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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Laws of North Carolina, 1702
England. Parliament
1702
Volume 25, Pages 149-150

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LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA—1702.

An Act for Reuniting to the Crown the Governments of Several Colonies and Plantations in America.

Whereas by Virtue of several Charters and Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England passed and Granted by several of His Majesties Royal Predecessors, as also by His present Majesty and the late Queen Mary of Blessed Memory, the several Colonies, Provinces and Plantations of the Masachusets Bay, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, Connecticut in New England, East and West New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Adjacent Territories, Maryland, Carolina, and the Bahama or Luca Islands in America, have been Granted unto Several persons, together with the Absolute Government and Authority over His Majesties Subjects in those places whereby the Grantees were not only made Proprietors of the Soil and Lands Comprehended within the said places, but also Lords and Governors thereof, with full power of Exercising Royal Government and other Jurisdictions over the Inhabitants thereof; And whereas the Severing of such Power and Authority from the Crown and placing the Same in the hands of Subjects hath by Experience been found prejudicial and repugnant to the Trade of this Kingdom and to the Welfare of His Majesties other Plantations in America, and to His Majesties Revenue arising from the Customes by reason of the many Irregularities Committed by the Governors of these Plantations and by those in Authority there under them, by encouraging and Countenancing pirates and unlawful Traders and otherwise.

I. Be it therefore Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty, by and with ye Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual & Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of ye same, That all and Singular the Clauses Matters and things contained in any Charters or Letters Patents heretofore passed under the Great Seal of England by any of His Majesties Royal Predecessors or by His present Majesty and the said late Queen, relating to the Governmt. of His Majesties Subjects within the said Plantations, Colonies or places or any of them or within any other Plantacon, Colony or Place in America, whereby any Power or Authority is granted to any Person or Persons from the Crowne, be and is hereby declared and Enacted to be utterly void and of none Effect. And it is hereby further Declared and Enacted, That all such Power & Authority Priviledges and Jurisdictions, be and are hereby reunited, Annexed and vested in His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors in right of the Crown of England to all intents and purposes, as tho' no such Charters or Letters Patents had been had or made; Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend any ways to alter, take away, Diminish or Abridge the right or Title, which any Person, Persons or Bodies Politic or Corporate have or lawfully may have or Claim to any Land, Tenements or Hereditaments or any other matter or thing (Authority and Power of Government only excepted) by Virtue of the said or any other Charter or Letters Patents or by Virtue of any right or Title derived from or under such Charters or Letters Patents by any mean Assignments or Conveyances or otherwise howsoever; Provided also that nothing in this Act contained shall be Construed to Impower His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors to

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Govern the said Plantations, Colonies or Places or any of them or the Inhabitants thereof otherwise than according to the Laws in force in the said Plantations and Places respectively, not repugnant to the Laws of England, and such other Laws & Constitutions as shall from time to time be made by the General Assemblys of the said respective Plantations according to the Several and respective privileges, as at any time heretofore Granted to the said several Plantations and Colonies respectively, by any Charter or Charters or Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England, and according to the Usages in His Majesties other Plantations in America.

ENDORSED.
PROPRIETIES.

Copy of an Act for reuniting the Proprietary Govts. in America to the Crown.

Recd } April 8th, 1702.
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