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Maffachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Suffex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, given by their Representatives met together in General Congrefs in the city of Philadelphia.

And whereas it hath been recommended by the faid Congress, on the fifteenth of May last, to the refpective Affemblies and Conventions of the United States where no government, fufficient to the exigencies of their affairs, hath been hitherto established, to adopt fuch government as may, in the opinion of the Representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their Conftituents in particular, and America in general:

And whereas the Independence of the United States of America has been alfo declared, on the fourth day of July, one thoufand seven hundred and feventy-fix, by the faid Honourable Congrefs, and all political connection between them and the Crown of Great-Britain is in confequence thereof diffolved:

We, therefore, the Reprefentatives of the people, from whom all power originates, and for

for whose benefit all government is intended, by virtue of the power delegated to us, do ordain and declare, and it is hereby ordained and declared, that the following rules and regula tions be adopted for the future government of this State.

I. The legislative, executive, and judiciary departments shall be separate and distinct, so that neither exercife the powers properly belonging to the other.

II. The legislature of this State shall be compofed of the Reprefentatives of the people, as is herein after pointed out: and the Reprefentatives fhall be elected yearly, and every year, on the first Tuesday in December; and the Representatives fo elected, fhall meet the firft Tuesday in January following, at Savannah, or any other place or places where the House of Affembly for the time being shall direct.

On the first day of the meeting of the Reprefentatives fo chofen, they fhall proceed to the choice of a Governor, who fhall be stiled Honourable; and of an Executive Council, by ballot, out of their own body; viz. two from each county, except those counties which are

not

not yet entitled to fend ten Members. One of each county fhall always attend where the Governor refides, by monthly rotation, unless the Members of each county agree for a longer or fhorter period: this is not intended to exclude either Member attending. The remaining number of Reprefentatives fhall be called The Houfe of Affembly; and the majority of the Members of the faid Houfe fhall have power to proceed on business.

III. It fhall be an unalterable rule, that the House of Affembly fhall expire, and be at an end yearly and every year, on the day preceding the day of election mentioned in the foregoing rule.

IV. The Representation fhall be divided in the following manner: Ten Members for each county, as is herein after directed, excepting the county of Liberty, which contains three parishes, and that shall be allowed fourteen.

The ceded lands north of Ogeechie shall be one county, and known by the name of Wilkes.

The parish of St. Paul fhall be another county, and known by the name of Richmond.

The

The parish of St. George fhall be another county, and known by the name of Burke.

The parish of St. Matthew, and the upper part of St. Philip, above Canouchie, fhall be another county, and known by the name of Effingham.

The parish of Christ-Church, and the lower part of St. Philip, below Canouchie, shall be another county, and known by the name of Chatham.

The parishes of St. John, St. Andrew, and St. James, shall be another county, and known by the name of Liberty.

The parishes of St. David and St. Patrick shall be another county, and known by the name of Glyn.

The parishes of St. Thomas and St. Mary shall be another county, and known by the name of Camden.

The port and town of Savannah fhall be allowed four Members to reprefent their trade.

The port and town of Sunbury shall be allowed two Members to represent their trade.

V. The two counties of Glyn and Camden fhall have one Representative each; and also they, and all other counties that may hereafter

be

be laid out by the House of Affembly, shall be under the following regulations, viz. At thei first institution, each county fhall have one Member, provided the inhabitants of faid county shall have ten electors; and if thirty, they shall have two; if forty, three; if sixty, four; if eighty, fix; if an hundred and upwards, ten; at which time two Executive Councillors shall be chofen from them, as is directed for the other counties.

2 VI. The Representatives shall be chosen out of the refidents in each county who shall have refided at least twelve months in this State, and three months in the county where they shall be elected; except the freeholders of the counties of Glyn and Camden, who are in a state of alarm, and who fhall have the liberty of chufing one Member each, as fpecified in the articles of this Constitution, in any other county, until they have refidents fufficient to qualify them for more and they shall be of the Protestant religion, and of the age of twenty-one years, and fhall be poffeffed in their own right of two hundred and fifty acres of land, or fome property to the amount of two hundred and fifty pounds.

VII. The

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