and e x h ib its th e ch a rg e ag a in ft th e p rifone r , has a v o te in th e cou r t,
and is fw o rn , lik e th e m emb ers o f it, w e l l an d t r u ly to t r y and to m ake
true d e liv e ran ce b e tw e en th e k in g and th e p r ifone r , and g iv e a v e r d id
a c co rd in g to th e ev id ence .
W h e n t h e f t a t e o f th e c o lo n y and the nature o f its inhab itants are
confrdered, it m u d be ag re ed , th a t th e adm in iftration o f p u b lic ju ft ic e
co u ld no t h a v e b e en placed w i th fo m u ch p ro p r ie ty in a n y o th e r
hand s . T h e o u tw a rd fo rm o f the co u r t, as w e ll as th e more effential
p a r t o f it , are adm ira b ly calculated to m eet th e ch a ra c te r s ' and d ifp o -
fit io n o f th e p eo p le w h o fo rm the m a jo r p art o f the fettlement. A s
lo n g con fin em en t w o u ld be attended w i th a lofs o f labour, and o th e r
e v ils , the co u r t is affembled w i th in a d a y o r tw o a fte r th e ap p rehenfion
o f a n y p r ifo n e r w h o fe c r im e is o f fu ch m a gn itu d e as to call fo r a
cr im in a l p ro c e ed in g a g ain ft h im . H e is b ro u g h t b e fo re a co u r t com -
p o fed o f a ju d g e and f ix m en o f h o n o u r , w h o h ea r th e e v id en c e
b o th fo r and ag a in ft h im , and d e te rm in e w h e th e r th e c r im e e x h ib ite d
b e o r b e n o t made o u t ; and his p u n ilhm en t , i f fo u n d g u il ty , is adju
d g e d a c co rd in g to the law s o f E n g la n d , co n fid e r in g and a l lo w in g
fo r th e fitu ation and c ircum ftan ce s o f th e fettlement and its inhab itants ;
w h ic h p u n ilhm en t , h ow e v e r , a fte r all, can n ot be in flic ted w ith o u t th e
ra tification o f th e g o v e rn o r u n d e r his hand and feal.
B e fid e th is co u r t fo r th e tr ial o f cr im in a l offenders, th e re is a c iv i l
co u r t , c o n fift in g o f th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te and tw o inhabitants o f th e fe ttlem
en t, w h o are to b e ap p ointed b y th e g o v e rn o r ; w h ic h co u r t has fu ll
p ow e r to h ea r and d etermine in a fum m a r y w a y all pleas o f Iand s,
h o u fe s , d eb ts, con trac ts , and all p e r fon a l pleas w h a tfo e v e r , w i th au th o r
i t y to fum m o n th e p artie s u p o n com p la in t b e in g made, to e x am in e
th e matter o f fu ch com p la in t b y th e oaths o f witn e ffe s , and to iffue
wa r ran ts o f e x e cu t io n u n d e r th e h an d and feal o f th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te .
F rom th is co u r t, on e ith e r p a r ty , p la in t iff o r d e fend ant, fin d in g h im fe lf
o r th em fe lv e s a g g r ie v ed b y th e ju d gm e n t o r d ecree, an appeal lie s to-
th e g o v e rn o r , and from h im , w h e re th e debt o r th in g in demand, lh a ll
e x c e e d th e v a lu e o f thre e hun d red p ou n d s , to th e k in g in c o u n c i l : bu t
th e fe appeals m u ft be p u t in , i f from th e c iv il cou r t, w ith in e ig h t days,,
and i f from the g o v e rn o r o r fu p e r io r co u r t , w i th in fou r te en d a y s after
p r o n o u n c in g th e faid ju d gm en ts .
T o
T o this co u r t is l ik e w i f e g iv en a u th o r ity to g ran t probates o f w ills
an d adm iniftration o f th e p e rfon a l eftates o f inteftates d y in g w i th in
th e fettlement. B u t as p ro p e r ty muft b e acqu ired in th e c o u n t r y
be fo re its righ ts can com e in to q u e ft io n , f e w occafions o f affemblin g
th is co u r t can o c cu r fo r m an y years.; .
In ad d ition to thefe courts fo r the. tr ia l o f c r im e s , and th e .cognifance
o f c iv il fuits, th e g o v e rn o r , th e lieu ten an t-g ov e rnO r , and the ju d g e -
ad vo ca te fo r th e time b e in g , are b y his, M a je f ty ’ s letters p a ten t c o n -
■ ftituted ju ft ic e s fo r th e p re fe rv a tio n o f th e p eace o f th e fe ttlem en t,
w i th th e fame p ow e r th a t ju ft ic e s o f th e p eace h a v e in E n g lan d
w i th in th e ir r e fp e a iv e ju r ifd iiS io n s . A n d th e g o v e rn o r , b e in g
enabled b y his M a je f ty ’ s com m iffio n , fo o n after ou r a r r iv a l, caufed
A u g u ftu s A l t efq. (the Surve yo r-gen e ra l o f th e te r r ito ry ) to be fw o rn
a ju f t ic e o f th e p eace; fo r th e p u rp o fe o f fit tin g o n ce a w e e k , o r
o ften e r as o cc afion m ig h t req u ire , w i th th e ju d g e -a d v o c a te , to e x am in e
a ll offences com m itted b y the co n v ic t s , and d etermine on and p u n ilh
fu ch as w e r e n o t o f fu ffic ien t im p o r tan c e fo r trial b y th e cr im in a l
court.
T h e r e is alfo a v ic e -a dm ira lty cou r t fo r the tr ial o f offences com m
itted u p on th e h ig h feas, o f w h ic h th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r is con-
ftituted th e ju d g e , M r . A n d r ew M il le r th e reg iftra r , and M r . Henry-
B r ew e r th e marfhai. T h e g o v e rn o r has , befid e th a t o f c ap ta in-g en e ra l,
a com m iffio n co n ft itu t in g h im v ice -adm ira l o f th e t e r r i to r y ; and
an o th e r v e ilin g h iih w i th a u th o r ity to. h o ld * jg e n e ra l cou r ts -m a r tia l,
a n d - to co n firm o r fe t afide th e fentenee.. T h e m a jo r -com m an d an t
o f th e detachment h ad th e 'u fu a l p ow e r o f affem b lin g re g im en ta l o r
ba ttalion courts-martial fo r th e tr ial o f offences com m itted b y th e
fold iers u n d e r his com m an d .
B y th is ac co u n t o f th e d ifferent modes o f adm in ifte r in g and o bta
in in g ju ft ic e , w h ic h th e leg ifia tu re p ro v id ed fo r this fe ttlem en t,
it is e v id en t th a t grea t ca re h ad b e en ta k en on o u r fe tt in g o u t, to
fu rn ilh us w ith a S a b le fou n d a tion w h e re o n to ereCt ou r little c o lo n y ,
a fo u n d a tion w h ic h w a s e fta b liih ed in th e p u n ilhm e n t o f v ic e , th e
* Captain Collins, the judge advocate of the fettlement, had alfo a warrant from
the Admiralty appointing him judge, advocate to the marine detachment,
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