Reports of Criminal Cases: Tried in the Municipal Court of the City of Boston, Before Peter Oxenbridge Thacher [1823-1842] |
Common terms and phrases
acquitted alleged appear Atheism authority bank believe bill blasphemy Boott by-law cashier cause certificate charged child citizens city of Boston clerk committed common law Commonwealth complaint considered constitution consul conviction counsel count county attorney crime criminal declared defendant defendant's defraud denied dollars duel Dunham duty election evidence examined fact false pretences felony fendant grand jury guilty gunpowder Haynes Hooper indictable offence indictment injury intent issue judge judgment jurors jury justice Kneeland legislature libel Lord Mansfield malicious matter mayor and aldermen ment misdemeanor motion nolle prosequi oath objection offence opinion Parker party peace penalty perjury person plea police court prisoner prosecution prove public officers punishment question record Rhode Island Robinson Russian consul society statute statutes of laborers street Suffolk supreme judicial court sworn term testified testimony THACHER Thomas French tion town trial true truth unlawful verdict vote wilfully witness writ
Popular passages
Page 464 - That the printing presses shall be free to every person, who undertakes to examine the proceedings of the legislature or any branch of government: and no law shall ever be made to restrain the right thereof. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man; and every citizen may freely speak, write and print on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty.
Page 364 - And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession of sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship.
Page 564 - All the laws which have heretofore been adopted, used and approved in the Province, Colony or State of Massachusetts Bay, and usually practiced on in the Courts of law, shall still remain and be in full force, until altered or repealed by the Legislature; such parts only excepted as are repugnant to the rights and liberties contained in this Constitution.
Page 456 - The liberty of the press is essential to the security of freedom in a state; it ought not, therefore, to be restrained in this Commonwealth.
Page 461 - Resolved, 6. That they are entitled to the benefit of such of the English statutes, as existed at the time of their colonization; and which they have, by experience, respectively found to be applicable to their several local and other circumstances.
Page 383 - As the public worship of GOD and instructions in piety, religion, and morality, promote the happiness and prosperity of a people, and the security of a republican government ; therefore, the several religious societies of this commonwealth, whether corporate or unincorporate, at any meeting legally warned and holden for that purpose, shall ever have the right to elect their pastors or religious teachers, to contract with them for their support, to raise money for erecting and repairing houses...
Page 362 - I AB do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and will support the constitution thereof. So help me GOD.
Page 384 - ... expenses : And all persons belonging to any religious society shall be taken and held to be members, until they shall file with the clerk of such society a written notice declaring the dissolution of their membership, and thenceforth shall not be liable for any grant or contract which may be thereafter made or entered into by...
Page 336 - Malice in common acceptation means ill will against a person, but in its legal sense it means a wrongful act, done intentionally, without just cause or excuse.
Page 464 - In prosecutions for the publication of papers, investigating the official conduct of officers or men in a public capacity, or where the matter published is proper for public information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence: And in all indictments for libels, the jury shall have a right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court as in other cases.