or chattels within the said province, or in or upon any goods or merchandise within the said province, or to be laden or unladen within the ports or harbors of the said province. And our pleasure is, and for us, our heirs and successors, we charge and command, that this our declaration shall henceforward, from time to time, be received and allowed in all our courts, and before all the judges of us, our heirs and successors, for a sufficient and lawful discharge, payment and acquittance; commanding all and singular our officers and ministers of us, our heirs and successors, and enjoining them, upon pain of our high displeasure, that they do not presume, at any time, to attempt anything to the contrary of the premises, or that they do in any sort withstand the same; but that they be at all times aiding and assisting, as fitting, unto the said now Lord Baltimore, and his heirs, and to the inhabitants and merchants of Maryland aforesaid, their servants, ministers, factors and assigns, in the full use and fruition of the benefit of this our charter.

And further, our pleasure is, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, we do grant unto the said now Lord Baltimore, and his heirs and assigns, and to the tenants and inhabitants of the said province of Maryland, both present and to come, and to every of them, that the said province, tenants, and inhabitants of the said colony or country, shall not from henceforth be held or reputed as a member, or as a part of Virginia, or of any other colony whatsoever, now transported or hereafter to be transported, nor shall be depending on, or subject to their government in anything, from whom we do separate that and them. And our pleasure is, by these presents, that they be separated, and that they be subject immediately to our crown of England, as depending thereof forever.

And if perchance hereafter it should happen any doubts or questions should arise concerning the true sense and understanding of any word, clause or sentence con

tained in this our present charter, we will, ordain and command, that at all times, and in all things, such interpretations be made thereof and allowed, in any of our courts whatsoever, as shall be adjudged most advantageous and favorable unto the said now Lord Baltimore, his heirs and assigns; provided always, that no interpretation be admitted thereof, by which God's holy and truly Christian religion, or the allegiance due unto us, our heirs and successors, may suffer any prejudice or diminution; although express mention be not made in these presents of the true yearly value of certainty of the premises, or of any part thereof, or of other gifts and grants made by us, our progenitors or predecessors, unto the said now Lord Baltimore, or any statute, act, ordinance, provision, proclamation, or restraint heretofore had, made, published, ordained, or provided, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. In witness, etc., witness Ourself at Westminster, the twenty-eighth day of June, A.D., 1632, in the eighth year of our reign.

By Writ of Privy Seal.

FUNDAMENTAL

ORDERS OF CON

NECTICUT-1639.

THE towns in the Connecticut Valley, founded by the emigrants from Massachusetts, were governed for a time by persons acting under a commission from the Massachusetts General Court; but in 1639 the towns of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield associated themselves under the following constitution, the "first in the series of written American constitutions framed by the people for the people." "Equal laws were the basis of their commonwealth; and therefore its foundations were lasting." (Bancroft.) This, with such slight changes in its practical provision as the increase of population demanded, was the fundamental law of Connecticut for nearly two centuries.

Consult Bancroft's Hist. U. S., 1st ed., I., 402; cen. ed., I., 318; last ed., I., 270; Palfrey's Hist., N. E., I., 535; Hildreth's U. S., I., 261; Bryant and Gay's U. S., II., 23.

FUNDAMENTAL ORDERS OF CONNECTICUT—

1638-'39.

FORASMUCH as it hath pleased the Allmighty God by the wise disposition of his diuyne pruidence so to Order and dispose of things that we the Inhabitants and Residents of Windsor, Harteford and Wethersfield are now cohabiting and dwelling in and vppon the River of Conectecotte and the Lands thereunto adioyneing; And well

knowing where a people are gathered togather the word of God requires that to mayntayne the peace and vnion of such a people there should be an orderly and decent Gouerment established according to God, to order and dispose of the affayres of the people at all seasons as occation shall require; doe therefore assotiate and conioyne our selues to be as one Publike State or Commonwelth; and doe, for our selues and our Successors and such as shall be adioyned to vs att any tyme hereafter, enter into Combination and Confederation togather, to mayntayne and presearue the liberty and purity of the gospell of our Lord Jesus which we now professe, as also the disciplyne of the Churches, which according to the truth of the said gospell is now practised amongst vs; As also in our Ciuell Affaires to be guided and gouerned according to such Lawes, Rules, Orders and decrees as shall be made, ordered & decreed, as followeth :

I. It is Ordered, sentenced and decreed, that there shall be yerely two generall Assemblies or Courts, the first on the second thursday in Aprill, the other the second thursday in September, following; the first shall be called the Courte of Election, wherein shall be yerely Chosen from tyme to tyme soe many Magestrats and other publike Officers as shall be found requisitte: Whereof one to be chosen Gouernour for the yeare ensueing and vntill another be chosen, and noe other Magestrate to be chosen for more then one yeare; pruided allwayes there be sixe chosen besids the Gouernour; which being chosen and sworne according to an Oath recorded for that purpose shall haue power to administer iustice according to the Lawes here established, and for want thereof according to the rule of the word of God; which choise shall be made by all that are admitted freemen and haue taken the Oath of Fidellity, and doe cohabitte within this Jurisdiction, (hauing beene admitted Inhabitants by the maior part of the Towne wherein they liue,) or the mayor parte of such as shall be then present.

2. It is Ordered, sentenced and decreed, that the Election of the aforesaid Magestrats shall be on this manner : euery person present and quallified for choyse shall bring in (to the persons deputed to receaue them) one single paper with the name of him written in yt whom he desires to haue Gouernour, and he that hath the greatest number of papers shall be Gouernor for that yeare. And the rest of the Magestrats or publike Officers to be chosen in this manner: The Secretary for the tyme being shall first read the names of all that are to be put to choise and then shall seuerally nominate them distinctly, and euery one that would haue the person nominated to be chosen shall bring in one single paper written vppon, and he that would not haue him chosen shall bring in a blanke: and euery one that hath more written papers then blanks shall be a Magistrat for that yeare; which papers shall be receaued and told by one or more that shall be then chosen by the court and sworne to be faythfull therein; but in case there should not be sixe chosen as aforesaid, besids the Gouernor, out of those which are nominated, then he or they which haue the most written papers shall be a Magestrate or Magestrats for the ensueing yeare, to make vp the foresaid number.

3. It is Ordered, sentenced and decreed, that the Secretary shall not nominate any person, nor shall any person be chosen newly into the Magestracy which was not propownded in some Generall Courte before, to be nominated the next Election; and to that end yt shall be lawfull for ech of the Townes aforesaid by their deputyes to nominate any two whom they conceaue fitte to be put to election; and the Courte may ad so many more as they iudge requisitt.

4. It is Ordered, sentenced and decreed that noe person be chosen Gouernor aboue once in two yeares, and that the Gouernor be always a member of some approved congregation, and formerly of the Magestracy within this Jurisdiction; and all the Magestrats Freemen of this