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efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we have ordained, conftituted and declared, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain, conftitute and declare, that they the faid John Wintrop, John Mafon, Samuel Willis, Henry Clerke, Matthew Allen, John Tappen, Nathan Gould, Richard Treate, Richard Lord, Henry Wollcott, John Talcott, Daniel Clerke, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Obadiah Brewen, John Clerke, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming, and Matthew Camfield, and all fuch others, as now are, or hereafter thall be, admitted and made free of the company and fociety of our colony of Connecticut, in America, fhall, from time to time, and for ever hereafter, be one body corporate and politick, in fact and name, by the name of Governor and Company of the Eng- Name of the lifh colony of Connecticut, in New-England, in America; corporation. and that by the fame name they, and their fucceffors, fhall and may have perpetual fucceffion, and fhall and may be perfons able and capable in the law, to plead and be impleaded, to answer and to be answered unto, to defend and be defended, in all and fingular fuits, caufes, quarrels, matters, actions, and things, of what kind or nature foever; and also, to have, take, poffefs, acquire, and purchase lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or any goods or chattels, and the fame to leafe, grant, demife, alien, bargain, fell, and difpose of, as our other liege people of this our realm of England, or any other corporation or body politick within the fame, may lawfully do. And further, That the faid Common governor and company, and their fucceffors, fhall and may, for ever hereafter, have a common feal to ferve and use for all caufes, matters, things, and affairs whatfoever, of them and their fucceffors, and the fame feal to alter, change, break, and make new, from time to time, at their wills and pleafures, as they fhall think fit. And further, we will and ordain, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, ment. do declare and appoint, That, for the better ordering and managing of the affairs and business of the faid company, and their fucceffors, there fhall be one governor, one deputy go- A governor, vernor, and twelve affiftants, to be, from time to time, con- deputy goftituted, elected, and chofen, out of the freemen of the faid vernor, and company, for the time being, in fuch manner and form as hereafter, in these presents, is exprefled; which faid officers chofen out fhall apply themselves to take care for the beft difpofing and of the freeordering of the general business and affairs of and concerning company. the lands and hereditaments herein after-mentioned to be grantD

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ed, and the plantation thereof, and the government of the people thereof. And for the better execution of our royal pleasure herein, we do, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, affign, name, conftitute, and appoint the aforefaid John Wintrop to be the first and prefent governor of the faid company, and the faid John Mafon to be the deputy governor, and the faid Samuel Willis, Matthew Allen, Nathan Gould, Henry Clerke, Richard Treate, John Odgden, Thomas Tappen, John Talcott, Thomas Wells, Henry Wollcott, Richard Lord and Daniel Clerke, to be the twelve prefent affistants of the faid company, to continue in the faid feveral offices refpectively until the fecond Thursday, which fhall be in the General af- month of October, now next coming. And further, we fembly. will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain and grant, That the governor of the faid company, for the time being, or, in his abfence, by occafion of fickness, or otherwife, by his leave or permiffion, the deputy governor, for the time being, fhall and may, from time to time, upon all occafions, give order for the affembling of the faid company, and calling them together, to confult and advife of the business and affairs of the faid company; and blies fhall that, for ever hereafter, twice in every year, that is to fay, be held in on every fecond Thursday in October, and on every fecond every year, Thursday in May, or oftener, in cafe it fhall be requifite, in May and the affiftants and freemen of the faid company, or fuch of them, not exceeding two perfons from each place, town, or members to City, who fhall be, from time to time, thereunto elected or be chofen by deputed by the major part of the freemen of the respective every town. towns, cities, and places for which they fhall be fo elected or

Two affem

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deputed, fhall have a general meeting or affembly, then and there to confult and advise in and about the affairs and businefs of the faid company; and that the governor, or in his abfence the deputy governor, of the faid company, for the time being, and fuch of the affiftants and freemen of the faid company as shall be so elected or deputed, and be present at fuch meeting or affembly, or the greatest number of them, whereof the governor, or deputy governor, and fix of the affiftants, at leaft, to be feven, fhall be called the general afPower of fembly, and fhall have full power and authority to alter and the general change their days and times of meeting, or general affemblies, affembly. for electing the governor, deputy governor, and affistants, or

other officers, or any other courts, affemblies, or meetings, and to chufe, nominate, and appoint fuch, and fo many other perfons as they fhall think fit, and fhall be willing to

