... The Commissioners for the Massachusetts mooved that a due order might be attended in the subscriptions of the Acts and determinacions of this and any future meetings of the Commissioners for the united Colonies, and expressed not onely their owne apprehensions but the judgment of their generall Court, That by the Articles of Confederacion the first place did of Right belong to the Massachusetts, as being first named and so the other Colonies in like order. Which being taken into consideracion, and the Articles of Confederacion read, It appeared evidently to the Comissioners that no such priviledge had beene ever ... graunted ... by the Comissioners for the Jurisdicions in either of their former meetings, and yet the first subscription was made in the presence of the generall Court of the Massachusetts. And to prevent future inconvenience upon this occation, they thought fitt to declare that this Commission is free and may not receive any thing (not expresly agreed in the Articles) as imposed by any generall Court; yet out of their respects to the Government of the Massachusetts they did willingly graunt that their Comissioners [those of Massachusetts] should first subscribe after the President in this and all future meetings, and the Comissioners for the other Colonies in such order as they are named in the Articles; viz., Plymouth, Conectacutt, and New Haven.
(2) At a Meting of the Commissioners of the United colonyes of New England: held at New Plymouth the 7th, 7th, 1648
... the Comissioners for the Matathusetts presented to the Comissioners of the other Colonyes a writeing from a Comitee of theire Generall Courte desiering that a dew Consideracion may bee had thereof, in answer to the Severall pticulers. The wrighting is as Followeth....
"Wheareas in Cace sixe of the Comissioners shall not agree the Cause is to be refered to the fouer Generall Courtes, and by theire Joynte agrements to be determined, etc.,—to be considered if it were not more expedient to bee determined upon the agrement of any three of them....
"Wheareas by the .6. Article each of the Colonyes is to have two Comissioners, and the Colony of the Matathusetts beares almost five for one in the proportion of Charge with any one of the rest, they desier to have one Comissioner more; or otherwise they shall be content that any other of the Colonyes shall have the same priviledg to have three Comissioners to the other twoe, if such Colonyes will beare the Licke proporcion of Chardg with the Matathusetts. ..."
The Comissioners having perused and with dew Respect Considered the former proposicions....
In caces proper to the Comissioners wheareas by the sixth article, if sixe Agree not, the proposicions with the Reasons are to be Refered to the Fower Generall Courts: the Comissioners aproveing the Mocion made by the Comity of the Masachusets doe recomend it to the Fower Generall Courts that, if any ... three of the saide Courts agree ... of any such proposicion, it shall passe and bee accoumpted as the Conclusion of the united Colonyes, as it should have passed as ane act of the Comissioners if sixe of them had consented: For the 5th, sixth and seventh proposicions presented from the Comissioners of the Masachusetts, Importeing a reall Chang in the tearmes and Covenants of Confideration,—as noe alteracion Can bee made without the Consent of all and each of the Generall Courts, soe the Comissioners Feare that any of the Alteracions mencioned would prove dangerous and Inconvenient to all or som of the Colonyes. The tacken [taking] of the Number of malles they hope need not bee frequent; Nor, as it hath been Caryed by the Comissioners, inconvenient. In point of the seventh proposicion they Conscaive there is a mistack: the Lardge trade of the Masachusets, besides theire Numbers, afford many advantages in Reference to estates which the other Colonyes wante; but (it is from the Free grace of god that all and each have what they have) they diser [them] to bee thainkefull.