Delegates, to cause a printed copy of the Form of a Constitution they may agree upon in Convention, to be transmitted to the Selectmen of each Town, and the Committee of each Plantation ; and the said Selectmen and Committees are hereby empowered and directed to lay the same before their respective Towns and Plantations, at a regular meeting of the Male Inhabitants thereof, being free and twenty-one years of age, to be called for that purpose, in order to its being duly considered and approved or disapproved by said Towns and Plantations. And it is also recommended to the several Towns within this State, to instruct their respective Representatives to establish the said Form of a Constitution, as the Constitution and Form of Government of the State of Massachusetts Bay, if, upon a fair examination, it shall appear that it is approved of by at least two-thirds of those, who are free and twenty-one years of age, belonging to this State, and present in the several meetings. Sent up for concurrence,

JOHN HANCOCK, Speaker. IN COUNCIL, June 17, 1779.

Read and concurred,

JOHN AVERY, Dep’y Sec’y.

Consented to by a Major Part of the Council.

A true copy,

Attest, JOHN AVERY, Dep'y Sec'y.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION, begun and held at

Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex, on the first day of September, A. D. 1779, in conformity to the preceding Resolve of the Great and General Court of the State of the Massachusetts Bay, passed the 17th of June last, for the sole purpose of framing a new Constitution of Government for said State.

A. M. WEDNESDAY, 1st Sept. 1779.

A large number of Delegates being convened,

a motion made and seconded, Voted, That a President and Secretary be chosen by Ballot,

On a motion made and seconded,
Voted, That a Committee be chosen to receive and sort the votes.
Voted, That the Committee consist of three.
Voted, That NATHANIEL GORHAM, Esq.,

Col. Dawes, and

BRIG’R. BROOKS, be a Committee for this purpose. On a motion made and seconded, Voted, That the Convention first proceed to the choice of a Secretary. The Committee aforesaid accordingly proceeded to receive and sort the votes.

The Committee having reported, it appeared that Samuel Barrett was chosen Secretary. On a motion made and seconded, Voted, That the Convention now proceed to the choice of a President. The Committee aforesaid accordingly proceeded to receive and sort the votes.

The Committee having reported, it appeared that the Honorable JAMES BOWDOIN, Esq., was chosen President.

It was then moved, that the Person usually attending the Meeting House as Servitor or Door Keeper, be directed, and he was accordingly directed, to give his attendance, as Servitor and Door Keeper to the Convention.

On a motion,

Voted, That the several Delegates produce Certificates or other Creden tials of their choice or appointment to represent the several Towns in this Convention, the same to be laid before the Convention.

On a motion made and seconded,

Voted, That the Hon'l WALTER SPOONER, and the Hon'l SAMUEL ADAMS, Esq., be a Committee to receive and declare the same.

Which being done, it appeared that the following gentlemen were duly returned to represent the several Towns and Plantations within this State, in this Convention, viz. :

LIST OF MEMBERS

OF THE

CONVENTION FOR FRAMING A CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNMENT,

September 1st, 1779.

FOR THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK. Ipswich,
Boston,

Hon. James Bowdoin, Esq. Newbury,
Hon. Samuel Adams, Esq.
Hon. John Hancock, Esq.
Hon. Oliver Wendell, Esq. Newburyport,
Nathaniel Appleton, Esq.
Samuel A. Otis, Esq.
Ellis Gray, Esq.
Thomas Dawes, Esq.
John Lowell, Esq.

