duftry, they have not only been preferved to admiration, but have increased and profpered, and are seized and poffeffed, by purchafe and confent of the faid natives, to their full content, of fuch lands, iflands, rivers, harbours, and roads, as are very convenient both for plantations, and alfo for building of ships, fupply of pipe-ftaves, and other merchandise, and which lye very commodious in many refpects for commerce, and to accommodate our fouthern plantations, and may much advance the trade of this our realm, and greatly enlarge the territories thereof; they having, by near neighbourhood to, and friendly fociety with, the great body of the Narraganset Indians, given them encouragement, of their own accord, to fubject themselves, their people and lands, unto us; whereby, as is hoped, there may, in time, by the bleffing of God upon their endeavours, be laid a fure foundation of happiness to all America. And whereas, in their humble addrefs, they have freely declared, That it is much on their hearts (if they be permitted) to hold forth a lively experiment, that a moft flourishing civil ftate may ftand, and beft be maintained, and that among our English fubjects, with a full liberty in religious concernments; and that true piety, rightly grounded upon gofpel principles, will give the beft and greateft fecurity to fovereignty, and will lay in the hearts of men the ftrongeft obligations to true loyalty: Now, know ye, That we being willing to encourage the hopeful undertaking of our faid loyal and loving fubjects, and to fecure them in the free exercife and enjoyment of all their civil and religious rights appertaining to them, as our loving fubjects; and to preferve unto them that liberty in the true Chriftian faith and worship of God which they have fought with fo much travail, and with peaceable minds and loyal fubjection to our royal progenitors and ourselves, to enjoy ; and becaufe fome of the people and inhabitants of the fame colony cannot, in their private opinion, conform to, the public exercife of religion, according to the liturgy, form, and ceremonies of the church of England, or take or fubfcribe the oaths and articles made and established in that behalf; and for that the fame, by reafon of the remote difances-of thofe places, will, as we hope, be no breach of the unity and uniformity established in this nation, have therefore thought fit, and do hereby publish, grant, ordain, and declare, that our royal will and pleasure is, That no perfon within the faid colony, at any time hereafter, shall be anywife molested, punished, difquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion in matters of religion, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of our faid colony; but that all and every perfon and perfons may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, freely and fully have and enjoy his and their own judge ments and confciences, in matters of religious concernments, throughout the track of land hereafter-mentioned, they behaving themselves

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themselves peaceably and quietly, and not ufing this liberty to licentioufnefs and profanenefs, nor to the civil injury or outward difturbance of others, any law, ftatute or clause therein contained, or to be contained, ufage, or cuftom of this realm, to the contrary hereof, in any wife notwithstanding. And that they may be in the better capacity to defend themselves in their just rights and liberties, against all the enemies of the Chriftian faith, and others, in all refpects, we have further thought fit, and at the humble petition of the perfons aforefaid, are graciously pleased to declare, That they fhall have and enjoy the benefit of our late act of indemnity, and free pardon, as the reft of our fubjects in other our dominions and territories have; and to create and make them a body politic or corporate, with the powers or privileges herein after-mentioned: And accordingly, our will and pleasure is, and of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we have ordained, conftituted and declared, and by these prefents for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain, conftitute, and declare, That they the faid William Brenton, William Codington, Nicholas Eafton, Benedict Arnold, William Boulfton, John Porter, Samuel Gorton, John Smith, John Weekes, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, Gregory Dexter, John Cogefhall, Jofeph Clarke, Randall Houlden, John Greene, John Roome, William Dyre, Samuel Wildbore, Richard Tew, William Field, Thomas Harris, James Barker, Rainfborrow, Williams,

