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Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Two.

A RESOLVE

Providing for the Copying of the Journals of the Convention of One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty.

RESOLVED, by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, That the Secretary of the Commonwealth be, and he is hereby authorized and directed, to cause a fair copy to be made of the Journals of the Convention, that was held in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty, for the purpose of forming a Constitution of Government for this Commonwealth; and of such Reports and Documents remaining on the files of the same, as it may appear most important to preserve, including the Address to the People:-And the Secretary is further authorized and directed to cause one thousand copies of the said Journal and Documents to be printed, at the expense of the Commonwealth, and to transmit one copy to each of the Towns in the Commonwealth, and to the City of Boston.

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PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

CONVENTION

FOR FORMING A

CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNMENT

FOR THE

State of Massachusetts Bay,

FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1779, TO JUNE 16, 1780.

RESOLVE

Recommending a Convention.

STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, June 15, 1779.

WHEREAS, by the returns made into the Secretary's Office, from more than two thirds of the Towns belonging to this State, agreeably to a Resolve of the General Court, of the 20th of February last, it appears, that a large majority of the inhabitants of such Towns, as have made return as aforesaid, think it proper to have a new Constitution or form of Government, and are of opinion, that the same ought to be formed by a Convention of Delegates, who should be specially authorized to meet for this purpose,

Therefore Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is recommended to the several inhabitants of the several Towns in this State to form a Convention, for the sole purpose of framing a new Constitution, consisting of such number of Delegates, from each Town throughout this State, as every different Town is entitled to send Representatives to the General Court, to meet at Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex, on the first day of Septem* See Appendix.

ber next.

And the Selectmen of the several Towns and Places within this State, empowered by the laws thereof to send members to the General Assembly, are hereby authorized and directed to call a meeting of their respective Towns, at least fourteen days before the meeting of said Convention, to elect one or more Delegates, to represent them in said Convention, at which meeting, for the election of such Delegate or Delegates, every Freeman, Inhabitant of such town, who is twenty one years of age, shall have a right to vote.

Be it also Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is recommended, to the Inhabitants of the several Towns in this State, to instruct their respective Delegates, to cause a printed copy of the Form of a Constitution they may agree upon in Convention, to be transmitted to the Selectmen of each Town, and the Committee of each Plantation; and the said Selectmen and Committees are hereby empowered and directed to lay the same before their respective Towns and Plantations, at a regular Meeting of the Male Inhabitants thereof, being free and twenty one years of age, to be called for that purpose, in order to its being duly considered and approved or disapproved by said Towns and Plantations. And it is also recommended to the several Towns within this State, to instruct their respective Representatives to establish the said Form of a Constitution, as the Constitution and Form of Government of the State of Massachusetts Bay, if, upon a fair examination, it shall appear, that it is approved of by at least two thirds of those, who are free and twenty one years of age, belonging to this State, and present in the several meetings,

Sent up for concurrence,

IN COUNCIL, JUNE 17, 1779.

JOHN HANCOCK, Speaker.

Read and concurred,

JOHN AVERY, Dep'y Sec'y.

Consented to by a Major Part of the Council.

A True Copy,

Attest, JOHN AVERY, Dep'y Sec'y.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION, begun and held at Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex, on the first day of September, A. D. 1779, in conformity to the preceding Resolve of the Great and General Court of the State of the Massachusetts Bay, passed the 17th of June last, for the sole purpose of framing a new Constitution of Government for said State.

A. M. WEDNESDAY, 1st Sept. 1779.

A large number of Delegates being convened,

On a motion made and seconded,

Voted, That a President and Secretary be chosen by Ballot. On a motion made and seconded,

Voted, That a Committee be chosen to receive and sort the votes.

Voted, That the Committee consist of three.

Voted, That NATHANIEL GORHAM, Esq.,

COL. DAWES, and

BRIG'R. BROOKS, be a Committee for this purpose.

On a motion made and seconded,

Voted, That the Convention first proceed to the choice of a Secretary.

The Committee aforesaid accordingly proceeded to receive and sort the votes.

The Committee having reported, it appeared that Samuel Barrett was chosen Secretary.

On a motion made and seconded,

Voted, That the Convention now proceed to the choice of a President.

The Committee aforesaid accordingly proceeded to receive and sort the votes.

The Committee having reported, it appeared that the Honorable JAMES BOWDOIN, Esq., was chosen President.

It was then moved, that the Person usually attending the Meeting House as Servitor or Door Keeper, be directed, and he was accordingly directed, to give his attendance, as Servitor and Door Keeper to the Convention.

On a motion,

Voted, That the several Delegates produce Certificates or other Credentials of their choice or appointment to represent the several Towns in this Convention, the same to be laid before the Convention.

On a motion made and seconded,

Voted, That the Hon'l WALTER SPOONER, and the Hon'l SAMUEL ADAMS, Esq., be a Committee to receive and declare the

same.

Which being done, it appeared that the following gentlemen were duly returned to represent the several Towns and Plantations within this State, in this Convention, viz.

Boston,

Roxbury,
Dorchester,
Milton,

Braintree,

FOR THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK.

The Hon'ble James Bowdoin, Esq.
The Hon. Sam'l Adams, Esq.
The Hon. John Hancock, Esq.
The Hon. Oliver Wendell, Esq.
Nathaniel Appleton, Esq.
Sam'l A. Otis, Esq.
Ellis Gray, Esq.
Thomas Dawes, Esq.
John Lowell, Esq.
Doctor Charles Jarvis,

Ebenezer Storer, Esq.
Samuel Barrett, Esq.
Increase Sumner, Esq.
Mr. Samuel Coolidge,

Mr. Edw'd Hutchinson Robbins,
Samuel Henshaw, Esq.,
The Hon. John Adams, Esq.
The Hon. James Humphreys, Esq.

Weymouth,

Hingham,

The Rev. Daniel Shute,

Mr. Joseph Thaxter, jr.

Cohasset,
Dedham,

Rev. Jason Haven,

Doct. John Sprague,

Medfield,

Doct. James Jerould,

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