Marblehead,
Doctor Charles Jarvis, Lynn,
Ebenezer Storer, Esq. Andover,

Samuel Barrett, Esq.
Roxbury, Increase Sumner, Esq.
Dorchester, Mr. Samuel Coolidge,
Milton,

Ed. Hutchinson Robbins, Beverly,

Samuel Henshaw, Esq.
Braintree, Hon. John Adams, Esq. Rowley,
Weymouth, Hon. James Humphreys,
Hingham, Rev. Daniel Shute,

Mr. Joseph Thaxter, jr. Salisbury,
Cohasset,

Haverhill, Dedham, Rev. Jason Haven, Gloucester,

Doct. John Sprague, Medfield,

Doct. James Jerould, Wrentham,

Mr. Thomas Man,

Mr. Lemuel Kollock,
Brookline, Major William Thomson. Topsfield,
Needham,
Stoughton,

Rev. Jedediah Adams, Amesbury,
Stoughtonham, Mr. Royal Kollock, Bradford,
Medway, Rev. Daniel Stanford, Methuen,
Bellingham, Mr. Noah Alden, Boxford,
Hull,

Wenham,
Walpole, Joshua Clap, Esq.

Manchester,
Chelsea,
Capt. Jonathan Green,

Middleton,
Franklin, Hon. Jabez Fisher, Esq. Danvers,
Foxborough, Mr. John Everett.

Mr. Daniel Noyce,
Mr. John Crocker,
Enoon Sawyer, Esq.
Mr. Richard Adams,
Mr. Ebenezer March,
Hon. Benj. Greenleaf, Esq.
Hon. Jona. Greenleaf, Esq.
Mr. Jonathan Jackson,
Mr. Nathaniel Tracy,
Theopilus Parsons, Esq.
Mr. Samuel Burrill,
Samuel Osgood, Esq.
Mr. Samuel Philips, jr.
Mr. John Farnham, jr.
Mr. Zebediah Abbott,
Mr. George Cabot,
Mr. Joseph Wood,
Nathaniel Mighill, Esq.
Col. Daniel Spafford,
Doct. Parker Cleaveland,
Maj. Joseph Page,
Hon. N. P. Sergeant, Esq.
Winthrop Sergeant Esq.
Col. Joseph Foster,
Peter Coffin, Esq.
Samuel Whitemore Esq.
Capt Epes Sergeant,
Mr. Israel Clarke, jr.
Mr. Abraham Hobbs,
Mr. John Barnard,
Mr. Peter Russell,
Mr. John Sergeant,

Mr. Silas Meriam,
Hon, Samuel Holton, Esq.
Amos Putnam, Esq.
Col. Israel Hutchinson,
Capt. William Shillaber.

FOR THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.

Salem,

Hon. John Pickering, Esq. FOR THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX.
Mr. William Pickman,
Mr. Henry Higginson, Cambridge, Abraham Watson, Esq.
Mr. Joseph Orne,

Mr. Benjamin Cooper,
Mr. Miles Greenwood,

Capt. Stephen Dana,
Mr. Benjamin Goodhue, jr. Charlestown, Nath'l. Gorham, Esq.
Dummer Jewett, Esq. Watertown,

Samuel Fisk, Esq.
Stephen Choate, Esq.

Jonathan Brown, Esq.
Col. Jonathan Cogswell, Woburn, Doct. Samuel Blodgett,

Ipswich,

Concord, John Cummings, Esq. Spencer,

Mr. John Biscoe,
Ephraim Wood, Esq. Rutland, John Frink, Esq.
Newton,
Dr. John King,

Paxton,

Capt. Adam Maynard, Mr. Thomas Parker, Oakham, Capt. Isaac Stone, Reading, Mr. Benjamin Flynt, Barre,

John Mason, Esq.
Marlborough, Col. Edward Barnes,

Mr. Andrew Parker,
Mr. Moses Wood, Hubbardston,

Mr. Winslow Bridgham, New Braintree, Maj. James Woods, Billerica, Rev. Henry Cummings, Southborough, Doct. James Parker, Framingham, Hon. Josiah Stone, Esq. Westborough, Capt. Stephen Maynard, Benjamin Edwards, Esq.

