Laws, can be prevail'd upon to confider these Patriot-Ruftics with any Degree of Respect. Derifion, on the contrary, must be the Lot of him, who imagines it in the Power of the Pen, to fet any Luftre upon them; and Indignation theirs for daring to affert and maintain the Independency inwoven in their Conftitution, which now, it feems,, is become an improper Ingredient, and therefore to be excised away. But how contemptibly foever these Gentlemen may talk of the Colonies, how cheap foever they may hold their Affemblies, or how infignificant the Planters and Traders who compose them, Truth will be Truth, and Principle Principle notwithstanding. Courage, Wisdom, Integrity and Honour are not to be measur'd by the Sphere affigned them to act in, but by the Trials they undergo, and the Vouchers they furnish: And if fo manifefted, need neither Robes, or Tiles to fet them off. A LIST of the feveral Governors, Deputy-Governors, and Prefidents of Penfylvania, with the Times of their refpective Adminiftrations, &c. Wm. Penn, Proprietor, acted as Govern. from O. 1682 to Aug. 1684 1717 Sir Wm. Keith, Bart. Dep. Govern. from 1717 to June 1726 1736 1736 to 1738 George Thomas, Efq; Deputy-Govern. from Anthony Palmer, Efq; Prefident, from James Hamilton, Efq; Dep. Govern. from 1748 to 1754 Robert Hunter Morris, Efq; Dep. Gov. from 0.7.1754 to Aug. 19, 1756 Capt. Wm. Denny, the prefent Dep.Gov.from Aug. 19,1756 NOTE, The Royal Charter for Penfylvania was granted, March 4, 1631 The King's Declaration or Proclamation of the faid Grant, April 2, 1681 The Agreement between William Penn and certain Adventurers and Purchasers, intitled, Certain Conditions or Conceffions, &c. was figned in England, July 11, 1681 The first Frame of Government for the Province was made in England, April 25, 1682. The firft Laws for the Province were agreed upon in England, May 52 1 1682 The Duke of York's Deed for Penfylvania was fign'd Aug. 21, 168z The Duke of York's Deed of Feoffment of Newcastle, and Twelve Miles Circle, to William Penn, Aug. 24, 1682 The Duke of York's Deed of Feoffment of a Tract of Land Twelve Miles South from New.afile to the Whorekills, to William Penn, Ag. 24, 1682 The firft Affembly held in the Province was at Chefer, Dec. 4, 1682 Another Frame of Government was paffed, April 2, 1683 The Charter of the City of Philadelphia paffed, Oct. 25, 1701 AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION and GOVERNMENT OF PENSYLVANIA, &c. T HE Conftitution of Penfylvania is deriv'd, firft, from the Birthright of every British Subject; fecondly, from the Royal Charter granted to William Penn by King Charles II. and thirdly, from the Charter of Privileges granted by the faid William Penn as Proprietary and Governor, in Virtue of the former, to the Freemen of the faid Province and Territories; being the laft of four at feveral Periods iffued by the fame Authority. The Birthright of every British Subject is, to have a Property of his own, in his Eftate, Perfon and Re putation; fubject only to Laws enacted by his own Concurrence, either in Perfon or by his Reprefentatives: And which Birthright accompanies him wherefoever he wanders or refts; fo long as he is within the Pale of the British Dominions, and is true to his Allegiance. The Royal Charter was granted to William Penn in the Beginning of the Year 1681. A moft alarming Period! The Nation being in a strong Ferment; B 4 and 3. and the Court formning an arbitrary Plan; which, un, der the Countenance of a fmall ftanding Army, they began the fame Year to carry into Execution, by cajolling fome Corporations, and forcing others by Quo Warrantos to furrender their Charters: So that by the Abuse of Law, the difufe of Parliaments, and the Terror of Power, the Kingdom became in Effect the Prey of Will and Pleasure. The Charter Governments of America had, before this, afforded a Place of Refuge to the perfecuted and miferable And as if to enlarge the Field of Liberty abroad, which had been fo facrilegioufly contracted at home, Pensylvania even then was made a new Afylum, where all who wish'd or defir'd to be free might be fo for ever. The Bafis of the Grant exprefs'd in the Preamble was, the Merits and Services of Admiral Penn, and the commendable Defire of his Son to enlarge the British Empire, to promote fuch ufeful Commodities as might be of Benefit to it, and to civilize the Savage Inhabitants. In the third Section, which conftitutes the faid William Penn the true and abfolute Proprietary of the faid Province, there is a Saving to the Crown, of the Faith and Allegiance of the faid William Penn, his Heirs and Affigns, and of all other Proprietaries, Tenants and Inhabitants of the faid Province, as alfo of the Sovereignty thereof. 2 The fourth, profeffing to repofe fpecial Trust and Confidence in the Fidelity, Wifdom, Juftice and provident Circumfpection of the faid Penn, grants to him and his Heirs, and to his and their Deputies, free, full and abfolute Power, for the good and happy Government of the faid Country, to ordain, make, and enact, and under his or their Seals, to publish. any Laws whatfoever, for the raifing of Money for public Ufes of the faid Province, or for any other End appertaining, either unto the Public State, Peace or Safety of the faid Country, or unto the private Utility of particular Perfons, according to their best Difcretion; by and with the Advice, Affent, and Approbation of the Freemen of the faid Country, or the greater Part of them, or of their Delegates and Deputies, to be affembled in fuch Sort and Form, as to him and them fhall feem beft, and as often as Need fhall require. By the fifth, the faid William Penn is impowered and authorised to erect Courts of Judicature, appoint Judges and adminifter Juftice in all Forms, and carry all the Laws fo made as above, into Execution, under the Pains therein expreffed; provided the faid Laws be confonant to Reason, and not repugnant or contrary, but (as near as conveniently may be) agreeable, to the Laws and Statutes and Rights of England; with a faving to the Crown in cafe of Appeals: -For this Reafon doubtlefs, That in cafe any Act of Injustice or Oppreffion was committed, the Party injur'd might be fure of Redrefs. By the fixth, which prefumes, That in the Government of fo great a Country, fudden Accidents might happen, which would require a Remedy before the Freeholders or their Delegates could be affembled to the making of Laws, the faid William Penn, and his Heirs, by themfelves or their Magiftrates duely ordained, are impowered to make and conftitute fit and wholfome Ordinances, from Time to Time, as well for the Prefervation of the Peace, as for the better Government of the Inhabitants, under the flame Provifo as that above, regarding the Laws, and fo as that the faid Ordinances be not ext nded in any fort to bind, change, or take away the Right or Intereft of any Perfon or Perfons, for or in their Life, Members, Freehold, Goods or Chattels,. And to the End, that neither the faid William Penn or his Heirs, or other the Planters, Owners or Inhabitants of the faid Province, may by Mifconftruction of the Power aforefaid, through Inadvertency or Defign, depart from their Faith and Allegiance to he Crown, the feventh Section provides, That a Tranf cript or Duplicate of all Laws, fo made and pub |