Habendum. ward as far as our colonies of Rhode Island, Connec tient, and the Narrowganfet country; and also that part and portion of Main land beginning at the entrance of Piscataway harbour, and so passing up the fame into the river of Newickewannocke, and through the fame into the furtheft head thereof, and from thence North-westward till one hundred and twenty miles be finished, and from Pifcataway harbour mouth aforefaid, Northeastward along the sea-coaft to Sagadehock, and from the period of one hundred and twenty miles aforesaid, to cross over land to the one hundred and twenty-miles before reckoned-up into the lands from Pifcataway harbour through Newickannocke river; and alfo the North half of the Ifles of Shoals, together with the Illes of Chappawock and Nantuckett, near Cape Cod aforefaid; and alfo the lands and hereditaments lying and being in the Country or Territory commonly called Accadia or Nova-Scotia; and all thofe lands and hereditaments lying and extending between the faid Country or Territory of Nova-Scotia and the faid river of Sagadahock, or any part thereof; and all lands, grounds, places, foils, woods and wood-grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters, and other hereditaments and premises whatfoever, lying within the faid bounds and limits aforefaid, and every part and parcel thereof; and alfo all Islands and Iflets lying within ten leagues directly oppofite to the main land within the faid bounds, and all Mines and Mineralls, as well Royal Mines of gold and filver, as other Mines and Minerals whatsoever, in the faid lands and premises, or any part thereof; to have and to hold the faid Territories, tracts, countries, lands, hereditaments, and all and fingular other the premises, with their and every of their appurtenances, to our faid fubjects, the inhabitants of our Tenendum. favour of under the of the for mer Char. Charles the faid province of the Maffachusetts Bay in New-England, and their fucceffors, to their only proper ufe and behoof for evermore; to be holden of us, our heirs and fucceffors, as of our manor of Eaft Greenwich in the County of Kent, by fealty only, in free and common foccage, yielding and paying therefore yearly, to us, our heirs and succeffors, the fifth part of all gold and filver ore and precious ftones, which fhall from time to time, and at all times hereafter, happen to be found, gotten, had and obtained, in any of the faid lands and pre- Provisoe in mises, or within any part thereof: Provided neverthe- grants made lefs, and we do for us, our heirs and fucceffors, grant authority and ordain, that all and every fuch lands, tenements, hereditaments, and other estates, which any perfon or ter of king perfons, or bodies politick or corporate, towns, villages, First. colleges, or schools, do hold and enjoy, or ought to have, hold and enjoy, within the bounds aforefaid, by or under any grant or estate duly made or granted by any General Court formerly held, or by virtue of the letters patents herein before-recited, or by any other lawful right or title whatfoever fhall be by fuch perfon and perfons, bodies politick and corporate, towns, villages, colleges, or schools, their respective Heirs, Succeffors and Affigns, for ever hereafter held and enjoyed according to the purport and intent of such respective grant, under and subject neverthelefs to the rents and fervices thereby referved or made payable; any matter or thing whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. And provided alfo, that nothing herein contained fhall extend, or be understood or taken, to impeach or prejudice any right, title, intereft, or demand, which Samuel Allen, of London, Merchant, claiming from and under John Mafon, Efquire, deceased, or any other perfon, or perfons, hath, or have, or claimeth or claim, to have, have, hold or enjoy, of in to or out of any part of parts of the premifes fituate within the limits above-mentioned; but that the faid Samuel Allen, and all and every fuch perfon and perfons, may and fhall have, hold and enjoy the fame, in fuch manner (and no other than) as if thefe prefents had not been had or made it being our further will and pleasure, that no grants or conveyances of any lands, tenements or hereditaments to any towns, colleges, fchools of learning, or to any private perfon or perfons, fhall be judged, or taken, to be avoided, or prejudiced, for, or by reason of, any want, or defect, of form, but that the fame ftand and remain of force, and be maintained, adjudged, and have effect in fuch manner as the fame should, or ought, before the time of the faid recited judgement, according to the laws and rules then and there ufually practifed and allowed. And we do further, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, nour, Lieu will, establish, and ordain, that from henceforth for ever vernour and there fhall be one Governour, one