empower them to act.

In case of the death of one of their members the Council shall give notice of it to the colleagues of the deceased, that they may chuse one of themselves to replace him in the Council until the holding of the next general meeting; and in case there should be but one of his colleagues living, the same notice shall be given to him, that he may come and take his seat untill the next sitting.

Art. 16. In case that Canada should be willing to accede to the present confederation and come into all the measures of the United States, it shall be admitted into the union and participate in all its benefits. But no other colony shall be admitted without the consent of nine of the States.

The above articles shall be proposed to the legislative bodies of all the United Statos, to be examined by them; and if they approve of them, they are desired to authorise their delegates to ratify them in the General Assembly; after which all the articles, which constitute the present confederation, shall be inviolably observed by all and every of the United States; and the union shall be established for ever.

There shall not be made hereafter any alteration in these articles nor in any of them unless, that the alteration be previously determined in the General Assembly and confirmed afterwards by the legislative bodies of each of the United States.

Resolved and signed at Philadelphia in Congress the 4. October 1776.

4. Constitution of Massachusetts. 1780 March 2.

B. P. Poore, The Federal and State Constitutions . . . of the United States I (1877), 956-973.

Preamble.

The end of the institution, maintenance and administration of government is to secure the existence of the body-politic, to protect it and to furnish the individuals, who compose it with the power of enjoying, in safety and tranquillity, their natural rights and the blessings of life; and whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness.

The body-politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals; it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good. It is the duty of the people, therefore in framing a constitution of government to provide for an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation and a faithful execution of them; that every man may at all times find his security in them

We therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us in the course of His providence an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably without fraud, violence or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit and solemn compact with each other and of forming a new constitution of civil government for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of government as the constitution of the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Part the first.

A declaration of the rights of the inhabitants of the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Article 1. All men are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness.

Art. 2. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly and at stated seasons to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested or restrained in his person, liberty or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience or for his religious profession or sentiments, provided he doth not disturb the public peace or obstruct others in their religious worship.

Art. 3. As the happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil government essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community but by the institution of the public worship of God and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality: therefore, to promote their happiness and to secure the good order and preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature shall from time to time authorize and require the several towns, parishes, precincts and other bodies-politic or religious societies, to make suitable provision at their own expense for the institution of the public worship of God and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality in all cases, where such provision shall not be made voluntarily.

And the people of this commonwealth have also a right to and do, invest their legislature with authority to enjoin upon all the subjects an attendance upon the instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if there be any on whose instructions they can conscientiously and conveniently attend.

Provided notwithstanding, that the several towns, parishes, precincts and other bodies-politic or religious societies shall at all times have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers and of contracting with them for their support and maintenance.

And all moneys paid by the subject to the support of public worship and of the public teachers aforesaid shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on, whose instructions he attends; otherwise it may be paid toward the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct, in which the said moneys are raised.

And every denominatton of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably and as good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law; and no subordination of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law.

Art. 4. The people of this commonwealth have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign and independent State and do and forever hereafter shall exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction and right, which is not or may not hereafter be by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in Congress assembled.

Art. 5. All power residing originally in the people and being derived from them, the several magistrates and officers of government vested with authority, whether legislative, executive or judicial, are the substitutes and agents and are at all times accountable to them.

Art. 6. No man nor corporation or association of men have any other title to obtain advantages or particular and exclusive privileges distinct from those of the community, that what rises from the consideration of services rendered to the public, and this title_being in nature neither hereditary nor transmissible to children or descendants or relations by blood; the idea of a man born a magistrate, lawgiver or judge is absurd and unnatural.

Art. 7. Government is instituted for the common good, for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people and not for the profit, honor or private interest of any one man, family or class of men; therefore the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable and indefeasible right to institute government and to reform, alter or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it.

Art. 8. In order to prevent those, who are vested with authority from becoming oppressors, the people have a right at such periods and in such manner, as they shall establish by their frame of government, to cause their public officers to return to private life; and to fill up vacant places by certain and regular elections and appointments.

x

Art. 9. All elections ought to be free; and all the inhabi