Sect. IV. That no person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments, shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this commonwealth.

Sect. V. That elections shall be free and equal.

Sect. VI. That trial, by jury shall be as heretofore, and the right thereof remain inviolate.

Sect. ViI. That the printing presses shall be free to every person, who undertakes to examine the proceedings of the legislature or any branch of government and no law shall ever be made to restrain the right thereof. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man; and every citizen may freely speak, write and print on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty. In prosecutions for the publication of papers, investigating the official conduct of officers, or men in a public capacity, or where the matter published is proper for public information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence; and, in all indictments for libels, the jury shall have a right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases. Sect. VIII. That the people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and possessions from unreasonable searches and seizures; and that no warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or things, shall issue without describing them as nearly as may be, nor without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.

Sect. IX. That in all criminal prosecutions, the accused hath a right to be heard by himself and his council, to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to meet the witnesses face to face, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and in prosecutions by indictment or information, a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the vicinage: That he cannot be compelled to give evidence against himself, nor can he be deprived of his life, liberty or property, unless by the judgment of his peers or the law of the land.

Sect. X. That no person shall, for any indictable offence, be proceeded against criminally by information; except in cases arising in the Jand or naval forces, or in the militia when in actual service in time of war or public danger; or by leave of the court for oppression and misdemeanor in office. No person shall for the same offence be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall any man's property be taken, or applied to public use, without the consent of his representatives, and without just compensation being made.

Sect. XI. That all courts shall be open, and every man for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have remedy by the due course of law, and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay. Suits may be brought against the commonwealth in such manner, in such courts and in such cases as the legislature may, by law, direct.

Sect. XII. That no power of suspending laws shall be exercised, unless by the legislature, or its authority.

Sect. XIII. That excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel punishments inflicted.

Sect. XIV. That all prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offences, when the proof is evident or presumption great and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall

not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

Sect. XV. That no commission of oyer and terminer or jail de livery shall be issued.

Sect. XVI. That the person of a debtor, where there is not strong presumption of fraud, shall not be continued in prison after delivering up his estate, for the benefit of his creditors, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.

Sect. XVII. That no expost facto law, nor any law impairing contracts, shall be made.

Sect. XVIII. That no person shall be attainted of treason or felony by the legislature.,.

Sect. XIX. That no attainder shall work corruption of blood, nor, except during the life of the offender, forfeiture of estate to the com monwealth; that the estates of such persons as shall destroy their own lives shall descend or vest as in case of natural death; and if any person shall be killed by casualty there shall be no forfeiture by reason thereof.

Sect. XX. That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good, and to apply to those invested with the powers of government, for redress of grievances or other proper purpose, by petition, address or remonstrance.

Sect. XXI. That the right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the state shall not be questioned.

Sect. XXII. That nostanding army shall, in time of peace, be. kept up without the consent of the legislature, and the military shall, in all cases, and at all times, be in strict subordination to the civil power.

Sect. XXIII. That no soldier shal!, in time of peace, bebuartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Sect. XXIV. That the legislature shall not grant any title of nobility or hereditary distinction, nor create any office the appointment to which shall be for a longer term than during good behaviour. Sect. XXV. That emigration from the state shall not be prohibited. Sect. XXVI. To guard against transgressions of the high powers which we have delegated, WE DECLARE, that every thing in this article is excepted out of the general powers of government, and shall for ever remain inviolate. ver remain

SCHEDULE.

That no inconvenience may arise from the alterations and amendments in the constitution of this commonwealth, and in order to carry the same into complete operation, it is hereby declared and ordained.

I. That all laws of this commonwealth, in force at the time of making the said alterations and amendments in the said constitution, and not inconsistent therewith, and all rights, actions, prosecutions, claims and contracts, as well of individuals as of bodies corporate, shall continue as if the said alterations and amendments had not been made.

II. That the president and supreme executive council shall continue to exercise the executive authority of this commonwealth as heretofore, until the third Tuesday of December next; but no intermediate vacancies in the council shall be supplied by new elections.

III. That all officers in the appointment of the executive department, shall continue in the exercise of the duties of their respective offices until the first day of September, one thousand seven hundred and ninety.one, unless their commissions shall sooner expire by their own limitations, or the said offices become vacant by death or resignation, and no longer, unless re-appointed, and commissioned by the governor. Except that the judges of the supreme court shall hold their offices for the terms in their commissions respectively expressed.

IV. That justice shall be administered in the several counties of the state, until the period aforesaid, by the same justices, in the same courts, and in the same manner as heretofore.

V. That no person now in commission as sheriff shall be eligible at the next election for a longer term than will, with the time, which he shall have served in the said office, complete the term of three years.

VI. That until the first enumeration shall be made as directed in the fourth section of the first article of the constitution established by this convention, the city of Philadelphia and the several counties shall be respectively entitled to elect the same number of representatives as is now prescribed by law.

VII. That the first senate shall consist of eighteen members, to be chosen in districts formed as follows, viz. The city of Philadelphia, and the counties of Philadelphia and Delaware shall be a district, and elect three senators; the county of Chester shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; the count of Bucks shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; the county of Montgomery shall be a district and shall elect one senator; the county of Northampton shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; the counties of Lancaster and York shall be a district, and shall elect three senators; the counties of Berks and Dauphin shall be a district, and shall elect two senators; the counties of Cumberland and Mifflin shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; the counties of Northumberland, Luzerne and Huntingdon shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; the counties of Bedford and Franklin shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; the counties of Westmoreland and Allegheny shall be a district, and shall elect one senator; and the counties of Washington and Fayette shall be a district and shall elect two senators : which senators shall serve until the first enumeration before mentioned shall be made, and the representation in both houses of the legislature shall be established by law, and chosen as in the constitution is directed. Any vacancies which shall happen in the senate within the said time, shall be supplied as prescribed in the nineteenth section of the first article.

