rt.

4. No person could be chosen governor oftener than once in two years. It
was requisite that this officer should be a member of an approved
congregation, and that he should be taken from the magistrates of the
commonwealth. But no qualification was required in a candidate for the
magistracy, except that he should be chosen from the freemen. Both
governor and magistrates were required to take a solemn oath of office.

5. To this court of election the several towns were to send their
deputies, and after the elections were over the court was to proceed, as
at other courts, to make laws or do whatever was necessary to further
the interests of the commonwealth.

6. These two regular courts were to be convened by the governor himself,
or by his secretary, by sending out a warrant to the constables of every
town, a month at least before the day of session. In times of danger or
public exigency the governor and a majority of the magistrates might
order the secretary to summon a court, with fourteen days' notice, or
even less, if the case required it, taking care to state their reasons
for so doing to the deputies when they met. If, on the other hand, the
governor should neglect to call the regular courts, or, with the major
part of the magistrates, should fail to convene such special ones as
were needed, then the freemen, or a major part of them, were required
to petition them to do it. If this did not serve, then the freemen, or a
majority of them, were clothed with the power to order the constables to
summon the court, after which they might meet, choose a moderator, and
do any act that it was lawful for the regular courts to do.

7. On receiving the warrants for these general courts the constables of
each town were to give immediate notice to the freemen, either at a
public gathering or by going from house to house, that at a given place
and time they should meet to elect deputies to the general court, about
to convene, and "to agitate the affairs of the commonwealth." These
deputies were to be chosen by vote of the electors of the town who had
taken the oath of fidelity; and no man not a freeman was eligible to the
office of deputy. The deputies were to be chosen by a major vote of all
the freemen present, who were to make their choice by written paper
ballots--each voter giving in as many papers as there were deputies to
be chosen, with a single name written on each paper. The names of the
deputies when chosen were