fuch foil to the bona fide purchafers. No tax fhall be imposed on lands the property of the United States; and in no cafe fhall non-refident proprietors be taxed higher than refidents. The navigable waters leading into the Miffifippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the fame, fhall be common highways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory, as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other ftates that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impoft, or duty therefor. ARTICLE V. There fhall be formed in the faid territory, not less than three, nor more than five ftates; and the boundaries of the states, as foon as Virginia fhall alter her act of ceffion, and confent to the fame, fhall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: The western ftate in the faid territory, fhall be bounded by the Miffifippi, the Ohio and Wabash rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Poft Vincents due north to the territorial line between the United States' and Canada; and by the faid territorial line to the lake of the Woods and Miffifippi. The middle ftate fhall be bounded by the faid direct line, the Wabafn from Poft Vincents to the Ohio; by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami, to the faid territorial line, and by the faid territorial line. The eastern state shall be bounded by the laft mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the faid territorial line: Provided however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three ftates, fhall be fubject fo far to be altered, that if Congrefs fhall hereafter find it expedient, they fhall have authority to form one or two states in that part of the faid territory which lies north of an east and weft line drawn through the foutherly bend or extreme of lake Michigan. And whenever any of the faid ftates, fhall have fixty thousand free inhabitants therein, fuch ftate fhall be admitted, by its dele gates, into the Congrefs of the United States, on an equal footing with the original ftates, in all respects whatever; and fhall be at liberty to form a permanent conftitution and ftate government: Provided the conftitution and government fo to be formed, fhall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in thefe articles; and fo far as it can be confiftent with the general intereft of the confederacy, fuch admiffion fhall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a lefs number of free inhabitants in the ftate than fixty thousand. ARTICLE VI. There fhall be neither flavery nor involuntary fervitude in the faid territory, otherwife than in punishment of crimes, whereof the party fhall have been duly convicted: Provided always, that any perfon efcaping into the fame, from whom labour or fervice is lawfully claimed in any one of the original ftates, fuch fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and conveyed to the perfon claiming his or her labour or fervice as aforefaid. DONE by the United States, in Congress affembled, the thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand feven hundred and eighty-feven, and of their fovereignty and independence the twelfth. WILLM. GRAYSON, Chairman. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary. Table of Contents. Acts paffed at the First Seffion of the Second Congrefs. CHAPTER I. An act granting farther time for making V. An act to extend the time limited for fet- VI. An act concerning certain fisheries of the PAGE 22 United States, and for the regulation and X. An act declaring the confent of Congress to 22 27 CHAPTER, to continue for a longer time, an act declar- XIII. An act for the relief of certain widows, PAGE 27 27 31 33 States, XVI. An act establishing a mint, and regulating XVII. An act fupplementary to the act for the efta- XVIII. An act to erect a light-house on Montok XIX. An act for afcertaining the bounds of a tract XXI. An act for altering the times of holding the VOL. II. C 4 36 37 47 48 49 50 CHAPTER circuit courts, in certain diftricts of the XXII. An act to compenfate the corporation of PAGE XXIV. An act concerning confuls and vice confuls, XXV. An act authorifing the grant and conveyance of certain lands to the Ohio company of afsociates, XXVI. An act to indemnify the estate of the late Major General Nathaniel Green, for a certain bond entered into by him during the late war, XXVII. An act for raifing a farther fum of money XXX. An act anthorifing the grant and convey- XXXI. An act to alter the time for the next annual meeting of Congrefs, XXXII. An act concerning the duties on fpirits diftilled within the United States, XXXIII. An act more effectually to provide for the national defence, by establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States, XXXIV. An act relative to the compenfations to cer 51 54 55 56 63 66 68 80 80 So 82 82 92 |