Capt. Nathan Fisher, Lexington, Rev. Jonas Clarke, Northborough, Mr. Jonathan Livermore, Chelmsford, Col. Simeon Spaulding, Shrewsbury,

Mr. Daniel Hemmenway, Oliver Barron, Esq. Lunenburg, Capt. George Kimball, Sherburne, Daniel Whitney, Esq. Fitchburg, Capt. Thomas Cowdin, Sudbury, Col. Ezekiel How, Uxbridge,

Coi. Seth Reed,
Malden,
Rev. Peter Thatcher,

Mr. Benjamin Green,
Weston,
Mr. Joseph Roberts, Harvard,

Mr. Oliver Whitney,
Mr. John Allen,

Dudley, Mr. Joseph Upham, Medford, Stephen Hall, Tertius, Esq. Bolton, Mr. Ephraim Fairbanks, Hopkinton, Mr. Matthew Metcalf, Upton,

Rev. Elisha Fisk, Westford, Dr. Asaph Fletcher, sturbridge, Mr. Joshua Harding, Waltham, Jonas Dix, Esq.

Capt Abel Mason,
Capt. John Clarke, Leominster, Israel Nichols, Esq.
Stow,

Mr. Abraham Whitney, Hardwick, Mr. William Page,
Groton,
Hon. James Sullivan, Esq.

Brig. Gen. Jon. Warner, Shirley,

Mr. John Hastings, Pepperell,

Holden, Townsend Mr. James Locke,

Western,

Col. Danforth Keys, Dracut,

Mr. Amos Bradley, Douglas, Mr. Eliphaz Stearns, Bedford, John Reed, Esq.

Grafton,

Capt. Luke Drury, Holliston, Capt. Staples Chamberlain, Petersham, Col. Ephraim Doolittle, Acton, Francis Faulkner, Esq.

Mr. Ruggles Spooner, Dunstable, Hon. John Tyng, Esq.

Mr. Samuel Bryant, Lincoln,

Brig. Gen. E. Brooks, Esq. Royalston, Mr.Sylvanus Hemmenway, Wilmington,

Mr. Åbner Holden, Tewksbury, Mr. William Brown, Westminster, Mr. Joseph Miller, Ashby,

Athol,

Capt. Ephraim Stockwell, Littleton, Capt. Aaron Jewett,

Mr. Josiah Goddard, Natick,

Major Hezekiah Broad. Templeton, Capt. John Richardson, Stoneham.

Mr. Joel Grout,
Princeton, Asa Whitcomb, Esq.
Ashburnham,

Winchendon, Abel Wilder, Esq.
FOR THE COUNTY OF WORCESTER. Woodslock,

Northbridge, Mr. Jonathan Bacon.

Ward.
Worcester,

Hon. Levi Lincoln, Esq.
Joseph Allen, Esq.

Mr. David Bigelow,
Lancaster, William Dunsmore, Esq.

Capt. Ephraim Wilder, FOR THE COUNTY OF HAMPSHIRE.

Capt. William Putnam,
Mendon, Joseph Dorr, Esq. Springfield, Mr. Luke Bliss,
Capt. Peter Penniman,

William Pyncheon, Esq. Brookfield, Hon. Jedediah Foster, Esq West Springfield, Abraham Burbank, Esq. Oxford,

Ebenezer Learned, Esq. Wilbraham, Capt. Phineas Stebbins,

Mr. Ezra Bowman, Northampton, Mr. Ephraim Wright,
Charlton, Jacob Davis, Esq.

