the five men shall give every man a deed of all his lands lying within the bounds of the Plantations, to hould it by for after ages.
VIII. Agreed, that the 5 disposers shall from the date hereof, meete every month-day uppon General things and at the quarter-day to yeeld a new choise and give up their old Accounts.
IX. Agreed, that the Gierke shall call the 5 Disposers together at the month-day, and the generall towne together every quarter, to meete uppon general occasions from the date hereof.
X. Agreed, that the Clerke is to receive for every cause that comes to the towne for a tryall 4d. for making each deed 12d. and to give up the booke to the towne at the yeeres’ end and yeeld to a new choice.
XI. Agreed, that all acts of disposall on both sides to stand since the difference.
XII. Agreed, that every man that hath not paid in his purchase money for his Plantation shall make up his 10s. to be 30s. equal with the first purchasers: and for all that are received townsmen hereafter, to pay the like summe of money to the towne stocke.
These being those things wee have generally concluded on, for our peace, we desireing our loving friends to receive as our absolute determination, laying ourselves downe as subjects to it.
[Thirty-nine signatures follow.]
GOVERNMENT OF RHODE ISLAND—MARCH 16–19, 1641[1]
The Generall Court of Election began and held at Portsmouth, from the 16th of March, to the 19th of the same mo., 1641.
1. It was ordered and agreed, before the Election, that an Ingagement by oath should be taken of all the officers of this Body now to be elected, as likewise for the time to come; the ingagement which the severall officers of the State shall give is this: To the Execution of this office, I Judge myself bound before God to walk faithfully and this I profess in ye presence of God.
2. [Minute of officers elected.]
3. It is ordered and unanimously agreed upon, that the Government which this Bodie Politick doth attend unto in this Island, and the Jurisdiction thereof, in favour of our Prince is a democracie, or Popular Government; that is to say, It is in the Powre of the Body of Freemen orderly assembled, or the major part of them, to make or constitute Just Lawes, by which they will be regulated, and to depute
- ↑ Text in Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England, (Providence, 1856), Vol. I, pp. 111–115.
