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Afternoon.
The Bill for vacating the Civil and Military Commissions in this Colony.
Read, and Resolved, That this Bill pass to be enacted.
An Act for removing from their respective offices and places all the Officers, both Civil and Military, be longing to this Colony of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, in NEW-ENGLAND, holding, or claiming to hold their respective offices or places by or under any nomination, appointment or commission, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the Province of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, in NEW-ENGLAND, either with or without the advice and consent of the Council or Assistants of said Province, in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, before the present meeting of this General Court.
Whereas many of the Civil and Military Officers of the said Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England,
have clearly manifested themselves unfriendly to the rights and liberties of these American Colonies, and therefore
Be it therefore enacted and declared by the Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the said nineteenth day of September, all the nominations, appointments and commissions at any time, before the present meeting of this General Court, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the said Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, or by the major part of the Council in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, appointing or commissionating any person or persons to any office, civil or military, shall be utterly null, void and of none effect, and that all the powers and authorities, either civil or military, of all and every person and persons belonging to the said Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, now holding or claiming to hold his or their office or place by or under any nomination, appointment or commission, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the said Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, whether with or without the advice and consent of the Council or Assistants of the said Province in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, shall, from and after the nineteenth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, wholly cease and determine.
In Council, August 23, 1775: This Bill having had two several readings, Resolved, That it pass to be enacted.
Act vacating the Civil and Military Commissions in the colony
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unfit to hold or exercise the offices and employments to which they were appointed or comrnissionated: And whereas it is necessary for the safety and peace of this Colony, that all such Officers should be deprived of their offices, and that other men, who are able, true and real friends to American liberty, should be appointed and commissionated in their stead; and as it would not only be disagreeable, but also very inconvenient, either by act or proclamation singly and by name to deprive all such unfit persons of their respective offices, and to substitute and commissionate faithful men in their stead, leaving such as are friendly to right and liberty to exercise and discharge their respective offices by virtue of their present commissions; this Court doth judge it expedient that all the Officers, both civil and military, belonging to this Colony, now holding their offices under or by virtue of any appointment or commission, made or granted by any Governour or Lieutenant-Governour of the said Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, either with or without the advice and consent of the Council, or by the major part of the Council in the absence of the Governour and Lieutenant-Governour, before the present meeting of this General Court, should be deprived of their respective offices, and that all such appointments and commissions should, from and after the nineteenth day of September next, wholly cease and determine: