The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-07-16 00:00:00, page 1

Hints for a Form of Government for the State
of Pennsylvania, lubmitted to the considera
tion of the Convention now lining in Phila
delphia.
<• "W ET the city of Philadelphia, and each county,
chufe a representative b dy, confiding of one
, hundred and twenty members. The proportion
—^ of members, for the city and each county, to be
proportioned to their inhabitants and Share ct provincial taxes.
2. As sundry inconveniencies have arisen from votes being
taken in a county town, let each county be divided into dis
t! ds, and let each diftrid chufe one or two or more mem
bers, according to the proportion allowed to each county.
And let tach diftrid vote on the fame day for the member
or members who arc tO Teprefent it in Ahembly.
3. Let every freeman, who is of age, has raided two years
in the province, and has paid a provincial tax, be entitled
to vote in all elections held by the people at large.
4. Let every defter be eligible into the Assembly, or any
office to which the people at large can chufe him. It is unne
ceflary to produce the comm n place rcaions for these funda
mentals in a constitution. 1 Shall rest the propriety of them
upon this Simple and eternally true maxim in government, that
by inverting any set of men with greater privileges, or con
6inir^ th< m to fewer privileges than are enjoyed by the com
munity in general, we render thole men the secret enemies of
that c< mmunty.
5 Let thetteaions always be held by ballot, and let every
man, who fits in the legislative body, rfde two years before
his election in the city or countv he represents.
6, As foen as the Assembly is convened, let them ele& by
ballot, out of their own body, twenty persons, who are
to be omfidered as a dirtind branch of the legislature, and
who Shall ported all the privileges of the Assembly. Let them
be called a LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 1 chufe to limit
their number to twenty, because their vigilance and delibera
tp ns will be proportioned to the degrees of honor or shame
that will fall to the (hare of each member. I look upon this
branch of the legislature as absolutely essential to permanent
freedom in our date. It formerly belonged to Pennsylvania,
and the loss of it was relented and lamented by cur wile fore
fathers. It gives great Security to public counsels, and pre
vents raih acts of government..The States of Holland, from
the wart of such a public body, employ an eminent lawyer,
whois called a PENSIONARY, cn purpose to point cut and
rectify thole mistakes to which all popular affembiies are liable.
The use of a legislative counfei has been experienced in Seve
ral of the ne s ghb >uring colonies even where they have been
appointed by inecrown of Britain, the members of Assembly
having often applied to the members of Council to reject bills,
to which they cad hastily or ignorantly given their ahenc.
Where a Council is cholen by the people, and has the fame
interest witli the people, they will never reject a bill which the
people will not immediately fee would have been injurious to
them. The Indians in this country, who enjoy the most ,er
y^ liberty, Suffer all their deliberations to be controlled by a
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST,
Vol. 11.1
Price 0% Two Coppers f üblifhed every Tuejday, Thursday, and Saturday Evenings.
'IUESDAY, JULY 16, 1776.
351
felednumber of Sachems and a Chief. —In a word this form
of government is founded in nature. The liberty of the hu
man mind is supported by it. The passions—the understand
ing, and the will form three separate branches of a legisla
ture for the purpose of maintaining freedom, wisdom and
execution in all our actions.
I prefer a Council chosen by the Assembly to one chosen
by the people at large, for the following reasons:
Firrt. Their number is so small that they cannot be Suffi
ciently known to all the electors in the state.
Second. In all popular Affembiies a few men take the lead,
which inlenfibly destroys freedom of thinking and Speaking
in the rest. By removing these leading men, more freedom
will be left in the Assembly.
7. Let a Governor be chosen by ballot by the Assembly
and Council jointly. Let him have the benefit of a Privy
Council to be cholen by the Council and Assembly. Let him
have no voice in the legislature, but let his business be fo.ely
executive and never judicial, except in a Court of Errors.
8. Let every branch of this legislative and executive body
be cholen annually. Let no one be buffered to h^ld a legisla
tive office more than three years at a time, and let no one be
re-elected into the legislature tiil he has been out of it three
years. Let the Governor be eligible annually for Seven years,'
and not re-eligible until he has been five years out of office.
This rotation of power is absolutely necessary to fecnre free
dom in a date where commerce has produced an unequal dis
tribution of property. It effectually diverts that lust of power,
which is the offspring of wealth, into other channels.
9. Let the Governor be supported by a fixed salary, and
enjoy no perquisites of any kind.
10. Let the Sheriff's be chosen as usual, by the people of
each county, fubjed to the usual rotation. Let the other
officers of the court be chosen in like manner by the people.
It. Let Judges, Skilful in the laws, be appointed by
the Governor and legislature. The Judges Should, by all
means, be appointed during good behaviour, and Should be
rendered, by proper Salaries, as independant of the people as
poilible.
12. Let a Court of Chancery be erected, and the Judge
thereof be Riled the Master of the Rolls. Let him be
appointed by the Governor and legislature, and let him
hold his office by the fame tenure as the Judges, and be made
equally independant (by a proper Salary) of the people.
13. Let every man, unless absent from the county, or indis
posed, be compelled to vote for Members of Assembly, or
pay a fine.
I^. Let no man refufe to serve in any office into which he
is elected, under the penalty of a fine, or exclusion from
Some privilege of a freeman.
15. Let Delegates for the Assembly of the States be chosen
from the Assembly and Council. But let no man fit more
than one year at a time in the Assembly of the States.
16. Let no person in the legislative body hold any pecu
niary office in government.
17. Let free Schools be established in every part of the
State, and let persons ignorant of the arts of reading and
[Num. 232.