, with recourse had, if need be, to the Senate.

"Thirdly, every petition addressed to the Senate, except that of a
tribe, shall be received, examined, and debated by this council; and
such only as they, upon such examination and debate had, shall think
fit, may be introduced into the Senate.

"The Council of Trade being the vena porta of this nation, shall
hereafter receive instructions more at large. For the present, their
experience, attaining to a right understanding of those trades
and mysteries that feed the veins of this commonwealth, and a true
distinction of them from those that suck or exhaust the same, they shall
acquaint the Senate with the conveniences and inconveniences, to the end
that encouragement may be applied to the one, and remedy to the other.

"The Academy of the provosts, being the affability of the commonwealth,
shall assemble every day toward the evening in a fair room, having
certain withdrawing-rooms thereto belonging; and all sorts of company
that will repair thither for conversation or discourse, so it be upon
matters of government, news, or intelligence, or to propose anything to
the councils, shall be freely and affably received in the outer chamber,
and heard in the way of civil conversation, which is to be managed
without any other awe or ceremony than is thereto usually appertaining,
to the end that every man may be free, and that what is proposed by
one, may be argued or discoursed by the rest, except the matter be of
secrecy; in which case the provosts, or some of them, shall take such as
desire audience into one of the withdrawing-rooms. And the provosts
are to give their minds that this academy be so governed, adorned, and
preserved, as may be most attractive to men of parts and good affections
to the commonwealth, for the excellency of the conversation.

"Furthermore, if any man, not being able or willing to come in person,
has any advice to give which he judges may be for the good of the
commonwealth, he may write his mind to the Academy of the provosts, in
a letter signed or not signed, which letter shall be left with the
doorkeeper of the Academy. Nor shall any person delivering such a letter
be seized, molested, or detained, though it should prove to be a libel.
But the letters so delivered shall be presented to the provosts; and in
case they be so many that they cannot well be perused by the provosts
themselves, they shall distribute them as they please to be read by the
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