Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-27
MhAy,

The good, old Quaker obtained this char
ter in 1851. In 1852, just one year later, was
promulgated by him in his new country
the remarkable laws which really form the
basis OF civil and religious liberty not only
in this great State of Pennsylvania, but in
many OF her sister States as well. The laws
are inscribed on old parchment several yards
in length, and rolled up as scroll. Al
though more than 200 years old, it is
we'll preserved and legible. After
brief preface in which William Penn
speaks Of himself as the as proprietary and
Govern of the Province of Pennsylvania
(the only title, by the way, which he ever
arrogated to himsel), he makes the follow
Ing proclamation:
"PENN's CODE OF LAWS.
Almighty God being only Lord of Coincidence,
Father of Lights and Spirits and ye futhor as
vel as object of all divine knowledge
faith and worship who only can en-
aHa Sf
due Reverence to his Sovranty on ye Souls of
Mankind 1t is Enacted by ye authority
aforesd Ut no person now or at any time here
after living in this Province who shall Confess
and acknowledge one Almighty God to be ye
Creator Upholder and Ruler of ye W orld and
that professeth him or herseife obliged in
Concience to live Peaceably ana Justly under
her ConcIentious Persuasion or Prac.
tices nor shall he or she at any time
be compeld to frequent or maintain any Re-
ligious Worship place or Ministry whatever
contrary to his or her mind, but shall freely and
fully Enjoy his or her Christian Liberty in vt
respect without any Intervention or Reflection
from any person and if any person shall abuse
or deride any other for his or her different Per.
swasion and Practices In matter of Religion,
such shall be lookt upon as dIsturber
of We Peace and be punished accordingly
But to ye end that Looseness Irreligion and
Atheism may not creepe in under pretence of
concience in this Province, Bee it further
enacted by ye authority afOresd that accord
ing to ye good example of ye Primitive Chris
tans and for ye ease of We Creatures every
first day of ye Weeke Called ye Lords day
People shall abstain from their common Toyles
and labor and that whether Masters Parents
themselves to read ye Scriptures of Truth at
Home or to frequent such Meetings of Re.
ligious Worship abroad as may best suis their
Respective perswasions.
REQUIREMENTS FOR POSITION.
And be it further Enacted by ye authority
aforesd that all officers Imployd in ye Services
or ye Covenant of this Province and all Mem
bers and Deputys Elected to serve in Assembly
thereof and all that have right to elect such
Deputies shall be such as profess and declare
that they believe in JESUS CHRIST to be We
convicted of ill-fame or unsober and dishonest
Conversation and vt are Of one and twenty
years of age at Least.
And be it further enacted by We Authority
aforesd that whosoever shall swear in their
con versation by We name of God or Christ or
Jesus being Legally convicted thereof, shall
pay for every such offence five shillings or
suffer five days Imprisonment in ye house of
Correction at hard Labour to We Dehoofe of We
Publicks goods with bread and water only dur
ing vt time.
And be it further enacted by We Authority
aforesd, that whosoever shall swear by any
other thing or name and is Legally convicted
thereof, shall for every Such offence pay half a
Crown or Suffer three days imprisonment in We
house OF Correction at hard Labour having only
bread and water for their Sustenance.
And bee it further enacted by We Authority
afOresd for ye better preventing corrupt Com
munication, that whoever shall Speak Loosely
and profanely of Almighty God Christ Jesus
the holy Spirit or We Scriptures of Truth, and
is legally convicted thereof, shall for every
such offence pay five shillIugs Suffer five DAYS
Imprisonment in ye house of Correction at hard
Labor to We behoofs of ye PubIck and be fedd
with bread and water only during vt time.
And bee it further enacted by We Authority
aforesd that whosoever shall in their conuersa-
tion at any time curse himselfe or another or
anything belonging to himselfe or another and
is Legally convicted thereof, shall pay for every
such offence five shillings or be imprisond as
aforesd.
And bee it further Enacted by ye Authority
aforesd that if any Person shall with Malice or
Fermentation Kill or be Accessry to ye Death
of another person Man Woman or Child being
Legally convicted thereof shall, according to We
Law of God and all nations Suffer Death and
that ye estates Of all Capital offenders, shall
go one half to ye next of kin If ye Sufferer, and
ye remainder to We next of kin of We Criminal.
The remaining laws are characterized by
the same stern sense of justice and equality
which is apparent in those just quoted.
SOME INDIAN SIGNATURES.
Among the really curious documents at
the Capitol are large number of the orig
inal contracts made between the conscien-
tious Penn and the aborigines. The con-
tracts are drawn up with all due nicely and
with scrupulous regard for legal forms as
they then existed. The signatures of the
Indians were somewhat unique, as can be
seen from the following examples taken
from an old piece of parchment:
c@o~aANh