| Citation |
BG.753.029
23 Oct 1753:11,12 (43)
The Great and General Court of this province at their
sitting in December last, taking into consideration the
great disorders &c. committed on the fifth of November [Guy
Fawkes Day], pass'd the following act, to prevent the same
for the future, viz.
An Act further preventing all riotous, tumultuous and
disorderly assemblies or companies of persons, and for
preventing bonfires in any of the streets or lanes within
any of the towns of this province.
Whereas many and great disorders have of late years been
committed by tumultuous companies of men, children and
Negroes, carrying about with them pageants and other shews
through the streets and lanes of the town of Boston and
other towns within this province, abusing and insulting the
inhabitants, and demanding and exacting money by menaces and
abusive language; and besides the horrid profaneness,
impiety and other gross immoralities usually found in such
companies, a person has lately been killed when orderly
walking in the streets of the town of Boston, by one or more
belonging to such tumultuous company; and the aforesaid
practices have been found by experience to encourage and
cultivate a mobbish temper and spirit in many of the
inhabitants, and an opposition to all government and order.
Be it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governour council
and House of Representatives, That if any persons being more
than three in number, and being arm'd all or any of them
with sticks, clubs or any kind of weapons, or disguised with
vizards (so called) or painted or discoloured faces, or
being in any other manner disguised, shall assemble
together, having any kind of imagery or pageantry with them
as a publick shew, in any of the streets or lanes of the
town of Boston, or any other town within this province, or
if any person or persons being of or belonging to any
company, having any imagery or pageantry for a publick shew,
shall by menaces or otherwise exact, require, demand or ask
any money or other thing of value from any of the
inhabitants or other persons in the streets, lanes or houses
of any town within this province, every person being of or
assembled with such company, shall for each offence forfeit
and pay the sum of forty shillings, or suffer imprisonment
not exceeding one month; or if the offender shall be a Negro
servant, in lieu of the imprisonment, he may be whipped not
exceeding ten stripes at the discretion of the justice
before whom the trial shall be.
And be it further enacted, that if any persons to the number
of three or more, between sun-setting and sun-rising, being
assembled together in any of the streets or lanes of any
town within this province, shall have any kind of imagery or
pageantry for a publick shew, altho' none of the company so
assembled shall be arm'd or disguised, or exact, demand or
ask any money or thing of value, every person being of such
company shall forfeit and pay the sum of forty shillings, or
suffer imprisonment not exceeding one month, or if the
offender shall be a Negro servant, in lieu of the
imprisonment he may be whip'd not exceeding ten stripes, at
the discretion of the justice before whom the trial shall
be. . . [2 paras]
This Act to continue and be in force for three years from
the publication thereof, and to the end of the session of
this court, then next after, and no longer.
[The foregoing Act was published January 6. 1753]
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