554 Affrays . - Sabbath Breakers , gc .

A . D . 1786 . A . R . C . 11 .

C . 140 . An act forbidding and punishing Affrays . *

[ Passed November 27 , 1786 . ]

Punishment of Be it enacted by the General Assembly , That no man , great persons going arm . nor small , of what condition soever he be , except the ministers ed before courts of

emie of justice in executing the precepts of the courts of justice , ar nisters of justice , in executing of their office , and such as be in their company , or in fairs or mar , assisting them , be so hardy to come before the justices of any kets , in terror of

court , or other of their ministers of justice , doing their office , the country . St . Northamp .

with force and arms , on pain to forfeit their armour to the Com 2 Ed . 3 , e . 3 . monwealth , and their bodies to prison , at the pleasure of a

court ; nor go nor ride armed by night nor by day , in fairs er markets , or in other places , in terror of the country , upon pain of being arrested and committed to prison by any justice on his own view , or proof by others , there to abide for so long a time as a jury , to be sworn for that purpose by the said justice , shall direct , and in like manner to forfeit his armour to the Com monwealth ; but . no person shall be imprisoned for such offence by a longer space of time than one month .

C . 1413 A . D . 1792 . An act for the effectual suppression of vice , and punishing the A . R . C . 17 .

disturbers of religious worship , and Sabbath Breakers . t

[ Passed December 26 , 1792 . ] Punishment for 1 . Be it enacted by the General Assembly , That , if any per profane swearing , con

ins , son or persons shall profanely swear or curse , or shall be drunk , cursing , or drun Kenness .

he , she or they so offending , for every such offence , being thereof convicted by the oath of one or more witnesses , ( which oath any justice of the peace is hereby empowered and required to administer , ) or by confession before one or more justice or jus tices of the peace in the county or corporation where such offence shall be committed , shall forfeit and pay the sum of eighty - three cents for every such offence ; or , if the offence or offences be committed in the presence and hearing of one of more justice or justices of the peace , or in any court of record in this Commonwealth , the same shall be a sufficient convic . tion without any other evidence , and the said offender shall , upon such conviction , forfeit and pay the sum of eighty - three cents for every such offence ; and , if any person or persons shall refuse to make present payment , or give sufficient secu rity for the payment of the same in a reasonable time , not

• 1786 , c . 49 ; 1792 , edi . 1794 , 1803 , and ' 14 , c . 21 ; took effect July 1 , 1787 ; vid . acts of 1786 , c . 115 , 85 ; ante . c . 43 .

Former general law touching these subjects ; 1792 , edi , 1794 , 1805 , and 1814 , c . 138 .