The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-02-02 00:00:00, page 1

PHILADELPHIA.
A farther Supplement to the Aft intituled ' An A C Tfor
the farther fecuity of the Government ?'
WHE REAS every government hath an inherent
and unquestionable right to exaff a test of allegi
ance from all perlons within it, at such time, and in such
manner as the preservation and fafety of the .ate fliall re.
quire.
AND WHERE AS in conformity to this acknow
ledged principle of government the General Assembly of
this Rate hath enabled sundry laws by whichall the male
white inhabitants of this Gate (except certain persons there
in excepted and described) should on or before the firft
day of June iaft, take and subscribe the oath or affirma^
tion of allegiance directed by an ad of General Assembly
of this commonwealth puffed on the thirteenth of June,
A. D. 1/7.
AND WHE REAS divers faithful fab'eßS of this
Rate, and well aßefled to the Liberty and Independence
thereof, from sickness, absence, want of information and
other unavoidable raufes, have omitted to take the said
oath within the limited times, and are thereby become
fabe& to the difabjlities and penalties therein imposed.
AND WHEREAS no fufficient fecurityis provi
ded in the said laws to prevent persons difaffefted to the
independence of this state from being elected into office,
and doubts have also arisen on the 'confirmation of the said
afts, which render it necessary to amend and explain the
fame.
Be it therefore enabled, and it is hereby enabled, by the
representatives of the freemen of the commonwealth of Penn
fybuania, in General Assembly met, and by the authority of
the fame, That all and every the male white inhabitants
above the age of eighteen years, who have taken the oath
or affirmation of allegiance as prescribed by law, on or
before the Grit day of June last, or who being then out of
this state, and who were within the exceptions of the aft
for the further security @f government, and had not an op
portunity of taking the said affirmation on or before the
laid firft day of June, but have since taken thefame oath or
as directed by the said aft, and have not thereafter taken
any oath or affirmation of allegiance to the King of Great-
Britain, shall have and are hereby declared, to have all the
privities of a free citizen of this state.
Provided that nothing in this aft contained shall extend
to remove any of the incapacities which minors are by law
fubjeded to.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
every person who hath taken and fubferibed the Lid oath
or affirmation since the firfl day of June left, and shall at
any time after the publication of this aft also take and sub
scribe in the county where he resides, before one of the
Cemmiffioners herein after appointed, the following oath
©r affirmation of allegiance, fliall be, and is hereby decla
red to be, a free citizen of this state, and entitled to all and
^ry the privileges thereof.
" I, A. B. do fofemnly and friccrety declare and swear,
or affirm, that the state of Pennsylvania is, and of right
eu,;ht to % a free, sovereign and independent state. And
I do forever renounce and refufe all allegiance, fubjeaion
and obedience to the King or Crown of Great Britain.
And I do further swear, (or solemnly, sincerely and truly
declare anl affirm,) that I never have fnce-the declaration
of independence, directly or indirectly aided, affified,
abetted, or in any wife countenanced the King of Great-
Britain, his Generals, fleets or armies, or their adherents
in their claims upon these United $ ates. And that! have
ever since the declaration ®f the independence thereof, de
meaned myfelf as a faithful citizen and fubeft of this or
some one of the Unite! States. And that I will at all
times maintain and support the freedom, sovereignty and
independence thereof."
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
every person now in office or place of trust under this go
vernment, shall on or before the firft day of April next,
and every person hereafter appointed or electee into any
office or place of trust under this government whatsoever,
shall before he enters upon the execution or duties thereof,
make and fubferibe before the sud Commissioners or one of
them the aforefaid oath or affirmation.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefail, That
every person who hath not taken the oath or affirmation
directed to be taken by the said laws, on or before the said
firfl day of June last (except the persons before excepted)
and who-shall refufe or neglect to take and fubfiribe the oath
or affirmation es allegiance herein prescribed (hall be and
" hereby declared to be, excluded from and incapable of
electing or being elected into, or holding any office or place
of trust under this government, and of serving on Juries
during thetime of such negled or refufal ; but that all o
ther penalties, incapacities anddifabilities imposed by any
former acts of Assembly fliall from henceforth cease and
determine.
Provided always, that nothing in this aft contained
shall extend to difeharge any person who has incurred a
forfeiture of double taxes from the payment thereof in such
aliefments as have been made, or which shall be made by
virtue of the laws of this state heretofore passed.
TUESDAY,
O R
GENERAL
[Price Fifteen Pence single, One Shilling.by the quantity. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.]
