At the general assembly of the Governor and Company of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, begun and holden by adjournment at East Greenwich, within and for the State aforesaid, on the 2d Monday in February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight: This Assembly having taken into consideration the Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusets Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, transmitted by Congress to this State, and having had them repeatedly read, and having maturely weighed and most seriously deliberated upon them as their importance to this and the other States, and to posterity, deserves; and considering also the pressing Necessity of compleating the Union as a measure essential to the preservation of the Independence and safety of the said States, do vote and Resolve, and it is voted and resolved, that the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, Esq. William Ellery, Esq. and Henry Marchant, Esq. the Delegates to represent this State in Congress, or any one of them be, and they are hereby, fully authorized and empowered, on the part and behalf of this State, to accede to and sign the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, in such solemn form and manner as Congress shall think best adapted to a transaction so important to the present and future generations; provided, that the same be acceded to by eight of the other States: and in case any alterations in, or additions to, the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, shall be made by nine of the said States in Congress assembled, that the said Delegates or any one of them be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, in like manner, to accede to and sign the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, with the alterations and additions that shall be so made. It is further voted and Resolved, that this Assembly will and do hereby, in behalf of the said State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in the most solemn manner, pledge the faith of the said State to hold and consider the Acts of the said Delegates or any one of them, in so acceding to and signing the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, as valid and binding upon the said State in all future time. And it is further voted and resolved, that a fair Copy of this Act be made and authenticated under the public Seal of this State, with the Signature of His Excellency the Governor, and be transmitted to the Delegates;

and that the same shall be sufficient warrant and authority to the said Delegates or any one of them for the purposes aforesaid.

A true Copy duly examined, Witness,

HENRY WARD, Secretary.

CONNECTICUT:

At a General Assembly of the Governor and Company of the State of Connecticut, holden at Hartford, by adjournment, on the 12th day of February, 1778.

The Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, proposed by Congress to be entered into by the thirteen United States of America, being laid before this Assembly by his Excellency the Governor, were read and maturely considered; Whereupon,

Resolved, That the Delegates of this State, who shall be present in Congress, be, and they are hereby fully authorized and empowered, in behalf of this State, to agree to and ratify the said Articles of Confederation, with such Amendments, if any be, as by them, in conjunction of the Delegates of the other States in Congress, shall be thought proper.

A true Copy of Record, Examined by

GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary.

NEW YORK

The people of the State of New York, one of the United States of America, by the grace of God, free and Independent, to their brethren of the other of the said United States, in Congress Assembled, and to all others who shall see these our letters patent, send Greeting:

Know ye, That among the Acts of our Senate and Assembly of our said State, we have inspected a certain Act of the said Senate and Assembly, the tenor whereof is as follows, to wit: "An Act of Accession to and approbation of certain proposed Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, between the United States of America, and to authorize the delegates of the State of New York to ratify the same on the part and behalf of this State in the Congress of the said United

States. Whereas, the freedom, Sovereignty, and Independence of the said States, which, with a Magnanimity, fortitude, Constancy, and love of liberty, hitherto unparalleled, they have asserted and maintained against their cruel and unrelenting enemies, the King and parliament of the realm of Great Britain, will, for their lasting and unshaken security, in a great measure depend, under God, on a wise and well concerted, intimate and equal confederation of the said United States: and whereas, the honorable the Congress of the said United States have transmitted, for the consideration of the Legislature of this State, and for ratification in case they should approve of the same, the following Articles of Confederation, to wit:

(Here the Articles are recited verbatim.)

And whereas the Senate and Assembly of this State of New York, in Legislature convened, have separately taken the said Articles of Confederation into their respective most deliberate and mature consideration, and by their several and respective resolutions, deliberately made and entered into for the purpose, have fully and entirely approved of the same. In order, therefore, that such approval may be published and made known to the whole world, with all the solemnities of Law, and that all the subjects of this State, and others inhabiting and residing therein, from time to time, and at all times thereafter, as long as the said Confederation shall subsist and endure, may be bound by and held to the due observance of the said Articles of Confederation, as a law of this state, if the same shall be duly ratified by all the said United States, in Congress assembled, be it enacted and declared by the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that the said several above recited Articles of Confederation, and, all and singular, the clauses, matters and things in the same contained, be, and the same are hereby, fully accepted, received and approved of, for and in behalf of the people of this State. And to the end that the same may, with all due form and solemnity, be ratified and confirmed by this State in Congress, be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the delegates of this State in the said Congress of the United States of America, or any two of the said delegates, shall be, and hereby are, fully authorized, empowered, and required, wholly, entirely, and absolutely, for and in behalf of the people of this State, and in such manner, under such

