Government be never fo good, they will endeavour to warp and spoil it to their Turn.

I know fome fay, Let us have good Laws, and no matter for the Men that execute them: But let them confider, That though good Laws do well, good Men do better: For good Laws may want good Men, and be abolished or evaded by ill Men; but good Men will never want good Laws, nor fuffer ill ones. 'Tis true; good Laws have fome awe upon ill Ministers, but that is where they have no Power to escape or abolish them, and the People are generally wife and good: But a loofe and depraved People (which is to the Question) love Laws and an Administration like themselves. That therefore which makes a good Conftitution, must keep it, viz. Men of Wisdom and Virtue, Qualities, that because they defcend not with worldly Inheritances, must be carefully propagated by a virtuous Education of Youth; for which After-Ages will owe more to the Care and Prudence of Founders and the fucceffive Magiftracy, than to their Parents for their private Patrimonies.

THESE Confiderations of the Weight of Government, and the nice and various Opinions about it, -1 made it uneafy to me to think of publishing the enfuing Frame and conditional Laws, foreseeing, both the Cenfures they will meet with from Men of differing Humours and Engagements, and the Occafion they may give of Difcourfe beyond my Defign.

BUT next to the Power of Neceffity, (which is a Solicitor that will take no Denial) this induced me to a Compliance, that we have (with Reverence to GOD and good Confcience to Men) to the best of our Skill, contrived and compofed the FRAME and LAWS of this Government, to the great End of all Government, viz. To fupport Power in Reverence with the People, and to fecure the People from the Abuse of Power; that they may be free by their just Obedience, and the Magiftrates honourable for their juft Adminiftration: For Liberty without Obedience is

Confufion,

Confufion, and Obedience without Liberty is Slavery. To carry this Evenness is partly owing to the Conftitution, and partly to the Magiftracy: Where either of thefe fail, Government will be fubject to Convul fions; but where both are wanting, it must be totally fubverted: Then where both meet, the Government is like to endure. Which I humbly pray, and hope GOD will pleafe to make the Lot of this of Penfilvania. Amen. WILLIAM PENN.

T

The FRAME, &c.

O ALL PEOPLE, To whom these Prefents fhall come. WHEREAS King CHARLES the Second, by his Letters Patents, under the great Seal of England, for the Confideration therein mentioned, hath been graciously pleased to give and grant unto me William Penn (by the Name of William Penn, Efq; Son and Heir of Sir William Penn deceased) and to my Heirs and Affigns for ever, all that Tract of Land, or Province called Penfilvania, in America, with divers great Powers, Preheminences, Royalties, Jurifdictions, and Authorities, neceffary for the Well-being and Government thereof: NOW KNOW YE, That for the Well-being and Government of the faid Province, and for the Encouragement of all the Freemen and Planters that may be therein concerned, in Pursuance of the Powers afore-mentioned, the faid William Penn have declared, granted and confirmed, and by thefe Prefents, for me, my Heirs and Affigns, do declare, grant and confirm unto all the Freemen, Planters and Adventurers, of, in and to the faid Province, thefe Liberties, Franchifes, and Properties, to be held, enjoyed and kept by the Freemen, Planters and Inhabitants of the faid Province of Penfilvania for ever.

IMPRIMIS,

IM PRIMIS.

THAT the Government of this Province fhall, according the Powers of the Patent, confift of the Governor and Freemen of the faid Province, in Form of a Provincial Council and General Affembly, by whom all Laws fhall be made, Officers chofen, and publick Affairs tranfacted, as is hereafter respectively declared. That is to fay,

II.

THAT the Freemen of the faid Province shall on the twentieth Day of the twelfth Month, which fhall be in this prefent Year One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty and Two, meet and affemble in fome fit Place, of which timely Notice fhall be beforehand given by the Governor or his Deputy, and then and there fhall chufe out of themselves SEVENTY-TWO Perfons of moft Note for their Wifdom, Virtue and Ability, who shall meet on the tenth Day of the first Month next enfuing, and always be called and act as the provincial Council of the faid Province.

III.

THAT at the firft Choice of fuch provincial Council, one third part of the faid provincial Council fhall be chofen to ferve for three Years then next enfuing, one third part for two Years then next. enfuing, and one third part for one Year then next following fuch Election, and no longer; and that the faid third part fhall go out accordingly: And on the twentieth Day of the twelfth Month as aforefaid, yearly for ever afterward, the Freemen of the faid Province fhall in like Manner meet and affemble together, and then chufe TWENTY-FOUR Perfons, being one third of the faid Number, to ferve in provincial Council for three Years: It being intended, that one third part of the whole provincial Council (always confifting, and to confift

of

of feventy-two Perfons, as aforefaid) falling off yearly, it fhall be yearly fupplied by fuch new yearly Elections, as aforefaid; and that no one Perfon fhall continue therein longer than three Years: And in cafe any Member fhall decease before the laft Election during his Time, that then at the next Election enfuing his Deceafe, another fhall be chosen to fupply his Place for the remaining Time he was to have ferved, and no longer.

IV.

THAT after the firft feven Years, every one of the faid third parts that goeth yearly off,, fhall be uncapable of being chofen again for one whole Year following: That fo all may be fitted for Government, and have Experience of the Care and Burden of it.

V..

THAT the provincial Council in all Cafes and Matters of Moment, as their arguing upon Bills to be paft into Laws, erecting Courts of Justice, giving Judgment upon Criminals impeached, and Choice of Officers, in fuch Manner as is herein aftermentioned; not lefs than two-thirds of the whole provincial Council fhall make a Quorum; and that the Confent not Approbation of two-thirds of fuch Quorum fhall be had in all fuch Cafes and Matters of Moment. And moreover, that in all Cafes and Matters of leffer Moment, twenty-four Members of the faid provincial Council fhall make a Quorum, the Majority of which twenty-four fhall and may always determine in fuch Cafes and Causes of leffer Moment.

VI..

THAT in this provincial Council the Governor, or his Deputy, fhall or may always prefide, and have a treble Voice; and the faid provincial Council fhall always continue, and fit upon its own Adjournments and Committees.

R

VII.

THAT the Governor and provincial Council fhall prepare and propofe to the general Affembly hereafter mentioned, all Bills, which they fhall at any Time think fit to be paffed into Laws within the faid Province; which Bills fhall be publifhed and affixed to the moft noted Places in the inhabited Parts thereof, thirty, Days before the Meeting of the general Affembly, in order to the paffing them into Laws, or rejecting of them, as the general Affembly fhall fee meet.

VIII.

THAT the Governor and provincial Council fhall take care, that all Laws, Statutes and Ordinances, which fhall at any Time be made within, the faid Province, be duly and diligently executed.

IX.

THAT the Governor and provincial Council fhall at all Times have the Care of the Peace and Safety of the Province, and that nothing be by any Perfon attempted to the Subverfion of this Frame of Government.

X.

THAT the Governor and provincial Council fhall at all Times fettle and order the Situation of all Cities, Ports, and Market-Towns in every County, modelling therein all publick Buildings, Streets, and Market-Places, and fhall appoint all neceffary Roads and Highways in the Province.

XI.

THAT the Governor and provincial Council fhall at all Times have Power to infpect the Management of the publick Treasury, and punish thofe who fhall convert any Part thereof to any other

4

Use,