Ihave taken the Minds of several of the leading members in the Honorable Continental Congress, and can assure you that you have Nothing to do but send attested Copies of the Recommendation to take up government to every Township in your District, and itivite all your Freeholders and Inhabitants to meet in their respective Townships and chuse Members for a General Conyention, to meet at an early Day to chuse Delegates for the General

Sie Chives or Committee of Safety, and to form a Constitution for

your State.

Your Friends here tell me that some are in Doubt whether Delegates from your District would be admitted into Congress. I tell you to organize fairly, and make the experiment, and I will ensure you Success at the Risque of my Reputation, as a Man ef Honor or Common Sense, Indeed they can by no Means refuse

NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS. 935

you, You have as good a Right to chuse how you will be governed and by whom, as they had.

I have recommended to your Committee the Constitution of Pennsylvania for a Model, which with a very little alteration, will, in my opinion, come as near perfection as any thing yet concerted by Mankind. This Constitution has been sifted with all the Criticism that a Band of Despots were masters of, and has hid defiance to their united powers. The alteration I would recommend is, that all the Bills intended to be passed into Laws should be laid before the Executive Board for their perusal and proposals of amendment. All the Difference between such a Constitution and those of Connecticut and Rhode Island, in the grand outlines is that in one Case the Executive power can advise and in the other compel. For my own part Festeem the people at large the true proprietors of Governmental power.' They are the supreme, constituent power, and of Course their immediate Representatives are the supreme Delegate power; and as soon as the delegate power gets too far out of the Hands of the constituent power, a Tyranny is in some degree established.