AND I do for me, my Heirs and Assigns, by Virtue of the King's Letters Patent, make, erect and constitute the said City of Philadelphia, to be a Port or Harbour for discharging and unlading of Goods and Merchandize out of Ships, Boats, and other Vessels; and for landing and shipping them in or upon such and so many Places, Keys and Wharfs there, as by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-council of the said City, shall from Time to Time be thought most expedient for the Accommodation and Service of the Officers of the Customs, in the Management of the King's Affairs and Preservation of his Duties, as well as for Conveniency of Trade.
AND I do ordain and declare, that the said Port or Harbour shall be called the Port of Philadelphia, and shall extend and be accounted to extend into all such Creeks, Rivers, and Places within this Province, and shall have so many Wharfs, Keys, Landing-places and Members belonging thereto, for landing and shipping of Goods, as the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-council for the Time being, with the Approbation of the chief Officer or Officers of the King's Customs, shall from Time to Time think fit to appoint.
AND I do also ordain, that the Landing-places now and heretofore used at the Penny-pot-house and Blue-anchor, saving to all Persons their just and legal Right and Properties in the Lands so to be open; as also the Swamp between Bud's Buildings and the Society-hill, shall be left open and common for the Use and Service of the said City and all others, with Liberty to dig Docks and make Harbours for Ships and Vessels, in all or any Part of the said Swamp.
AND I do hereby grant, that all the vacant Land within the Bounds and Limits of the said City, shall remain open as a free Common of Pasture, for the Use of the Inhabitants of the said City, until the same shall be gradually taken in, in order to build or improve thereon, and not otherwise. Provided always, That nothing herein contained, shall debar me or my Heirs in Time to come, from fencing in all the vacant Lands that lie between the Center Meeting-house and the Schuylkil, which I intend shall be divided from the Land by me allotted for Delaware Side, by a strait Line along the Broad-street from Edward Shippen's Land through the Center Square by Daniel Pegg's Land; nor shall the fencing or taking in any of the Streets, happening to be within that Inclosure on Skuylkil, be deemed or adjudged to be an Incroachment, where it shall not interfere or stop any of the Streets or Passages leading to any of the Houses built or to be built on that Side, any Thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.
AND I do grant, that this present Charter, shall, in all Courts of Law and Equity, be construed and taken most favourably and beneficially, for the said Corporation.
IN WITNESS whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand, and caused my great Seal to be affixed. Dated at Philadelphia the five and twentieth Day of October, Anno Domini one Thousand seven Hundred and One, and in the thirteenth Year of the Reign of King WILLIAM the Third, over England, &c. and the one and twentieth Year of my Government.
WILLIAM PENN.
The CHARTER of PRIVILEGES granted by William Penn, Esq; to the Inhabitants of Pensylvania and Territories.
WILLIAM PENN, Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pensylvania, and Territories thereunto belonging. To all to whom these Presents shall come, sendeth Greeting. WHEREAS King CHARLES the Second, by his Letters Patents, under the Great Seal of England, bearing Date the fourth Day of March, in the Year one Thousand six Hundred and Eighty, was graciously pleased to give and grant unto me, and my Heirs and Assigns for ever, this Province of Pensylvania, with divers great Powers and Jurisdictions for the well Government thereof.