_Laws._--A stranger in the colony, upon hearing the inhabitants talk of religion, liberty, and justice, would be induced to believe that the christian and civil virtues were their distinguishing characteristics; but he soon finds his mistake in fixing his abode among them. Their laws grind the poor, and their religion is to oppress the oppressed. The poll-tax is unjust and cruel. The poor man is compelled to pay for his bread eighteen shillings per annum, work four days on the highways, serve in the militia four days, and pay three shillings for his hut, without a window in it. The best house and richest man in the colony pays no more! The law is pretended to exempt episcopalians, Anabaptists, Quakers, and others, from paying rates to the _Sober Dissenters_, but, at the same time, gives the _Sober Dissenters_ power to tax them for minister, school, and town rates, by a general quota; and no law or court can put asunder what the town has joined together. The law also exempts from paying to _Sober Dissenters_ all Churchmen “who live so near that they can and do attend Church.” But hence, if a man is sick, and does not attend more than twenty-six Sabbaths in a year, he becomes legally a _Sober Dissenter_; and if the meeting lies between him and the Church, he does not live so near the Church that he can attend, because it is more than a Sabbath-day’s journey, and therefore unnecessary travel.[38] The law provides whipping, stocks, and fines, for such as do not attend public worship on the Sabbath. The Grand Jury complains, and the Justice inflicts the punishment. This has been the practice for many years. About 1750, Mr. Pitt, a Churchman, was whipped for not attending meeting. Mr. Pitt was an old man. The episcopal clergy wrote to England, complaining of this cruel law. The Governor and Council immediately broke the Justice who punished Mr. Pitt, and wrote to the Bishop of London that they had done so as a mark of their disapprobation of the Justice’s conduct, and knew not what more they could do. This apology satisfied the Bishop, and the next year the Governor and Council restored the Justice to his office; however, Quakers and Anabaptists only were whipped afterwards. Formerly, when a _Sober Dissenter_ had a suit in law against a Churchman, every juryman of the latter persuasion was by the Court removed from the jury and replaced by _Sober Dissenters_. The reasons assigned for this extraordinary conduct was, “that justice and impartiality might take place.” The episcopalians, Quakers, and other sects not of the _Sober Dissenters_, were not admitted to serve as jurymen in Connecticut till 1750. Such of them whose annual worth is rated at not less than 40_l._ in the general list, have enjoyed the liberty of voting for civil officers a much longer term; but for parish concerns they are still totally excluded.