1680. which he himself had advanced for the fea fervice; the reft was for arrearages in his pay. In confequence of this debt, William Penn, in the fummer of the year 1680, petitioned King Charles the fecond, that letters patent might be granted him, for a tract of land, in America, lying north of Maryland; on the east, bounded by Delaware river; on the weft limited as Maryland; and northward to extend as far as plantable.

This was first laid before the Privy Council, and afterwards, the Lords of the committee of trade and plantations. After feveral meetings on the occafion, in which the objections, from the Duke of York, by his agent, Sir John Werden, as proprietor of that tract of Land, fince called, the counties of New-Castle, Kent and Suffex, on Delaware; and from the Lord Baltimore, proprietor of Maryland, were fully heard and debated; the Lord Chief Juftice North, and the Attorney-General, Sir William Jones, being confulted both refpecting 1681. the grant itself, and alfo the form, or manner, of W. Penn making it. The affair was at length, refulted in obtains the William Penn's favor; and he was, by charter, dated at Westminster, the fourth day of March, 1681, made and constituted full and abfolute proprietor of all that tract of land and province, now called Pennfylvania, and invested with the vernment of the fame.*

grant of

Pennsylva

nia.

powers

of go

*Anderfon, in his excellent treatise, entitled, "An hiftorical and cbronological deduction of the origin of commerce," &c. published in two volumes folio, under the year 1680, thus mentions the rise of this colony, viz.

"The fame year, 1680, gave rife to the noble English colony of Pennfylvania, in North America;" "That country, till now, was moftly a part of Virginia, and another part of it was a part of NewTork colony. Mr. William Penn, an eminent Quaker, and a gentleman of great knowledge and true philosophy, had it granted to him, at this time;- -which he defigned for a retreat or asylum, for the people of his religious perfwafion, then made uneafy at home, through the bigotry of fpiritual courts, &c. Mr. Penn, therefore, carried thither with him a large embarkation of those Quakers; afterwards, from time to time, joined by many more, from Britain and Ireland. At his first arrival there, he found many English families in it, and confiderable numbersof Dutch and Swedes; who all readily submitted to his wife and excellent regulations; which highly merit to be known by all perfons, who would

apply

the grant,

&c.

This charter confifts of twenty-three fections. 1681. The preamble to which declares the reafons for the faid grant were, "The commendable defire of Reafons for Willian Penn to enlarge the British Empire, by promoting commodities of trade; reducing the favage natives, by gentle and just means, to the love of civil fociety, and the Christian religion, and by tranfplanting an ample colony into that uncultivated country, together with the memorable fervices of his father Admiral Penn;" The whole is expreffed in the following manner, viz.

"The Charter of Charles the fecond, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, defender of 1681. the faith, c. unto William Penn, proprietary and Governor of the province of Pennsylvania,'

Charles, by the grace of God, King of Eng land, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. to all, to whom thefe prefents fhall come, Greeting:

"Whereas our trufty and well-beloved fubject William Penn, Efquire, fon and heir of Sir William Penn deceafed, (out of a commendable defire to enlarge our British empire, and promote fuch ufeful commodities, as may be of benefit to us and our dominions, as alfo to reduce the favage Natives, by juft and gentle manners, to the love of civil fociety, and christian religion) hath humbly befought leave of US, to tranfport an ample colony unto a certain country, herein after defcribed, in the parts of America, not yet cultivated and planted; and hath likewife fo humbly befought our royal Ma jesty to give, grant and confirm all the faid country,

with

apply to colonizing. The true wifdom, as well as equity, of his un limited toleration of all religious perfwafions, as well as his kind, just and prudent treatment of the native Indians; alfo his laws, policy and go. vernment, fo endeared him to the planters, and fo widely spread the fame of his whole economy, that, although fo lately planted, it is thought, at this day (about the year 1760) to have more white people in it, than any other colony, on all the continent of English America, New• England alone excepted."

Preamble.

with certain privileges and jurifdictions, requifite for the good government and fafety of the faid country and colony, to him, and his heirs for

ever.

Section I.

Confidera- "Know ye, therefore, that we, (favoring the tion of the petition and good purpofe of the faid William

grant.