Caleb Strong, Esq.
Mr. Salem Town, Southampton, Capt. Timothy Clarke,

Capt. Samuel Lamb, Hadley,
Sutton,

Mr. David Harwood, South Hadley, Hon. Noah Goodman, Esq.
Mr. Nathan Putnam, Amherst, Mr. John Billing,
Mr. Willis Hall,

Granby,
Rev. Ebenezer Chaplin, Hatfeld, Doct. Elijah Morton,

Mr. Ebenezer Peirce, Whately,
Leicester, Major Seth Washburn, Williamsburg, Mr. William Bodman,

Col. William Henshaw, Westfield, Col. John Moseley,

Deerfield,

FOR THE COUNTY OF BARNSTABLE. Greenfield, Capt. Agrippa Wells, Shelburne, Mr. Ebenezer Fisk, Barnstable, Conway,

Sandwich, Mr. Lot Nye, Sunderland,

Yarmouth, Enoch Hallett, Esq. Montague,

Eastham, Northfield, Capt. Thomas Alexander, Harwich, Brimfield,

Wellfleet, South Brimfield, Mr. William Carpenter, Chaiham, Monson,

Major Reuben Mun, Truro, Pelham, Mr. Joseph Packard, Falmouth. Greenwich, Major Barnabas Sears,

Mr. Caleb West, Blandford,

FOR THE COUNTY OF BRISTOL. Leverett, Major Richard Montague, Palmer, Mr. Joshua Shaw,

Taunton, Hon. Rob. T. Paine, Esq. Granville, Mr. Oliver Phelps,

Brig. Gen. G. Godfrey, Esq. New Salem,

Rehoboth, William Winsor, Esq. Belchertown, Mr. Joseph Smith,

Capt. Stephen Bullock, Colraine, Major Hezekiah Smith, Swansey and Capt. Philip Slead, Ware,

Shawammet, Mr. John Mason, Warwick, Mr. Thomas Rich, Dartmouth, Hon. Walter Spooner, Esq. Bernardston,

Rev. Samuel West, Murrayfield,

Mr. Timothy Davis, Charlemont,

Norton,

Mr. Abraham White, Ashfield, Capt. Benjamin Phillips, Mansfield, Mr. Isaac Dean,

Capt. Samuel Bartlett, Attleborough, Col. John Daggett, Worthington, Mr. Seth Sylvester,

Capt. John Stearns, Shutesbury, Mr. William Ewens,

Major Elisha May, Chesterfield, Capt. William White, Dighton, Thomas Church, Esq. Mr. Luke Bonney,

Mr. William Brown, Chesterfield Gore, Capt. Thomas Weeks, Freetown,

Mr. Samuel Barnaby, Southwick, Mr. Abner Fowler, Raynham, Capt. Israel Washburn, Suffield,

Easton,

Capt. James Perry,
Enfield,

Berkley, Samuel Toby, Esq.
Somers,
Ludlow,
Norwich,
Merryfield,

FOR THE COUNTY OF YORK.
Plantation, No. 5,
Gageborough,

York,

Hon. David Sewall, Esq. West Hampton, Mr. Sylvester Judd. Kittery,

Capt. J. Heard Bartlett, Wells,

Nathaniel Wells, Esq.
Berwick, Hon. B. Chadbourne, Esq.
Arundel,

Biddeford,
FOR THE COUNTY OF PLYMOUTH. Pepperellborough,

Lebanon,
Plymouth, John Cotton, Esq. Sanford,
Scituate, Hon. William Cushing, Esq Buxton,

Israel Vinal, Esq. Fryburgh,

William Turner, Esq. Cox Hall, Duxbury,

Massabeseck, Marshfield, Capt. Thomas Waterman, Limerick, Bridgewter, Benj. Willis, Esq. Brownfield,

Capt. Nathan Mitchell, Little Falls. Middleborough, Mr. John Miller,

Capt. William Shaw, Rochester, Capt. Nath'l. Hammond,

FOR DUKES COUNTY. Plympton, Major Seth Cushing,

Capt. George Hammond, Edgarton, Pembroke, Rev. Gad Hitchcock, Chilmark, Kingston,

Tisbury. Hanover, Hon. Joseph Cushing, Esq. Abington, Col. David Jones,

FOR THE COUNTY OF NANTUCKET. Halifax, Ebenezer Thomson, Esq. Wareham.

Sherburne,