liberties, privileges, immunities and franchises, which they now have, or are entitled to have, hold, ufe, exercife and enjoy: and the fame are hereby ratified and confirmed unto them, the faid Prefident and Fellows of Harvard College, and to their fucceffors, and to their officers and fervants, refpectively, for ever.

II. And whereas there have been at fundry times, by divers perfons, gifts, grants, devifes of houses, lands, tenements, goods, chattels, legacies, and conveyances, heretofore made, either to Harvard College, in Cambridge, in New-England, or to the Prefident and Fellows of Harvard College, or to the faid College by fome other description, under several charters fucceffively it is declared, that all the faid gifts, grants, devises, legacies, and conveyances, are hereby forever confirmed unto the President and Fellows of Harvard College, and to their fucceffors in the capacity aforefaid, according to the true intent and meaning of the donor or donors, grantor or grantors, devifor or devisors.

:

III. And whereas, by an act of the General Court of the Colony of Maffachusetts-Bay, paffed in the year one thousand fix hundred and forty

G 4

forty-two, the Governor and Deputy-Governor for the time being, and all the magiftrates of that jurifdiction, were, with the Prefident, and a number of the Clergy in the faid act described, conftituted the Overseers of Harvard College; and it being neceffary, in this new Constitution of Government, to ascertain who shall be deemed fucceffors to the faid Governor, DeputyGovernor, and magiftrates: it is declared, that the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Senate of this Commonwealth are, and fhall be deemed their fucceffors; who, with the Prefident of Harvard College for the time being, together with the minifters of the congregational churches in the towns of Cambridge, Watertown, Charlestown, Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchefter, mentioned in the faid act, fhall be, and hereby are, vefted with all the powers and authority belonging, or in any way appertaining, to the Overfeers of Harvard College; provided, that nothing herein shall be conftrued to prevent the legiflature of this Commonwealth from making fuch alterations in the government of the faid univerfity, as fhall be conducive to its advantage, and the intereft of the republic of letters, in as full a

manner

manner as might have been done by the legislature of the late Province of the MaffachusettsBay.

§ 2.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LITERATURE.

WISDOM and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, being neceffary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in the various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people; it shall be the duty of the legisla-tures and magiftrates, in all future periods of this Commonwealth, to cherish the interests of literature and the fciences, and all feminaries of them; especially the university at Cambridge, public fchools and grammar-fchools in the towns; to encourage private focieties and public inftitutions, rewards and immunities, for the promotion of agriculture, arts, fciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and a natural history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and private charity, industry

duftry and frugality, honefty and punctuality in their dealings; fincerity, good-humour, and all focial affections and generous fentiments among the people.

CHA P. VI.

OATHS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS; INCOMPATIBILITY OF AND EXCLUSION FROM OFFICES; PECUNIARY QUALIFICATIONS; COMMISSIONS; WRITS; CONFIRMATION OF LAWS; HABEAS CORPUS; THE ENACTING STYLE; CONTINUANCE OF OFFICERS; PROVISION FOR A FUTURE REVISAL OF THE CONSTITUTION, &c.

I. ANY perfon chofen Governor, LieutenantGovernor, Councillor, Senator, or Reprefentative, and accepting the truft, fhall, before he proceed to execute the duties of his place or office, make and fubfcribe the following declaration, viz.

"I, A. B. do declare, that I believe the Christian religion, and have a firm persuasion of its truth; and that I am feized and poffeffed, in my own right, of the property required by the Constitution as one qualification for the office or place to which I am elected."

And

And the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and Councillors, fhall make and subscribe the faid declaration in the prefence of the two Houses of Affembly; and the Senators and Representatives first elected under this Constitution, before the Prefident and five of the Council of the former Constitution, and forever afterwards before the Governor and Council for the time being.

And every person chosen to either of the places or offices aforesaid, as also any perfon appointed or commiffioned to any judicial, executive, military, or other office under the Government, fhall, before he enters on the difcharge of the business of his place or office, take and subscribe the following declaration, and oaths or affirmations, viz.

"I, A. B. do truly and fincerely acknowledge, profefs, teftify and declare, that the Commonwealth of Maffachusetts is, and of right ought to be, a Free, Sovereign, and Independent State; and I do fwear, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the faid Commonwealth, and that I will defend the fame against traitorous confpiracies and all hoftile attempts whatsoever: And that I do renounce and abjure all allegiance, fubjection, and obedience, to the King