Page:Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (1st ed, 1833, vol I).djvu/151

 CH. XII.] reprieve criminals; to establish courts of justice, with a right of appeal to the crown from all judgments; to create cities and other corporations; to erect ports, and manors, and courts baron in such manors. Liberty was allowed to subjects to transport themselves and their goods to the province; and to import the products of the province into England; and to export them from thence within one year, the inhabitants observing the acts of navigation, and all other laws in this behalf made. It was further stipulated, that the crown should levy no tax, custom, or imposition upon the inhabitants or their goods, unless by the consent of the proprietary or assembly, "or by act of Parliament in England." Such are the most important clauses of this charter, which has been deemed one of the best drawn of the colonial charters, and which underwent the revision, not merely of the law officers of the crown, but of the then Lord Chief Justice (North) of England. It has been remarked, as a singular omission in this charter, that there is no provision, that the inhabitants and their children shall be deemed British subjects, and entitled to all the liberties and immunities thereof, such a clause being found in every other charter. Chalmers has observed, that the clause was wholly unnecessary, as the allegiance to the crown was reserved; and the common law thence inferred, that all the inhabitants were subjects, and of course were entitled to all the privileges of Englishmen.

§ 123. Penn immediately invited emigration to his province, by holding out concessions of a very liberal nature to all settlers; and under his benign and