Be it further enaßed by the authority aforesaid, That all
and every person or persons who having taken the oath or
affirmation of allegiance to this state before the firft day of
June last, and have since taken the oath or affirmation of
allegiance to the, King of Great- Britain, shall be in like
manner excluded from and incapable of electing or being
elected into or of holding any office or place of trust under
this government until they shall take the oath herein pre
scribed.
and be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
all persons removing into this Hate from other Rates and
bringing with them authentic certificates of their having
duly taken the oath or affirmation of allegiance to the state
from which they have removed, shall be intitled to all the
privileges of a free,citizen of this Rate, upon taking and
fubferibing the oath or affirmation herein prescribed : And
all Grangers from beyond seas, if otherwise qualified, pur
suant to the constitution ofn is state, shall be intitled to
the privileges of freemen upon their respectively taking the
oath or affirmation prescribed by the said ad cf Assembly
passed the thirteenth of June one tho Land seven hundred
and seventy-seven.
Art t be it further enabled by 'be authority aforefaid, That
the following persons and each of them be, and they are
hereby appointed, Commiffiom rs wit. in the city of Phi
ladelphia and within the several counties of the state, for
admoiftring the oath er affirmation of allegiance herein
prescribed, viz. James Yaung, Plunket Fieefon, John
Ord, and l'aac Howell; Esquires, for the city of Phila
delphia : John Moor Jonathan B. Smith, David Knox,
Seth Quee, and ohn Richard, Enquires, for (he county
of Philadelphia: Henry Wynkoop, Thomas Dyeh, and
Thomas Lang, for the county of Bur ks : Perfifur Frazer,
John Kinkead, and John Baton; forthe county of Chester:
Thomas Whitefides; John Whitehill, Robert Craig. Ro
bert Elder, John Tliome, and Chriflopher Marshal, fen.
for the county of Lancafler: Richard M'ALRcr, David
Watson, William Bailey, William Smith, Robert Ste-
Venfon, and, Wilham M'Clean, Esquires, for the county
of York : James Oliver, John Agnew, Samuel M'Cune,
Archibald Ernie, S mite) Royer, Robert Peebles, David
Elder, David M'Clure, Samuel Lyons, and William
Brown, Esquires for the county of Cumber and ; Henrf
Christ, John Patton, Richard Tea, Cel Jonathan Jones,
Samuel Ely, and Nicholas' Jones, Esquires, for the coun
ty of Berks: John Chambers, John Arndt, William
M'Nair, Jacob Morey, J cob H raer, and Matthias
Probft, Esquires, for thecounty of Northampton: David
F fpZ Abraham Cable, B njamin Elliot, and Robert Scott,
Esquires, for the county of Bedford: Wilton Atkinson,
William Shaw, Andrew Ciilbertfon, and Samuel Allen,
Esquires, for the county of Northumberland: Edward
Cook, Cnarles Foreman, James Barr, and George Rea
dpg, Esquires, for the county of Weftmareland. Which
said Commissioners fliall have the sole and exclusive right
so to do; and which path or affirmation fliall an 1 may be
administered by any one of the said Commissioners; add
they shall keep fair and regular regiffers of all persons by
them so sworn or affirmed, and deliver cut certificates;, as
by the former laws of this Rate the several Justices of the
Peace were authorized to do; for each of which certifi
cates the Commissioners signing the fame fliall have and
receive from the party the sum of seven Killings and six
pence. And the said Commissioners are herby authoriz
ed and required to collect authentic copies of the several
registers now made, and cause the fame to be lodged in
the Prothonotary's office of their fefpeHive Counties : and
if any person possessed of any such register fliall upon de
mand refufe to deliver an authentic copy of the fame to
the said Commissioners or either of them, when required
so to do, he fliall forfeit the sum of one hundred pounds
for every such refufal, to be recovered by the Hid Com
missioners of the city or refpedive counties, of a majority
of them, in any Court of Record within this common
wealth, by a&ion of debt or otherwise.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid,
That in case of the death, disability or refufal of any per
son to ad as Commissioner for the purpose aforefaid, the
Executive Council are hereby authorized and required to
make a new appointment, and fill all vacancies as they may
happen. And the said Commissioners and every of them
before they proceed in the execution of their refpeftive
offices fliall and they are hereby required to make and sub
scribe as well the oath or affirmation herein before pre
scribed, as the following oath or affirmation before some
Justice of the Peace of this commonwealth, viz.
