Gazette of the United-States. (New-York [N.Y.]) 1789-1793, December 26, 1789, Page 294, Image 2
beyond the bounds ofhuihan nature—heilill con nects his dcfciiption with human patiions, and tho his ideas have less Inblimity, iliey have molt fire. The appetite for gr'eatneis, that appetite which always grasps at more than it can contain, is never so fully gratified as in the perusal of pa radise lojt. In following Milton we grow fa miliar with new worlds. We traverse the im jiienfities ot ipace, wandering in amazement, and finding no bounds ! Homer confines the mindte a narrower circle, but that circle he brings near er the eye—he fills it with a quicket- fuccelfion of objects, and makes it the scene of more interesting ac'tion. H. PHILADELPHIA, December 18. A CORRESPONDENT has lately perused the publication of a letter giving a curious ac count of the rifingof the waters in lake Ontario, which, from their continual advances, have a larmed the inhabitants around its borders to a great degree, as several buildings which ltood at a con venient distance from its ancient boundaries now stand seven feet under water. He takes this op portunity to remark that the tide waters in gene ral 011 the eallern coast of North America seem at present to be gradually gaining on the land, which is mod perceivable in high northern latitudes. With a view to ascertain this matter, he has col lected a great number of concurring accounts, a mong which is a certificate, dated 19th of May, 1788, from a certain Joseph Rice, an intelligent man, who was questioned 011 this account, the lame who brought through these States a moose deer, which he caught to the northward, who of fered in the prefcnce of several credible witnefles to swear to the truth of his aflertions, which are as follow—That he, the said Joseph Rice, when at home, relidcs 011 the banks of Annapalis river, in Nova-Scotia, about miles from the inouth thereof—that along this river are large bodies of ground which fliew the Humps and roots of trees, an incredible space below the common high-water mark—that the waters continue to rife higher e very year—that he had often heard an elderly per son declare, that they had risen so much there, that the tides extend now 50 miles higher up An napolis river than formerly. PHILADELPHIA,' Dec. 10, 1759. IN CONVENTION. Report of the Committee appointed to prepare the draft of a NEW CONSTITUTION. WE, the People of the Commonwealth of Pennfyl. vania, ordain and eJUblifh this ConJlitutiou for its Government. ARTICLE I. Section I. ' I ''HE legislative power of this Com- X monwealth /hall be vested in a General Aflembly, which ihall consist of aSenatc and House of Representatives. ll.The Representatives Ihall bechofen annual, ly by the citizens of thecity of Philadelphia, and of each county in the State respectively, 011 the Tuesday of October. 111. No person ihall be a Reprcfentative, who shall not, at the time of his election, have been, the three years next preceding, an inhabitant of the State ; and one year next preceding, an in habitant of the city or county in which he Ihall be chosen. IV. The Representatives from the city of Phi ladelphia and the several counties ihall be in pro portion to the number of taxable inhabitants; provided that the number of Representatives (hall jieverbe fewer than llxty, nor more than one hun dred: But each county Ihall have, at least, one Representative. An enumeration of the taxable inhabitants Ihall be made in three years after the firlt meeting of the General Aflembly, and with in every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they /hall, bylaw, direct. Until such enumeration ihall be made, the city of Phi ladelphia and the several counties of the State shall be refpe«tively entitled tochoofethefame» number of Representatives as is now prescribed by law. V. The Senate Ihall consist of not fewer than sixteen, nor more than thirty-two members, cho sen in districts, in proportion to the number of taxable inhabitants in each district. VI. The city of Philadelphia and the several counties of this State, Ihall be formed into dif tric r ts, containing each, as nearly as may be, such a number of taxable inhabitants as Ihall be en titled to elect one Senator ; but where that cannot be done, then such a number of adjoining coun ties Ihall be formed into one district, as ihall be entitled to elect not more than three Senators. VII. The citizens of the city of Philadelphia and cf the several counties in this State, qualifi ed to elect Representatives, when afiembled for that purpose, /hall, if occasion require, at the fame time, at the fame places, and in the fame manner, elect for every Reprcfentative, two per sons resident within their city or county re/pec tiveJy, as Electors of the Senator or Senators of their district. VIII. Within days after their election, the clectorsof each district /hall meet together at fomc convenient place within the district, and e lecft the Senator orSenators for their district. IX. The Senators Ihall be chosen for four years. But Immediately after they shall be afli.