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accept the fame, to be free of the faid company and body politick, and them into the fame to admit, and to elect and constitute fuch officers as they fhall think fit and requifite for The Goverthe ordering, managing, and difpofing of the affairs of the governor, faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, And we and affifdo hereby, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, establish and or- tants, and dain, That once in the year, for ever hereafter, namely, ficers of the the faid fecond Thurfday in May, the governor, deputy go- company vernor, and affiftants of the faid company, and other of- fhall be ficers of the faid company, or fuch of them as the faid ge- ry year by neral affembly fhall think fit, fhall be, in the faid gene- the general ral court and affembly, to be held from that day or time, aflembly in newly chofen for the year enfuing, by fuch greater part of May. of the faid company, for the time being, then and there prefent. And if the governor, deputy governor, and and affif- Accidental tants, by these prefents appointed, or fuch as hereafter be newly chofen into their rooms, or any of them, or any other the officers to be appointed for the faid company, fhall die, or be removed from his or their feveral offices or places before ral affembly the faid general day of election, (whom we do hereby de- at any other clare, for any misdemeanor or default, to be removeable by meeting of the governor, affiftants, and company, or fuch greater part of them, in any of the faid public courts to be affembled, as is Power to reaforefaid) that then, and in every fuch cafe, it shall and may movernor, or be lawful to and for the governor, deputy governor, and af- any other fiftants, and company aforefaid, or fuch greater part of them officer of fo to be affembled, as is aforefaid in any of their affemblies, ny, for any to proceed to a new election of one or more of their compa- misdemea ny, in the room or place, rooms or places, of fuch governor, deputy governor, affiftant, or other officer or officers fo dying, or removed, according to their difcretions. And immediately upon, and after fuch election, or elections, made of fuch governor, deputy governor, affiftant, or affiftants, or any other officer of the faid company, in manner and form aforefaid, the authority, office, and power before given to the former governor, deputy governer, or other officer and offices fo removed, in whofe ftead and place new shall be will and pleasure is, That as well fuch as are by thefe chofen, fhall, as to him and them, and every of them Oaths of of respectively, ceafe and determine. Provided alfo, and our taken by the prefents appointed to be the present governor, deputy gover- governor, nor, and affiftants of the said company, as thofe that fhall and all other fucceed them, and all other officers to be appointed and chofen as aforefaid, fhall, before they undertake the execution of their faid offices and places respectively, take their se

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veral and respective corporal oaths, for the due and faithful performance of their duties in the feveral offices and places, before fuch perfon or perfons as are, by thefe prefents, hereafter appointed to take and receive the fame; that is to say, The faid John Wintrop, who is herein before nominated and appointed the prefent governor of the faid company, fhall take the faid oath before one or more of the mafters of our court of chancery, for the time being; unto which mafter of chancery we do, by these prefents, give full power and authority to adminifter, the faid oath to the said John Wintrop accordingly: and the faid John Mason, who is herein before nominated and appointed the present deputy. governor of the faid company, fhall take the faid oath before the faid John Wintrop, or any two of the affistants of the faid company; unto whom we do, by these presents, give full power and authority to adminifter the faid oath to the faid John Mafon accordingly; and the faid Samueli Willis, Henry Clerke, Matthew Allen, John Tappen, Na.. thaniel Gould, Richard Treate, Richard Lord, HenryWoollcot, John Talcott, Daniel Clerke, John Ogden, and Thomas Wells, who are herein before nominated and appointed the present affiftants of the faid company, fhall: take the oath before the faid John Wintrop, and John Ma-, fon, or one of them; to whom we do hereby give full power and authority to adminifter the fame accordingly. And our further will and pleafure is, That all and every governor, or deputy governor, to be elected and chofen, by virtue of these presents, fhall take the faid oath before two or more of the affiftants of the said company, for the time being; unto whom we do, by these prefents, give full power and authority to give and adminifter the faid oath accordingly. And the faid affiftants, and every of them, and all or every other officer or officers to be hereafter chofen, from time to time, to take the faid oath before the governor, or deputy governor, for the time being; unto which faid governor, we do, the by these prefents, give full power and authority to adminiKing's fub- fter the fame accordingly. And further, of our more ample jects, with their own grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we have given free confent, and granted, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and and of car-fucceffors, do give and grant unto the faid governor and rying goods and mer- company of the English colony of Connecticut, in Newchandize England, in America, and to every inhabitant there, and from Eng- to every perfon and perfons trading thither, and to every Connecti- fuch perfon and perfons as are or fhall be free of the faid

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colony, full power and authority, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to take, fhip, tranfport, and carry away, for and towards the plantation and defence of the faid colony, fuch of our loving fubjects and ftrangers as fhall, or will, willingly accompany them, in and to their faid colony and plantation, except fuch perfon or perfons as are or shall be therein reftrained by us, our heirs and fuc ceffors; and alfo to fhip and transport all, and all manner of goods, chattels, merchandizes, and other things. whatsoever, that are or fhall be ufeful or neceffary for the inhabitants of the faid colony, and may lawfully be tranfported thither; nevertheless not to be discharged of payment to us, our heirs and fucceffors, of the duties, cuftoms and fubfidies, which are or ought to be paid or payable for the fame. And further, our will and pleasure is, and we do, for General dous, our heirs and fucceffors, ordain, declare, and grant unto the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, that tants of all and every the fubjects of us, our heirs or fucceffors, Connecticut which fhall go to inhabit within the faid colony, and every of their children which fhall happen to be born there, or on the fea, in going thither, or returning from thence, fhall have and enjoy all liberties and immunities of free and natural fubjects within any of the dominions of us, our heirs or fucceffors, to all intents, conftructions and purposes whatsoever, as if they, and every of them, were born within the realm of England. And we do authorize and impower Oaths of althe governor or in his abfence the deputy governor for legiance and the time being, to appoint two or more of the faid affi- fupremacy. ftants, at any of their courts or affemblies to be held as aforefaid, to have power and authority to adminifter the oath of fupremacy and obedience to all and every perfon and perfons, which fhall at any time or times hereafter go or pass into the faid colony of Connecticut; unto which faid affiftants fo to be appointed, as aforefaid, we do by these prefents give full power and authority to adminifter the faid. oath accordingly. And we further, of our efpecial grace, Power to ecertain knowledge, and mere motion, give and grant unto rect courts the faid governor and company of the English colony of Con- of juftice for necticut in New-England in America, and their fucceffors, civil fuits, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the governor, or deputy governor, and fuch of the affiftants of the faid company for the time being, as fhall be affembled in any of the general courts aforefaid, or in any courts to be especially Lummoned or affembled for that purpofe, or the greater part

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