sentatives of the freemen, when met in Assembly, shall have power to prepare and propose to the Governor and Council all such bills as they or the major part of them, shall, at any time, see needful to be passed into laws, within the said province and territories.

Provided always, That nothing herein contained shall debar the Governor and Council from recommending to the Assembly all such bills as they shall think fit to be passed into laws; and that the Council and Assemby may, upon occasion, confer together in committees, when desired; all which proposed and prepared bills, or such of them, as the Governor, with the advice of the Council, shall, in open Assembly, declare his assent unto, shall be the laws of this province and territories thereof, and published accordingly, with this stile, By the Governor, with the assent and approbation of the freemen in General Assembly met; a true transcript, or duplicate whereof, shall be transmitted to the king's privy council, for the time being, according to the said late king's letters patent.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Assembly, shall sit upon their own adjournments, and committees, and continue, in order to prepare and propose bills, redress grievances, and impeach criminals, or such persons as they shall think fit to be there impeached, until the Governor and Council, for the time being, shall dismiss them; which Assembly shall, notwithstanding such dismiss, be capable of Assembling together upon summons of the Governor and Council, at any time during that year; two-thirds of which Assembly, in all cases, shall make a quorum.

And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all elections of representatives for Council and Assembly, and all questions to be determined by them, shall be by the major part of votes.

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That as oft as any days of the month, mentioned in any article of this act, shall fall upon the first day of the week, commonly called the Lord's day, the business appointed for that day, shall be deferred till the next day, unless in cases of emergency.

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any alien, who is, or shall be a purchaser of lands, or who doth, or shall inhabit in this province, or territories thereof, shall decease at any time before he can well be denizised, his right and interest therein shall notwithstanding descend to his wife and children, or other, his relations, be he testate, or intestate, according to the laws of this province and territories thereof, in such cases provided, in as free and ample manner, to all intents and purposes, as if the said alien had been denizised.

And that the people may be accommodated with such food and sustenance as God, in his providence, hath freely afforded, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the inhabitants of this province and territories

thereof, shall have liberty to fish and hunt, upon the lands they hold, or all other lands therein, not inelosed, and to fish in all waters in the said lands, and in all rivers and rivulets, in and belonging to this province and territories thereof, with liberty to draw his, or their fish upon any man's land, so as it be not to the detriment or annoyance of the owner thereof, except such lands as do lie upon inland rivulets, that are not boatable, or which hereafter may be erected into manors.

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all inhabitants of this province and territories, whether purchasers, or others, and every one of them, shall have full and quiet enjoyment of their respective lands and tenements, to which they have any lawful or equitable claim, saving only such rents and services for the same, as are, or customarily ought to be, reserved to the lord, or lords of the fee thereof, respectively. Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no act, law, or ordinance whatsoever, shall, at any time hereafter, be made or done, by the Governor of this province, and territories thereunto belonging, or by the freemen, in Council, or Assembly, to alter, change or diminish the form and effect of this act, or any part, or clause thereof, contrary to the true intent and meaning thereof, without the consent of the Governor, for the time being, and six parts of seven of the said freemen, in Council, and Assembly met. This act to continue, and be in force, until the said Proprietary shall signify his pleasure to the contrary, by some instrument, under his hand and seal, in that behalf.

Provided always, and it is hereby enacted, That neither this act, nor any other act, or acts whatsoever, shall preclude, or debar the inhabitants of this province and territories, from claiming, having and enjoying any of the rights, privileges and immunities, which the said Proprietary, for himself, his heirs, and assigns, did formerly grant, or which of right belong unto them, the said inhabitants, by virtue of any law, charter or grants whatsoever, any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

No. 6.

"THE CHARTER OF PRIVILEGES,

"Granted by William Penn, Esquire, to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania and territories:

"William Penn, Proprietary and Governor of the province of Pennsyl vania, and territories thereunto belonging, to all to whom these presents shall come, sendeth Greeting:

"WHEREAS, King Charles the second, by his letters patent, under the great seal of England, bearing date the fourth day of March, in the year one thousand six hundred and eighty, was graciously pleased to give and grant unto me and my heirs and assigns forever this province of Pennsylvania, with divers great powers and jurisdictions for the well government thereof.

"And whereas, the King's dearest brother, James, Duke of York and Albany, &c., by his deeds of feoffment, under his hand and seal, duly perfected, bearing date the 24th day of August, one thousand six hundred eighty and two, did grant unto me, my heirs and assigns, all that tract of land now called the territories of Pennsylvania, together with powers and jurisdictions for the good government thereof.

"And whereas, for the encouragement of all the freemen and planters that might be concerned in the said province and territories, and for the good government thereof, I, the said William Penn, in the year one thousand six hundred and eighty and three, for me, my heirs and assigns, grant and confirm unto all the freemen, planters and adventurers therein, divers liberties, franchises and properties, as, by the said grant, entitled, 'The frame of the government of the province of Pennsylvania and territories thereunto belonging, in America,' may appear; which charter, or frame, being found, in some parts of it, not so suitable to the present circumstances of the inhabitants, was, in the Third month, in the year one thousand seven hundred, delivered up to me, by six parts of seven of the freemen of this province and territories, in General Assembly met, provision being made in the said charter for that end and purpose.