formalities, as shall be determined in Congress, to ratify and confirm all and every of the said above recited Articles of Confederation, and, all and singular, the clauses, matters and things in the same contained; and an exemplification of this act, tested by his Excellency the Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor, or President of the Senate of the State for the time being, administering the Government, and authenticated with the great Seal of this State, shall be full and conclusive evidence of this Act. Provided, always, that nothing in this Act, or the said above recited Articles of Confederation, contained, nor any act, matter or thing to be done and transacted by the delegates of this State in Congress, in and concerning the premises, or any part thereof, shall bind, or oblige, or be deemed, construed or esteemed to bind or oblige the Government, Legislature, people, Subjects, inhabitants, or residents of this State, until the said above recited Articles have been duly ratified and confirmed by or in behalf of all the said United States, in Congress Assembled; any thing herein, or in the said above recited Articles of Confederation contained to the contrary thereof in any wise nothwithstanding. At the bottom of which act we find the following Certificates, to wit: "In senate, Thursday, January 29th, 1778. This bill having been read three times, Resolved, that the bill do pass. By order of the Senate, PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT, President. In Assembly, Tuesday, February 3, 1778. This bill having been read three times, Resolved, that the bill do pass. By order of the assembly, WALTER LIVINGSTON, speaker." And on the back of the said Bill, we find the following endorsement in writing, to wit: "In the Council for revising all bills about to be passed into Laws by the Legislature of the State of New York, on Friday, the 6th day of February, 1778. Resolved, that it does not appear improper to this Council, that the bill, entitled "An act of accession to, and approbation of, certain proposed Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the United States of America, and to authorize the delegates of the State of New York to ratify the same on the part and behalf of this State, in the Congress of the United States, should become a Law of this State. GEORGE CLINTON." In testimony whereof, we, the said people of the State of New York, have caused the said Act of our said Senate and assembly to be exemplifyed by these presents, and our great Seal of our said State to be hereunto appended.

Witness our trusty and well beloved George Clinton, Esq. our Governor of our said State, general and Commander in Chief of all the

Militia, and admiral of our Navy of the same, the 16th day of February, in the second year of our Independence and sovereignty, and in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy eight. GEORGE CLINTON.

By his excellency's command.

RICHARD HATFIELD, Secretary.

PENNSYLVANIA:

The representatives of the freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in general Assembly met, to the Hon Benjamin Franklin, Doctor of Laws, Robert Morris, Esq. Daniel Roberdeau, Esq. Jonathan B. Smith, Esq. James Smith, Esq of York town, William Clingan, Esq. Joseph Reed, Esq Delegates for the said Commonwealth in the Congress of the United States of America, send Greeting:

Know ye, That we the said Representatives having taken into our most serious and weighty consideration and deliberation, the Articles of Confederation between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, lately transmitted to us by the Hon. Henry Laurens, Esq. President of the said Congress, do by this present instrument, signed by our Speaker, and sealed with the Seal of the Laws of this Commonwealth, accede to, ratify, confirm and agree to the said Articles; which said Articles are as follows, to wit:

(Here the Articles are recited verbatim.)

And we the said Representatives do hereby authorize, empower, require, and enjoin you, the said Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, Daniel Roberdeau, Jonathan B. Smith, James Smith, William Clingan, and Joseph Reed, or any two of you, in the Name of the said Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to accede to, ratify, confirm, and agree to the said Articles of Confederation. In testimony whereof, we have caused the Seal of the Laws of Pennsylvania to be hereunto affixed, in general Assembly, at Lancaster, the 5th day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy eight.

(Seal appended.)

JOHN BAYARD, Speaker.