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Thomas Wetmore, Commissioner, The Charter and Ordinances of the City of Boston: Together with the Acts of the Legislature Relating to the City Page 142-143, Image 142 (1834) available at The Making of Modern Law: Primary Sources.

  • Year:
  • 1783
Category:
Jurisdiction:

An Act in Addition to the Several Acts Already Made for the Prudent Storage of Gun Powder within the Town of Boston. Whereas the depositing of loaded arms in the houses of the town of Boston, is dangerous to the lives of those who are disposed to exert themselves when a fire happens to break out in said town. § 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, That if any person shall take into any dwelling house, stable, barn, out house, ware house, store, shop or other building within the town of Boston, any cannon, swivel, mortar, howitzer, cohorn, or fire arm, loaded with or having gunpowder in the same, or shall receive into any dwelling house, stable, barn, out house, store, ware house, shop, or other building within said town, any bomb, grenade, or other iron shell, charged with, or having gun powder in the same, such person shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds, to be recovered at the suit of the firewards [duties of Firewards transferred to Engineers,] of the said towns, in an action of debt before any court proper to try the same; one moiety thereof, to the use of said Firewards, and the other moiety to the support of the poor of said town of Boston. § 2. Be it further enacted, That all cannons, swivels, mortars, howitzers, cohorns, fire arms, bombs, grenades, and iron shells of any kind, that shall be found in any dwelling house, out house, stable, barn, store, warehouse, shop or other building, charged with or having in them any gunpowder, shall be liable to be seized by either of the Firewards of said town; and upon complaint made by the said Firewards to the Court of Common Pleas, of such cannon, swivels, mortars, or howitzers, being so found, the Court shall proceed to try the merits of such complaint by a jury; and if the jury shall find such complaint supported, such cannon, swivel, mortar or howitzer, shall be adjudged forfeit, and sold at public auction; one half of the proceeds thereof shall be disposed of to the Firewards, and the other half to the use of the poor of the town of Boston. And when any fire arms, or any bomb, grenade, or other shell, shall be found in any house, out house, barn, stable, store, ware house, shop or other building, so charged, or having gun powder in the same, the same shall be liable to be seized in manner aforesaid; and on complaint thereof, made and supported before a Justice of the Peace, shall be sold and disposed of, as is above provided for cannon.