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under any pretence whatever be compelled to attend any place of worship, contrary to his own faith and judgment; nor fhall any perfon within this colony ever be obliged to pay tithes, taxes, or any other rates, for the purpose of building or repairieg any other church or churches, place or places of worship, or for the maintainance of any minifter or ministry, contrary to what he believes to be right, or has deliberately or, voluntarily engaged himfelf to perform.

19. That there fhall be no establishment of any one religious fect in this province, in preference to another; and that no protestant inhabitants of this colony fhall be denied the enjoyment of any civil right, merely on account of his religious principles; but that all perfons, profeffing a belief in the faith of any proteftant fect, who fhall demean themselves peaceably, under the government as hereby eftablifhed, fhall be capable of being elected into any office of profit or truft, or being a member of either branch of the legislature, and fhall fully and freely enjoy every privilege and immunity enjoyed by others their fellow fubjects...

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20. That the legislative department of this government may, as much as poffible, be preferved from all fufpicion of corruption, none of the judges of the fupreme or other courts, heriffs, or any other perfon or perfons poffeffed of any post of profit under the government, other than juftices of the peace, fhall be entitled to a feat in the affembly; but that on his being elected and taking his feat, his office or poft fhall be confidered

as vacant.

21. That all the laws of this province, contained in the edition lately published by Mr. Allinfon, fhall be and remain in full force, until altered by the legislature of this colony (fuch only excepted as are incompatible with this charter) and fhall be, according as heretofore, regarded in all refpects, by all civil officers, and others, the good people of this province.

22. That the common law of England, as well as fo much of the ftatute law as have been heretofore practifed in this colony, shall still remain in force, until they fhall be altered by a future law of the legislature; fuch parts only excepted as are repugnant to the rights and privileges contained in this charter; and that the inestimable right of trial by jury fhall remain confirmed, as a part of the law of this colony, without repeal for ever.

23. That every perfon who fhall be elected as aforefaid, to be a member of the legislative council or house of affembly, fhall previous to his taking his feat in council or affembly take the following oath or affirmation, viz.

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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-Jersey, I will not affent to any law, vote, or proceeding, which fhall appear to me injurious to the public welfare of faid colony, nor that fhall annul or repeal that part of the third fection in the charter in this colony, which eftablishes that the elections of members of the legislative council and assembly fhall be annual, nor that part of the twentyfecond fection in faid charter, refpecting the trial by jury, nor that fhall annul, repeal, or alter any part or parts of the eighteenth or nineteenth fections of the fame."

And any perfon or perfons, who shall be elected as aforesaid, is hereby impowered to administer to the said 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, otherwise 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 Pennfylvania, as established by the GENERAL CONVENTION, elected for that Purpofe, and held at Philadelphia, July 15, 1776, and continned by Adjournments to September 28, 1776.

HEREAS all government ought to be instituted and fup

ported 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 ne-ceffary for the welfare and fafety of the inhabitants of faid colonies, that they be henceforth free and independent states, 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

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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 juft 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 state, 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 constituents, 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.

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

THA

1. 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.

2. That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship 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 support 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 juftly 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 vested in, or affumed by any power whatever, that fhall in any cafe

inter

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

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

4. That all power being originally inherent in, and confequently derived from, the people; therefore all officers of government, whether legislative 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 indefeasible 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 those 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 personal service, when neceffary, or an equivalent thereto: But no part of a man's property can be juftly taken from him, or applied to public ufes, without his confent, or that of his legal reprefentatives: Nor can any man who is confciencioutly 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 witnesses, 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.

10. That

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