Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Diary of Thomas Vernon, a Loyalist, Banished From Newport by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1776: With Notes by Sidney S. Rider, to Which Is Added, the Vernon Family and Arms, and the Genealogy of Richard Greene, of Potowomut
Notwithstanding there is nothing contained in the act pre bribing banishment, or punishment of any kind, yet these men were immediately banished from Newport. The proceedings were summary. The Assembly met on the loth of June. The act probably passed about the 15th, and on the 20th, four of the men were taken by the sheriff from Newport. The Test is on the lo9th page of the Schedule, the banishment is on the 112th page of the same Schedule. It will thus be seen that the sentence was almost simultaneous with the passage of the Test. A more arbi trary proceeding it would be difficult to conceive. It was entirely without the sanction of law, the law being, as before stated, without penalty. Several weeks after these proceedings, these men having in the meantime been confined, the Assembly passed another act whereby certain pecuniary burdens were imposed. This law was clearly retro-active in its operation, and ought to have been of no effect. Among the first acts of the first Assembly in 1647, was one declaring that no citizen should be punished, except by some known law. Nevertheless, these men were so punished. In October following, the Assembly passed an act giving permission to all banished persons to return to their homes, upon the payment by them of such expenses as the State had incurred. Thus for four months these unhappy men were kept wandering about the northerly towns of the State to the great discomfort of themselves, and of everybody with whom they came in contact.
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