and John Nickfon, and all fuch others as are now, or hereafter fhall be admitted, free of the company and fociety of our colony of Providence Plantations, in the Narraganset Bay, in NewEngland, fhall be, from time to time, and for ever hereafter, a body corporate and politic, in fact and name, by the name of the Governor and Company of the English Colony f Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New-England, in America; and that by the fame name, they and their fucceffors fhall and may have perpetual fucceffion, and fhall and may be perfons able and capable in the law to fue and be fued, to plead and be impleaded, to answer and to be answered unto, to defend and to be defended, in all and fingular fuits, caufes, quarrels, matters, actions, and things, of what kind or nature foever; and also to have, take, poffefs, acquire, and purchase lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or any goods or chattels, and the fame to leafe, grant, demife, alien, bargain, fell, and difpofe of, at their own will and pleasure, as other our liege people of this our realm of England, or any corporation or body politic within the fame, may lawfully do: and further, That they the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, fhall and may, for ever hereafter, have a common feal, to ferve and use for all matters, caufes, things, and affairs whatfoever, of them and their fucceffors, and the fame feal to alter, change,

change, break, and make new from time to time, at their will and pleasure, as they fhall think fit. And further, we will and ordain, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do declare and appoint, That for the better ordering and managing of the affairs and business of the faid company and their fucceffors, there fhall be one governor, one deputy-governor, and ten affiftants, to be from time to time conftituted, elected, and chofen, out of the freemen of the faid company, for the time being, in fuch manner and form as is hereafter in these prefents expreffed; which faiḍ officers fhall apply themselves to take care for the beft difpofing and ordering of the general bufinefs and affairs of and concerning the lands and hereditaments herein aftermentioned to be granted, and the plantation thereof, and the government of the people there. And for the better execution of our royal pleasure herein, we do for us, our heirs and fucceffors, affign, name, conftitute and appoint, the aforefaid Benedict Arnold to be the first and prefent governor of the faid company, and the faid William Brenton to be the deputy-governor, and the faid William Boulton, John Porter, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, John Smith, John • Greene, John Cogefhall, James Barker, William Field, and Jofeph Clarke, to be the ten prefent affiftants of the faid company, to continue in the faid feveral offices refpectively, until the fift Wednesday which shall be in the month of May now next coming. And further, we will, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain and grant, That the governor of the faid company, for the time being, or in his abfence, by occafion of fickness, or otherwife, by his leave or permiffion, the deputygovernor, for the time being, fhall and may, from time to time, upon all occafions, give order for the affembling of the faid company, and calling them together, to confult and advise of the bufinefs and affairs of the faid company; and that for ever hereafter, twice in every year, that is to fay, on every firft Wednelday in the month of May, and on every last Wednesday in October, or oftener, in cafe it fhall be requifite, the affiftants, and fuch of the freemen of the faid company, not exceeding fix perfons for Newport, four perfons for each of the refpective towns of Providence, Portfmouth, and Warwick, and two perfons for each other place, town or city, who fhall be from time to time thereunto elected or deputed by the major part of the freemen of the respective towns or places, for which they fhall be fo elected or deputed, fhall have a general meeting or affembly, then and there to confult, advise and determine, in and about the affairs and bufinefs of the faïd company and plantations. And further, we do of our efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, give and grant unto the faid governor and company of the English colony of RhodeIfland and Providence Plantations, in New-England in America, and their fucceffors, That the governor, or in his abfence, or by his permiffion, the deputy governor, of the faid company for the time being, the affiftants, and fuch of the freemen of the faid

