Sect. 2. . . . Therefore, Be it enacted by the representatives of this freemen of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That all male white inhabitants of this state, (except of the counties of Bedford, Northumberland and Westmoreland) above the age of eighteen years, shall, on or before the first day of July next, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation before some one of the justices of the peace of the city or county where they shall respectively inhabit; and the inhabitants of the said counties of Bedford, Northumberland and Westmoreland, …

And whereas it is of the utmost importance to the safety of every state, that it should always be in a condition of defense; and it is the duty of every man who enjoys the protection of society, to be prepared and willing to defend it: This convention therefore, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, doth ordain, determine and declare, that the militia of this State, at all times hereafter, as well in peace as in war, shall be armed and disciplined, and in readiness for service. That all such of the …

An act to oblige the free male inhabitants of this state above a certain age to give assurance of Allegiance to the same, and for other purposes. WHEREAS allegiance and protection are reciprocal, and those who will not bear the former are not entitled to the benefits of the later, Therefore Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that all free born male inhabitants of this state, above the age of sixteen years, except imported servants during the time of their service, shall, on or before the tenth day of October next, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation …

Section I. Whereas the welfare and happiness of the good people of this commonwealth, do, next under God, entirely depend upon the maintaining and supporting the independence and sovereignty of the state, as declared by congress Sect. 2. Be it therefore enacted . . . That all male white inhabitants of this state above the age of eighteen years, who have not hiterhto taken the oath or affirmation mentioned and appointed to be taken in the act of assembly . . . shall, on or before the first day of June next, take and subscribe the same in manner and …

Chap. 33. An act for regulating the militia of the State of New York . . . Be it therefore enacted by the People of the state of New York represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same. That every able bodied male person Indians and slaves excepted residing within this state from sixteen years of age to fifty (except such persons as are herein after excepted) shall immediately after the passing of this act tender himself to be enrolled as of the militia to the captain or in his absence the …

That every Person enrolled shall constantly keep himself furnished with a good Musket, well fitted with a Bayonet, Steel Ramrod and Worm, a Cartridge-box, twenty three Rounds of Cartridges sized to his Musket, a Priming-wire, Brush and twelve Flints, a Knapsack and Canteen under the Forfeiture of Six Shillings for the Want of a Musket, and One Shilling for the Want of the other Articles whenever called out to Training or Service, to be recovered and applied as herein after is directed: Provided always, That if any Person be furnished as aforesaid, with a good Rifle Gun, the Apparatus necessary …

An Act to Prevent the Practice of Dueling. Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives, in General Court Assembled, and by the authority of the same, That if any person within this State shall challenge the person of another, or shall accept any such challenge to fight at sword, pistol, rapier or other dangerous weapon, such person so challenging or accepting shall forfeit and pay into the treasury of this State for every such offence, being thereof convicted before the superior court of the testimony of one or more credible witnesses, confession of the party offending, or other …

That if any person within this commonwealth shall challenge the person of another to fight at sword, pistol, rapier or other dangerous weapon, such person so challenging shall forfeit and pay for every such offense (being lawfully convicted by the testimony of one or more credible witnesses, or by the confession of the party offending,) the sum of five hundred pounds, or suffer twelve months imprisonment without bail or mainprise, and the person accepting such challenge shall in like manner forfeit and pay the like sum of five hundred pounds, or suffer the like imprisonment; and moreover the said challenger, …

§ 4. And whereas it is very improper and dangerous that persons disaffected to the liberty and independence of this state shall possess or have in their own keeping, or elsewhere, any firearms, or other weapons used in war, or any gun powder. § 5. … That from and after the passing of this act, the lieutenant or any sub lieutenant of the militia of any county or place within this state, shall be, and is hereby empowered to disarm any person or persons who shall not have taken any oath or affirmation of allegiance to this or any other …

[Imposed a 20 shilling fine for failing to “keep the [arms] by him at all Times, ready and fit for Service.”]

“That all cannon, swivels, mortars, howitzers, cohorns, fire arms, bombs, grenades, and iron shells of any kind, that shall be found in any dwelling-house, out-house, stable, barn, store, ware-house, shop, or other building, charged with, or having in them any gun-powder, shall be liable to be seized by either of the Firewards of the said Town: And upon complaint made by the said Firewards to the Court of Common Pleas, of such cannon, swivels, mortar, or howitzers, being so found, the Court shall proceed to try the merits of such complaint by a jury; and if the jury shall find …

The depositing of loaded arms in the houses of the town of Boston is dangerous…That if any person shall take into any dwelling-house, stable, barn, out-house, ware-house, store, shop or other building, within the Town of Boston, any cannon, swivel, mortar, howitzer, or cohorn, or fire-arm, loaded with, or having gun powder in the same, or shall receive into any dwelling-house, stable, barn, outhouse, store, warehouse, shop, or other building, within the said town, any bomb, grenade, or other iron shell, charged with, or having gun-powder in the same, such person shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds…

That whoever shall commit Burglary, by breaking up any Dwelling House or Shop, wherein Goods, Wares and Merchandise are deposited, or shall commit Robbery, by robbing any Person in the Field of Highway, if in the Perpetration of said Crimes, the Person or Persons committing the same, shall be guilty of any personal Abuse, Force or Violence, or shall be so armed with any dangerous Armour or Weapon, as clearly to indicate their violent Intentions; such Person or Persons, found guilty as aforesaid, and being thereof convicted before the Superior Court, shall suffer Death.