VIII. That the elections of senators shall be conducted, and the returns thereof made to the senate, in the same manner as is prescribed by the election laws of the state for conducting and making return of the election of representatives. In those districts which consist of more than one county, the judges of the district elections within each county, after having formed a return of the whole election within that county, in such manner as is directed by law, shall send the same, by one or more of their number, to the place hereinafter mentioned, within the district of which such county is a part; where the judges, so met, shall compare and cast up the several county returns, and execute, under their hands and seals, one general and true return for the whole district, that is to say, The judges of the district composed of the city of Philadelphia and the counties of

Philadelphia and Delaware, shall meet in the state house in the city of Philadelphia; the judges of the district composed of the counties of Lancaster and York, shall meet at the court house in the county of Lancaster; the judges of the district composed of the counties of Berks and Dauphin, shall meet at Middletown, in the county of Berks; the judges of the district composed of the counties of Cumberland and' Mifflin, shall meet in Greenwood township, county of Cumberland, at the house now occupied by David Miller; the judges of the district composed of the counties of Northumberland, Luzerne and Huntingdon, shall meet in the town of Sunbury; the judges of the district composed of the counties of Bedford and Franklin, shall meet at the house now occupied by John Dickey, in Air township, Bedford county; the judges of the district composed of the counties of Westmoreland and Allegheny, shall meet in Westmoreland county, at the court house in the town of Greensborough; and the judg es of the district composed of the counties of Washington and Fay. ette, shall meet at the court house in the town of Washington, in Washington county, on the third Tuesday in October respectively, for the purposes aforesaid.

IX. That the election of the governor shall be conducted in the several counties in the manner prescribed by the laws of the state for the election of representatives, and the returns in each county shall be sealed by the judges of the elections, and transmitted to the presi dent of the supreme executive council, directed to the speaker of the senate, as soon after the election as may be.

DONE in convention, the second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety, and of the independence of the United States of America, the fifteenth. IN TESTIMONY whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

James Wilson,
Hilary Baker,
William Lewis,
Thomas M'Kean
George Gray,

William Robinson,jr.
Robert Hare,
Enoch Edwards,
Samuel Ogden,
Thomas Jenks,
John Barclay,
Abraham Stout,
William Gibbons,
Thomas Bul
James Boyd,
Edward Hand,
Robert Coleman,
Sebastian Graff,

John Hubley,
John Breckbill,

Henry Miller,

THOMAS MIFFLIN, President.

Benjamin Tyson,
Benjamin Pedan,
Matthew Dill,
William Irvine,
James Power,
Joseph Hiester,
Christian Lower,
Abraham Lincoln,
Paul Groscop,
Baltzer Gehr,
Samuel Sitgreaves,
John Arndt,
Peter Rhoads,
Joseph Powell,
John Piper,
Charles Smith,
Simon Snyder,
William Findley,
William Todd.

ATTEST JOSEPH REDMAN, Secretary.

Alexander Addison,

John Hoge,

David Redick,

James Ross,

John Smilie,
Albert Gallatin,
James M'Lene,
George Matthews,
James Morris,
Lindsay Coates,
Jonathan Shoemaker,
John Głoninger,
William Brown,
Alexander Graydon,
Timothy Pickering,
Andrew Henderson,
John Gibson,
Thomas Beale,
John Sellers,

JACOB SHALLUS, Assistant Secretary

Nathaniel Newlin

On motion, ordered, that three thousand five hundred copies of the said constitution be printed in the English language, and one thousand five hundred of the same in the German language, for the information of the citizens of this state.

The convention then, agreeably to the order of procession, proceeded to the court house in Market street, to make proclamation of the constitution, and having returned to their chamber, it was on motion, ordered, that the secretary be directed to deliver the engrossed copy of the constitution of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to the master of the rolls, in order that the same may be recorded.

Which was accordingly done in the presence of the convention.

Whereupon, on motion of Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. Miller, Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be presented to his excellency the president for his able and upright discharge of the duties of his station.

The convention then rose sine die.

Chapter IV.

MINUTES

Of the grand committee of the whole convention of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which commenced at Philadelphia, on Tuesday the twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

TUESDAY, December, 1, 1789. A. M. .

The honorable Mr. M'Kean in the chair.

A motion was made by Mr. Hare, seconded by Mr. Edwards, in the following words, viz.

Resolved, That in the opinion of this committee it is expedient that the constitution of this state be altered.

It was then moved by Mr. Robinson, seconded by Mr. Smilie, to postpone the consideration of the said resolution.

On the question, "Will the committee agree to the postponement?" It was carried in the affirmative.

It was moved by Mr. Lewis, seconded by Mr. M'Lene, that the committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again to-morrow; which was carried in the affirmative.

The committee rose, and the chairman reported, that the committee had made some progress in the business referred to them, but, not having completed the same, requested leave to sit again to-morrow. Which was agreed to.

WEDNESDAY, December 2, 1789. A. M.

A motion was made by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. Hand, in the following words, viz.

Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, that the legislature of this state should consist of more than one branch.

And after some debate, it was moved by Mr. Addison, seconded by Mr. Smilie, to postpone the proposed resolution, in order to introduce the following, viz.