William Boelham, Harbert Springet, Thomas Prudyard.
_Sealed and delivered in the Presence of all the Proprietors who have hereunto subscribed, except_ Thomas Farrinborrough _and_ John Goodson, _in the Presence of_
Hugh Chamberlen, R. Murray, Harbert Springet, Humphry South, Thomas Barker, Samuel Jobson, John-Joseph Moore, William Powel, Richard Davie, Griffith Jones, Hugh Lambe, Thomas Farrinborrough, John Goodson.
_An_ A C T _of_ Settlement, _made at_ Chester, 1682.
W H E R E A S William Penn, Proprietary and Governor of the Province of _Pensylvania_, and Territories thereunto belonging, hath, out of his great Kindness and Goodness to the Inhabitants thereof, been favourably pleased to give and grant unto them a Charter of Liberties and Privileges, dated the _twenty-fifth_ Day of the _second_ Month, _One Thousand Six Hundred and Eighty-two_: By which Charter it is said, the Government shall consist of the Governor and Freemen of the said Province, in the Form of a provincial Council and general Assembly; and that the provincial Council shall consist of _seventy-two_ Members, to be chosen by the Freemen; and that the general Assembly may, the _first_ Year, consist of the whole Body of the Freeholders, and ever after of an elected Number, not exceeding _two hundred_ Persons, without the Consent of the provincial Council and general Assembly: And such Assembly to sit yearly on the _twentieth_ Day of the _third_ Month, as in the _first, second, third, sixth, fourteenth_ and _sixteenth_ Articles of the Charter, Reference being thereunto had, doth more at large appear.
A N D F O R A S M U C H as this Charter was the _first_ of those probationary Laws, that were agreed to and made by and between the Proprietary, and Governor, and Freemen in _England_, that were Purchasers in this Province, which said Laws, in the whole and in every Part thereof, were to be submitted to the Explanation and Confirmation of the _first_ provincial Council and general Assembly that was to be held in this Province, as by the Title and _first_ Law of the said Agreement, doth plainly appear.
A N D W H E R E A S, the Proprietary and Governor hath, according to that Charter, issued out Writs to the respective Sheriffs of the _six_ Counties of this Province, to summon the Freemen thereof, to chuse in each County _twelve_ Persons of most Note for their Sobriety, Wisdom, and Integrity, to serve in provincial Council; and also to inform the Freemen that they might come, for this Time, in their own Persons, to make up a general Assembly, according to Charter. And that the said respective Sheriffs by their Returns, and the Freemen by their Petitions to the Proprietary and Governor, have plainly declared, that the Fewness of the People, their Inability in Estate, and Unskilfulness in Matters of Government, will not permit them to serve in so large a Council and Assembly, as by the Charter is expressed; and therefore do desire, that the Members now chosen to be their Deputies and Representatives, may serve both for provincial Council and general Assembly; that is to say, _three_ out of each County for the provincial Council, and the remaining _nine_ for the general Assembly, according to Act, as fully and amply as if the said provincial Council and general Assembly had consisted of the said Numbers of Members mentioned in the Charter of Liberties, upon Consideration of the Premises; and that the Proprietary and Governor may testify his great Willingness to comply with that which may be most easy and pleasing, he is willing that it be enacted.