of a free government in this province, by the convention now to be cho sen; nor the measures adopted by the congress against the tyranny attempted to be established in these colonies, by the court of Great Brit

in.

On motion, Resolved unanimously, That whereas the county of Westmoreland, hath been exempted from the payment of taxes for three years last past; and thereby many persons may be excluded from a vote at the ensuing election, in consequence of the foregoing regulations, contrary to the intention thereof; therefore, every person of 21 years of age, being a free man, residing in said county, shall be admitted to vote, he being an associator, and having lived one year in this province, next preceding the election, and taking the test aforesaid, if thereunto required.

Resolved unanimously, That the election shall be made by ballot, in the manner heretofore used in this province, at the general elec

tions.

Resolved unanimously, That no person who has been published by any committee of inspection, or the committee of safety, in this province, as an enemy to the liberties of America, and has not been restored to the favor of his country, shall be permitted to vote at the elec tion of members for said convention.

FRIDAY, June 21, 1776.

On motion, Resolved unanimously, That every voter at the proposed election shall be a free man, and if thereunto required by any of the judges or inspectors, shall before his vote is received, take the foregoing test.

Resolved unanimously, That any person qualified to vote for members of assembly, by the laws of this province, may be elected a member of convention, provided that he shall have resided at least one year immediately preceding the said election, in the city or county for which he shall be chosen, and shall before he takes his seat in convention, take the following oath or affirmation, viz.

I do declare, that I do not hold myself bound to bear allegiance to George the third, king of Great Britain, &c. and that I will steadily and firmly, at all times, promote the most effectual means, according to the best of my skill and knowledge, to oppose the tyrannical proceedings of the king and parliament of Great Britain, against the American Colonies; and to establish and support a govern ment in this province, on the authority of the people only, &c. That I will oppose any measure that shall or may, in the least, interfere with or obstruct the religious principles or practices of any of the good people of this province, as heretofore enjoyed.

Also, Resolved, That no person elected to serve as a member of convention, shall take his seat or give his vote, until he shall have made and subscribed the following declaration.

I do profess faith in God, the father, and in Jesus Christ, his eternal son, the true God, and in the Holy Spirit, one God blessed for evermore; and do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the ald and new testament, to be given by divine inspiration.

The committee appointed to ascertain the number and proportion of members to represent the province, and each particular city and coun ty, in convention, made their report in the words following, viz.

The committee appointed for, &c. report, that your committee have conferred together, and endeavoured to obtain the best intelligence that can he had, find that full information respecting the number of taxables in each county, cannot now be had, and therefore cannot be adopted as a rule in fixing the number of representatives for the city and counties respectively. Your committee, however, are satisfied, that the number of taxables in the counties respectively, does not differ so much as to make it of any probable disadvantage to allow an equal representation from each county, especially as the convention will probably vote by city and counties, as in the preceding conventions, upon the questions which shall come before them.

We therefore recommend, that it be resolved, that eight representatives be sent by the city of Philadelphia, and eight by each county in the province, to the convention.

On motion, That the inhabitants of the city be divided from the county of Philadelphia, and that they be not admitted to vote, or be voted for, in the election of the county members for the convention.

It was moved that the previous question be put, viz. Whether this question shall be now put? And it was put accordingly, and carried in the negative.

Resolved That this conference approve of the report of the commit

tee.

SATURDAY, June 22, 1776.

On motion, Resolved unanimously, That the determinations of this conference, on the representation of the city and of the county of Philadelphia, shall not be drawn into precedent in future.

SUNDAY, June 23, 1776.

The committee appointed to consider of the proper time, &c. of holding the election, delivered their report at the table, which being read by order, was unanimously agreed to by the House.

The following is an abstract of the report.

1. They appoint Monday the 8th day of July next, for electing the said members of the convention.

2. They designate the places at which the elections shall be held, in the city and several counties.

3. They direct that the electors of the several wards, boroughs and townships, shall meet and choose their inspectors, on the 6th of July, and that each of the inspectors shall before he proceeds to take or receive any votes, take the following oath or affirmation. I do declare, that I will duly attend the ensuing election, during the continuance thereof, and will truly and faithfully assist the judges of said election, to prevent all frauds and deceits whatsoever, of electors or others, in carrying on the same, and in causing the poll or votes at such election to be marked off on the respective lists, and fairly cast up.

4. They direct that the deputies from the city and counties, shall appoint three discreet and able members of their respective committees, residing within the several districts, to be judges of the elec

tion. And that the said judges and the inspectors shall appoint clerks.

5. They direct that the commissioners of the city and counties shall deliver to the judges of the election, duplicates of the taxables in the several districts. That the judges and inspectors of the several districts of such counties as are divided, shall cause certified accounts of the election, to be taken to the county town on the next day after the election, which shall be added together, and the eight highest numbers shall be the persons to represent such county in convention, and also, that the judges, or any two of them, for the city and counties respectively, shall certify under their hands and seals, to the convention, on the day appointed for their meeting, the names of the persons chosen.

6. They direct, that the persons so chosen, shall meet in convention at Philadelphia, on Monday the 15th of July next.

Ordered, That Dr. Rush, Col. Hill and Col. Smith, prepare a draft of an address to the inhabitants of the province, and report to the conference.

Resolved unanimously, That it be recommended to the said convention, to choose and appoint delegates or deputies, to represent this province, in the congress of the United Colonies; and, also, a council of safety, to exercise the whole of the executive powers of government, so far as relates to the military defence and safety of the province, and to make such allowance for the services of the said delegates, and council of safety respectively, as shall be reasonable, which said delegates and council of safety, are to continue for six months, unless a new government shall be formed within that time, in which case there appointment is to cease.

