or expediency of revifing the conftitution in order to amend

ments.

And if it shall appear, by the returns made, that two-thirds of the qualified voters throughout the ftate, who shall affemble and vote in confequence of the faid precepts, are in favour of fuch revifion or amendment, the General Court shall iffve precepts, or direct them to be iffued from the Secretary's office, to the feveral towns, to elect delegates to meet in convention, for the purpofe aforefaid.

The faid delegates to be chofen in the fame manner and proportion, as their Reprefentatives, in the fecond branch of the Legiflature, are by this conftitution to be chofen.

XI. This form of government fhall be enrolled on parch. ment, and depofited in the Secretary's office, and be a part of the laws of the land: and printed copies thereof shall be prefixed to the book containing the laws of this common. wealth, in all future editions of the faid laws.

JAMES BOWDOIN, Prefident. Atteft. SAMUEL BARRET, Secretary,

RHODE ISLAND.

Rhode Island Charter, granted by King Charles II. in the fourteenth year of his reign.

Quintadecima pars Patentium Anno Regni Regis Caroli Secundi Quintodecimo.

CHAR

HARLES the Second, by the grace of God, &c. To all, to whom thefe prefents fhall come, greeting. Whereas we have been informed, by the petition of our trusty and well beloved fubjects, John Clarke, on the behalf of Benedict Arnold, William Brenton, William Codington, Nicholas Eafton, William Boulton, John Porter, John Smith, Samuel Gorton, John Weekes, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, Gregory Dexter, John Cogefhall, Joseph Clarke, Randall Houlden, John Greene, John Roome, Samuel Wildbore, William Field, James Barker, Richard Tew, Thomas Harris, and William Dyre, and the rest of the purchasers, and free inhabitants of our island called Rhode-Island, and the rest of the colony of Providence Plantations, in the Nar. raganfet Bay, in New-England, in America-That they,

purfuing with peace and loyal minds their fober, ferious, and religious intentions, of Godly edifying themfelves, and one another, in the holy Chriftian faith and worship as they were perfuaded, together with the gaining over and conver. fion of the poor ignorant Indian natives, in thofe parts of America, to the fincere profeffion and obedience of the fame faith and worship, did not only, by the confent and good encouragement of our royal progenitors, tranfport themselves out of this kingdom of England, into America; but also fince their arrival there, after their first fettlement amongst other of our fabjects in those parts, for the avoiding of dif cord, and those many evils which were likely to enfue upon those our fubjects, not being able to bear, in thofe remote parts, their different apprehentions in religious concernments: and in purfuance of the aforefaid ends, did once again leave their defirable ftations and habitations, and with exceffive labour and travel, hazard and charge, did tranfplant them. felves into the midft of the Indian natives, who, as we are informed, are the most potent princes and people of all that country; where, by the good providence of God, (from whom the plantations have taken their name) upon their labour and industry, they have not only been preferved to admiration, but have increased and profpered, and are feized and poffeffed, by purchafe and confent of the faid natives, to their full content, of fuch lands, islands, rivers, harbours, and roads, as are very convenient both for plantations, and alfo for building of fhips, fupply of pipe-ftaves, and other merchandife, which lie very commodious, in many refpects, for commerce, and to accommodate our fouthern plantations, and may much advance the trade of this our realm, and greatly enlarge the territories thereof; they having by near neighbourhood to, and friendly fociety with, the great body of Narraganfet Indians, given them encouragement, of their own accord, to fubject themselves, their people and land unto us; whereby, as is hoped, there may, in time, by the bleffing of God upon their endeavours, be laid a fure foundation of happiness to all America :—

And whereas, in their humble addrefs, they have freely declared, that it is much on their hearts (if they be permitted) to hold forth a lively experiment that a moft flourishing civil ftate may ftand, and best be maintained, and that among

G

our English fubjects, with a full liberty in religious concernments; and that true piety, rightly grounded upon gofpel principles, will give the beft and greateft fecurity to fovereignty, and will lay in the hearts of men the strongest obligations to true loyalty :-

Now, know ye, that we-(being willing to encourage the hopeful undertaking of our faid loyal and loving fubjects, and to fecure them in the free exercise and enjoyment of all their civil and religious rights appertaining to them, as our loving fubjects, and to fecure them in the free exercise and enjoyment of all their civil and religious rights appertaining to them, as our loving fubjects; and to preferve unto them that liberty, in the true Chriftian faith, and worship of God, which they have fought (with fo much travel, and with peaceable minds and loyal fubjection to our royal progenitors and ourselves) to enjoy ; and because fome of the people and inhabitants of the fame colony cannot, in their private opinion, conform to the public exercife of religion, according to the liturgy, form and ceremonies of the church of England, or take or fubfcribe the oaths and articles, made and established in that behalf; and for that the fame, by reafon of the remote distances of thofe places; will, as we hope, be no breach of the unity and uniformity established in this nation-) have therefore thought fit, and do hereby publifh, grant, ordain, and declare that our royal will and pleasure is

