A. D. 1740. , 223 



*1 



of people is a means of advancing the wealth and flrength of any nation 

 or country : and whereas many foreigners and ftrangers, from the lenity 

 of our government, the purity of our religion, the benefit of our laws, 

 the advantages of our trade, and the fecurity of our property, might be 

 induced to conie and fettle in fome of hismajefty's colonies in America, 

 if they were made partakers of the advantages and privileges which the 

 natural-born fubjedls of this realm enjoy. It was now therefor enacted, 

 that from the firfl day of June 1740, all perfons born out of the liegiance 

 of his majefly, who fhall have refided, or fiiall hereafter refide, for the 

 fpace of feven years or more, in any of his colonies in America, and 

 fliall not have been abfent from thence above two months at any one 

 time, and fhall take the ufual oaths of fidelity ; or if quakers, lliall fub- 

 icribe the declaration of fidelity, (or if Jews, with the omilTion of fome 

 chriflian expreilions) and fliall alfo fubfcribe the profeilion of their 

 chriftian belief, (Jews excepted) as directed by a ftatute of the ifl; of 

 William and Mary, ( intitled, an a(ft for exempting their majeflies pra- 

 teflant fubjecls from the penalties of certain laws) before any judge of 

 the colony they fhall refide in, and fliall have received the facrament of 

 the Lord's fupper, in fome proteflant or reformed congregation in 

 Great Britain, or in the faid colonies, (quakers and Jews excepted) with- 

 in three months of his or her fo qualifying, and producing a certificate 

 thereof, figncd by the minifter of the faid congregation, attefted by two 

 witnefles : a certificate of all which, under the refped;ive colony's feal, 

 fhall be a fufficient proof of his or her being thereby become a natural- 

 born fubjedl of Great Britain, to all intents and purpofes whatfocvcr. 

 And the fecretary of each colony fhall annually tranfmit to the board 

 of trade and plantations, lifls of the laid perfons fo naturalized, to be 

 regiflered in their office : provifo, that fuch perfons fliall not there- 

 by be enabled to be a privy-counlellor, 8cc. as in other naturalization 

 flatutes. [13 Geo. II, c. 7.] The more immediate objecl of this fta- 

 tute was in favour of fome thoufands of profftants, perlecuted and op- 

 prefled in Germany, and clfcwhere, and alfo in favour of proteftants 

 from Switzerland, &.c. all of whom were before, and about this time, 

 fettled in the different provinces of the Britilh continental colonies of 

 America, chiefly on the back parts thereof weftward. 



By a fhitute for the increafe of mariners and teamen to navigate mer- 

 chant fliips, and other trading fhips and veilels, it was enaded, ' ill, 

 ' that all feamen of the age of fifty-five years or upwards, and all fuch 

 ' as have not attained the full age of eighteen years, and alfo all forcign- 

 ' ers ferving in any Britifli merchant fhips or privateers, fliall he ex- 

 ' empted from being impreffed into his majefly 's fervice. 2dly, Per- 



* fons of any age, ufing the fea, fhall alfo be exempted from being 



* iraprefled for the firrt two years of their being at fea ; as fliall like- 



