The Members of the Affembly prefent, Samuel Darke, Robert Lucas, James Williams, John Blunfton, Thomas Fitzwalter, John Clows, WILLIAM PENN, Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, &c. To all to whom thefe Prefents fhall come, fends greeting. KNOW YE, That at the humble Requeft of the Inhabitants and Settlers of this Town Town of Philadelphia, being fome of the first Adventurers and Purchasers within this Province, for their Encouragement, and for the more immediate and entire Government of the faid Town, and better Regulation of Trade therein: I have, by Virtue of the King's Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of England, erected the faid Town into a Borough, and by thefe Prefents do erect the faid Town and Borough of Philadelphia into a City; which City fhall extend the Limits and Bounds, as it is laid out between Delaware and Skuylkill. And I do for me, my Heirs and Affigns, grant and ordain, that the Streets of the faid City fhall for ever continue as they are now laid out and regulated; and that the End of each Street extending into the River Delaware, fhall be and continue free for the Ufe and Service of the faid City, and the Inhabitants thereof, who may improve the fame for the beft Advantage of the City, and build Wharfs fo far out into the River there, as the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Council, herein after mentioned, fhall fee meet. And I do nominate Edward Shippen to be the present Mayor, who shall fo continue until another be chofen as is herein after directed. And I do hereby affign and name Thomas Story to be the present Recorder, to do and execute all Things which unto the Office of Recorder of the faid City doth or may belong. And I do appoint Thomas Farmer to be the prefent Sheriff, and Robert Asheton to be prefent Town-clerk, and Clerk of the Peace, and Clerk of the Court and Courts. And I do hereby name, conftitute, and appoint, Fofbua Carpenter, Griffith Jones, Anthony Morris, Jofeph Wilcox, Nathan Stanbury, Charles Rea, Thomas Mafters, and William Carter, Citizens and and Inhabitants of the faid City, to be the present Aldermen of the faid City of Philadelphia. And I do alfo nominate and appoint John Parfons, William Hudfon, William Lee, Nehemiah Allen, Thomas Pafchal, John Bud, jun. Edward Smout, Samuel Buckley, James Atkinson, Pentecoft Teague, Francis Cook, and Henry Badcocke, to be the twelve prefent Common-council Men of the faid City. And I do by these Presents, for me, my Heirs and Succeffors, give, grant and declare, that the faid Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Commoncouncil Men for the Time being, and they which hereafter shall be Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common-council Men within the said City, and their Succeffors, for ever hereafter, be and fhall be, by Virtue of these Presents, one Body corporate and politick in Deed, and by the Name of the Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Philadel phia, in the Province of Pennsylvania: And them by the Name of Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Philadelphia, one Body politick and corporate in Deed and in Name, I do for me, my Heirs and Succeffors, fully create, conftitute and confirm, by these Presents; and that by the fame Name of Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Philadelphia, they may have perpetual Succeffion; and that they and their Succeffors, by the Name of Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Philadelphia, be, and at all Times hereafter fhall be, PerTons able and capable in Law, to have, get, receive, and poffefs, Lands and Tenements, Rents, Liberties, Jurifdictions, Franchises and Hereditaments, to them and their Succeffors in Fee-fimple, or for Term of Life, Lives, Years, or otherwise; and alfo Goods, Chattles, and other Things, of what Nature, Kind, or Quality foever. And alfo to give, grant, let, fell and affign the fame Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments, Goods, Chattles, Chattles, and to do and execute all other Things about the fame, by the Name aforefaid; and also that they be, and fhall be, for ever hereafter, Perfons able and capable in Law, to fue and be fued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended, in all or any the Courts and other Places, and before any Judges, Juftices, and other Persons whatsoever within the faid Province, in all Manner of Actions, Suits, Complaints, Pleas, Causes and Matters whatsoever, and of what Nature or Kind foever. And that it fhall and may be lawful to and for the faid Mayor and Commonalty of the faid City of Philadelphia, and their Succeffors, for ever hereafter, to have and use one common Seal, for the fealing of all Businesses touching the faid Corporation, and the fame from Time to Time at their Will and Pleasure to change or alter. And I do for me, my Heirs and Succeffors, give, and by thefe Prefents, grant full Power aud Au thority unto the Mayor, Recorder and CommonCouncil of the faid City of Philadelphia, or any five or more of the Aldermen, and nine or more of the Common-Council-Men, the Mayor and Recorder for the Time being, or either of them, being prefent, on the first third Day of the Week, in the eighth Month yearly for ever hereafter, publickly to meet at a convenient Room or Place within the faid City, to be by them appointed for that Purpose, and then and there nominate, elect and chufe one of the Aldermen to be Mayor for that enfuing Year. And alfo to add to the Number of Aldermen and Common-Council-Men, fuch and fo many of thofe, that by Virtue of these Presents fhall be admitted Freemen of the faid City from Time to Time, as they, the faid Mayor, Aldermen and Common-Council fhall fee Occafion. And And that fuch Perfon who fhall be fe elected Mayor aforefaid, fhall within three Days next after fuch Election, be prefented before the Governor of this Province, or his Deputy for the Time be-ing, and there fhall fubfcribe the Declarations and Profeffion of his chriftian Belief, according to the late Act of Parliament made in the first Year of King William's Reign, entitled, An Act for exempting their Majefties Subjects diffenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws; and then and there the Mayor fo presented, fhall make his folemn Affirmation and Engagement for the due Execution of his Office. And that the Recorder, Sheriff, Aldermen, and Common-Council-Men, and all other Officers of the faid City, before they or any of them fhall be admitted to execute their refpective Offices, fhall make and fubfcribe the faid Declarations and Profeffion aforefaid, before the Mayor for the Time being, and at the fame Time fhall be attefted for the due Execution of their Offices refpectively; which Declarations, Promises, and Atteftations, the Mayor of the faid City, for the Time being, is hereby impowered to take and adminifter accordingly. And that the Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen of the faid City, for the Time being, fhall be Juftices of the Peace and Justices of Oyer and Terminer; and are hereby impowered to act within the faid City and Liberties thereof accordingly, as fully and amply as any Juftice or Juftices of the Peace, or Oyer and Terminer, can or may do within the faid Province. And that they, or any four or more of them (whereof the Mayor and Recorder of the faid City, for the Time being, fhall be two) fhall and may for ever hereafter have Power and Authority, by Virtue of these Prefents, to hear and enquire into all |