Lieutenant, or Deputy, Secretary of the Province Governour, and one Secretary, of our faid Province or pointed by Territory, to be from time to time appointed and comthe king. miffionated by us, our heirs and fucceffors, and eightand-twenty-Affiftants or Councillors, to be advising and affifting to the Governour of our faid Province or Territory for the time being, as by these prefents is hereafter directed and appointed, which faid Council and Affiflants are to be conftituted, elected and chofen, in fuch form and manner as hereafter in thefe prefents is expreffed. A Gover tenant-Go to be ap Twentyeight Counsellors. And for the better execution of our royal pleafure and grant in this behalf, We do, by these prefents, for us, our Heirs and Succeffors, nominate, ordain, make and conftitute, our trufty and well beloved Simon Broadstreet, John Richards, Nathaniel Saltenftall, Wait Winthrop, Winthrop, John Philips, James Ruffell, Samuel Sewall, Samuel Apleton, Bartholomew Gedney, John Hawthorne, Elisha Hutchins, Robert Pike, Jonathan Curwin, John Jolliffe, Adam Winthrop, Richard Middlecot, John Foster, Peter Serjeant, Joseph Lynd, Samuel Heyman, Stephen Mason, Thomas Hinkely, William Bradford, John Walley, Barnabas Lowthrop, Job Alcot, Samuel Daniel, and Silvanus Davies, Efquires, the first and present Counsellers or Affiftants of our said Province, to continue in their faid refpective offices or trufts of Counfellors or Affiftants until the laft Wednesday in May, which shall be in the year of our Lord One thousand Six hundred Ninety-three, and until other Counsellors or Affiftants fhall be chosen and appointed in their stead, in such manner as in these prefents is expreffed. And We do further, by thefe prefents, conftitute and appoint our trufty and well-beloved Ifaac Addington, Efquire, to be our first and present Secretary of our faid province during our pleasure. nour to have power to as Council at tion. And our will and pleasure is, that the Governour of The Gover our faid province, for the time being, fhall have authority from time to time, at his difcretion, to affemble semble the and call-together the Counsellors, or Affiftants, of our his discrefaid province, for the time being; and that the faid Governour, with the faid Affiftants, or Counsellors, or fe- Counsellors at least, ven of them at leaft, fhall and may, from time to time, must be hold and keep a Council for the ordering and directing the affairs of our faid province. present at every meet. ing of the Council. A General Assembly, And further, we will, and, by these prefents, for Us, Our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain and grant, that Court, or there fhall and may be convened, held, and kept, by the to be held Governour for the time being, upon every last Wednesday in the month of May every year for ever, and at all fuck every year. Deputies to this As sembly to be chosen by the free holders of the province. fuch other times as the Governor of our faid provincé fhall think fit and appoint, a Great and General Court or Affembly; which faid Great and General Court, or Affembly, fhall confift of the Governour and Council, or Affiftants, for the time being, and of fuch freeholders of our faid province, or territory, as fhall be from time to time elected, or deputed, by the major part of the freeholders, and other inhabitants of the refpective towns and places, who fall be prefent at fuch elections; each of the faid towns and places being hereby impowered to elect and depute two perfons, and no more, to ferve for and reprefent them respectively in the said Great aud General Court or Affembly, to which Great and General Court or Affembly, to be held as aforefaid, We do heredy for Us, Our heirs and fucceffors, give and grant full power and authority, from time to time, to direct, appoint and declare, what number of each county, town, and place, fhall elect and depute to ferve Qualifica for and reprefent them respectively in the said Great and General Court or Affembly, provided always, that no freeholder, or other perfon, fhall have a vote in the election of Members to ferve in any Great and General Court or Affembly, to be held as aforefaid, who, at the time of fuch election, fhall not have an estate of freehold in land, within our faid province or territory, of Oaths to be the value of forty fhillings per annum at least, or other taken by the eftate to the value of fifty pounds fterling; and that every person who shall be so elected, shall, before he fit or act in the faid Great and General Court or Affembly, take the oath mentioned in the act of parliament made in the first year of Our reign, intituled, “ An a& for the abrogating of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and appointing other Oaths," and thereby appointed to be taken instead of the Oaths of Allegi tion of the electors. persons elected. ance |