554 
PENNSYLVANIA, 
and in breadth 156 miles, between 39°4-3' and 42 0 N. lat. 
and 74 0 48'and 8o° 8'W. Ion. and comprehending 46,000 
fquare miles. It is bounded eaft by Delaware river, 
which divides it from New Jerfey ; north by New York, 
and lake Erie ; north-weft by a part of lake Erie, where 
is a good port; weft by the ftate of Ohio and a part of 
Virginia; fouth by Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. 
This country was granted to the famous William Penn, 
fon of fir William Penn, admiral of the English fleet in 
the time of Oliver Cromwell and Charles II. Sir Wil¬ 
liam, as fome reward for his fervices, and in confideration 
of fundry debts due to him from the crown, was pro- 
mifed a grant of this country from king Charles II. but 
died before he obtained it. His fon did not for fome 
time apply himfelf ftrenuoufly to folicit the grant pro- 
mifed to his father; but at length, finding his friends, 
the Quakers, were harrafled in every part of England by 
fpiritual courts, he renewed his application to the king, 
and, having obtained his grant, went into America, and 
purchafed the foil at a very low rate of the Indians, its 
original poffeffors. By this cheap a6t of juftice at the be¬ 
ginning, he rendered all his future dealings the more eafy, 
the Indians having conceived very favourable opinions 
both of him and his defigns. Having thus fucceeded in 
the firft part of his plan, he proceeded to the other, namely, 
to people the country he had thus obtained. And this 
was greatly facilitated by the uneafinefs of the Englifh 
Quakers, who, from their high opinion of the man, de¬ 
termined to follow him over the vaft Atlantic Ocean to a 
country uncultivated, and a climate ftrange and un¬ 
known. Nor was he himfelf wanting in any thing that 
had a tendency to encourage his followers: he expended 
large fums in tranfporting and fupplying them with all 
neceflaries; and, not aiming at a Sudden fortune, by fel¬ 
ling his lands at a very eafy purchafe. By this means, 
and the noble charter of privileges he gave the fettlers, 
the country was foon changed from a wildernefs to a gar¬ 
den, and is now one of the moft flourishing countries in 
the New World ; and ftill called after his own name. See 
Penn (William). 
At the American revolution, Penn’s conftitntion was 
of courfe abolished ; and the people, by their reprefenta- 
tives, formed a new one on republican principles. The 
proprietaries were excluded from all fliare in the govern¬ 
ment, and the legislature offered them 130,000k in lieu 
of all quit-rents, which was finally accepted. The pro¬ 
prietaries, however, ftill poffefs in Pennfylvania many 
large trails of excellent land. After many difputes, the 
republicans acquired the afcendancy, and the conftitution 
underwent an alteration that aflimilated it nearly to the 
federal conftitution. The federal conftitution was ratified 
by Pennfylvania, December 13, 1787. 
According to the prefent conftitution of this ftate, the 
fupreme executive power of the commonwealth is vefted 
in a governor; the legiflative, in a general aflembly, con- 
fifting of a Senate and a lioufe of reprefentatives. The 
governor is chofen for three years, but cannot hold his 
office more than nine years in twelve. A majority of 
votes makes a choice. The reprefentatives are eledted 
for one year ; the fenators for four. The latter are di¬ 
vided into four clafies. The time of one clafs expires 
each year, whofe feats are'then filled by new elections. 
Each county choofes its reprefentatives Separately. The 
fenators are chofen in diftridts formed by the legislature. 
There is to be an enumeration of the inhabitants once 
in Seven years. The number of fenators and reprefenta¬ 
tives is, after each enumeration, to be fixed by the legis¬ 
lature, and apportioned among the Several counties and 
diftridts, according to the number of taxable inhabitants. 
