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"I, A. B. do folemnly declare, that, as a member of the legiflative council (or affembly, as the cafe may be) of the colony of New-Jerfey, I will not affent to any law, vote, or proceeding, which shall appear to me injurious to the public welfare of faid colony, nor that shall annul or repeal that part of the third fection in the charter in this colony, which establishes that the elections of members of the legislative council and affembly shall be annual, nor that part of the twenty-. fecond section in faid charter, refpecting the trial by jury, nor that shall annul, repeal, or alter any part or parts of the eighteenth or nineteenth fections of the fame,"

And any perfon or perfons, who fhall be elected as aforefaid, is hereby impowered to adminifter to the faid members, the faid oath or affirmation.

Provided always, and it is the true intent and meaning of this congrefs, that if a reconciliation between Great-Britain and these colonies fhould take place, and the latter be taken again. under the protection and government of the crown of Britain, this charter fhall be null and void, otherwife to remain firm. and inviolable.

In PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, New-Jerfey, Burlington, July 2, 1776.

By order of Congress.

SAMUEL TUCKER, PRESIDENT,

Extract from the Minutes,

WILLIAM PATERSON, Secretary.

PENNSYLVANIA.

PENNSYLVANIA.

The CONSTITUTION of the Commonwealth of Pénn◄ fylvania, as established by the GENERAL CONVENTION, elected for that Purpose, and held at Philadelphia, July 15, 1776, and continned by Adjournments to September 28, 1776.

WHER

HEREAS all government ought to be inftituted and fupported for the fecurity and protection of the community as fuch, and to enable the individuals who compofe it to enjoy their natural rights, and the other bleffings which the author of existence has bestowed upon man; and whenever these great ends of government are not obtained, the people have a right, by common consent to change it, and take fuch measures as to them may appear neceffary to promote their fafety and happinefs. And whereas the inhabitants of this commonwealth have, in confideration of protection only, heretofore acknowledged allegiance to the king of Great Britain, and the faid king has not only withdrawn that protection, but commenced, and ftill continues to carry on, with unabated vengeance, a moft cruel and unjust war against them, employing therein, not only the troops of Great-Britain, but foreign mercenaries, favages, and flaves, for the avowed purpose of reducing them to a total and abject fubmiffion, to the defpotic domination of the British Parliament, with many other acts of tyranny, (more fully fet forth in the declaration of congrefs) whereby all allegiance and fealty to the faid king and his fucceffors, are diffolved and at an end, and all power and authority derived from him ceased in thefe colonies. And whereas it is abfolutely neceffary for the welfare and safety of the inhabitants of faid colonies, that they be henceforth free and independent ftates, and that juft, permanent, and proper forms of government exist in every part of them, derived from and founded on the authority of the people only, agreeable to the directions of the honourable American congrefs. We, the reprefentatives of the freemen of Pennsylvania, in general convention met, for the exprefs purpose of framing fuch a government, confeffing the goodness of the great Governor of the univerfe (who alone

knows

knows to what degree of earthly happiness mankind may attain, by perfecting the arts of government) in permitting the people of this ftate, by common confent, and without violence, deliberately to form for themselves fuch just rules as they fhall think beft, for governing their future fociety; and being fully convinced, that it is our indifpenfible duty to establish fuch original principals of government, as will beft promote the general happiness of the people of this ftatc, and their pofterity, and provide for future improvements, without partiality for, or prejudice against any particular clafs, fect, or denomination of men whatever, do, by virtue of the authority vefted in us by our conftituents, ordain, declare, and establish, the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, to be the CONSTITUTION of this commonwealth, and to remain in force therein for ever, unaltered, except in fuch articles as fhall hereafter on experience be found to require improvement, and which fhall by the fame authority of the people, fairly delegated as this frame of government directs, be amended or improved for the more effectual obtaining and fecuring the great end and defign of all government, herein before mentioned.

CHAPTER I.

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A DECLARATION of the RIGHTS of the Inhabitants of the State of Pennsylvania.

I.

