I. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that there shall be yearly two Assemblys or Courts, the one the second Thursday of April, the other the second Thursday of September following, the first shall be called the Court of Election, wherein shall be yearly chosen from time to time so many Magistrates and other publick officers as shall be found requisite. Whereof one to be chosen Governour for the year ensuing and untill another be chosen, and no other Magistrate to be chosen for more than one year, provided always there be six chosen beside the Governor, which being chosen and sworn according to an oath, recorded for that purpose, shall have power to administer justice according to the rule there established, and for want thereof according to the rule of the word of God, which choice shall be made by all that are admitted freemen and have taken the oath of fidelity and do cohabit within this jurisdiction, having been admitted inhabitants by the major part of the Town wherein they live, or the major part of such as shall be there present.

II. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that the Election of the aforesaid Magistrates shall be in this manner: every person present and qualified for chusing, shall bring in to the persons (deputed to receive them) one single paper with the name of him written on it whom he desires to have Governour, and he that hath the greatest number of papers shall be Governour for that year. And the rest of the Magistrates or publick officers to be chosen in this manner, the Secretary for the time being shall first read the names of all that are to be put to choice and then shall severally nominate them distinctly, and every one that would have the person nominated to be chosen, shall bring in one single paper written upon, and he that would not have him chosen shall bring in a blank, and every one that hath more written papers than blanks, shall be a Magistrate for that year, which papers shall be received and told by one or more that shall be then chosen by the Court and sworn to be faithfull therein. But in case there should be five chosen as aforesaid, beside the Governour, out of those which are nominated, then he or they which have the most written papers shall be a Magistrate or Magistrates for the ensuing year to make up the aforesaid number.

III. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that the Secretary shall not nominate any person, nor shall any person be chosen newly into the Magistracy, which was not propounded in some general Court before to be nominated the next Election, and to that end it shall be lawfull for each of the towns aforesaid by their deputies, to nominate any two who they conceive fitter to be put to Election, and the Court may add so many more as they judge requisite,

IV. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that no person to be chosen Governour above once in two years, and that the Governour be always a member of some appointed congregation, and formerly of the Magistracy within this jurisdiction, and all the Magistrates freemen of this Commonwealth, and that no Magistrate or other publick officer shall execute any part of his or their office before they are severally sworn, which shall be done in the face of the Court if they be present, and in case of absence, by some deputed for that purpose.

V. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that to the aforesaid Court of Election, the several Towns shall send their deputies, and when the Elections are ended, they may proceed in any publick service as at other Courts, unless the other General Court in September, shall be for making of laws and any other public occasion, which concerns the good of the Commonwealth.

VI. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that the Governour shall either by himself or Secretary, send out sumons to the Constables of each town for the calling of these two standing Courts, one month at least, before their several times, and also if the Governour and the greatest part of the Magistrates see cause upon any special occasion to call a General Court, they may give order to the Secretary so to do within fourteen days warning, and if urgent necessity so require, upon a shorter notice, giving sufficient grounds for it to the deputies when they meet, or else be questioned for the same, and if the Governour and the major part of Magistrates shall either neglect or refuse to call the two General standing Courts or either of them, as also at other times when the occasions of the Commonwealth require, the freemen thereof, or the major part of them shall petition to them so to do, then if it be either denied or neglected, the said freemen or the major part of them, shall have power to give orders to the Constables of the several towns to do the same, and so may meet together and chuse to themselves a Moderator, and may proceed to do any act of power which any other General Court may.

VII. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that after there are warrants given out for any of the said General Courts, the Constable or Constables of each town shall forthwith give notice distinctly to the inhabitants of the same, in some Public Assembly, or by going or sending from house to house, that at a place and time, by him or them limited and set, they meet and assemble themselves together to elect and chuse certain deputies to be at the General Court then following, to agitate the affairs of the Comonwealth, which said deputies shall be chosen by all that are admitted inhabitants in the several towns, and have taken the oath of fidelity, provided that none be chosen a deputy for any General Court which is not a freeman of this Comonwealth. Therefore said deputies shall be chosen in manner following: every person that is present and qualified as before expressed, shall bring the names of such, written in several papers as they desire to have chosen for that employment, and those three or four, more or less being the number of the papers written for them shall be deputies for that Court, whose names shall be endorsed on the backside of the warrant, and returned into the Court with the Constable or Constables hand unto the same.

