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The 1629 Charter Of Massachusetts Bay
And further, That the said Governour and Companye, and their
Successors, maie have forever one comon Seale, to be used in all Causes and
Occasions of the said Company, and the same Seale may alter, chaunge,
breake, and newe make, from tyme to tyme, at their pleasures. And our Will
and Pleasure is, and Wee doe hereby for Us, our Heires and Successors,
ordeyne and graunte, That from henceforth for ever, there shal be one
Governor, one Deputy Governor, and eighteene Assistants of the same Company, to be from tyme to tyme constituted, elected and chosen out of the Freemen of the saide Company, for the twyme being, in such Manner and Forme as
hereafter in theis Presents is expressed, which said Officers shall applie
themselves to take Care for the best disposeing and ordering of the generall
buysines and Affaires of, for, and concerning the said Landes and Premisses
hereby mentioned, to be graunted, and the Plantation thereof, and the
Government of the People there. And for the better Execution of our Royall
Pleasure and Graunte in this Behalf, Wee doe, by theis presents, for Us, our
Heires and Successors, nominate, ordeyne, make, and constitute; our
welbeloved the saide Mathewe Cradocke, to be the first and present Governor
of the said Company, and the saide Thomas Goffe, to be Deputy Governor of
the saide Company, and the saide Sir Richard Saltonstall, Isaack Johnson,
Samuell Aldersey, John Ven, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Simon Whetcombe,
Increase Noell, Richard Pery, Nathaniell Wright, Samuell Vassall, Theophilus
Eaton, Thomas Adams, Thomas Hutchins, John Browne, George Foxcrofte, William Vassall, and William Pinchion, to be the present Assistants of the saide
Company, to continue in the saide several Offices respectivelie for such
tyme, and in such manner, as in and by theis Presents is hereafter declared
and appointed.
And further, Wee will, and by theis Presents, for Us, our Heires
and Successors, doe ordeyne and graunte, That the Governor of the saide
Company for the tyme being, or in his Absence by Occasion of Sicknes or
otherwise, the Deputie Governor for the tyme being, shall have Authoritie
from tyme to tyme upon all Occasions, to give order for the assembling of
the saide Company, and calling them together to consult and advise of the
Bussinesses and Affaires of the saide Company, and that the said Governor,
Deputie Governor, and Assistants of the saide Company, for the tyme being,
shall or maie once every Moneth, or oftener at their Pleasures, assemble and
houlde and keepe a Courte or Assemblie of themselves, for the better
ordering and directing of their Affaires, and that any seaven or more
persons of the Assistants, togither with the Governor, or Deputie Governor
soe assembled, shalbe saide, taken, held, and reputed to be, and shalbe a
full and sufficient Courte or Assemblie of the said Company, for the
handling, ordering, and dispatching of all such Buysinesses and Occurrents
as shall from tyme to tyme happen, touching or concerning the. said Company
or Plantation; and that there shall or maie be held and kept by the
Governor, or Deputie Governor of the said Company, and seaven or more of the
said Assistants for the tyme being, upon every last Wednesday in Hillary,
Easter, Trinity, and Michas Termes respectivelie forever, one greate
generall and solemne assemblie, which foure generall assemblies shalbe
stiled and called the foure greate and generall Courts of the saide Company.
In all and every, or any of which saide greate and generall Courts
soe assembled, Wee doe for Us, our Heires and Successors, give and graunte
to the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, That the Governor,
or in his absence, the Deputie Governor of the saide Company for the tyme
being, and such of the Assistants and Freeman of the saide Company as shalbe
present, or the greater nomber of them so assembled, whereof the Governor or
Deputie Governor and six of the Assistants at the least to be seaven, shall
have full Power and authoritie to choose, nominate, and appointe, such and
soe many others as they shall thinke fitt, and that shall be willing to
accept the same, to be free of the said Company and Body, and them into the
same to admitt; and to elect and constitute such officers as they shall
thinke fill and requisite, for the ordering, mannaging, and dispatching of
the Affaires of the saide Governor and Company, and their Successors; And to
make Lawes and Ordinances for the Good and Welfare of the saide Company, and
for the Government and ordering of the saide Landes and Plantation, and the
People inhabiting and to inhabite the same, as to them from tyme to tyme
shalbe thought meete, soe as such Lawes and Ordinances be not contrarie or
repugnant to the Lawes and Statuts of this our Realme of England.
