AND I do by these Presents, for me, my Heirs and Successors, give, grant and declare, that the said Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Common-council Men for the Time being, and they which hereafter shall be Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common-council Men within the said City, and their Successors, for ever hereafter be and shall 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 Philadelphia, in the Province of Pensylvania: 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 Successors, fully create, constitute and confirm, by these Presents; and that by the same Name of Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Philadelphia, they may have perpetual Succession; and that they and their Successors, by the Name of Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Philadelphia, be and at all Times hereafter shall be Persons able and capable in Law, to have, get, receive, and possess, Lands and Tenements, Rents, Liberties, Jurisdictions, Franchises and Hereditaments, to them and their Successors in Fee-simple, or for Term of Life, Lives, Years, or otherwise; and also Goods, Chattels, and other Things, of what Nature, Kind, or Quality soever.
AND also to give, grant, let, sell and assign the same Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments, Goods, Chattels, and to do and execute all other Things about the same, by the Name aforesaid; and also that they be and shall be for ever hereafter Persons able and capable in Law, to sue and be sued, 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, Justices, and other Persons whatsoever within the said Province, in all Manner of Actions, Suits, Complaints, Pleas, Causes and Matters whatsoever, and of what Nature or Kind soever.
AND that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Mayor and Commonalty of the said City of Philadelphia, and their Successors, for ever hereafter, to have and use one common Seal for the sealing of all Businesses touching the said Corporation, and the same from Time to Time at their Will and Pleasure to change or alter.
AND I do for me, my Heirs and Successors, give, and by these Presents, grant full Power and Authority unto the Mayor, Recorder and Common-Council of the said 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 present, 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 said City, to be by them appointed for that Purpose, and then and there nominate, elect and chuse one of the Aldermen to be Mayor for that ensuing Year.
AND also to add to the Number of Aldermen and Common-Council Men, such and so many of those, that by Virtue of these Presents shall be admitted Freemen of the said City from Time to Time, as they the said Mayor, Aldermen and Common-Council shall see Occasion.
AND that such Person who shall be so elected Mayor aforesaid, shall within three Days next after such Election, be presented before the Governor of this Province, or his Deputy for the time being, and there shall subscribe the Declarations and Profession of his Christian Belief, according to the late Act of Parliament made in the first Year of King William's Reign, entitled, An Act for exempting their Majesties Subjects dissenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws; and then and there the Mayor so presented, shall make his solemn 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 said City, before they or any of them shall be admitted to execute their respective Offices, shall make and subscribe the said Declarations and Profession aforesaid, before the Mayor for the Time being, and at the same Time shall be attested for the due Execution of their Offices respectively; which Declarations, Promises and Attestations, the Mayor of the said City for the Time being, is hereby impowered to take and administer accordingly.
AND that the Mayor, Recorder and Aldermen of the said City, for the Time being, shall be Justices of the Peace and Justices of Oyer and Terminer; and are hereby impowered to act within the said City and Liberties thereof accordingly, as fully and amply as any Justice or Justices of the Peace or Oyer and Terminer, can or may do within the said Province.
AND that they or any four or more of them (whereof the Mayor and Recorder of the said City for the Time being, shall be two) shall and may for ever hereafter have Power and Authority, by Virtue of these Presents, to hear and enquire into all and all Manner of Treasons, Murthers, Manslaughters, and all Manner of Felonies and other Crimes and Offences, Capital and Criminal, whatsoever, according to the Laws of this Province and of the Kingdom of England, with Power also to hear and determine all petty Larcenies, Routs, Riots, unlawful Assemblies; and to try and punish all Persons that shall be convicted for Drunkenness, Swearing, Scolding, breaking the Peace, or such like Offences, which are by the Laws of this Province to be punished by Fine, Imprisonment or Whipping; with Power also to award Process against all Rioters and Breakers of the Peace, and to bind them, and all other Offenders and Persons of evil Fame, to the Peace or good Behaviour, as any Justice or Justices of the Peace can do, without being accountable to me or my Heirs, for any Fines or Amerciaments to be imposed for the said Offences or any of them.
AND I do hereby impower them or any four of them (whereof the Mayor and Recorder for the Time being, shall be two) with the City Sheriff and Town-clerk, to hold and keep a Court of Record, Quarterly, or oftener, if they see Occasion, for the enquiring, hearing and determining of the Pleas and Matters aforesaid; and upon their own View, or after a legal Procedure in some of those Courts, to cause all Nuisances and Encroachments in the Streets of the said City to be removed, and punish the Parties concerned, as the Law and Usage in such Cases shall require.