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Affembly of the Reprefentatives of the freemen of the fame, and a Prefident and Council, in manner and form following:

II. The fupreme legiflative power shall be vefted in a Houfe of Reprefentatives of the freemen of the Commonwealth or State of Pennsylvania.

III. The fupreme executive power shall be vested in a Prefident and Council.

IV. Courts of justice shall be established in the city of Philadelphia, and in every county of this State.

V. The freemen of this Commonwealth and their fons fhall be trained and armed for its defence, under fuch regulations, restrictions, and exceptions as the General Assembly fhall by law direct, preferving always to the people the right of choofing their Colonel, and all commiffioned officers under that rank, in fuch manner and as often as by the faid laws fhall be directed.

VI. Every freeman of the full age of twenty-one years, having refided in this State for the space of one whole year next before the day of election for Reprefentatives, and paid public taxes during that time, fhall enjoy the right

of

of an elector: provided always, that fons of freeholders of the age of twenty-one years fhall be intitled to vote, although they have not paid taxes.

VII. The Houfe of Reprefentatives of the freemen of this Commonwealth fhall confift of perfons moft noted for wisdom and virtue, to be chofen by the freemen of every city and county of this Commonwealth refpectively. And no perfon fhall be elected unless he has refided in the city or county for which he shall be chofen, two years immediately before the faid election; nor shall any Member, while he continues fuch, hold any other office, except in the militia.

VIII. No perfon fhall be capable of being elected a Member to serve in the House of Representatives of the freemen of this Commonwealth more than four years in feven.

IX. The Members of the House of Reprefentatives fhall be chofen annually by ballot, by the freemen of the Commonwealth, on the fecond Tuesday in October for ever, (except this prefent year) and fhall meet on the fourth Monday of the fame month, and fhall beftiled, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FREEMEN OF PENNSYLVANIA, and fhall

have

have power to chufe their Speaker, the Treasurer of the State, and their other officers; fit on their own adjournments; prepare bills and enact them into laws; judge of the elections and qualifications of their own Members: they may expel a Member, but not a fecond time for the fame caufe; they may administer oaths or affirmations on examination of witnesses; redress grievances; impeach state criminals; grant charters of incorporation; constitute towns, boroughs, cities and counties; and shall have all other powers neceffary for the legiflature of a free State or Commonwealth : but they fhall have no power to add to, alter, abolish, or infringe any part of this Conftitution.

X. A Quorum of the House of Representa tives fhall confift of two-thirds of the whole number of Members elected; and having met and chofen their Speaker, fhall each of them, before they proceed to bufinefs, take and fubfcribe, as well the oath or affirmation of fidelity and allegiance herein after directed, as the following oath or affirmation, viz.

" I

do fwear (or affirm), that as a Member of this Affembly, I will not propose

or affent to any bill, vote, or resolution, which

fhall

fhall appear to me injurious to the people; nor do or confent to any act or thing whatever, that shall have a tendency to leffen or abridge their rights and privileges, as declared in the Conftitution of this State; but will in all things conduct myfelf as a faithful honeft Reprefentative and guardian of the people, ac. cording to the best of my judgement and abilities."

And each Member before he takes his feat, shall make and fubfcribe the following declaration, viz.

"I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the Univerfe, the rewarder of the good, and the punisher of the wicked. And I do acknowledge the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament to be given by divine infpiration."

And no further or other religious teft fhall ever hereafter be required of any civil officer or magiftrate in this State.

XI. Delegates to reprefent this State in Congrefs fhall be chofen by ballot by the future General Affembly at their first meeting, and annually forever afterwards, as long as fuch representation shall be neceffary. Any Delegate

may

may be superseded at any time, by the General Affembly appointing another in his stead. No man fhall fit in Congrefs longer than two years fucceflively, nor be capable of re-election for three years afterwards and no perfon who holds any office in the gift of the Congrefs, fhall hereafter be elected to reprefent this Commonwealth in Congress.

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XII. If any city or cities, county or counties, fhall neglect or refufe to elect and fend Representatives to the General Affembly, twothirds of the Members from the cities or counties that do elect and fend Reprefentatives, provided they may be a majority of the cities and counties of the whole State, when met fhall have all the powers of the General Affembly, as fully and amply as if the whole were prefent.

XIII. The doors of the House in which the Representatives of the freemen of this State fhall fit in General Affembly, fhall be and remain open for the admiffion of all perfons who behave decently, except only when the welfare of this State may require the doors to be fhut. XIV. The votes and proceedings of the General Affembly fhall be printed weekly du

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