shall appear to me injurious to the people; nor do or confent to any act or thing whatever, that shall have a tendency to leffen or abridge their rights and privileges, as declared in the Conftitution of this State; but will in all things conduct myself as a faithful honest Representative and guardian of the people, ac cording to the best of my judgement and abilities."

And each Member before he takes his feat, fhall make and fubfcribe the following declaration, viz.

"I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe, the rewarder of the good, and the punifher of the wicked. And I do acknowledge the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament to be given by divine infpiration."

And no further or other religious test shall ever hereafter be required of any civil officer or magistrate in this State.

XI. Delegates to reprefent this State in Congrefs fhall be chofen by ballot by the future General Affembly at their first meeting, and annually forever afterwards, as long as fuch representation shall be neceffary. Any Delegate

may

may be superfeded at any time, by the General Affembly appointing another in his ftead. No man fhall fit in Congress longer than two years fucceffively, nor be capable of re-election for three years afterwards: and no person who holds any office in the gift of the Congress, fhall hereafter be elected to reprefent this Commonwealth in Congress.

XII. If any city or cities, county or counties, fhall neglect or refufe to elect and fend Representatives to the General Affembly, twothirds of the Members from the cities or counties that do elect and fend Representatives, provided they may be a majority of the cities and counties of the whole State, when met fhall have all the powers of the General Affembly, as fully and amply as if the whole were present.

XIII. The doors of the Houfe in which the Representatives of the freemen of this State shall fit in General Affembly, shall be and remain open for the admiffion of all perfons who behave decently, except only when the welfare of this State may require the doors to be shut.

XIV. The votes and proceedings of the General Affembly fhall be printed weekly du

ring

ring their fitting, with the yeas and nays on any question, vote, or refolution, where any two Members require it, except when the vote is taken by ballot; and when the yeas and nays are fo taken, every Member fhall have a right to infert the reafons of his vote upon the minutes, if he defire it.

XV. To the end that laws before they are enacted may be more maturely confidered, and the inconvenience of hafty determinations as much as poffible prevented, all bills of a public nature shall be printed for the confideration of the people, before they are read in General Affembly. the last time for debate and amendment; and, except on occafions of fudden neceffity, shall not be paffed into laws until the next feffion of Affembly; and for the more perfect fatisfaction of the public, the reasons and motives for making fuch laws shall be fully and clearly expreffed in the preambles.

XVI. The ftile of the laws of this Commonwealth fhall be, "Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted by the Representatives of the freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Affembly met, and by the authority of the fame." And the General Affembly shall affix their

their feal to every bill, as foon as it is enacted into a law, which seal shall be kept by the Affembly, and shall be called, The Seal of the Laws of Pennfylvania, and fhall not be used for any other purpose.

XVII. The city of Philadelphia, and each county in this Commonwealth refpectively, fhall on the first Tuesday of November in this prefent year, and on the second Tuesday in October annually, for the two next fucceeding years, to wit, the year one thousand seven hundred and feventy-feven, and the year one thousand feven hundred and feventy-eight, chufe fix perfons to reprefent them in General Affembly. But as representation in proportion to the number of taxable inhabitants, is the only principle which can at all times fecure liberty, and make the voice of a majority of the people the law of the land; therefore the General Affembly shall cause compleat lifts of the taxable inhabitants in the city and each county in the Commonwealth refpectively, to be taken, and returned to them, on or before the laft meeting of the Affembly elected in the year one thoufand seven hundred and feventy-eight, who shall appoint a Representation to each, in proportion to

the

the number of taxables in fuch returns ; which Representation fhall continue for the next feven years afterwards, at the end of which a new return of the taxable inhabitants fhall be made, and a Representation agreeable thereto appointed by the said Affembly, and fo on feptennially for ever. The wages of the Representatives in General Affembly, and all other State charges, fhall be paid out of the State Treasury.

XVIII. In order that the freemen of this Commonwealth may enjoy the benefit of election as equally as may be, until the Reprefentation fhall commence, as directed in the foregoing fection, each county at its own choice may be divided into diftricts, hold elections therein, and elect their Reprefentatives in the county, and their other elective officers, as fhall be hereafter regulated by the General Affembly of this State. And no inhabitant of this State fhall have more than one annual vote at the general election for Reprefentatives in Affembly. XIX. For the prefent, the Supreme Executive Council of this State fhall confift of twelve perfons, chofen in the following manner: The freemen of the city of Philadelphia, and of the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, and Bucks, respectively, shall chufe by ballot one person