Accused persons were fully exonerated, or allowed to go at large on their honor, or were kept within certain bounds, or were put under recognizance and bail for their future good behaviour, or required to appear before the board or a commissioner daily or monthly or when called upon, or to present themselves at the meetings of designated courts. Some were enlarged on condition of their joining the continental army. Bail varied all the way from £40 to ^5,ooo. ! The obligation of appearance at stated times of those under recognizances was not always heeded; hence, on August 11, 1779, the Albany commissioners ordered advertisements to be posted throughout the county, commanding all persons under such a release to appear before them on the last day of that month, or suffer

prosecution. During the summer of 1780, many persons were required to enter into new recognizances, at an enlarged amount, on account of the depreciated state of the continental money. In August of that year, the commissioners ordered the appearance of bailed prisoners, accompanied by their

For examples sec August 13, 25; September 24; October 2, 6, 13, 1778. •January 13, 1779.

Introduction 43

sureties, and in case of failure, they were to be proceeded against for the The board was not amount of the surety. always certain of the sufficiency of those who offered to go bail, and in such cases accepted the recommendation of a local committee. After June 30, 1778, the oath was made the supreme test. 1 By an act of April I, 1778, affirmation by raising of hands, a concession to Quakers, was permissible. 2 But the Quakers piteously objected to the wording of the oath and petitioned the legislature for relief. 3 When the commissioners began their work in Albany, on April 13, 1778, they received a return of the prisoners who were confined in the city jail, and ordered letters to be written to the several district committees from whence these persons had been sent, and requested an account of the crimes for which they had been committed.