company, as fhall be so aforefaid elected or deputed, or fo many of them as fhall be prefent at fuch meeting or affembly, as aforesaid, fhall be called the General Aembly; and that they, or the greatest part of them then prefent, whereof the governor, or deputygovernor, and fix of the affiftants at leafl, to be feven, fhall have, and have hereby given and granted unto them, full power and authority, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to appoint, alter, and change fuch days, times and places of meeting, and general affembly, as they fhall think fit, and to chufe, nominate, and appoint fuch and fo many perfons as they fhall think fit, and fhall be willing to accept the fame, to be free of the faid company and body politic, and them into the fame to admit, and to elect, and constitute fuch offices and officers, and to grant fuch needful commiffions as they fhall think fit and requifite, for ordering, managing, and difpatching of the affairs of the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors; and, from time to time, to make, ordain, conftitute, or repeal, fuch laws, ftatutes, orders and ordinances, forms and ceremonies of government and magistracy, as to them fhall feem meet, for the good and welfare of the said company, and for the government and ordering of the lands and hereditaments herein after mentioned to be granted, and of the people that do, or at any time hereafter fhall inhabit, or be within the fame; fo as fuch laws, ordinances, and conftitutions, so made, be not contrary and repugnant unto, but as near as may be, agreeable to the laws of this our realm of England, confidering the nature and conftitution of the place and people there; and alfo, to appoint, order, and direct, erect and fettle fuch places and courts of jurifdiction, for hearing and determining of all actions, cafes, matters and things, happening within the faid colony and plantation, and which fhall be in difpute, and depending there, as they fhall think fit; and alfo to diftinguish and fet forth the feveral names and titles, duties, powers and limits, of each court, office and officer, fuperior and inferior; and also, to contrive and appoint fuch forms of oaths and atteftations, not repugnant, but as near as may be agreeable, as aforefaid, to the laws and ftatutes of this our realm, as are convenient and requifite, with respect to the due adminiftration of juftice, and due execution and difcharge of all offices and places of truft, by the perfons that fhall be therein concerned; and alfo to regulate and order the way and manner of all elections to offices and places of truft, and to prefcribe, limit and diftinguish the number and bounds of all places, towns and cities, within the limits and bounds herein after mentioned, and not herein particularly named, who have or fhall have the power of electing and fending of freemen to the faid general affembly; and alfo to order, direct and authorife, the impofing of lawful and reasonable fines, mulets, imprison-ments, and executing other punishments, pecuniary and corporal, upon offenders and delinquents, according to the course of other corporations, within this our kingdom of England; and again,

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to alter, revoke, annul or pardon, under their common feal, or otherwife, fuch fines, mulets, imprisonments, fentences, judgments and condemnations, as ihall be thought fit; and to direct, rule, order and difpofe of all other matters and things, and particularly that which relates to the making of purchases of the native Indians, as to them shall seem meet; whereby our faid people and inhabitants in the faid plantations, may be fo religiously, peaceably, and civilly governed, as that by their good life and orderly converfation they may win and invite the native Indians of the country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Saviour of mankind; willing, commanding, and requiring, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, ordaining and appointing, that all fuch laws, ftatutes, orders, and ordinances, inftructions, impofitions, and directions, as fhall be fo made by the governor, deputy, affiftants, and freemen, or fuch number of them as aforefaid, and publifhed in writing under their common feal, fhall be carefully and duly obferved, kept, performed, and put in execution, according to the true intent and meaning of the fame. And these our letters patent, or the duplicate or exemplification thereof, shall be to all and every fuch officers, fuperior or inferior, from time to time, for the putting of the fame orders, laws, ftatutes, ordinances, inftructions, and directions, in due execution against us, our heirs, and fucceffors, a fufficient warrant and difcharge. And further, our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, establish and ordain, that yearly, once in the year for ever here. after namely, the aforefaid Wednesday in May, and at the town of Newport or elsewhere, if urgent occafion do require, the governor, deputy governor, and affiftants of the faid company, and other officers of the faid company, or fuch of them as the general affembly fhall think fit, fhall be in the faid general court or af fembly, to be held from that day or time, newly chofen for the year enfuing, by the greater part of the faid company for the time being as fhall be then and there prefent. And if it thall happen that the present governor, deputy-governor, and affiftants, by thefe prefents appointed, or any fuch as fhall hereafter be newly chofen into their rooms, or any of them, or any other the officers. of the faid company, fhall die, or be removed from his or their feveral offices or places, before the faid general day of election (whom we do hereby declare for any mifdemeanour or default to be removable by the governor, affiftants, and company, or fuch greater part of them, in any of the faid public courts to be affembled as aforefaid), that then, and in every fuch case, it shall and may be lawful to and for the faid governor, deputy-governor, affiftants, and company aforefaid, or fuch greater part of them fo to be affembled, as is aforefaid, in any of their affemblies, to proceed to a new election of one or more of their company, in the room or place, rooms or places, of fuch officer or officers to dying or removed, according to their directions. And immediately upon and

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