“I, A. E. (do swear or affirm) that I will well and
' faithfully execute the office of a CommiffionCr for admi
“ niftring the aforefaid oath of affirmation o .f fidelity and
" allegiance within the city of Philadelphia, or the county
« of ~ and that I will keep a true register of all
'' persons who shall take the said oath or affirmation, and
" make true return thereof, and of the time when the
“ fame are so adm,iftred from time to time when requir
" ed in due course of law,"and the said Commissioners
shall, and they are hereby required, to tfanfmit to the
Judges of every election within the city and every dift
rift within this commonwealth, authentic copies of said
1 HE
I r
FEBRUARY 2 , ffi
THE
ADVERTISER
register, on the day of any election hereafter to be held :
and previous to the opening of the fame ; and every Com'
mhhoffr needing or refufing so to do, shall forfeit fo fo
every such offence the sum of one hundred pounds, to be
recovered by the Prothonotary of the county in an adior
of debt, in any court oi record within this Rate
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid
That any Commoner or J u fii ce of the Peace who shall
be legally convf ed of antedating an y certificate directed
to be given by this or any former] aw of this Rate, &1I be
from then orth for ever excluded from holding any office
or place of trust or profit whatsoever, under'this fiate •
And any other person who shall be legally convided of
forging any such certificate or altering the dam thereof
ihall be pumfaed as forgers of deeds are by the common
law.
_ A " d '' "^^ b ^ authority aforefaid.
That all fines which fliall be recovered in pursuance of
this ad, shall be paid to the Treasurer of this state for
the use of the date.
And be it further ena^ed by the authority aforefaid.
That so much of the ad intituled " An a& obliging the
ftwhite inhabitants of this state to gi ve affiances of
allegiance to the fame, and for other purposes therein men -
tioned," “ A supplement to the a& intituled, “ An aft
obliging the male white inhabitants of this state to give
afiurances of allegiance to the fame, and for other purno
fes therein mentioned," ^ An aft for the further security
of (overrent, # and another aft intituled “Afupdement
to the aft intituled « An ad for the further security of
tee government," as are hereby altered and supplied, shall
f" "^ hereby repealed and declared null and void ;
h ^ ? ther clauses matters and things in the said
2&san 1 implements contained, fliall be, and are hereby
declared to be in lull force and virtue as fully to all in
tents, purposes and conftruftions as if the prefect ad
not been made. r~
r r w JOHN BAYARD, Speaker.
Enabled into a tawat Philadelphia, on Saturday the
fifth bay of December, j n the year one tbeufand
feien hundred cindfcwenty-eQt.
JOHN M OR R IS, Junior;
Clerk of the General Assembly.
A POLITICAL VIEW of the State of PenNsY
VANIA: By a Foreigner. Tranfated into Englifo.
TH E people of Pennsylvania are diverffcdmore than
the people of any other State in the union. This
diversity consists in religion and country The inhabitants
are composed chiefly of Quakers, Episcopalians, Presbyte
rians and Lutherans. There are a few of the Society of
Roman Catholics, Menonifts and Moravians; but they
are too inconfiderabteto give the least complexion to the
politics of the State, The majority of the inhabitants are
Germans, Irilh, English arid their descendants. From
such a heterogeneous mixture of people, no winder we find
all the effe&s which the paffons and prejudices of religion
and country inspire displayed in the course of the present
revolution. There was a greater uniformity once, we are
told, in the politics of this State; but the government
was then in the hands of men of one religion and country,
viz. the Quaker , who are in general the descendants of
Engliflimen.
The State is now divided into two parties, viz. Whigs
and Tories The Whig§ are Subdivided into the friends
and enemies of the present C®nftitution In order to come
at a perfect knowledge of the origin and nature of this di
vision between the Whigs of the State it will be necessary
to observe, that the present Conflitution of the State was
formed in a hurry in the Summer of the year 1776. It
differs in many particulars from the old constitution of
the Province. The whole legislative power is lodged in
oue Assembly. The executive and judicial powers°of the
State, by holding their Hilaries from the Assembly, are
rendered dependant upon it. The Magifirates and Mili
tia Officers are chosen by the people. A Council of Cen
sors, endowed with firange and unheard of powers, are to
fit in judgment once in seven years upon every man who
has been in office in the State. In a word, so zealous
were the men who composed the Confiitution fcr a total
change in the aptient form of Government in the State,
that they quarrelled with words. They excluded the title
of Governor as smelling of royalty and fubflituted in the
room of it the equivocal name of President for the firft
Magistrate of the State.
This Constitution was no sooner published, 'than it was
reprobated by a great body of the people. Some of the
members of the Convention who composed it, were insulted
upon returning to their refpe&ive Countie,. Unfortunate
ly for the State, General Howe invaded New-Jersey and
pointed towards an attack upon the capital of Pennsylva
nia about the time fixed upon by the Convention for the
eleflion of an Assembly to execute the Constitution. A
Government @f some kind became necessary to colled the
force of the State to refi ll the approaching enemy. About
two thousand voters only appeared in favor of an Assem
bly. The members chosen took their feats, and after set-