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neighbourhood of that which was the ob ject of the Petition, and those of Lord Baltimore as proprietor of Maryland, were fully heard and debated. The advice too of the Chief Justice North and the Attorney-General Sir William Jones was taken on the subject of the grant. The matter at length ended in favour of William Penn; and he was by Charter, dated at Westminster the fourth of March 1681, and signed by writ of Privy Seal, made and constituted full and absolute proprietor of all that tract of land which he had solicited and marked out, and invested with the power of ruling and governing the same.

This Charter consisted of twenty-three

sections. In these the extent and boundaries of the new province were specified, and the free use of all ports, bays, rivers, and waters there, and of their produce, and of all islands, mountains, soils, and mines there, and of their produce, were wholly granted and given up to him. He was made absolute proprietary of the said territory, which was to be held in free and common soccage by fealty only, paying two beaver skins annually and one fifth of all

the

the gold and silver discovered to the King, and the said territory was to be called Pennsylvania after his own name. He had the power of making laws with the advice, assent, and approbation of the free men of the territory assembled for the raising of money for public uses; of appointing Judges and other officers; and of pardoning and reprieving, except in the cases of wilful murder and high treason. In these cases reprieve was to be granted only till the pleasure of the King was known, who also reserved to himself the right of hearing appeals. He had the power also in new and sudden circumstances, where the free men could not be suddenly and conveniently assembled, of making ordinances, which, however, were to be agreeable to reason and not repugnant to the laws of England, or to be extended in any sort to bind, change, or take away the right or interest of persons for, or in, their lives, members, freeholds, goods, and chattels, and all property as well as felonies were to be regulated by the laws of England, until the said laws should be altered by himself, or assigns, and the free men of the said province. Duplicates of all laws made

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there were to be transmitted to the Privy Council within five years after they were passed; and if within six months after having been so transmitted such laws were not pronounced void by the said Council, they were to be considered as having been approved of and to be valid. Permission was given to English subjects to transport themselves to, and to settle in, Pennsylvania; to load and freight in English ports and transport all merchandize from thence to the said province, and to transport the fruits and produce of the said province to England on paying the accustomary duties. He had the power of dividing the province into towns, hundreds, and counties; of erecting and incorporating towns into boroughs, and boroughs into cities; of erecting manors, holding courts baron, and of having and holding view of frankpledge; of selling or alienating any part or parts of the said province, in which case the purchasers were to hold by his grant; of constituting fairs and markets; and of making ports, harbours, and quays, at which ports, harbours, and quays, and at which only, vessels were to be laden and unladen. All officers, however, appointed by

the

the Farmers or Commissioners of the King's Customs were to have free admission thereto. He had the power of assessing, reasonably, and with the advice of the free men assembled, custom on goods to be laden and unladen, and of enjoying the same, saving however to the King such impositions as were and should be appointed by Act of Parliament. He was to appoint from time to time an Agent to reside in or near London, to answer for any misdemeanour on his part against the laws of trade and navigation; and, in case of such misdemeanour, he was to make good the damage occasioned thereby within one year; in failure of which, the King was to seize the government of the said province and to retain it till the said damage was made good. He was not to maintain correspondence with any King or Power at war with England, nor to make war against any King or Power in amity with the same. In case of incursion by neighbouring barbarous nations, or by pirates or robbers, he had power to levy, muster, and train to arms all men in the said province, and to act as their Captain-General, and to make war upon and pursue the same. The King

was ever to impose any tax or custom

upon

upon the inhabitants of it, either upon their lands, tenements, goods, or chattels, or upon any merchandize to be laden or unladen within it, unless by the consent of himself, or the chief Governor appointed by him, or by the Assembly, or by Act of Parliament in England. This Declaration was to be deemed by all the Judges in all the Courts of law to be a lawful discharge, payment, and acquittance; and no officer was to attempt any thing contrary to the premises, but to aid him, his heirs, servants, agents and others in the full use and enjoyment of the Charter. If any of the inhabitants to the number of twenty should signify their desire to the Bishop of London to have a preacher sent to them, such preacher should be allowed to reside and perform his functions without any denial or molestation whatever. If any doubt should arise concerning the meaning of any expression in the Charter, the interpretation of it was to be construed in a manner the most favourable to him and his heirs.

It may be proper to give here an anecdote of the modesty of William Penn, as it relates to the above Charter. On the day when it was signed he wrote to several of

his

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