And, our Will and Pleasure is, and Wee doe hereby for Us, our
Heires and Successors, establish and ordeyne, That yearely once in the
yeare, for ever hereafter, namely, the last Wednesday in Easter Tearme,
yearely, the Governor, Deputy-Governor, and Assistants of the saide Company
and all other officers of the saide Company shalbe in the Generall Court or
Assembly to be held for that Day or Tyme, newly chosen for the Yeare
ensueing by such greater parte of the said Company, for the Tyme being, then
and there present, as is aforesaide. And, if it shall happen the present
governor, Deputy Governor, and assistants, by theis presents appointed, or
such as shall hereafter be newly chosen into their Roomes, or any of them,
or any other of the officers to be appointed for the said Company, to dye,
or to be removed from his or their severall Offices or Places before the
saide generall Day of Election (whome Wee doe hereby declare for any
Misdemeanor or Defect to be removeable by the Governor, Deputie Governor,
Assistants, and Company, or such greater Parte of them in any of the
publique Courts to be assembled as is aforesaid) That then, and in every
such Case, it shall and maie be lawfull, to and for the Governor, Deputie
Governor, Assistants, and Company aforesaide, or such greater Parte of them
soe to be assembled as is aforesaide, in any of their Assemblies, to
proceade to a new Election of one or more others of their Company in the
Roome or Place, Roomes or Places of such Officer or Officers soe dyeing or
removed according to their Discretions, And, immediately upon and after such
Election and Elections made of such Governor, Deputie Governor, Assistant or
Assistants, or any other officer of the saide Company, in Manner and Forme
aforesaid, the Authoritie, Office, and Power, before given to the former
Governor, Deputie Governor, or other Officer and Officers soe removed, in
whose Steade and Place newe shalbe soe chosen, shall as to him and them, and
everie of them, cease and determine
Provided alsoe, and our Will and Pleasure is, That aswell such as
are by theis Presents appointed to be the present Governor, Deputie
Governor, and Assistants of the said Company, as those that shall succeed
them, and all other Officers to be appointed and chosen as aforesaid, shall,
before they undertake the Execution of their saide Offices and Places
respectivelie, take their Corporal Oathes for the due and faithfull
Performance of their Duties in their severall Offices and Places, before
such Person or Persons as are by theis Presents hereunder appointed to take
and receive the same. . .
And, further our Will and Pleasure is, and Wee doe hereby for Us,
our Heires and Successors, ordeyne and declare, and graunte to the saide
Governor and Company and their Successors, That all and every the Subjects
of Us, our Heires or Successors, which shall goe to and inhabite within the
saide Landes and Premisses hereby mentioned to be graunted, and every of
their Children which shall happen to be borne there, or on the Seas in
goeing thither, or retorning from thence, shall have and enjoy all liberties
and Immunities of free and naturall Subjects within any of the Domynions of
Us, our Heires or Successors, to all Intents, Constructions, and Purposes
whatsoever, as if they and everie of them were borne within the Realme of
England. And that the Governor and Deputie Governor of the said Company for
the Tyme being, or either of them, and any two or more of such of the saide
Assistants as shalbe thereunto appointed by the saide Governor and Company
at any of their Courts or Assemblies to be held as aforesaide, shall and
maie at all Tymes, and from tyme to tyme hereafter, have full Power and
Authoritie to minister and give the Oathe and Oathes of Supremacie and
Allegiance, or either of them, to all and everie Person and Persons, which
shall at any Tyme or Tymes hereafter goe or passe to the Landes and
Premisses hereby mentioned to be graunted to inhabite in the same.
