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A person, who absconding from his work had been ordered to labour a
certain time in irons, having wrought upon the feelings of one of the
magistrates to permit his working without them, and having given strong
assurance of future diligence, was no sooner freed from his incumbrances
than he took to the woods again. The frequent and unrestrained passing
and repassing of idle and disorderly people from one part of the colony
to another, and the mischievous correspondence which was kept up by such
means, was productive of great evil. To check this as much as possible,
all persons, the officers excepted, who were travelling from one district
of the settlement to another, were required to furnish themselves with a
passport, which, on a proper application, they would obtain without any
difficulty. This was to be shown to and inspected by the constables in
each district; and if found without it they were to be imprisoned during
a month for the first offence, and otherwise punished if it was repeated.


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