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fifted of the faid Numbers of Members mentioned in the Charter of Liberties; upon Confideration of the Premiffes, and that the Proprietary and Governor may teftify his great Willingness to comply with that which may be moft eafy and pleafing, he is willing that it be enacted:

And be it Enacted by the Proprietary and Governor, by and with the unanimous Advice and Confent of the Freemen of this Province, and Territories thereunto belonging, in provincial Council and general Affembly met, That the Numbers defired by the Inhabitants in their feveral Petitions, and exprefs'd to be their Defires by the Sheriffs Returns to the Proprietary and Governor, to, ferve as the provincial Council and general Affembly, be allowed and taken, to all Intents and Purposes, to be the provincial Council and general Affembly of this Province: And that the Quorum fhall be proportionably fettled, according to the Method exprefs'd in the fifth Article; that is to fay, two thirds to make a Quorum in extraordinary Cafes, and one third in ordinary Cafes, as is provided in the faid fifth Article: Which faid provincial Council and general Affembly, fo already chofen, are and fhall be held and reputed the legal provincial Council and general Affembly of the Province and Territories thereof, for this present Year; and that from and after the Expiration of this prefent Year, the provincial Council fhall confift of three Perfons out of each County, as aforefaid; and the Affembly fhall confift of fix Perfons out of each County; which faid provincial Council and general Affembly may be hereafter enlarged, as the Governor, and provincial Council and Affembly shall fee Cause, so as the faid Number do not, at any Time, exceed the Limitations exprefs'd in the third and fixteenth Article of the Charter, any Thing in this Act, or any other Act,

Charter

Charter or Law, to the contrary in any wife no withstanding.

And because the Freemen of this Province and Territories thereof, are deeply fenfible of the kind and good Intentions of the Proprietary and Governor in this Charter, and of the fingular Benefit that redounds to them thereby, and are defirous that it may in all Things beft answer the Defign of the publick Good, the Freemen of the faid provincial Council and general Affembly met, having unanimously requested fome Variations, Explanations and Additions, in and to the faid Charter, he, the Proprietary and Governor, hath therefore yielded that it be enacted:

And it is hereby ENACTED, That the Time for the Meeting of the Freemen of this Province and Territories thereof, to chufe their Deputies to represent and ferve them, in provincial Council and general Affembly, fhall be yearly hereafter, on the tenth Day of the first Month; which Members fo chofen for the provincial Council, fhall make their Appearance, and give their Attendance, in provincial Council, within twenty Days after their Election; and the faid Members elected to ferve in general Affembly, fhall yearly meet and affemble, on the tenth Day of the faid third Month, to the End' and Purpofes declared in the Charter, at and in fuch Place as is limited in the faid Charter, unless the Governor and provincial Council fhall, at any Time, fee Cause to the contrary.

And whereas it is exprefs'd in the faid Charter, That the Governor and provincial Council fhall prepare and propofe to the general Assembly, all Bills which they fhall think fit to, pafs into Laws, within the faid Province: Be it ENACTED by the Authority aforefaid, That the Governor and provincial Council fhall have the Power of preparing

preparing and propofing to the general Affembly, all Bills that they fhall jointly affent to and think fit to have pafs'd into Laws, in the faid Province and Territories thereof, that are not inconfiftent with, but according to the Powers granted by the King's Letters Patents to the Proprietary and Governor aforefaid; which Bills fhall be published in the most noted Towns and Places in the faid Province and Territories thereof, twenty Days be fore the Meeting of the general Affembly aforefaid.

And for the better Decifion and Determination of all Matters and Queftions upon Elections of Representatives, and Debates in provincial Council and general Affembly, It is hereby declared and ENACTED, &c. That all Questions upon Elections of Representatives, and Debates in provincial Council and general Affembly, in perfonal Matters, fhall be decided by the Ballot; and all Questions about preparing and enacting Laws, shall be determined by the Vote.

And that fo united an Intereft may have an united Term and Stile to be exprefs'd by, It is hereby declared and ENACTED, That the general Affembly shall be henceforth termed or called THE ASSEMBLY; and the Meeting of the Governor, provincial Council, and Affembly, and their Acts and Proceedings, fhall be stiled and called THE MEETINGS, SESSIONS, ACTS or PROCEEDINGS of the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the Province of Pennsylvania, and the Territories thereunto belonging. And that the Freemen of this Province, and the Territories thereof, may not, on their Part, feem unmindful or ungrateful to their Proprietary and Governor, for the Teftimony he hath been pleased to give, of his great Good-Will towards them and theirs, nor be wanting of that Duty they owe to him and themfelves, they have VOL. II.

L

prayed

prayed Leave hereby to declare their most hearty Acceptance of the faid Charter, and their humble Acknowledgments for the fame, folemnly promifing, that they will inviolably observe and keep the fame, except as is therein, excepted, and will neither directly nor indirectly contrive, propofe, enact, or do any Thing or Things whatsoever, by Virtue of the Power thereby granted unto them, that fhall or may rebound to the Prejudice or Difadvantage of the Proprietary and Governor, his Heirs and Succeffors, in their juft Rights, Properties and Privileges, granted to him and them by the King's Letters Patents, and Deeds of Release and Feoffment made to him by AMES, Duke of YORK and ALBANY, &c. and whom they defire may be hereby acknowledged and recognized the true and rightful Proprietaries and Governors of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Territories annexed, according to the King's Letters Patents, and Deeds of Releafe and Feoffment from James, Duke of York and Albany, unto the faid Proprietary and Governor, his Heirs and Succeffors; any Thing in this Act, or any other Act, Grant, Charter, or Law, to the contrary of thefe Things herein and hereby explained, altered, limitted, promised, declared, and enacted, in any wife notwithstanding.

The FRAME of the Government of the Province of Pennfylvania, and Territories thereunto annexed in America."

T come.

.

O all Perfons, To whom thefe Prefents may WHEREAS King CHARLES the Second, by his Letters Patents, under the Great

Seal

Seal of England, bearing Date the fourth Day of March, in the thirty and third Year of the King, for divers Confiderations therein mentioned, hath been graciously pleased to give and grant unto me William Penn (by the Name of William Penn, Efq; Son and Heir of Sir William Penn, deceased) and to my Heirs and Affigns for ever, all that Tract of Land, or Province, called Pennfylvania, in America, with divers great Powers, Preheminences, Royalties, Jurifdictions, and Authorities, neceffary for the Well-being and Government thereof. And WHEREAS the King's deareft Brother, James, Duke of York and Albany, &c. by his Deeds of Feoffment, under his Hand and Seal, duly perfected, bearing Date t e four-and-twentieth Day of August, One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty and Two, did grant unto me, my Heirs and Alfigns, all that Tract of Land, lying and being from twelve Miles Northward of New-Caftle upon Delaware River, in America, to Cape Hinlopen, upon the faid River and Bay of Delaware Southward, together with all Royalties, Franchises, Duties, Jurifdictions, Liberties and Privileges thereunto belonging.

Now know ye, That for the Well-being and good Government of the faid Province, and Territories thereunto annexed, and for the Encouragement of all the Freemen and Planters, that may be therein concerned, in Purfuance of the Rights and Powers afore-mentioned, I the faid William Penn have declared, granted and confirmed, and by thefe Prefents, for me, my Heirs and Affigns, do declare, grant and confirm unto all the Freemen, Planters and Adventurers of, in and to the faid Province and Territories thereof, thefe Liberties, Franchises and Properties, fo far as in me lyeth, to be held, enjoyed and kept by the Freemen, Planters and Adventurers of and in the

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