*mbled in eonfeqtience of thefirfl election, they shall be di vided, as equally as may be, into four clafles. Tlie feats of the Senators of the firft class shall be vacated at the expiration of the firftyear ; of the second class, at the expiration of the fecou'd year; of the third class at the expiration of the third year; and of the fourth class, at the expiration of the fourth year : So that one fourth may be chosen every year. X. No person fiiall be elected a Senator, who shall not have resided four years next before his election in the State, the last year whereof shall have been in the diltrict, for which he is chosen. No man fliall be a Senator who shall not have attained the age of thirty years. And no Elector shall be chosen a Senator. XI. No person lliall be chosen an Elector, who fliall not have resided in the diftricfl three years next before his election. And no person shall be chosen an Elector, who is a member of the Legis lature, or who holds any oflice in the appointment of the Executive Department. XII. Until the enumeration before mentioned shall be made, the number of Senators shall be sixteen. XIII. The General Afl'emblyfliall mcetatleaft once in every year ; and ftich meeting fliall be on the Tuesday of November. XIV. Each House shall clioofe its Speaker mid other officers ; and the Senate fliall also clioofe a Speaker pro tempore, when the Speaker fliall ex ercise the office of Governor. XV. Each House shall be the judge of elections, returns and qualifications of its own members; and a majority of each House fnall conflitute a quorum to do business ; but a fmallernumber mayadjourn from day to day ; and may beauthorifed to com pel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as the House may provide. XVI. Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member . And shall have all other powers neceflary for cither branch of a free Le gislature. XVII. Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and, from time to time, publish them, excepting such parts as may, in their judgment, require secrecy .• And the yeas and nays of the members of either House, on any quellion, fliall, at the desire of be entered onthe journal. XVIII. The door* of each House shall be open, unless when the business fliall be such as, in their judgment, ought to be kept secret. XIX. Neither House fliall without the eon fent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that, in which the two Houses shall be fitting. XX. The Senators and Representatives fliall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the Commonwealth. They shall, in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of peace, be privileged from arrest, during their attendance at the feflion of the refpecftive Houses, and in going to and returning from the fame ; and for any speech or debate in either House they shall not be qnellioned in any other place. XXI. No Senator or Representative fliall, dur ing the time for which he was elected, beappoint ed to any civil office, under the authority of this Commonwealth, which fliall have been cre ated, or the emoluments of which fliall have been increased during such time : And no person hold ing any office, except in the militia under this Commonwealth or the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office. XXII. When vacancies happen in either House, the Speaker of that House shall ifTue writs of e lection to fill such vacancies. XXIII. All bills for rrtifi ng revenue fliall ori ginate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate maypropofcor concur with amendments, as in other bills. XXIV. No money shall be drawn from the trea furv but in confequenceofappropriations made by law. XXV. Every bill, which fliall have pafled the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the Go vernor. If he approve, he fliall sign it; but if lie fliall not approve it, he fliall return it, with his objections to that House, in which it fliall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large 011 their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, lliree-fifths of that House fliall agree to pass the bill ; it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House' by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by three-fifths of that House, it fliall be come a law. But, in all such cases, the votes of both Houses shall be determined by veas and nays, and the name of the persons voting for and against the bill ffiall be entered 011 the journals of each House refpecftively. