Inhabitants of Canton v. Bentley
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
This was an action of debt for a penalty of twenty pounds given by the 15th. section of the “ Act providing for the relief and support, employment and removal, of the poor,” &c., (1) to be forfeited by any person who shall bring and leave within any town in this state a poor person not an inhabitant of such town.
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This was an action of debt for a penalty of twenty pounds given by the 15th. section of the “ Act providing for the relief and support, employment and removal, of the poor,” &c., (1) to be forfeited by any person who shall bring and leave within any town in this state a poor person not an inhabitant of such town. And the plaintiffs aver that the defendant brought one Freeman Fmerton, a poor person, into the town of Canton, and there left him, when not an inhabitant there, knowing him to be a poor person, &c. At the trial of the cause, which was had upon the general issue at the sittings here…
1Opinion of the CourtParker, C. J.
Whether the deposition of Thomas Everton, taken to prove that Freeman Everton, the pauper, was an illegitimate son of his, the said Thomas’s, wife, although born during the marriage, ought to be admitted, has been considered a principal question in this case; although, upon full investigation, the decision does not appear now to turn at all upon that question. It may well be doubted, however, whether a husband can be a competent witness to prove a fact * which amounts to adultery on the part of the [ * 443 ] wife; and it certainly would be against good manners and common decency that such…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Inhabitants of Townsend v. Inhabitants of BillericaMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1813
- Inhabitants of Chelsea v. Inhabitants of MaldenMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1808
3Cited by16 opinions
- Taylor v. WhittierMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1922
- Sayles v. SaylesMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1948
- Inhabitants of Abington v. Inhabitants of DuxburyMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1870
- Koffman v. KoffmanMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1907
- Inhabitants of Wilbraham v. Inhabitants of SturbridgeMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1850
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