There can never be fewer than Sixty, nor more than one 
hundred, reprefentatives. The number of fenators can¬ 
not be lefs than one-fourth, nor greater than one-third, of 
the reprefentatives. The eledtions are made on the fecond 
Tuefday of Odtober. The general aflembly meets on the 
firft Tuefday of December in each year, unlefs Sooner 
convened by the governor. A majority of each houfe 
makes a quorum to do bufinefs ; and a lefs number may 
adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of 
members. Each houfe choofes its Speaker and other of¬ 
ficers, judges of the qualifications of its members, and 
eftablifhes the rules of its proceedings. Impeachments 
are made by the houfe of reprefentatives, and tried by the 
fenate. All bills for raffing revenue originate in the 
lower houfe, but the fenate may propofe amendments. 
The fenators and reprefentatives are free from arrefts, 
while attending the public bufinefs, except in cafes of trea- 
fon, felony, and breach of the peace; and are not liable to 
be questioned concerning any thing faid in public de¬ 
bate. They are compensated out of the public treafury, 
from which no money can be drawn but in confequence 
of appropriation by law. The journals of both houfes 
are published weekly ; and their doors kept open, unlefs 
the bufinefs require fecrecy. All bills, which have paSTed 
both houfes, mult be prefented to the governor. If he 
approve, he mult fign them ; if not, he inuft return them, 
within ten days, with his objections, to the houfes in 
which they originated. No bill fo returned Shall become 
a law, unlefs it be re-pafi'ed by two-thirds of both houfes. 
The governor is commander-in-chief of the military 
force; may remit fines and forfeitures, and grant re¬ 
prieves and pardons, except in cafes of impeachment ; 
may require information from all executive officers ; may, 
on extraordinary occafion, convene the general affembly, 
and adjourn it, for any term not exceeding four months, 
in cafe the two branches cannot agree on the time thern- 
felves. He muft inform the general aflembly of the ftate 
of the commonwealth; recommend fuch meafures as he 
Shall judge expedient; and fee that the laws are faith¬ 
fully executed. In cafe of vacancy in the office of go- 
vernor, the fpeaker of the fenate exercifes that office. 
The judicial power is vefted in a fupreme and inferior 
court, the judges of which, and juftices of peace, are 
appointed by the governor, and commiffioned during 
good behaviour; but are removeable on the addrefs of 
both houfes. The other officers of the ftate are appoint¬ 
ed, fome by the governor, fome by the general aflembly, 
and fome by the people. The qualifications for an eledtor 
are twenty-one years of age, two years’ refidence, and 
payment of taxes. They are privileged from arrefts in 
civil adtions, while attending ele&ions. Thofe for a re- 
prefentative are twenty-one years of age, and three years 
inhabitancy. For a fenator twenty-five years of age, and 
four years’ inhabitancy. For a governor, thirty years of 
age, and feven years’ inhabitancy. The governor can 
hold no other office. The fenators and reprefentatives 
none, but of attorney at law, and in the militia. No 
perfon, holding an office of truft or profit under the 
United States, can hold any office in this ftate to which a 
falary is by law annexed. All the officers of the ftate are 
liable to impeachment, and are bound by oath, or affirma¬ 
tion, to fupport the conftitution, and perform the duties 
of their offices. 
The declaration of rights afferts the natural freedom 
and equality of all; liberty of confcience; freedom of 
election, and of the prefs; Subordination of the military 
to the civil powers ; trial by jury; Security from unrea¬ 
sonable Searches and Seizures; a right to an equal distri¬ 
bution of juftice ; to be heard in criminal profecutions; 
to petition for the redrefs of grievances; to bear arms; 
and to emigrate from the ftate. It declares that all power 
is inherent in the people, and that they may, at any time, 
alter their form of government; that no perfon Shall be 
obliged to maintain religious worShip, or fupport any mi¬ 
nistry ; that all perfons, believing in the being of a God, 
and a future ftate of rewards and punishments, are eligi¬ 
ble to office ; that laws cannot be S'ufpended but by the 
legislature; that all perfons Shall be bailable, unlefs for 
capital offences, when the proof is evident or prefump- 
tion Strong; that every debtor Shall be releafed from pri- 
fon, on delivering his eftate to his creditors, according 
to 
