The council and assembly annually by joint ballot elected a governor; who was to be president of the council. The governor was vested with the supreme executive power, was ex officio chancellor, acted as captain general and commander of the militia and other military force, and was the ordinary or surrogate general. Any three of the council to be a privy council, whom the governor might consult. The governor and council were also a court of appeals in the last resort.

The judges of the supreme court were to continue in office seven years, and the judges of the courts of common pleas in the several counties, justices of the peace, clerks of the supreme court and of the common pleas and quarter sessions, the attorney general and secretary, to hold their offices five years, and all of them to be appointed by the legislature, and commissioned by the governor. Sheriffs and coroners to be elected annually by the people in each county, and no person to be sheriff for a longer term than three years in succession, and not again to be eligible until after the lapse of three years. The qualification of an elector, was fifty pounds proclamation money, that of a senator one thousand, and of a member of assembly five hundred pounds of the same money.

No person was to be deprived of the privilege of worshipping God, according to the dictates of his conscience; or be compelled to attend any place of public worship, contrary to his own faith and judgment, or obliged to pay taxes for building churches or maintenance of ministers contrary to what he believed to be right, or had voluntarily engaged to perform. No religious sect was to have preference to another, and no protestant inhabitant was to be denied the enjoyment of any civil rights on account of his religious principles; but all persons professing a belief in the faith of any protestant sect, demeaning themselves peaceably, were capable of being elected to office and enjoying equal privileges and immunities with others.

The form of government established by Maryland, contained some features different from that of any other state; particularly with respect to the mode of electing and continuing senators.

The house of delegates consisted of four persons chosen annually from each county, and two from the city of Annapolis, and two from Baltimore; and each must have real or personal property of the value of five hundred pounds current money.

The senators were to be chosen every five years by two elec tors from every county, and one from Annapolis, and one from Baltimore. These electors were to be chosen in the respective counties every five years; and were to meet and choose by ballot, fifteen senators, nine of whom to be resident on the western, and six on the eastern shore of the bay of Chesapeake, and each to have real and personal property above the value of one thousand pounds.

After the election and during the five years, the senators were to fill all vacancies in their body, occasioned by refusal, death, resignation, or otherwise.

The senate was not permitted to amend or alter any money bill; but to prevent the house from taking any improper advan 'tage of this, the constitution expressly provided that the house should not annex to any money bill, any matter or thing, not immediately relating to, and necessary for the imposing and levying taxes or supplies, to be raised for the support of government. The two houses were annually to elect by joint ballot a governor, who must have real and personal property, above the value of five thousand pounds, (one thousand to be freehold estate.) They were, also, annually to elect five persons to be a council to the governor, each to have a freehold in lands and tenements, above the value of one thousand pounds. The governor was to preside in the council, and the members to fill vacancies in their body, during the year.

The governor was not to continue in office longer than three years in succession, nor be eligible until the expiration of four years, after he had been out of office. The governor and council constituted the executive. The chancellor, all judges, the attorney general, clerks of the general court, and of the county courts, registers of the land office, and registers of wills, held their commissions during good behavior, removeable for misbehavior,

on conviction in a court of law; and the chancellor and judges, were removeable by the governor, on the address of two thirds of both houses of the general assembly.

The governor, with the advice and consent of the council, appointed the chancellor, all judges and justices, the attorney general, naval officers, officers of the regular land and sea service, officers of the militia, registers of the land office, surveyors, and all other civil officers of government, with the exception of some of minor importance. The civil officers not holding their offices during good behavior, to be appointed annually. A court of appeals was to be constituted, composed of persons of integrity and sound judgment, to decide in the last resort, in all cases of appeal from the general court, court of chancery, and court of admiralty.

The qualification of an elector was a freehold estate of fifty acres of land in the county; or property in the state above the value of thirty pounds, and residence. Every governor, senator, delegate to congress or assembly, and every member of the council, was to take an oath," that he would not receive, directly or indirectly, at any time, any part of the profits of any office, held by any other person, during his office of, &c., or of the profits or any part of the profits, arising from any agency for the supply of clothing or provisions for the army or navy."

This form of government was preceded by a declaration of rights, consisting of forty-two articles. The thirty-third declares, that "all persons professing the christian religion are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; and that no person ought by any law, to be molested in his person or estate, on account of his religious persuasion or profession, or for his religious practice;" and that no person ought to be compelled "to frequent or maintain, or contribute, unless on contract, to maintain any particular place of worship, or any particular ministry; yet the legislature may, in their discretion, lay a general tax, for the support of the christian religion; leaving to each individual the power of appointing the payment over of the money collected from him, to the support of any place of worship or minister, or

for the benefit of the poor of his own denomination, or the poor in general of any particular parish; but that the churches, chapels, glebes, and all other property now belonging to the church of England, ought to remain to the church of England forever." And by the thirty-fourth article, every gift, sale, or devise of lands, and every gift or sale of goods or chattels, to any minister or preacher of the gospel, as such, or to any religious sect for the use or support of such minister, without leave of the legislature, is declared void, except land not exceeding two acres, for a church or other house of worship, and for a burying ground.

This constitution of Maryland, has remained until this time, without any alteration in its general principles, except making a residence of twelve months a qualification of an elector.

The three counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware, (originally belonging to the proprietors of Pennsylvania,) in September, 1776, by the act of their inhabitants, became a new state, by the name of Delaware. The representatives of the people, at the same time, formed a new system of government, similar in its general principles, to those previously established in other states. The house of assembly consisted of seven representatives from each of the three counties; and the other branch of the legislature, called the council, of three persons chosen from each county. At the end of one year, after the first election, the seat of the councillor who had the smallest number of votes in each county, was to be vacated, and his place supplied by a new choice, and at the end of the second year, the councillor who stood second in number of votes retired, and at the end of the third year, the seat of the third was vacated, and supplied, and this rotation afterwards continued.

A president was chosen by joint ballot of both houses, for three years, and at the end of that term, was not eligible until the expiration of three years. The president had a privy council of four persons, two chosen by each house, two to be removed, one by the assembly and one by the council, at the end of two years, and the other two at the end of the next year after. The president and privy council had little executive power. The president and the general assembly had the appointment of all

the judges and other principal officers, by joint ballot-the judges to hold their offices during good behavior. All persons professing the christian religion were to be entitled to equal privileges, no preference of one religious sect to another to be given, and no clergyman or preacher of the gospel, was to hold any office, or be a member of either branch of the legislature.

The frame of government established by Pennsylvania, in September, 1776, bore a strong resemblance to the proprietary system, the principal features of which were stated in our colonial summary. The supreme legislative power was vested in a single body, consisting of the representatives of the freemenand the supreme executive power in a president and council. The representatives, who were to constitute the general assembly, were chosen from the cities and counties, in proportion to the number of taxable inhabitants; a return of which was to be made once in seven years. The executive council consisted of twelve persons, one chosen from the city of Philadelphia, and one from each of the three adjoining counties, to continue in office three years-one from each of four other counties particularly named, to continue two years-and one from each of the four remaining counties, for one year; and as their terms of service expired, their places to be supplied by new elections. A president and vice-president were to be elected annually by joint ballot of the assembly and council, and to be from among the members of the council. That laws, before they were enacted, might "be more maturely considered, and the inconvenience of hasty determinations as much as possible prevented," the constitution provided, " that all bills of a public nature, should be printed for the consideration of the people, before they are read in. general assembly the last time for debate and amendment ; and except on occasions of sudden necessity, shall not be passed into laws until the next session of assembly; and for the more perfect satisfaction of the public, the reasons and motives for making such laws shall be fully and clearly expressed in the preambles."