or children; no man's goods or estate shall be taken away from him, nor any way endangered under colour of law, or countenance of authority, unless it be by virtue or equity of some express law of this colony, warranting the same, established by the general court, and sufficiently published; or in case of the defects of a law in any particular case, by some clear and plain rule of the word of God, in which the whole court shall concur."[1] The trial by jury, in civil and criminal cases, was also secured; and if the court were dissatisfied with the verdict, they might send back the jury to consider the same a second and third time, but not further.[2] The governor was to be chosen, as the charter provided, by the freemen. Every town was to send one or two deputies or representatives to the general assembly; but every freeman was to give his voice in the election of assistants and other public officers.[3] No person was entitled to be made a freeman, unless he owned lands in freehold of forty shillings' value per annum, or £40 personal estate.[4]
§ 90. In respect to offences, their criminal code proceeded upon the same general foundation, as that of Massachusetts, declaring those capital, which were so declared in the Holy Scriptures, and citing them as authority for this purpose. Among the capital offences were idolatry, blasphemy of Father, Son, or Holy Ghost, witchcraft, murder, murder through guile by poisoning or other devilish practices, bestiality, sodomy, rape, man-Page:Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (1st ed, 1833, vol I).djvu/117
CH. VII.]
CONNECTICUT.
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