That no perfon within the faid colony, at any time hereafter, fhall be any wife molefted, punished, difquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion in matters of religion, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of our faid colony; but that all and every person and perfons may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, freely and fully have and enjoy his and their own judgments and confciences, in matters of religious concernments, throughout the tract of land hereafter mentioned-they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly, and not ufing this liberty, to licentioufnefs and profanenefs, nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others ;—any law, statute, or claufe therein contained, or to be contained, ufage or cuftom of this realm, to the contrary hereof, in any wife notwithstanding.

And that they may be in the better capacity to defend themselves, in their juft rights and liberties, against all the enemies of the Chriftian faith, and others, in all refpects— we have further thought fit, and at the humble petition of the perfons aforefaid, are graciously pleased to declare,—

That they shall have and enjoy the benefit of our late aft of indemnity, and free pardon, as the reft of our subjects in other our dominions, and territories have; and to create and make them a body politic or corporate, with the powers or privileges herein after mentioned. And, accordingly, our will and pleasure is, and of our especial grace, certain know❤ ledge and mere motion, we have ordained, constituted and declared; and by these presents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain, conftitute and declare, that they the faid William Brenton, William Codington, Nicholas Easton, Benedict Arnold, William Boulfton, John Porter, Samuel Gorton, John Smith, John Weekes, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, Gregory Dexter, John Cogefhall, Jofeph Clarke, Randall Houlden, John Greene, John Roome, William Dyre, Samuel Wildbore, Richard Tew, William Field, Thomas Harris, James Barker, Rainsborrow,

Williams, and John Nickfon, and all fuch others as are now, or hereafter shall be admitted free of the company and foci, ety of our colony of Providence plantations, in the Narraganfet Bay, in New-England, fhall be, from time to time, and for ever hereafter, a body corporate and politic, in fact and name, by the name of The Governor and company of the English colony of Rhode-Ifland, and Providence plantations, in New-England, in America; and that by the fame name, they and their fucceffors fhall and may have perpetual fucceffion, and shall and may be perfons able and capable in the law to fue and be fued, to plead and be impleaded, to answer and to be answered unto, to defend and to be defended, in all and fingular fuits, causes, quarrels, matters, actions and things, of what kind or nature foever; and alfo to have, take, poffefs, acquire, and purchase lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or any goods or chattles, and the fame to lease, grant, demife, alien, bargain, fell, and difpofe of, at their own will and pleasure, as other our liege people of this our realm of England, or any corporation or body politic within the fame, may lawfully de;

And further, that they the faid Governor and Company, and their fucceffors, fhall and may, forever hereafter, have a common feal, to serve and use for all matters, causes, things and affairs whatsoever, of them and their fucceffors: and the fame feal to alter, change, break, and make new, from time to time, at their will and pleafure, as they fhall think fit.

And further, we will and ordain, and by thefe prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, declare and appoint, that, for the better ordering and managing of the affairs and bufinefs of the faid company and their fucceffors, there fhall be one Governor, one Deputy-Governor, and ten affiftants, to be from time to time conftituted, elected and chofen, out of the freemen of the said company, for the time being, in fuch manner and form, as is hereafter in these presents expreffed; which faid officers fhall apply themselves to take care, for the beft difpofing and ordering of the general business and affairs of, and concerning the lands and hereditaments herein after mentioned to be granted, and the plantation thereof, and the government of the people there.

And for the better execution of our royal pleasure herein, we do, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, affign, name, constitute and appoint, the aforefaid Benedict Arnold, to be the first and prefent Governor of the faid company; and the faid William Brenton, to be the Deputy Governor; and the faid William Boulton, John Porter, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, John Smith, John Greene, John Cogefhall, James Barker, William Field, and Jofeph Clarke, to be the ten prefent affiftants of the faid company, to continue in the faid feveral offices refpectively, until the firft Wednesday which fhall be in the month of May now next coming.

And further, we will, and by thefe prefents, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, do ordain and grant, that the Governor of the faid company, for the time being, or in his abfence, by occafion of ficknefs, or otherwife, by his leave or permiffion, the Deputy Governor for the time being, fhall and may from time to time, upon all occafions, give orders for the affembling of the faid company, and calling them together, to confult and advife of the bufinefs and affairs of the faid company; and that forever hereafter, twice in every year, that is to fay, on every firft Wednesday in the month of May, and on every last Wednesday in October, or oftener, in cafe it