: : 1 faid journal, except fuch parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legiflatures of the several states. ARTICLE X. The committee of the states, or any nine of them, shall be authorized to execute, in the recefs of Congress, fuch of the powers of Congress, as the United States in Congress affembled, by the consent of nine states, shall from time to time think expedient to veft them with; provided that no power be delegated to the faid committee, for the exercise of which, by the articles of confederation, the voice of nine ftates, in the Congress of the United States afsembled, is requisite. ARTICLE ΧΙ. Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into and entitled to all the advantages of this Union: But no other colony shall be admitted into the fame, unless fuch admission be agreed to by nine states. ARTICLE XII. All bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by or under the authority of Congress, before the assembling of the United States, in purfuance of the present confederation, shall be deemed and confidered as a charge against the United States, for payment and fatisfaction whereof, the faid United States and the public faith are hereby folemnly pledged. ARTICLE XIII. Every state shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress affembled, on all questions which by this confederation are fubmitted to them. And the articles of this confederation shall be inviolably obferved by every state, and the union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration, at any time hereafter, be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be after wards confirmed by the Legiflatures of every state. AND WHEREAS it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legiflatures we respectively reprefent in Congrefs, to approve of, and to authorise us to ratify the faid articles of confederation and perpetual union: KNOW YE, that we, the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do by these presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm, each and every of the faid articles of confederation and perpetual union, and all and fingular the matters and things therein contained. And we do further folemnly plight and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress afsembled, on all queftions which by the faid confederation are fubmitted to them; and that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the states we respectively represent; and that the union shall be perpetual. IN WITNESS whereof, we have hereunto fet our hands in Congrefs. DONE at Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, the 9th day of July, in the year of our Lord, 1778, and in the third year of the independence of America. The aforesaid articles of confederation were finally ratified on the first day of March, 1781; the state of Maryland having, by their members in Congress, on that day acceded thereto, and completed the fame. William Ellery, Rhade-Island, &c. Henry Marchant, : John Collins. Roger Sherman, Connecticut, Oliver Wolcott, New-York, New-Jersey, Titus Hofmer, Andrew Adams. Daniel Roberdeau, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Bayard Smith, William Clingan, Jofeph Reed. (Thomas M'Kean, Delaware, John Dickinson, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, Nicholas Vandyke. John Hanfon, Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee. Cornelius Harnett. William Henry Drayton, South-Carolina, John Matthews, Georgia. Richard Hutson, Thomas Heyward, jun. John Walton, Edward Telfair, Edward Langworthy. AN ORDINANCE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TERRITORY B OF THE United States North-west of the River Ohio. E it ordained by the United States in Congress affembled, That the faid territory, for the purposes of temporary government, be one district; fubject, however, to be divided into two dřitricts, as future circumstances may, in the opinion of Congrefs, make it expedient. Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the eftates both of refident and non-refident proprietors in the faid territory dying inteftate, shall descend to, and be distributed among their children, and the defcendants of a deceafed child in equal parts; the defcendants of a deceafed child or grand-child, to take the share of their deceased parent in equal parts among them: And where there shall be no children or descendants, then in equal parts to the next of kin, in equal degree; and among collaterals, the children of a deceafed brother or fifter of the intestate, shall have in equal parts among them their deceased parents share; and there shall in no case be a distinction between kindred of the whole and half blood; saving in all cafes to the widow of the inteftate, her third part of the real estate for life, and one third part of the perfonal estate; and this law relative to descents and dower, shall remain in full force until altered by the legislature of the district. And until the governor and judges shall adopt laws as herein-after mentioned, estates in the faid territory may be devised or bequeathed by wills in writing, figned and fealed by him or her, in whom the estate may be (being of full age) and attested by three witneffes; and real estates may be conveyed by leafe 1 : : and release, or bargain and fale, figned, fealed, and delivered by the perfon being of full age, in whom the estate may be, and attested by two witnesses, provided fuch wills be duly proved, and such conveyances be acknowledged, or the execution thereof duly proved, and be recorded within one year after proper magiftrates, courts, and registers shall be appointed for that purpose; and personal property may be transferred by delivery; faving, however to the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other fettlers, of the Kaskaskies, Saint Vincent's, and the neighbouring villages, who have heretofore professed themselves citizens of Virginia, their laws and customs now in force among them, relative to the defcent and conveyance of property. Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That there shall be appointed from time to time, by Congrefs, a governor, whose commission shall continue in force for the term of three years, unless fooner revoked by Con. gress: he shall refide in the district, and have a freehold estate therein, in one thousand acres of land, while in the exercise of his office. There shall be appointed from time to time by Congress a secretary, whose commiffion shall continue in force for four years, unless sooner revoked; he shall refide in the district, and have a freehold eftate therein, in five hundred acres of land, while in the exercife of his office: it shall be his duty to keep and preferve the acts and laws pafied by the legiflature, and the public records of the district, and the proceedings of the governor in his executive department; and transmit authentic copies of fuch acts and proceedings, every fix months, to the fecretary of Congrefs: There shall alfo be appointed a court to confift of three judges, any two of whom to form a court, who shall have a common law jurifdiction, and reside in the district, and have each therein a freehold eftate in five hundred acres of land, while in the exercise of their offices; and their commiffions shall continue in force during good behaviour. |