Page:The Federal and state constitutions vol1.djvu/563

Rh of eu$r$ Towne for the cauleing of these two standing Courts, on month at lest before their seu$r$all tymes: And also if the Gou$r$nor and the gretest p$r$te of the Magestrats see cause vppon any spetiall occation to call a generall Courte, they may giue order to the secretary soe to doe w$th$in fowerteene dayes warneing; and if vrgent necessity so require, vppon a shorter notice, giueing sufficient grownds for yt to the deputyes when they meete, or els be questioned for the same; And if the Gou$r$nor and Mayor p$r$te of Magestrats shall ether neglect or refuse to call the two Generall standing Courts or ether of thē, as also at other tymes when the occations of the Com̃onwelth require, the Freemen thereof, or the Mayor p$r$te of them, shall petition to them soe to doe: if then yt be ether denyed or neglected the said Freemen or the Mayor p$r$te of them shall haue power to giue order to the Constables of the seuerall Townes to doe the same, and so may meete togather, and chuse to themselues a Moderator, and may p$r$ceed to do any Acte of power, w$ch$ any other Generall Courte may.

7. It is Ordered, sentenced and decreed that after there are warrants giuen out for any of the said Generall Courts, the Constable or Constables of ech Towne shall forthw$th$ give notice distinctly to the inhabitants of the same, in some Publike Assembly or by goeing or sending frō howse to howse, that at a place and tyme by him or them lymited and sett, they meet and assemble thē selues togather to elect and chuse certen deputyes to be att the Generall Courte then following to agitate the afayres of the com̃onwelth; w$ch$ said Deputyes shall be chosen by all that are admitted Inhabitants in the seu$r$all Townes and haue taken the oath of fidellity; p$r$uided that non be chosen a Deputy for any Generall Courte w$ch$ is not a Freeman of this Com̃onwelth.

The a-foresaid deputyes shall be chosen in manner following: euery p$r$son that is p$r$sent and quallified as before exp$r$ssed, shall bring the names of such, written in seu$r$rall papers, as they desire to haue chosen for that Imployment, and these 3 or 4, more or lesse, being the nūber agreed on to be chosen for that tyme, that haue greatest nūber of papers written for thē shall be deputyes for that Courte; whose names shall be endorsed on the backe side of the warrant and returned into the Courte, w$th$ the Constable or Constables hand vnto the same.

8. It is Ordered, sentenced and decreed, that Wyndsor, Hartford and Wethersfield shall haue power, ech Towne, to send fower of their freemen as deputyes to euery Generall Courte; and whatsoeuer other Townes shall be hereafter added to this Jurisdiction, they shall send so many deputyes as the Courte shall judge meete, a resonable p$r$portion to the nūber of Freemen that are in the said Townes being to be attended therein; w$ch$ deputyes shall have the power of the whole Towne to giue their voats and alowance to all such lawes and orders as may be for the publike good, and unto w$ch$ the said Townes are to be bownd.

9. It is ordered and decreed, that the deputyes thus chosen shall haue power and liberty to appoynt a tyme and a place of meeting togather before any Generall Courte to aduise and consult of all such things as may concerne the good of the publike, as also to examine their owne Elections, whether according to the order, and if they or the gretest p$r$te of them find any election to be illegall they may seclud such for p$r$sent frō their meeting, and returne the same and their resons to the Courte; and if yt proue true, the Courte may fyne