And, Wee doe of our further Grace, certen Knowledg and meere
Motion, give and graunte to the saide Governor and Company, and their
Successors, That it shall and maie be lawfull, to and for the Governor or
Deputie Governor, and such of the Assistants and Freemen of the said Company
for the Tyme being as shalbe assembled in any of their generall Courts
aforesaide, or in any other Courtes to be specially sumoned and assembled
for that Purpose, or the greater Parte of them (whereof the Governor or
Deputie Governor, and six of the Assistants to be alwaies seaven) from tyme
to tyme, to make, ordeine, and establishe all Manner of wholesome and
reasonable Orders, Lawes, Statutes, and Ordinances, Directions, and
Instructions, not contrairie to the Lawes of this our Realme of England,
aswell for setling of the Formes and Ceremonies of Government and
Magistracy, fitt and necessary for the said Plantation, and the Inhabitants
there, and for nameing and setting of all sorts of Officers, both superior
and inferior, which they shall finde needefull for that Governement and
Plantation, and the distinguishing and setting forth of the severall duties,
Powers, and Lymytts of every such Office and Place, and the Formes of such
Oathes warrantable by the Lawes and Statutes of this our Realme of England,
as shalbe respectivelie ministred unto them for the Execution of the said
severall Offices and Places; as also, for the disposing and ordering of the
Elections of such of the said Officers as shalbe annuall, and of such others
as shalbe to succeede in Case of Death or Removeall, and ministring the said
Oathes to the newe elected Officers, and for Impositions of lawfull Fynes,
Mulcts, Imprisonment, or other lawfull Correction, according to the Course
of other Corporations in this our Realme of England, and for the directing,
ruling, and disposeing of all other Matters and Thinges, whereby our said
People, Inhabitants there, may be soe religiously, peaceablie, and civilly
governed, as their good Life and orderlie Conversation, maie wynn and incite
the Natives of Country, to the Knowledg and Obedience of the onlie true God
and Savior of Mankinde, and the Christian Fayth, which in our Royall
Intention, and the Adventurers free Profession, is the principall Ende of
this Plantation.
Willing, commaunding, and requiring, and by theis Presents for Us,
our Heires, and Successors, ordeyning and appointing, that all such Orders,
Lawes, Statuts and Ordinances, Instructions and Directions, as shalbe soe
made by the Governor, or Deputie Governor of the said Company, and such of
the Assistants and Freemen as aforesaide, and published in Writing, under
their common Seale, shalbe carefullie and dulie observed, kept, performed,
and putt in Execution, according to the true Intent and Meaning of the same;
and theis our Letters- patents, or the Duplicate or exemplification thereof,
shalbe to all and everie such Officers, superior and inferior, from Tyme to
Tyme, for the putting of the same Orders, Lawes, Statutes, and Ordinances,
Instructions, and Directions, in due Execution against Us, our Heires and
Successors, a sufficient Warrant and Discharge.
And Wee doe further, for Us, our Heires and Successors, give and
graunt to the said Governor and Company, and their Successors by theis
Presents, that all and everie such Chiefe Comaunders, Captaines, Governors,
and other Officers and Ministers, as by the said Orders, Lawes, Statuts,
Ordinances, Instructions, or Directions of the said Governor and Company for
the Tyme being, shalbe from Tyme to Tyme hereafter imploied either in the
Government of the saide Inhabitants and Plantation, or in the Waye by Sea
thither, or from thence, according to the Natures and Lymitts of their
Offices and Places respectively, shall from Tyme to Tyme hereafter for ever,
within the Precincts and Partes of Newe England hereby mentioned to be
graunted and confirmed, or in the Waie by Sea thither, or from thence, have
full and Absolute Power and Authoritie to correct, punishe, pardon, governe,
and rule all such the Subjects of Us, our Heires and Successors, as shall
from Tyme to Tyme adventure themselves in any Voyadge thither or from
thence, or that shall at any Tyme hereafter, inhabite within the Precincts
and Partes of Newe England aforasaid, according to the Orders, Lawes,
Ordinances, Instructions, and Directions aforesaid, not being repugnant to
the Lawes and Statutes of our Realme of England as aforesaid. . . .
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The U. S. Constitution
