1779 Pa. Laws 193, An Act. . . for Disarming Persons Who Shall not Have Given Attestations of Allegiance and Fidelity to this State, §§ 4-5.

§ 4. And whereas it is very improper and dangerous that persons disaffected to the liberty and independence of this state shall possess or have in their own keeping, or elsewhere, any firearms, or other weapons used in war, or any gun powder. § 5. ... That from and after the passing of this act, the lieutenant or any sub lieutenant of the militia of any county or place within this state, shall be, and is hereby empowered to disarm any person or persons who shall not have taken any oath or affirmation of allegiance to this or any other state and against whom information on oath shall be given before any justice of the peace, that such person is suspected to be disaffected to the independence of this state, and shall take from every such person any cannon, mortar, or other piece of ordinance, or any blunderbuss, wall piece, musket, fusee, carbine or pistols, or other fire arms, or any hand gun; and any sword, cutlass, bayonet, pike or other warlike weapon, out of any building, house or place belonging to such person.