Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-01-30

10 use the ballot. In the language OF tho
"Frnme." by the second clause or para
graph. the freemsn were to choose the
provincial council and by the fourteenth
the members of the general assembly.
There was, however, no deauition therein
or freeman. The date OF this l. 25lh OF
April Chen the second month) 1882. On
tho foiiowing 9Th OF May the latter resaript
was passed, which In the Sc econd clause de-
fnes the term freeman used In the former
and In the first clause Of the latter, IL The
following words:
Second. That every inhabltant OF said
province (Psnnsylvania), that Is, or shall
be purchaser OF one hundred acres OF
land, or upwards, his heirs aud assigns,
and every person who shall have paid his
passage, and taken up one hundred acres
OF land at one penny an acre, and have
cultivated ten acres thereof, and every per-
son that hath bsep servant or boudsmau
and Is foe by his service, that shall havo
taken up nifty acres Of land aud cultivated
twenty thereof, aud every tnhabitant, artt-
ilcer or other resident in tn said proVtuc5
that pays scot and lot to the government,
shall be deemed and accounted L freeman
OF the said province; and every such per-
son shall be an may be capable Of eleetug,
or being elected representatives OF tho
people In Provincial Council or Gsneral
Assembly In the said PROVINCE"
These documents are to be found In n
compilation OF the laws established by the
Duke OF YORK, md by the Penn govara-
ment also, made by authority of the state
of Pennsylvania, lnhsiei "Duke Of lork'5
Book OF Laws, 1876, 1882, aud "Charter
and Laws of the PcCTiuce of Pennsylvania.
1862, l70O, p. p. 93.l03.
In the "Act of Unlon," by which the
counties which now fo;m this State, were,
by the desire OF the inhabitants annexed by
Penn (who had became entautfed
nj hon hsTfh fhf. at hal nr,Irn nf .HiF
who succeeded his brother, Charles III. Hs
james I'D to his province of Pennsylvania,
those Inhabitants were guaranteed to ba
governed by ths same laws aud TO enjoy
the same privileges In all respects ae tue
| Inhabitants of Pennsylvania do" &e. Free
| men in the counties, we're then, the same
| as freemen In the province; that Is, those
who paid 'seot and lot" or "cnstomary
contribution laid upon all subjects accord
Ing to their ability" rs It Is defined by the
| photographer, Bailey. The date is 7th OF
Deaember, 1852, I'd. 10i).
Ga the snms date as the "Act OF Unlon,"
Penn, with the ndvics and consent of the
deputies OF the freemen OF this province
| and tue counties aforesaid" (tho Delaware
oountie,) enacted what's called "Vhe Great
Laws, or Body of Laws" By chapter So, OF
/ which 1t Is provided rs follows:
| AN that elections may not be corruptly
| mlnagad, upon which the present and
future good OF the province SO much de-
| pend5: Be It &c. That an elections OF
members or representatives of the people
and freemen Of tho province Of PenGsyl-
| vaniR and territories annexed (now Dela-
ware) to serve In the Assembly thereof,
shall pe free and voluntary; and that the
| elector that shall receive any reward or
| fift in meat, drink, moneys, or otherwise,
| shall forfeit his right to elect; ami such
person as shall give, promise, or bestow
l HF t1t.I atafR hf. ala Bob
hall forfeit his election, and be thereby
Incapable to serve as aforesaid; and the
assembly Shall be sole judges Of the reRu-
iarity or irrepularity OF the election of the
members thereof"
In chapter l27 following 1t is enacted In
| these words:
"And to the end that due provisions be
made to defray the requisite charges inoi-
dent TO the public business and service OF
this province and the territories thereof.
Be 1t o acted &c. That the charges OF each
county shall be made up in open court by
the respective magistrates thereof; and
that every such court shall have and hereby
hath power to assess and lay such taxes
upon the county, as shall defray the same
so that II be equal ald according to pro-
portion and that the one.half Of the said
tax to be paid shall he raised upon land,
the other half by the poll, on the male from
sixteen to sixty years OF age, and that ell
such persons who hold land within the
province and territories thereof and do not
reside therein. and so incapable Of z wing
that attendance and yielding that service to
the public as those that live therein. shall
pay to all public taxes for such lands so
held by them, one.half more than resi-
dents pay for the same propo ton"
Oa the goth of October, 1891, WI liam and
Mary took the government Of the province
and territories (the Delaware counties)
| IDtn THAR hnnHa In thia atafa hia.
possession OF Penn, they appointed as cap
tain, general and governor Benjamin
Fletcher; one of the first acts OF whose ad-
ministration WAS to procure the passage of
a law for granting penny In the pound to
tie soNereigns towards the support of the
government underIhim. The fourth clause
OF the act provides that the tax shall be a
charge upon real and personal estate for a
year only; and then declares that "all free
men within the province and territories as
have been out OF their servitude by the
space of six months, and shall not be other
wise rated by this act, nor worth 100
hounds, shall pay unto the use aforesaid
sum of six shil!ings per head" with a
provlsO that "our chief proprietary and
his late deputies shall not be assessed or
otherwise chary aoe by virtue OF this act
Id. 22l-2.
BY section II of this net, (the law about
county levies) 1t Is provided THAT the
I RTttuu euhll ITtbtut hny sum tluCbSshI( y
to be raised, either for the paying OF AnY
public debt, oT other occasion for the pnb'
lie utility oil the county, aud that the jna-
tiees lot the Qlarter Sassions) to make the
rate OF assessment, which shall bn raised In
the came rluuner as moneys are by the
sessions agreed to be raised for the sup
port Of the government, viz: After ths rate
OF one penny per Eound (upon propertYl
aud elk snlillngs upon Ene poll, De" Ia
233.
William Penn was restored to the Eovsrn'
meut OF his provinces and territory by
William and Mary Ia tho 6sh year Of thelI
reign (2lst act lG93) and appointed hi;
nephew William Markham mis- deputy. who
with tho advice and consent oil the council
and representatives of the province ant
territories passed an act or body OF lava
the first clause of which after the preamble
defines the term freemen Chat II those who
were to vote for council and assembly men
rs follows: THAT no inhabitant OF thi
province or terrltdgies shall have right o
} eieoting or being elected n Aforesaid, ra
less they be free dbni2 aas OF this govern
ment, and are OF the age OF 81 years or up
, wards, and have fifty acres OF land, teI
acres which are seated and cleared, or b;
, otherwise worth fifty pounds lawful none,
OF this government clear estate, and haEi
, been resident with this government for tht
epace of two ysars next before such CO
} ton" Ii. zi7 Bythis law Penn mnde tat
; electoral qualification one entirely 0
{ property,
: The second chapter of the enactment 4
"An act for raising the rate OF one penn,
, per pound and six shtllings per haai
, npon such as are not otherwise rate
thor ly, to be employed by tho governmHr
for tbs time being Ms ls herein aftBr lmlt,t
and appointed" tho enaetlug section o
3 which txes tho rate for houssEeepe-s, an
thar provides that ali males Within thi
. pr0vllce and territories who At tho maktni
: OF this act have been (frea) OF this sservitnd
a b, fha snp1a M aiy lunntuB and shall b