The Criminal Laws of Massachusetts: Substance of the Remarks of Judge Aldrich By Peleg Emory Aldrich
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Peleg Emory Aldrich (July 24, 1813 – March 14, 1895) was a teacher, lawyer, politician and jurist who served as the twelfth mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts and as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. His book on the Criminal Laws of Massachusetts states:
“Among the early penal statutes of the State may be found acts for suppressing and preventing “Rognes, vagabonds, &; from which it is evident society has long been infested with these idle and thriftless vagrants. The tramp of to-day is doubtless the lineal descendant of the vagabond of a hundred years ago.” (P. 10)
“No African or negro other than a subject of the Emperor of Morocco, or a citizen of some one of the United States, shall tarry within this Commonwealth more than two months, and after the complaint before some Justice of Peace, and order to depart, if he remains ten days, he may be committed to any House of Correction to hard labor till the Sessions of the Peace shall next be holden, and if convicted before said court, may be whipped, not exceeding ten strokes, and ordered to depart out of the Commonwealth within ten days, and if he or she shall not depart, the same process shall be had and punishment inflicted, and so toties qoutes.” (P.10)
“The exception in this act in favor of the subjects of the Emperor of Morocco, was doubtless made in deference to certain stipulations, contained in a treaty with that potentate. The exception in favor of a negro, who was a citizen of some one of the United States, shows that the legislators of that day had not adopted the doctrine of Dred Scott case, that a negro of the African race, though born of parents free at the time of his birth, could not become a citizen of a State, if his ancestors had been imported into this country and held as slaves.” (P. 10)
“Frequent acts of legislation will be found throughout the century, intended to promote purity of life, to secure a proper observance of the Lord’s day, and against blasphemy. To all these statutes severe penalties were annexed.” (P.11)
Source: The Criminal Laws of Massachusetts: Substance of the Remarks of Judge Aldrich By Peleg Emory Aldrich
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