The limits of the lands ceded by Charles Second to William Penn, were, on the eaft, the Delaware, from a fpot twelve miles to the north of Newcastle, to the fortieth degree of latitude, in cafe, the words of the patent are, the river shall extend thus far to the north; from this point a ftraight line drawn to the weft, at right angles with the Delaware; and from that point, another line drawn to the fouth; and finally, a line drawn parallel to that of the north, and making the boundary on the fouth.

The patent gave William Penn, and his heirs, the entire property of the province, fubject to the fupreme authority of the crown of England; it ceded alfo the power of making laws, cftablishing a government, granting lands, and raifing taxes.

The commerce of the new province was to be subject to the regulations of the British legiflature, and was to be carried on only with England. William Penn was obliged to appoint an agent in London, to answer to the crown for any violations of the laws regulating British commerce; but it was provided, that in all difputes between William Penn, or his heirs, or the mer chants of the colony, and the crown, the conftruction of the laws fhould be favourable to the former

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former, and the King's minifters were enjoined to give them all poffible aid and protection.

William Penn arrived at the banks of the Delaware in 1682, having with him a great many families of the people called Quakers. As he did not fuppofe, with the greater part of the founders of European colonies, that the place of his birth and the grant of his king were authorities for taking poffeffion of the territories of favage people, without their confent, he treated with the natives for the lands with fuch equity, that he not only concluded his negociations without obftacles, and acquired the friendship and confidence of the Indians, but alfo conciliated the minds of the Dutch and Swedes already eftablished in the country. The conduct of the Quakers, who accompanied Penn, was of the fame equitable character; fo that the new fettlers, far from being difturbed by the Indians, received every aid thofe poor people could give them. And fo deeply rooted was the veneration of the Indian tribes for William Penn, that to this day, when thofe unhappy victims of European policy are daily driven from their habitations farther back into the wilds of the country, and have too often to complain of other acts of injuftice, they are accustomed to quote the tradition

tradition handed down to them of William Penn's humane and equitable conduct. Nor do they ever place an entire confidence in any treaties with Pennfylvania, or any other state, or even the Union, unlefs fome Quakers are prefent at the conference;" The defcendants of William Penn," they say, "will never permit

us to be deceived."

In 1683, William Penn began to lay the foundations of Philadelphia, at which time he formed a plan for the building of that city, which has fince been followed with great exactness.

The country lying along the Delaware to the fouth of Newcastle, was a little time afterwards granted by the crown to Willian Penn; and the county of Newcastle was ceded to him by the Duke of York.

The inhabitants of this new colony amounted, in 1684, to no more than four thoufand. In 1685, ninety veffels arriving from Europe, with emigrants from France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, and England, the population was encreafed to sixty-fix thousand, of which nearly the half were English.

The wifdom of the adminiftration, but still more entire liberty in civil and religious matters, brought a great influx of inhabitants, even

from other parts of America, to Philadelphia; and the city was still farther increased in growth, by conditional grants of ground, and other political aids given to adventurers.

In 1682, William Penn affembled the inhabitants of this new colony at Chefter; with the concurrence of whom he framed a conftitution, that vested the legiflation of the state in the governor, affifted with a provincial council and a general affembly. The council was compofed of feventy members, chofen by the people. The governor or his deputy prefided in the council, and had three voices. A third of the council was re-elected annually. The general affembly was at firft compofed of all the inhabitants, but was foon reduced to two hundred, and it was provided that it fhould never exceed five hundred.

In the difcourfe pronounced by William Penn on this occafion, he laid down a maxim, whofe truth ought to be inceffantly in the contemplation of every free people;-" Whatever," he faid, "be the form of a government, the people always are free when they share in the legislative power, and are governed only by the laws. In these two circumstances is the fecurity of all freedom; without them, there can be nothing but defpotism or anarchy. The legitimate objects of govern

government are, the people's refpect for the laws, and their fecurity against the abuse of power. On these principles it is, that the people are free, even in obedience, and the magiftrates honoured and refpectable, for the impartiality of their administration and their own fubmiffion to the laws."

In 1683, William Penn offered a new conftitution to the inhabitants of Pennfylvania, of which they accepted. The number of reprefentatives was now diminished; and the prerogative of putting a negative upon laws paffed by the affembly, given to the governor.

Some difputes between Lord Baltimore and William Penn, concerning their respective property, obliged the latter to go to England. In his abfence, the adminiftration of the government was committed to a council, who abused their power, and excited difcontents, that Penn, while he remained in Europe, could neither pre vent nor allay. The crown therefore refumed the government of the province, which was committed to the care of the governor of New York.

About this period a new conftitution was established in Pennsylvania, differing from the former chiefly in this-that the general affembly were now annually elected.