Penn, and having regard to the memory and merits of his late father, in divers fervices, and particularly to his conduct, courage and difcretion, under our dearest brother James Duke of York, in that fignal battle and victory, fought and ob. tained, against the Dutch fleet, commanded by the Heer Van Opdam, in the year 1665: In confideration thereof, of our fpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion) have given and granted, and, by this our present Charter, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do give and grant unto the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, all that tract, or part, of land, in America, with the Bounds of iflands therein contained, as the fame is bounded, the grant. on the east, by Delaware river, from twelve miles distance northwards of New-Caftle town, unto the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, if the faid river doth extend fo far northward, but if the faid river fhall not extend fo far northward, then, by the faid river, fo far as it doth extend; and from the head of the faid river, the eastern bounds are to be determined by a meridian line, to be drawn from the head of the faid river, unto the faid fortythird degree. The faid land to extend weftward five degrees in longitude, to be computed from the faid eastern bounds; and the faid lands to be bounded on the north by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, and, on the fouth, by a circle, drawn at twelve miles diftance from New-Castle, northward and weftward, unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude; and then by a straight line weftward to the limits of longitude above mentioned.

Section II.

1681.

"We do alfo give and grant unto the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, the free, and undisturbed use, and continuance in, and paffage un- Free paf to, and out of all and fingular ports, harbours, fage, &c. bays, waters, rivers, ifles and inlets, belonging granted. unto, or leading to, and from, the country, or iflands aforefaid, and all the foils, lands, fields, woods, underwoods, mountains, hills, fenns, ifles, lakes, rivers, waters, rivulets, bays and inlets, fituated, or being within, or belonging to, the limits, or bounds, aforefaid, together with the fifhing of all forts of fish, whales, sturgeon, and all royal, and other fifhes, in the feas, bays, inlets, waters, or rivers, within the premises, and all the fifh taken therein; and alfo all veins, mines, minerals and quarries, as well difcovered as not difcocovered, of gold, filver, gemms, and precious ftones, and all other whatsoever, be it stones, metals, or of any other thing or matter whatsoever, found, or to be found, within the country, ifles, or limits, aforefaid.

Section III.

proprie.

"And him, the faid William Penn, his heirs and W. Penn, affigns, we do by this our royal charter, for us, &c. made our heirs and fucceffors, make, create and confti- abfolute tute the true and abfolute proprietary of the coun- tary, &c. try aforefaid, and of all other the premises; faving always to us, our heirs and fucceffors, the faith and allegiance of the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, and of all other proprietaries, tenants and inhabitants, that are, or fhall be, within the territories and precincts aforefaid; and faving alfo unto us, our heirs and fucceffors, the fovereignty of the aforefaid country; to have, hold, poffefs and enjoy the faid tract of land, country, ifles, inlets, and other the premises, unto the faid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, forever, to be

holden

1681. holden of us, our heirs and fucceffors, kings of England, as of our caftle of Windfor, in the county To be held of Berks, in free and common foccage, by fealty in common only, for all fervices and not in capite, or by knight

foccage,

&c.

fervice: yielding and paying therefore to us, our heirs and fucceffors, two Beaver fkins, to be delivered at our castle of Windsor, on the first day of One-fifth January, in every year; and also the fifth part of of gold and of all gold, and filver oar, which fhall, from time

filver oar

referved.

The name.

make laws,

&c.

to time, happen to be found within the limits aforefaid, clear of all charges. And of our further grace, certain knowledge, mere motion, We have thought fit to erect, and we do hereby erect, the aforefaid country and islands into a province and feigniory, and do call it Penfilvania, and fo from henceforth will have it called.

Section IV.

And, for as much as, we have hereby made and ordained the aforefaid William Penn, his heirs and affigns, the true and abfolute proprietaries of all the lands and dominions aforefaid, Know ye, Power to therefore, that we (repofing special trust and confidence in the fidelity, wifdom, juftice and provident circumfpection of the faid William Penn) for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do grant free, full and abfolute power, by virtue of these prefents, to him and his heirs, to his, and their deputies and lieutenants, for the good and happy government of the faid country, to ordain, make and enact, and, under his and their feals, to publifh any laws whatsoever, for the raifing of money for public ufes of the faid province, or for any other end, appertaining either unto the public ftate, peace, or fafety of the faid country, or unto the private utility of particular perfons, according unto their best discretion, and with the advice, affent and approbation of the freemen of the faid country, or the greater part of them, or of their delegates, or deputies, whom, for the enacting of the faid laws,