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor within ten days (Sun days excepted) after it shall be presented to him, the fame fliall be a law in like manner as if lie had signed it,unlefs the General Afiembly, by their ad journment, prevent its return, i„ which r,r • lhall not be a law. ' XXVI. Every order, resolution or v ote winch the concurrente of the Senate-mid Hr ol Representatives may be necefliiry fexent queftionof adjournment) /hall be preleired? the Governor, and before the fame (hall t-iU.f feci, be approved by him ; or, beingdiCapprovcd by him, shall be replied by three fifths of th Senate and House of Reprefeutatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in cafe a bill. article 11. Setftion I. Ihe Supreme Executive power of this Commonwealth lhall be veiled in a Governs 11. He shall hold his office during the term of three years: and shall be chosen on the Tuesday of October in every third year, bvthe citizens throughout the Commonwealth, at the places where they fliall reflectively vote'for Re preventatives. 111. He shall not be capable of holding his o f. sice longer than nine years successively ; nor (hill he be capable of being elected again till three years after the nine f'ucceiiive years fliall have been expired. IV. He must be„ at lead, thirty years of a«e ; and he mud have been an inhabitant of this Scale during seven years before his eletfiion. V. No person fliall be capable of excrcifingthe office of Governor, who, at the fame time, (hall hold any other office under this State, or auv of fice under the United States. VI. The Governor lhall, at dated times, re ceive, for his services, acompenfation, which lhall neither be increased nor diminilhed during the period for -which he (hall have been eleded. VII. He shall be Commander in Chiefof the ar my and navy of this Commonwealth, and of the militia, except when they fliall be called into the actual service of the United States. VIII. He (hall appoint the Chancellor, Judges, Protlionotaries, Clerks, and all other officers of this Commonwealth, whose offices are eftabliih ed by this Cosititution, or shall be eftablifned by law, and whose appointments are not herein o therwise provided for. But no person shall be ap pointed to an office within any county, who (hall nothave resided therein one year next beforehis appointment. IX. The Governor fliall commiiiionall the offi cers of this Common wealth. X. He may require the opinion, in writing, of the officers in each of the Executive Depart ments, upon any fubjec r t relating to the duriesof their refpetftive offices. XI. He shall, from time to time, give to the General Ailembly information of the Hate of the Commonwealth ; and recommend to their coiiti deration such ineafuiesas lie fliall judge neceflary or expedient. XII. He may, on extraordinary occasions, con vene both houses ; and in cafe of disagreement between them with refpeift to the time of adjourn ment, he may adjourn them to fuchtime as he(hall think proper. XIII. He shall take care that the laws be faith fully executed. XIV. In cafe of the removal of the Gover nor from office ; or of his death, or religna tion, it shall devolve 011 the Speaker of the Se nate until the next annual election of Reprcftn tatives, when another Governor shall be choien in the manner herein before mentioned. XV. The State Treasurer shall be appointed in the niannerprefcribed by the twenty-nxth fe«ftion of the firft article of this Conditution : All subor dinate officers in the Treasury Department, Ele ction Officers, Officers relating to the poor and highways, Condables and other township oft cers, fliall be appointed in such manner as (hall be directed by law. ARTICLE 111. Setfiion I. IN elections by the citizens, every freeman of the age of twenty-one years, haying resided in the State two years next before the'ia} s of the elections respectively, and paid taxes wit l in that time, shall enjoy the rights of an . e J e<^ LO ii The foils of freeholders, of the age aforefaid, (ha be entitled to vote, though they have not pa'" *11. All elections lhall be by ballot,except tliofe by tliofe persons in their representative or public ca pacities ; which shall be viva voce. 111. If eletftions are not properly attende , a tendance oil them fliall be enforced by law. A 11 T I C L E IV. . ~ Section I. THE House of Reprefeutativesw have the sole power of impeachment. . 11. All impeachments shall be tried be(ore Senate ; and the Chancellor of the Common wea lhall preside therein. When fitting for that p pose, the Senate shall be on oath or allnmatl ° No person fliall be convitfled without the con rence of two thirds of the members present. 111. Judgment in cases of impeachment ma extend further than to removal from office, difqualification to hold any office of honor, or profit under this Commonwealth ; but t . ie F. ( r t . ty convidted shall nevertheless be liable to in | ment, trial, judgment and punishment accot I to law.