BOOK ir. CHAP. XIII. -oi 



0' 



ofherwife have fettled in tlie colony. It enafts, that all perfoiTi;, 

 born out of his majefty's liegeance, who fhall refide for the fpace 

 of feven years, or more, in any of his American colonies ; and 

 that fhall not have been abfent from thence above two months at 

 any one time ; and that fliall take and fubfcribe the oaths of alle- 

 giance; or, if quakers, fubfcribe the declaration ; or, if Jews, with 

 the omifllon of fome Chriftian expreifions) ; and fhall alfo fubfcribe 

 the profellion of their Chriftian belief (Jews excepted), as direded 

 by the flatute, i William and Mary, before any judge of the co- 

 lony they fhall refide in ; and fhall have received the facrament of 

 the Lord's-fupper in fome proteflant or reformed congregation iu 

 Great- Britain, or in the laid colonies (quakers and Jews ex- 

 cepted), within three months of his or her fo qualifying, and 

 producing a certificate thereof, figned by the minifter of the con- 

 gregation, and attelted by two wirnefles ; a certificate of all thefe 

 preliminaries, having been complied with under the refpeidive 

 colony feal,. fhall be a fufficient proof of his or her being thereby 

 become a natural-born fubjeil of Great-Britain to all intents and 

 purpofes whatfoever : and the fecretary of the colony fliall annu- 

 ally tranfmit, to the board of trade and plantations, lifts of the 

 faid perfons fo naturalized, to be regiflercd in their office : pro- 

 vided that fuch perfons fhall not thereby be enabled to be a privy- 

 counfellor, or a member of either houfe of parliament, or capable 

 of taking, having, or enjoying, any office, or place of truft, within 

 the kingdoms of Great-Britain or Ireland, either civil or military ; 

 or taking any grant from the crown of any lands, tenements, &c. 

 within the faid kingdoms. 



In the conftrudion of this a£l, I do not apprehend,, that the ab- 

 fence of two months implies any thing more than a remov*al to 

 fome other dominion, or territory, of fome foreign prince. An 

 alien, qualified as the law direds, may have his domicile, or fixed 

 habitation, in one of the Britilh colonies, and neverthelefs, by 

 reaibn ofhls vocation, either of" a merchant or feaman, be oblieed,, 

 from time, to time, to pais to and fro between that and fome other 

 Eritlili colony, fb as to be abfent necefiarily above two months at 

 one time. But, where his freehold and family are located, there 

 is (properly fpeaking) his domicile, or home. And it would be In- 



confiflenfi. 