TH

HAT all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent, and unalienable rights, amongst which are, the enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, poffeffing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

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2. That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worfaip Almighty God according to the dictates of their own confciences and understanding: And that no man ought, or of right can be compelled to attend any religious worship, or erect or fupport any place of worship, or maintain any miniftry, contrary to, or againft, his own free will and confent: Nor can any man, who acknowledges the being of a God, be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account of his religious fentiments, or peculiar mode of religious worship: And that no authority can or ought to be vefted in, or affumed by any power whatever, that fhall in any cafe

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interfere with, or in any manner controul, the right of confcience in the free exercife of religious worship.

3. That the people of this ftate have the fole, exclusive, and inherent right of governing and regulating the internal police of the fame,

4. That all power being originally inherent in, and confe. quently derived from, the people; therefore all officers of government, whether legiflative or excutive, are their trustees, and fervants, and at all times accountable to them.

5. That government is, or ought to be, inftituted for the common benefit, protection, and fecurity of the people, nation, or community; and not for the particular emolument or advantage of any fingle man, family, or fet of men, who are a part only of that community: And that the community hath an undubitable, inalienable, and indefeafible right to reform, alter, or abolish government in fuch manner, as fhall be by that community judged moft conducive to the public weal.

6. That thofe who are employed in the legislative and executive business of the ftate may be reftrained from oppreffion, the people have a right, at fuch periods as they may think proper, to reduce their public officers to a private station, and fupply the vacancies by certain and regular elections.

7. That all elections ought to be free; and that all free men having a fufficient evident common intereft with, and attachment to the community, have a right to elect officers, or be elected into office.

8. That every member of fociety hath a right to be protected in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and therefore is bound to contribute his proportion towards the expence of that protection, and yield his perfonal fervice, when heceffary, or an equivalent thereto; But no part of a man's property can be justly taken from him, or applied to public ufes, without his confent, or that of his legal reprefentatives: Nor can any man who is confciencioully fcrupulous of bearing arms, be justly compelled thereto, if he will pay fuch equivalent: Nor are the people bound by any laws, but fuch as they have in like manner affented, to for their common good.

9. That in all profecutions for criminal offences, a man hath a right to be heard by himself and his council, to demand the cause and nature of his accufation, to be confronted with the witneffes, to call for evidence in his favour, and a speedy public trial, by an impartial jury of the country, without the unanimous confent of which jury he cannot be found guilty: Nor can he be compelled to give evidence against himself: Nor can any man be juftly deprived of his liberty, except by the laws of the land, or the judgment of his peers.

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10. That the people have a right to hold themselves their houses, papers, and poffeffions free from fearch or feizure; and therefore warrants without oaths or affirmations first made, affording a fufficient foundation for them, and whereby any officer or meffenger may be commanded or required to fearch fufpected places, or to feize any perfon or perfons, his or their property, not particularly defcribed, are contrary to that right and ought not to be granted,

II, That in controverfies refpecting property, and in fuits between man and man, the parties have a right to trial by jury, which ought to be held facred,

12. That the people have a right to freedom of fpeech, and of writing, and publishing their fentiments; therefore the freedom of the prefs ought not to be restrained.

13. That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the ftate; and as standing armies in the time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up: And that the military fhould be kept under ftrict, subordination to, and governed by, the civil power,

14. That a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles, and a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, induftry, and frugality are abfolute neceffary to preferve the bleffings of liberty, and keep a government free: The people ought therefore to pay particular attention to thefe points in the choice of officers and reprefentatives, and have a right to exact a due and conftant regard to them, from their legislators and magiftrates, in the making and executing fuch laws as are neceffary for the good government of the state,

15. That all men have a natural inherent right to emigrate from one ftate to another that will receive them, or to form a new state in vacant countries, or in fuch countries as they can purchase, whenever they think that thereby they may promote their own happiness,

16. That the people have a right to affemble together, ta confult for their common good, to inftruct their reprefentatives, and to apply to the legiflature for redrefs of grievances, by addrefs, petition, or remonstrance,

CHAP.

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