“And whereas, I was then pleased to promise, that I would restore the said charter to them again, with necessary alterations, or, in lieu thereof, give them another, better adapted to answer the present circumstances and conditions of the said inhabitants; which they have now, by the Re

presentatives, in General Assembly met, at Philadelphia, requested me to grant.

"KNOW YE THEREFORE, That, for the further well-being, and good government of the said province and territories; and in pursuance of the rights and powers, before mentioned, I, the said William Penn, do declare, grant and confirm unto all the freemen, planters and adventurers, and other inhabitants of, and in, the said Province and Territories thereunto annexed, forever.

1. "BECAUSE no people can be truly happy, though under the greatest enjoyment of civil liberties, if abridged of the freedom of their consciences, as to religious profession and worship; and Almighty God being the only Lord of conscience, Father of lights and spirits; and the Author, as well as Object, of all divine knowledge, faith and worship, who only doth enlighten the mind, and purswade and convince the understandings of people, I do hereby grant and declare, that no person, or persons, inhabiting this province or territories, who shall confess and acknowledge one Almighty God, the Creator, Upholder, and Ruler of the world; and profess him, or themselves obliged to live quietly under the civil government, shall be, in any case, molested, or prejudiced, in his or their person. or estate, because of his or their conscientious perswasion, or practice, nor be compelled, to frequent, or maintain, any religious worship, place or ministry, contrary to his, or their mind, or to do or suffer, any other act, or thing, contrary to their religious perswasion.

"And that all persons, who also profess to believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, shall be capable (notwithstanding their other perswasions, or practices, in point of conscience and religion) to serve this government in any capacity, both legislatively and executively, he, or they solemnly promising, when lawfully required, allegiance to the King, as sovereign, and fidelity to the Proprietary and Governor, and taking the attests, as now established by law, made at Newcastle, in the year one thousand seven hundred, entitled, 'An act directing the attests of sev eral officers and ministers, as now amended and confirmed this present Assembly.'

II. "For the well-governing of this province and territories, there shall be an Assembly, yearly chosen, by the freemen thereof, to consist of four persons out of each county, of most note for virtue, wisdom and ability, (or of a greater number, at any time, as the Governor and Assembly shall agree) upon the first day of October, for ever; and shall sit on the fourteenth of the same month at Philadelphia, unless the Governor and Council, for the time being, shall see cause to appoint another place, within the said province or territories: which Assembly shall have power to chuse a Speaker, and other their officers; and shall be judges of the qualifications and elections of their own members; sit upon their

own adjournments, appoint committees; propose bills, in order to pass into laws; impeach criminals and redress grievances; and shall have all other powers and privileges of an Assembly, according to the rights of the freeborn subjects of England, and as is usual in any of the King's plantations in America.

"And if any county, or counties, shall refuse, or neglect to chuse their respective representatives, as aforesaid, or if chosen, do not meet to serve in Assembly, those, who are so chosen and met, shall have the full power of an Assembly, in as ample a manner as if all the Representatives had been chosen and met, provided they are not less than two-thirds of the whole number, that ought to meet.

"And, that the qualifications of electors and elected, and all other matters and things relating to elections of Representatives, to serve in Assemblies, though not herein particularly expressed, shall be and remain, as by a law of this government, made at Newcastle, in the year one thousand seven hundred, entitled, 'An act to ascertain the number of members of Assembly, and to regulate the elections."

III. "That the freemen in each respective county, at the time and place of meeting, for electing their representatives, to serve in Assembly, may, so often as there shall be occasion, chuse a double number of persons, to present to the Governor, for sheriffs and coroners, to serve for three years if they so long behave themselves well, out of which elec tions and presentments the Governor shall nominate and commissionate one for each of the said offices, the third after such presentment, or else the first named in such presentment, for each office, as aforesaid, shall stand and serve in that office, for the time before respectively limited: In case of death and default, such vacancies shall be supplied by the Governor, to serve to the end of the said term.

"Provided always, That, if the said freemen shall, at any time neglect, or decline to chuse a person, or persons, for either, or both the aforesaid offices, then, and in such case, the persons, that are, or shall be, in the respective offices of Sheriffs, or Coroners, at the time of election, shall remain therein, until they shall be removed by another election, a aforesaid.

"And, that the justices of the respective counties shall, or may nominate, or present, to the Governor, three persons, to serve for Clerk of the Peace for the said county, where there is a vacancy; one of which the Governor shall commissionate within ten days after such presentment, or else the first nominated shall serve in the said office, during good

behaviour.

IV. "That the laws of this government shall be in this stile, viz: By the Governor, with the consent and approbation of the Freemen in Genera Assembly met, and shall be, after confirmation by the Governor, forth