their
property should be sold, and the proceeds go into the public treasury
for future disposal; and also a law prohibiting the migration of certain
persons to that commonwealth, and providing penalties for the violation
of its provisions.

"In _New York_, the County Committees were authorized to apprehend and
decide upon the guilt of such inhabitants as were _supposed_ to hold
correspondence with the enemy, or had committed some other specified
act; and they might punish those whom they adjudged to be guilty with
imprisonment for three months, or banishment. There, too, persons
opposed to liberty and independence were prohibited from practising law
in the Courts; and the effects of fifty-nine persons, of whom three were
women, and their rights of remainder and reversion, were to pass by
confiscation from them to the people. So, also, a parent whose sons went
off and adhered to the enemy was subjected to a tax of ninepence on the
pound of the parents' estate for each and every such son; and until a
revision of the law, Whigs were as liable to this tax as others.

"In _New Jersey_, one Act was passed to punish traitors and disaffected
persons; another, for taking charge of and leasing the real estates, and
for forfeiting the personal estates of certain fugitives and offenders;
and a third for forfeiting to, and vesting in the State, the real
property of the persons designated in the second statute; and a fourth,
supplemental to the Act first mentioned.

"In _Pennsylvania_, sixty-two persons, who were designated by name, were
required by the Executive Council to surrender themselves to some Judge
of a Court, or Justice of the Peace, within a specified time, and abide
trial for _treason_, or in default of appearance to stand attainted; and
by an Act of a subsequent time, the estates of thirty-six other persons,
who were also designated by name, and who had been previously attainted
of treason, were declared to be confiscated.

"The Act of _Delaware_ provided that the property, both real and
personal, of certain persons who were named, and who were forty-six in
number, should be forfeited to the State, 'subject, nevertheless, to the
payment of the said offenders' just debts,' unless, as in Pennsylvania,
they gave themselves up to trial for _the crime of treason in adhering
to the royal cause_.

"_Maryland_ seized, confiscated, and appropriated all property of
persons in allegiance to the British Crown, and appointed Co