X. That all prifons shall be work-houses for fellons; vagrants, and loofe and idle perfons; whereof one fhall be in every county.

XI. That all prifoners fhall be bailable by fufficient fureties, unless for capital offences, where the proof is evident, or the prefumption great.

XII. That all perfons wrongfully imprifoned or profecuted at law, fhall have double damages against the informer or profecuter.

XIII. That all prifons fhall be free as to fees, food, and lodging.

XIV. That all lands and goods fhall be liable to pay debts, except where there is legal iffue, and then all the goods, and one third of the land only.

XV. That all wills in writing attested by two witneffes, fhall be of the fame force, as to lands, as other conveyances, being legally proved within forty days, either within or without the faid province.

XVI. That seven years quiet poffeffion fhall give an unquestionable right, except in cases of infants, lunaticks, married women, or perfons beyond feas.

XVII. That all briberies and extortions whatfoever, shall be feverely punished.

XVIII. That all fines fhall be moderate, and faving men's contentments, merchandife, or wainage.

XIX. That all mariages (not forbidden by the law of God, as to nearness of blood and affinity by marriage) shall be encouraged; but the parents or guardians fhall be firft confulted, and the marriage fhall be published before it be folemnized; and it fhall be folemnized by taking one another as husband and wife, before credible witneffes, and a certificate of the whole, under the hands of parties and witnesses fhall be brought to the proper register of that county, and fhall be registered in his office.

XX. And to prevent frauds and vexatious fuits within the faid province, that all charters, gifts, grants, and conveyances of land, (except leafes for a year or under) and all bills, bonds, and fpecialties above five pounds, and not under three months, made in the faid province, fhall be enrolled or registered in the public enrollment-office of the faid province, within the fpace of two months next after the making thereof, elle to be void in law. And all deeds, grants, and conveyances of land (except as aforefaid) within the faid province, and made out of the faid province, shall be enrolled or registered as aforefaid, within fix months next after the making thereof, and fettling and conftituting an enrollment office or registry within the faid province, elfe to be void in law against all perfons whatfoever.

XXI. That all defacers or corrupters of charters, gifts, grants, bonds, bills, wills, contracts, and conveyances, or that fhall deface or falfify any enrolment, registry or record within this province, fhall make double fatisfaction for the fame; half whereof shall go to the party wronged, and they fhall be difmiffed of all places of truft, and be publicly difgraced as falfe

men.

XXII. That there fhall be a regifter for births, marriages, burials, wills, and letters of administration, diftinct from the other registry.

XXIII. That there fhall be a register for all fervants, where their names, time, wages, and days of payment shall be registered.

XXIV. That all lands and goods of felons shall be liable to make fatisfaction to the party wronged twice the value; and for want of lands or goods, the felons fhall be bondmen to work in the common prifon or workhoufe, or otherwife, till the party be fatisfied.

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XXV.

XXV. That the eftates of capital offenders, as traitors and murderers, fhall go one third to the next of kin to the fufferer, and the remainder to the next of kin to the criminal.

XXVI. That all witneffes, coming or called to teftify their knowledge in or to any matter or thing in any court, or before any lawful authority within the faid province, fhall there give or deliver in their evidence or teftimony by folemnly promifing to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, to the matter or thing in queftion. And in cafe any person fo called to evidence, shall be convicted of wilful falfehood, fuch perfon fhall fuffer or undergo fuch damage or penalty, as the perfon or perfons against whom he or fhe bore witnefs, did or fhould undergo; and fhall alfo make fatisfaction to the party wronged, and be publicly expofed as a falfe witness, never to be credited in any court, or before any magiftrate in the faid province.

XXVII. And to the end that all officers chofen to ferve within this province, may with more care and diligence answer the trust repofed in them, it is agreed, that no fuch perfon fhall enjoy more than one public office at one time.

XXVIII. That all children within this province of the age of twelve years, fhall be taught fome useful trade or skill, to the end none may be idle, but the poor may work to live, and the rich, if they become poor, may not want.

XXIX. That fervants be not kept longer than their time, and fuch as are careful, be both juftly and kindly used in their fervice, and put in fitting equipage at the expiration thereof, according to custom.

XXX. That all fcandalous and malicious reporters, backbiters, defamers, and fpreaders of falfe news, whether against magiftrates or private perfons, shall

be

be accordingly feverely punished, as enemies to the peace and concord of this province.

XXXI. That for the encouragement of the planters and traders in this province, who are incorporated into a fociety, the patent granted to them by William Penn, governor of the faid province, is hereby ratified and confirmed.

XXXII.

XXXIII. That all factors or correfpondents, in the faid province, wronging their employers, fhall make fatisfaction and one third over, to their faid employers: And in cafe of the death of any fuch factor or correfpondent, the committee of trade fhall take care to fecure fo much of the deceased party's eftate, as belongs to his faid respective employers.

XXXIV. That all treasurers, judges, masters of the rolls, fheriffs, juftices of the peace, and other officers and perfons whatsoever, relating to courts or trials of causes, or any other fervice in the government; and all members elected to ferve in provincial council and general affembly, and all that have a right to elect fuch members, fhall be fuch as profefs faith in Jefus Christ, and that are not convicted of ill fame, or unfober and dishonest converfation, and that are of twenty-one years of age at least; and that all fuch fo qualified, fhall be capable of the faid feveral employments and privileges as aforefaid.

XXXV. That all perfons living in this province, who profefs and acknowlege the one Almighty and eternal God, to be the Creator, Upholder, and Ruler of the world; and that hold themselves obliged in confcience to live peaceably and justly in civil fociety, hall in no ways be molefted or prejudiced for their re

ligious

ligious perfuafion or practice in matters of faith and worship, nor fhall they be compelled at any time to frequent or maintain any religious worship, place or miniftry whatever.

XXXVI. That according to the good example of the primitive Chriftians, and the eafe of the creation every first day of the week, called the Lord's day, people shall abstain from their common daily labour, that they may the better difpofe themselves to worship God according to their understandings,

XXXVII. That as a carelefs and corrupt adminiftration of juftice draws the wrath of God upon magiftrates, fo the wildness and loofenefs of the people provokes the indignation of God against a country: Therefore, That all offences againft God, as fwearing, curling, lying, prophane talking, drunkennefs, drinking of healths, obfcene words, inceft, fodomy, rapes, whoredom, fornication, and other uncleannefs, (not to be repeated) all treafons, mifprifions, murders, duels, felony, fedition, maims, forcible entries, and other violences, to the perfons and eftates of the inhabitants within this province; all prizes, ftage-plays, cards, dice, May-games, gamefters, mafques, revels, bullbaitings, cock-fightings, bear-baitings, and the like, which excite the people to rudenefs, cruelty, loofenefs and irreligion, fhall be refpectively difcouraged, and feverely punished, according to the appointment of the governor and freemen in provincial council and general affembly; as alfo all proceedings contrary to these laws, that are not here exprefly made penal.

XXXVIII. That a copy of these laws fhall be hung up in the provincial council, and in public courts of juftice: And that they fhall be read yearly at the opening of every provincial council and general affembly,

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