XII. The style of all proceffes fhall be, The commonwealth of Pennsylvania; all profecutions fhall be carried on, in the name and by the authority of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and conclude, against the peace and dignity of the fame.

ARTICLE VI

1. Sheriffs and coroners fhall, at the times and places of election of reprefentatives, be chofen by the citizens of each county. Two. perfons fhall be chofen for each office, one of whom, for each refpectively, fhall be appointed by the governor. They shall hold their offices for three years, if they fhall fo long behave themselves well, and until a fucceffor be duly qualified; but no perfon fhall be twice chofen or appointed fheriff in any term of fix years. Vacancies in either of the faid offices fhall be filled by a new appointment to be made by the governor, to continue until the next general election, and until a fucceffor fhall be chofen and qualified as aforesaid.

II. The freemen of this commonwealth fhall be armed and difci plined for its defence. Those who confcientiously fcruple to bear arms, fhall not be compelled to do fo, but fhall pay an equivalent for perfonal service. The militia officers fhall be appointed in such manner and for fuch time as fhall be directed by law.

III. Prothonotaries, clerks of the peace, and orphans' courts, recorders of deeds, registers of wills, and theriffs, fhall keep their offices in the county town of the county in which they respectively fhall be officers, unless when the governor fhall, for special reasons, difpenfe therewith for any term not exceeding five years, after the county fhall have been erected.

IV. All commiffions fhall be in the name and by the authority of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and be fealed with the state feal, and figned by the governor.

V. The ftate treasurer fhall be appointed annually by the joint vote of the members of both houfes; all other officers in the treafury department, attornies at law, election officers, officers relating to taxes, to the poor and highways, conftables, and other township officers, fhall be appointed in fuch manner as is or fhall be directed by law.

ARTICLE VII.

I. The legislature flall, as foon as conveniently may be, provide by law for the establishment of schools throughout the State, in fuch manner that the poor may be taught gratis.

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II. The arts and sciences fhall be promoted in one or more feminaries of learning.

III. The rights, privileges, immunities, and eftates of religious focieties and corporate bodies, hall remain as if the conftitution of this State had not been altered or amended.

ARTICLE VIII.

Members of the general Affembly, and all officers, executive and judicial, fhall be bound by oath or affirmation to fupport the conftitution of this commonwealth, and to perform the duties of their re .pective offices with fidelity.

ARTICLE IX.

That the general, great, and effential principles of liberty and free government may be recognised and unalterably established, 'We declare,

I. That all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are thofe of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, poffeffing, and protecting property and reputation, and of pursuing their own happinefs.

II. That all power is inherent in the people; and all free govern ments are founded on their authority, and inftituted for their peace, fafety and happinefs. For the advancement of thofe ends, they have, at all times, an unalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their government, in fuch manner as they may think proper.

III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own confciences; that no man can, of right, be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, against his cou fent; that no human authority can, in any cafe whatever, control or interfere with the rights of confcience; and that no preference fhall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishnients or modes of worship.

IV. That no perfon, who acknowledges the being of a Ġod, and a future state of rewards and punishments, fhall, on account of his religious fentiments, be difqualified to hold any office or place of truft or profit under this commonwealth.

V. That elections fhall be free and equal.

VI. That

VI. That trial by jury fhall be as heretofore, and the right thereof remain inviolate.

VII. That the printing preffes fhall be free to every perfon, who undertakes to examine the proceedings of the legislature or any branch of government; and no law fhall ever be made to restrain the right thereof. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man; and every citizen may freely fpeak, write, and print on any fubject, being refponfible for the abuse of that liberty. In profecutions for the publication of pas pers, investigating the official conduct of officers, or men in a public capacity, or where the matter published is proper for public informa-" tion, the truth thereof may be given in evidence. And, in all in. dictments for libels, the jury fhall have a right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cafes.

VIII. That the people fhall be fecure in their perfons, houfes, papers and poffeffions, from unreasonable fearches and feizures; and that no warrant to fearch any place, or to feize any perfon or things, hall iffue without defcribing them as nearly as may be, nor without probable caufe, fupported by oath or affirmation.

IX. That, in all criminal profecutions, the accufed hath a righ to be heard by himself and his council; to demand the nature and caufe of the accufation against him; to meet the witneffes face to face; to have compulfory procefs for obtaining witnefles in his fayour; and, in profecutions by indictment or information, a speedy public trial, by an impartial jury of the vicinage; that he cannot be compelled to give evidence against himself; nor can he be deprived of his life, liberty or property, unlefs by the judgment of his peers,

or the law of the land.