On motion, unanimously Ordered, That the chairman, Dr. Rush and Col. Smith, be a committee to draft a resolution, declaring the sense of the conference, with respect to an independence of the province, from the crown and parliament of Great Britain, and report to-morrow morning.

The gentlemen appointed to prepare a draft of an address, to the inhabitants of this province, delivered at the table, a draft, which was

read.

By order, the same was read the second time, considered, amended and unanimously agreed to, in the following words,

The address of the deputies from the committees of Pennsylvania, assembled in provincial conference.

TO THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Friends and countrymen,

In obedience to the power we derived from you, we have fixed upon a mode of electing a convention, to form a government for the province of Pennsylvania, under the authority of the people.

Divine Providence is about to grant you a favor, which few people have ever enjoyed before, the privilege of choosing deputies to form a government under which you are to live. We need not inform you of the importance of the trust you are about to commit to them; your liberty, safety, happiness and every thing that posterity will hold dear to them to the end of time, will depend upon their deliberations. It becomes you, therefore, to choose such persons only, to act for you in the ensuing convention, as are destinguished for wisdom, integrity

and a firm attachment to the liberties of this province, as well as to the liberties of the United Colonies in general.

In order that your deputies may know your sentiments as fully as possible, upon the subject of government, we beg that you would convey to them your wishes and opinions upon that head, immediately af

ter their election.

We have experienced an unexpected unanimity in our councils, and we have the pleasure of observing a growing unanimity among the people of the province. We beg, that this brotherly spirit may be culti vated, and that you would remember that the present unsettled state of the province, requires that you should show forbearance, charity and moderation to each other. We beg that you would endeavour to remove the prejudices of the weak and ignorant, respecting the proposed change in our government, and assure them that it is absolutely necessary, to secure property, liberty and the sacred rights of conscience, to every individual in the province.

The season of the year, and the exigencies of our colony, require dispatch in the formation of a regular government. You will not therefore be surprised at our fixing the day for the election of deputies so early as the 8th of next July.

We wish you success in your attempts to establish and perpetuate your liberties, and pray God to take you under his special protection. Signed by unanimous order of the conference.

THOMAS M'KEAN, President.

MONDAY, June 24, 1776.

The committee appointed for that purpose, brought in a draft, of a declaration, on the subject of the independence of this colony, of the crown of Great Britain, which was ordered to be read.

By special order, the same was read a second time, and being fully considered, it was with the greatest unanimity of all the members agreed to and adopted, and is in the words following, viz.

Whereas, George the third, king of Great Britain, &c. in violation of the principles of the British constitution, and of the laws of justice and humanity, hath by an accumulation of oppressions, unparrallelled in history, excluded the inhabitants of this, with the other American Colonies, from his protection. And whereas, he hath paid no regard to any of our numerous and dutiful petitions for a redress of our complicated grievances, but hath lately purchased foreign troops to assist in enslaving us; and hath excited the savages of this country to carry on a war against us, as also the negroes to imbrue their hands in the blood of their masters, in a manner unpractised by civilized nations, and hath lately insulted our calamities, by declaring that he will shew us no mercy until he has reduced us. And whereas, the obligations of allegiance (being reciprocal between a king and his subjects) are now dissolved, on the side of the colonists, by the despotism of the said king, insomuch that it now appears that loyalty to him is treason against the good people of this country. And whereas, not only the parliament, but there is reason to believe, too many of the people of Great Britain, have concurred in the aforesaid arbitrary and unjust proceedings against us. And whereas, the public virtue of this colony (so essential to its liberty and happiness) must be endangered by a

future political union with, or dependence upon a crown and nation so lost to justice, patriotism and magnanimity.

We the Deputies of the people of Pennsylvania, assembled in FULL PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE, for forming a plan for executing the resolve of congress, of the 15th May last, for suppressing all authority in this province, derived from the crown of Great Britain, and for establishing a government upon the authority of the people only, now in this pub. lic manner, in behalf of ourselves, and with the approbation, consent and authority of our constituents, UNANIMOUSLY declare our willingness to concur in a vote of the congress, declaring the United Colonies free and independent states: Provided the forming the government, and the regulation of the internal police of this colony, be always reserved to the people of the said colony; and we do further call upon the nations of Europe, and appeal to the great arbiter and governor of the empires of the world, to witness for us, that this declaration did not originate in ambition, or in an impatience of lawful authority; but that we were driven to it in obedience to the first principles of nature, by the oppressions and cruelties of the aforesaid king and parliament of Great Britain; as the only possible measure that was left us, to preserve and establish our liberties, and to transmit them inviolate to posterity. Ordered, That this declaration be signed at the table, and that the president deliver it in congress.

TUESDAY, June 25, 1776.

Resolved unanimously, That thanks be given to the president for his impartiality and close attention to the business of this conference. Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this conference be given to the committee of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, &c. for their unwearied endeavours in the public service, and particularly for their patriotic exertions in carrying into execution the resolve of congress, of May 15th, last, for suppressing all authority under the crown of Great Britain.

Then the conference dissolved itself.

JONATHAN B. SMITH,
SAMUEL C. MORRIS,

THOMAS M'KEAN, President.
Secretaries.

The compilers have only included in their proceedings of the Provincial Conference, such of the transactions of that body as were connected with the proposed call of a convention; for the conference, during their session, which lasted from the 18th to the 25th of June, 1776, besides providing for the call of a convention, did, among other things, make provision for raising 4,500 militia, in obedience to resolutions of Congress of the 3d and 4th of June, 1776, for establishing a flying camp, to consist of 10,000 men, in the middle colonies. Although these proceedings are not connected with the immediate object which the compilers had in view when they undertook the publication of this volume, yet the address of the conference, on the subject of embodying the militia, in consequence of the resolutions of Congress, is such a master-piece of the kind, that it cannot be improper here to insert it.