VIII. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that Windsor, Hartford and Weathersfield, shall have power, each town to send four of their freemen as their deputies to every General Court, and whatsoever other towns shall be hereafter added to the jurisdiction, they shall send so many deputies as the Court shall think meet, a reasonable proportion to the number of freemen that are in the said towns, being to be attended therein, which deputies shall have the power of the whole town to give their votes and allowance to all such laws and orders as may be for the publick good, and unto which the said towns are to be bound.

IX. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that the deputies thus chosen, shall have power and liberty to appoint a time and a place of meeting together before any General Court, to advise and consult of all such things as may concern the good of the publick, as also to examine their own Elections whether according to the order, and if they or the greatest part of them find any Election to be illegal, they may seclude such person present from their meeting, and return the same and their reasons to the Court, and if it prove true the Court may fine the party or parties so intruding, and also the Town if they see cause, and give out a warrant to go to a new Election in a legal way, either in part or in whole ; also the said deputies shall have power to fine any that shall be disorderly at their meetings, or for not corning in due time or place according to appointment, and they may return the said fines into the Court, if it be refused to be paid, and the Treasurer to take notice of it and collect or levy the same as he doth other fines.

X. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that every General Court, except such as thro neglect of the Governor and the greatest part of Magistrates, the Freemen themselves do call, shall consist of the Governor or some one chosen to moderate the Court, and four other Magistrates at least, with the major part of the deputies of the several towns legally chosen. And in case the freemen, or the major part of them, through neglect or refusal of the Governor, and major part of the Magistrates shall call a Court, it shall consist of the major part of freemen that are present, or their deputies, with a moderator chosen by them, in which said. General Court shall consist the supreme power of the Commonwealth, and they only shall have power to make Laws or repeal them, to grant levies, to admit freemen, dispose of lands undisposed of to several towns or persons, and also shall have power to call either Court or Magistrate or any other person whatsoever into question for any misdemeanor, and may for just causes displace or deal otherwise, according to the nature of the offence; and also may deal in other matter that concerns the good of this Commonwealth, except Election of Magistrates, which shall be done by the whole body of freemen; in which Court the Governor or Moderator shall have power to order the Court to give liberty of speech, and to silence unreasonable and disorderly speakings, to put all things to vote, and in case the vote be equal, to give the casting voice. But none of these Courts shall be adjourned or dissolved without the consent of the major part of the Court.

XI. It is ordered, sentenced and decreed, that when any General Court upon the occasions of the Commonwealth, have agreed upon any sum or sums of money to be levied upon the several towns within this jurisdiction, that a committee be chosen to sett out and appoint what shall be the proportion of every town to pay of the said levy, provided the committee be made up of an equal number out of each town.
14th January 1638, the 11 orders abovesaid are voted.

The oath of the Governor for the present year

I, A. B. being now chosen to be Governor within this Jurisdiction, for the year ensuing and untill a new be chosen, do swear by the great and dreadfull name of the everliving God, to promote the public good and peace of the same according to the best of my skill, and also will maintain all lawfull priviledges of this Commonwealth, as also that all wholsome Laws that are or shall be made by lawfull authority here established be duly executed, and will further the execution of justice according to the rule of Gods word, so help me God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The oath of a Magistrate for the present year.

I, N. W. being chosen a Magistrate within this Jurisdiction for the year ensuing, do swear by the great and dreadfull name of the ever living God, to promote the publick good and peace of the same according to the best of my skill, and that I will maintain all the lawfull priviledges thereof, according to my understanding, and also assist in the execution of all such wholsome Laws as are made or shall be made by lawfull authority there established, and will further the execution of justice for the time aforesaid according to the righteous rule of God's word, so help me God.

The oath of a Constable.

I, A. B. of W. do swear by the great and dreadfull name of the everliving God, that for the year ensuing and untill a new be chosen I will faithfully execute the office and place of a Constable for and within the said plantation of W, and the limits thereof, and that I will endeavor to preserve the publick peace of the said place and Comonwealth, and will do my best endeavour to see all watches and wards executed, and to obey and execute all lawfull commands or warrants that come to me from any Magistrate or Magistrates or Court, so help me God in the Lord Jesus Christ.