An Act in Addition to the Several Acts Already Made for the Prudent Storage of Gun Powder within the Town of Boston. Whereas the depositing of loaded arms in the houses of the town of Boston, is dangerous to the lives of those who are disposed to exert themselves when a fire happens to break out in said town. § 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, That if any person shall take into any dwelling house, stable, barn, out house, ware house, store, shop …

Fraudulent or Malicious Mischief. § 23. Punishment for deer-hunting by fire-light. Any person or persons who shall hunt with a gun by fire-light, or kill any deer so hunting by fire-light, in the night-time, without his or her own enclosures, any such person or persons being convicted, upon the oath of one or more credible witnesses, before any justice of the peace for the county where such offence shall be committed, shall for every such offence, forfeit and pay not exceeding the sum of five pounds; one half thereof shall be paid to the informer or informers, and the other …

(Section I, P.L.) Whereas by an act, entitled “An act for the better securing the city of Philadelphia from danger of gunpowder,” passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and twenty-four, and a supplement thereto, passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and forty-seven, continuing the said act in force until altered by a future assembly, it was directed that all gun-powder brought into the port of Philadelphia should be deposited in a certain powder house therein described, under the penalty of ten pounds for every offense: And Whereas another powder house or magazine hath been erected in …

§ 1. If any person or persons shall be discovered hunting in the woods with a gun, in the night time, by fire light, such person or persons so offending shall, upon conviction, by indictment or presentment in any court of record in this state, be fined by such court 20 current money, to be applied to the use of the county wherein the offence was committed until all costs accruing upon the presentment be paid.

. . . [F]rom and after the passing of this act, it shall not be lawfull [sic] for any merchant, shopkeeper, or retailer, or any other person, or persons whatsoever, to have or keep any quantity of gun powder exceeding twenty-eight pounds weight, in any one place, less than one mile to the northward of the city hall of the said city, except in the public magazine at the Fresh-water, and the said quantity of twenty-eight pounds weight, which shall be lawfull [sic] for any person to have and keep at any place within this city, shall be seperated [sic] …

Whereas great dangers have arisen, and mischief been done, by the pernicious practice of firing guns, pistols, rockets, squibs, and other fire works on the eve of the last day of December, and the first and second days of January . . . if any person or persons whomsoever, shall fire or discharge any gun, pistol, rocket, squib or any other firework, within a quarter of a mile of any building, of the said eve, or days beforementioned, every such person so offending, and being thereof convicted before an justice of the peace, of the city or county where such …

An Act of April 22, 1785, An Act to Prevent the Firing of Guns and Other Fire-Arms within this State, on certain days therein mentioned. Whereas great dangers have arisen, and mischief been done by the pernicious practice of firing guns, pistols, rockets, squibs, and other fire-works, on the eve of the last day of December, and first and second days of January: For prevention whereof for the future: Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in the Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that if …

That any person who shall willfully . . . shoot or discharge any gun within the limits aforesaid, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, upon conviction thereof, before the mayor of the city of Dayton, or any justice of the peace of the township of Dayton, be punished by a fine not less than five dollars, nor more than fifty dollars, according to the nature and aggravation of the offence[.]

An Act to prevent the Firing of Guns and other Fire-Arms within this State, on certain Days therein mentioned. Whereas great dangers have arisen, and mischief been done by the pernicious practice of firing guns, pistols, rockets, squibs and other fire-works, on the Eve of the last day of December, and first and second days of January, for prevention whereof for the future, Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in the Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That if any person or persons whomsoever, shall …

That every able-bodied male person, being a citizen of this State, or of any of the United States, and residing in this State, (except such persons as are herein after excepted) and who are of the age of sixteen, and under the age of forty-five years, shall, by the captain or commanding officer of the beat in which such citizens shall reside, within four months after the passing of this act, be enroled [sic] in the company of such beat. . . . That every citizen so enroled [sic] and notified shall within three months thereafter provide himself at his …

That every able bodied man who shall be enlisted into the said service, and shall furnish himself with one good rifled or smooth bored gun fit for service, one good picker, shot-bag and powder-horn, twelve good flints, one pound of good powder, and two pounds of good leaden bullets or buck shot suitable to his gun . . . [shall be provided with certain items of clothing].

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that no man, great nor small, of what condition soever he be, except the Ministers of Justice in executing the precepts of the Courts of Justice, or in executing of their office, and such as be in their company assisting them, be so hardy to come before the Justices of any Court, or other of their Ministers of Justice, doing their office, with force and arms, on pain, to forfeit their armour to the Commonwealth, and thir bodies to prison, at the pleasure of a Court; nor go nor ride armed by night …