Frame of Government of Pennsylvania (February 2, 1683):
<To all persons, to whom these presents may come. Whereas king Charles the Second, by his letters patents, under the great seal of England, bearing date the fourth day of March in the thirty and third year of the lying, for divers considerations therein mentioned, hath been graciously pleased to give and grant unto me William Penn (by the name of William Penn, Esquire, son and heir of Sir William Penn, deceased) and to my heirs and assigns forever, all that tract of land or province called Pennsylvania...
Now know ye, That for the well-being and good government of the said province...I...grant...these liberties....
That the government of this province...shall...consist...in form of provincial Council and General Assembly; which provincial Council shall consist of eighteen persons...men of most note for their virtue, wisdom and ability; by whom all laws shall be made...
10. That the Governor and provincial Council shall erect and order all public schools, and encourage and reward the authors of useful sciences and laudable inventions in the said province and territories thereof.
11. That one-third part of the provincial Council, residing with the Governor, from time to time, shall with the Governor have the care of the management of public affairs, relating to the peace, justice, treasury and improvement of the province and territories, and to the good education of youth, and sobriety of the manners of the inhabitants therein, as aforesaid...
13. And to the end that all bills prepared and agreed by the Governor and provincial Council, as aforesaid may yet have the more full concurrence of the freemen of the province and territories thereof, it is declared, granted and confirmed, that, at the time and place in every county for the choice of one person to serve in provincial Council, as aforesaid, the respective Members thereof, at their said meeting, shall yearly choose out of themselves six persons of most note, for virtue, wisdom and ability, to serve in Assembly, as their representatives, who shall yearly meet...
20. That as often as any days of the month mentioned in any article of this charter, shall fall upon the first day of the week, commonly called the Lord's day, the business appointed for that day, shall be deferred until the next day, unless in cases of emergency...
22. And that the inhabitants of this province and territories thereof may be accommodated with such food and sustenance, as God, in His providence, hath freely afforded, I do also further grant to the inhabitants of this province and territories thereof, liberty to fowl arid hunt upon the lands they hold, and all other lands therein not enclosed; and to fish, in all waters in the said lands, and in all rivers and rivulets in, and belonging to, this province and territories thereof, with liberty to draw his or their fish on shore on any man's lands, so as it be not to the detriment, or annoyance of the owner thereof, except such lands as do lie upon inland rivulets that are not bootable, or which are, or may be hereafter erected into manors...
In witness whereof, I, the said William Penn, at Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, have unto this present charter of liberties set my hand and broad seal, this second day of the second month, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and eighty and three, being the five and thirtieth year of the king, and the third year of my government.> 1683FG001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement
Endnotes:
1683FG001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Frame of Government of Pennsylvania, February 2, 1683. Charter of William Penn, and Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania, passed between the Years 1682 and 1700 (Harrisberg: 1870), pp. 16-18. Anson Phelps Stokes and Leo Pfeffer, Church and State in the United States (NY: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1950, revised one-volume edition, 1964) p. 19.