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X. That no perfon fhall, for any indictable offence, be proceeded against criminally by information, except in cafes arifing in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual fervice, in time of war or public danger, or, by leave of the court, for oppreffion and misdemeanor in office. No perfon fhall, for the fame offence, be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor fhall any man's property be taken or applied to public ufe without the confent of his reprefentatives, and without juft compenfation being made.

XI. That all courts fhall be open; and every man, for an injury done him in his lands, goods, perfon or reputation, fhall have remedy by the due courfe of law, and right and juftice administered without fale, denial or delay. Suits may be brought against the com

monwealth in fuch manner, in fuch courts, and in fuch cafes, as the

legiflature may by law direct.

XII. That no power of fufpending laws fhall be exercised, unless by the legislature or its authority.

XIII. That exceffive bail fhall not be required, nor exceffive fines impofed, nor cruel punishments inflicted.

XIV. That all prifoners fhall be bailable by fufficient fureties, unless for capital offences, when the proof is evident or prefumption great; and the privileges of the writ of habeas corpus fhall not be fufpended, unless when, in cafes of rebellion or invafion, the public fafety may require it.

XV. That no commiffion of oyer and terminer or jail delivery fhall be iffued.

XVI. That the perfon of a debtor, where there is not strong pre fumption of fraud, fhall not be continued in prifon after delivering up his eftate for the benefit of his creditors, in fuch manner as shall be prefcribed by law.

XVII. That no ex poft facto law, nor any law impairing contracts, fhall be made.

XVIII. That no perfon fhall be attainted of treafon or felony by the legislature.

XIX. That no attainder fhall work corruption of blood, nor, ex cept during the life of the offender, forfeiture of eftate to the commonwealth; that the, eftates of fuch perfons as fhall destroy their own lives, fhall defcend or veft as in cafe of natural death ; and if any perfon fhall be killed by cafualty, there fhall be no forfeiture by reafon thereof.

XX. That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to af femble together for their common good, and to apply to those invefted with the powers of government for redrefs of grievances, or other proper purpofes, by petition, addrefs or remonstrance.

XXI. That the right of the citizens to bear arms, in defence of themselves and the State, fhall not be questioned.

XXII. That no ftanding army fhall, in time of peace, be kept up without the confent of the legiflature: and the military shall, in all cafes, and at all times, be in ftrict fubordination to the civil power.

but

XXIII. That no foldier fhall, in time of peace, be quartered in any houfe without the confent of the owner, nor in time of war, in a manner to be prescribed by law,

XXIV. That

XXIV. That the legiflature fhall not grant any title of nobility or hereditary diftinction, nor create any office, the appointment to which fhall be for a longer term than during good behaviour.

XXV. That emigration from the State fhall not be prohibited. XXVI. To guard against tranfgreffions of the high powers which we have delegated, We declare, That every thing in this article is excepted out of the general powers of government, and fhall for ever remain inviolate,

SCHEDULE.

That no inconvenience may arife from the alterations and amendments in the conftitution of this commonwealth, and in order to carry the fame into complete operation,

it is hereby declared and ordained,

I. That all laws of this commonwealth, in force at the time of making the faid alterations and amendments in the faid conftitution, and not inconfiftent therewith, and all rights, actions, profecutions,' claims and contracts, as well of individuals as of bodies corporate, fhall continue as if the faid alterations and amendments had not been made.

II. That the prefident and fupreme executive council fhall continue to exercise the executive authority of this commonwealth as heretofore, until the third Tuesday of December next; but no intermediate vacancies in the council fhall be supplied by new elections.

III. That all officers in the appointment of the executive department fhall continue in the exercife of the duties of their respective offices until the first day of September, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, unless their commiffions fhall fooner expire by their own limitations, or the faid offices become vacant by death or refignation, and no longer, unless re-appointed and commiffioned by the governor; except that the judges of the fupreme court shall hold their offices for the terms in their commiffions refpectively expreffed.

IV. That justice shall be administered in the feveral counties of this State, until the period aforefaid, by the fame juftices, in the fame courts, and in the fame manner as heretofore.

V. That no perfon, now in commiffion as fheriff, fhall be eligible at the next election, for a longer term than will, with the time which he fhall have ferved in the faid office, complete the term of three years.

VI. That