Power to ries. being, fhall and may have full power and authority, either here to bind them over with good fureties for their good behaviour, and further therein to proceed, to all intents and purposes, as it is used, in other like cafes, within our realm of England; or else, at their difcretions, to remand and send them back, the faid offenders, or any of them, unto the faid colony in Virginia, there to be proceeded against and punished, as the governor, deputy, or council there, for the time being, fhall think meet; or otherwife, according to fuch laws and ordinances, as are and fhall be in ufe there, for the well-ordering and good government of the faid colony. XVI. And for the more effectual advancing of the faid reet lotte-plantation, we do further, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, of our special grace and favour, by virtue of our prerogative royal, and by the affent and confent of the Lords and others of our privy council, give and grant, unto the faid treasurer and company, full power and authority, free leave, liberty, and licence, to fet forth, erect, and publifh, one or more lottery or lotteries, to have continuance, and to endure and be held, for the space of one whole year, next after the opening of the fame; and after the end and expiration of the faid term, the said lottery or lotteries to continue and be further kept, during our will and pleasure only, and not otherwise, yet nevertheless, we are contented and pleased, for the good and welfare of the faid plantation, that the faid treasurer and company fhall, for the difpatch and finishing of the faid lottery or lotteries, have fix months warning after the said year ended, before our will and pleasure fhall, for and on that behalf, be conftrued, deemed, and adjuged, to be in any wife altered and determined. And XVII. And our further will and pleasure is, that the said lottery and lotteries fhall and may be opened and held, within our city of London, or any other city or town, or elsewhere, within this our realm of England, with fuch prizes, articles, conditions, and limitations, as to them, the faid treasurer and company, in their discretions, fhall feem convenient. XVIII. And that it fhall and may be lawful, to and for the faid treasurer and company, to elect and chufe receivers, auditors, surveyors, commiffioners, or any other officers whatfoever, at their will and pleasure, for the better marshalling, difpofing, guiding, and governing of the faid lottery and lotteries; and that it shall likewise be lawful, to and for the faid treasurer and any two of the faid Council, to minister to all and every such person, so elected and chofen for officers, as aforefaid, one or more oaths, for their good behaviour, just and and true dealing, in and about the faid lottery or lotteries, to the intent and purpose, that none of our loving fubjects, putting in their names, or otherwife adventuring in the faid general lottery or lotteries, may be, in any wife, defrauded and deceived of their faid monies, or evily and indirectly dealt withal in their faid adventures. XIX. And we further grant, in manner and form aforefaid, that it fhall and may be lawful, to and for the faid treasurer and company, under the feal of our faid council for the plantation, to publish, or to cause and procure to be published, by proclamation or otherwife (the faid proclamation to be made in their name, by virtue of these presents) the said lottery or lotteries, in all cities, towns, boroughs, and other places, within our faid realm of England; and we will and command all mayors, juftices of peace, fheriffs, bailiffs, constables, and other officers and loving fubjects, whatsoever, that, in no wife, they hinder or delay the progrefs and proceedings of the faid lottery or lotteries, but be therein, touching the premises, aiding and affifting, by all honeft, good, and lawful means and endeavours. fhall be con XX. And further our will and pleasure is, that in all Doubtful questions and doubts, that fhall arife, upon any difficulty of paffages conftruction or interpretation of any thing, contained in thefe, frued in faor any other our former letters patents, the fame fhall be vour of the taken and interpreted, in most ample and beneficial manner grantees. for the faid treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, and every member thereof. former let or altered by XXI. And lastly, we do, by these presents, ratify and con- Confirmafirm unto the faid treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, tion of the for ever, all and all manner of privileges, franchifes, liberties, ters patents immunities, preheminences, profits, and commodities, what- in all points foever, granted unto them in any our former letters patents, not revoked and not in these prefents revoked, altered, changed, or abridged. the prefent Although exprefs mention of the true yearly value or certainty of the premises, or any of them, or of any other gift or grant, by us or any of our progenitors or predeceffors, to the aforefaid treasurer and company heretofore made, in these presents is not made; or any statute, act, ordinance, provifion, proclamation, or restraint, to the contrary thereof heretofore made, ordained, or provided, or any other matter, caufe, or thing, whatsoever, to the contrary, in any wife, notwithstanding. In witness whereof we have caufed these our letters to be made patents. Witness Ourself, at Westminster, the twelfth day of March, in the ninth year of our reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the five-and-fortieth. PENSYL PENSYLVANIA CHARTER, Granted by King CHARLES II. in the Fourteenth Year of his Reign. Prima Pars Patentium de Anno Regni Regis CAROLI Secundi CHA HARLES the Second, &c. to all to whom these prefents fhall come, Greeting. Whereas our trufty and wellbeloved fubject William Penn, efquire, fon and heir of Sir William Penn, deceased, out of commendable defire to enlarge our English empire, and promote fuch ufeful commodities as may be of benefit to us, and our dominions; as alfo to reduce the favage natives, by gentle and juft manners, to the love of civil fociety and chriftian religion, hath humbly befought leave of us to transport an ample colony unto a certain country herein after described, in the parts of America not yet cultivated and planted; and hath likewife humbly befought our Royal Majefty to give, grant, and confirm all the faid country, with certain privileges and jurifdictions requisite for the good government and fafety of the faid country and colony, to him and his heirs, for ever: Know ye therefore, That We, favouring the petition and good purpose of the faid William Penn, and having regard to the memory and merits of his late father, in divers fervices, and particularly to his conduct, courage and difcretion, under our dearest brother James Duke of York, in that fignal battle and victory fought and obtained against the Dutch fleet, commanded by the Heere Van Obdam, in the year one thousand fix hundred and fixty-five; in confideration thereof, of our fpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, have given and granted, and by this our prefent Charter, for us, our heirs, and fuccef Premiffes fors, do give and grant, unto the faid Sir William Penn, his heirs and affigns, all that tract or part of land in America, with all the islands therein contained, as the fame is bounded on the Eaft by Delawar river, from twelve miles diftance northwards of Newcastle Town, unto the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, if the faid river doth extend fo får northwards; but if the faid river fhall not extend fo far northwards, then by the faid river fo far as it doth extend; Grant. granted. and and from the head of the faid river the eastern bounds are to be determined by a meridian line, to be drawn from the head of the faid river unto the faid three and fortieth degree; the faid lands to extend weftward five degrees in longitude, to be computed from the faid eaftern bounds; and the faid lands to be bounded on the north by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, and on the fouth by a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from Newcastle northwards and weftwards, unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude; and then by a trait line westwards to the limits of longitude above-mentioned. We do alfo give and grant unto the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, the free and undisturbed úfe, and continuance in, and passage into, and out of, all and fingular ports, harbours, bays, waters, rivers, ifles, and inlets belonging unto, or leading to and from the country or iflands aforefaid, and all the foil, lands, fields, woods, underwoods, mountains, hills, fens, ifles, lakes, rivers, waters, rivulets, bays, and inlets, fituate and being within or belonging unto the limits and bounds aforefaid; together with the fifhing of all forts of fish, whales, fturgeons, and all royal and other fifhes in the fea, bays, inlets, waters, or rivers, within the premises, and the fish therein taken; and also all veins, mines, quarries, as well discovered as not discovered, of gold, filver, gems, and precious ftones, and all other whatsoever, be it ftones, metals, or of any other thing or matter whatsoever, found or to be found within the country, ifles or limits aforefaid; and him the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, we do by this our royal Charter, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, make, create, and conftitute the true and abfolute proprietaries of the faid country afore- Saving of faid, and of all other the premifes; faving always to us, our the allegiheirs and fucceffors, the faith and allegiance of the said Wilgrantee, his liam Penn, his heirs and affigns, and of all other proprieta- heirs, and ries, tenants, and inhabitants, that are, and fhall be within affigns, and the territories and precincts aforefaid; and faving also unto us, our heirs and fucceffors, the fovereignty of the aforefaid the country. country. To have, hold, poffefs, and enjoy the faid tract of land, country, ifles, inlets, and other the premises, unto the Habendum. faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, to the only proper use and behoof of the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns for ever. To be holden of us, our heirs and fucceffors, Kings Tenendum. of England, as of our Caftle of Windfor, in our county of Berks, in free and common foccage, by fealty only, for all fervices, and not in capite, or by Knights fervice; yielding and paying therefore to us, our heirs and fucceffors, two beaver ance of the of the fove reignty of part of the ver ore. into a pro name of Pennand his heirs, of the power of making Jaws for raifing money, and other pur beaver-fkins, to be delivered at our faid caftle of Windfor, on Refervation the first day of January on every year; and also the fifth part of a fifth of all gold and filver ore, which shall from time to time hapgold and fil- pen to be found within the limits aforefaid, clear of all charges. And of our further grace, certain knowledge, and mere Erection of motion, we have thought fit to erect, and we do hereby erect the country the aforefaid country and ifland into a province and feignory, vince by the and do call it Penfylvania, and fo from henceforth we will have it called. And forafmuch as we have hereby made and Penfylvania ordained the aforefaid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, the true and abfolute proprietaries of all the lands and dominions aforefaid: Know ye therefore, that we repofing special truft and confidence in the fidelity, wifdom, juftice, and provident circumfpection of the said William Penn, for us, our Grant to W. heirs and fucceffors, do grant free, full, and abfolute power, by virtue of these presents, to him and his heirs, and to his and their deputies and lieutenants, for the good and happy government of the faid country, to ordain, make, enact, and under his and their feals to publifh any laws whatsoever, for the raifing of money for the public ufe of the faid province, and for any other end appertaining either to the public ftate, poles ; peace, or fafety of the faid country, or unto the private utility by the ad- of particular perfons, according to their beft difcretions, by and with the advice, affent, and approbation, of the freemen with the af- of the faid country, or the greater part of them, or of their freemen or delegates or deputies, whom for the enacting of the faid laws, their depu- when and as often as need fhall require, we will, that the faid William Penn, and his heirs, shall affemble in fuch fort and form, as to him and them fhall feem beft, and the faid laws ecute the duly to execute unto and upon all people within the said country and limits thereof. And we do likewife give and Grantofthe grant unto the faid William Penn, and his heirs, and to his point judges and their deputies and lieutenants, full power and authority and officers to appoint and establish any juftices, magiftrates, and officers neceffary for the probate whatfoever, for what caufes foever, for the probates of wills, of wills, and and for the granting of administrations, within the precincts granting of aforefaid, and with what power foever, and in fuch form as adminiftra- to the faid William Penn, or his heirs, fhall feem moft conand of the venient; alfo to remit, release, pardon, and abolish, whether power to before judgment or after, all crimes and offences whatsoever, pardon cri- committed within the faid country, against the faid laws, ing treafon treafon and wilful and malicious murder only excepted; and and murder, in thofe cafes to grant reprieves until our pleasure may be and in these known therein; and to do all and every other thing or things, prieves; which unto the complete establishment of juftice unto courts vice, and sent of the ties: and of the power to ex faid laws. power toap tions; mes,except. to grant re and |