lay　before　the　Legislatures　of　the　several　States。　ARTICLE　X。　The　committee　of　the　States；　or　any　nine　of　them；　shall　be　authorized　to　execute；　in　the　recess　of　Congress；　such　of　the　powers　of　Congress　as　the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled；　by　the　consent　of　nine　States；　shall　from　time　to　time　think　expedient　to　vest　them　with；　provided　that　no　power　be　delegated　to　the　said　committee；　for　the　exercise　of　which；　by　the　articles　of　confederation；　the　voice　of　nine　States　in　the　Congress　of　the　United　States　assembled　is　requisite。　ARTICLE　XI。　Canada　acceding　to　this　confederation；　and　joining　in　the　measures　of　the　United　States；　shall　be　admitted　into；　and　entitled　to　all　the　advantages　of　this　Union：　but　no　other　colony　shall　be　admitted　into　the　same；　unless　such　admission　be　agreed　to　by　nine　States。　ARTICLE　XII。　All　bills　of　credit　emitted；　monies　borrowed　and　debts　contracted　by；　or　under　the　authority　of　Congress；　before　the　assembling　of　the　United　States；　in　pursuance　of　the　present　confederation；　shall　be　deemed　and　considered　as　a　charge　against　the　United　States；　for　payment　and　satisfaction　whereof　the　said　United　States；　and　the　public　faith　are　hereby　solemnly　pledged。　ARTICLE　XIII。　Every　State　shall　abide　by　the　determinations　of　the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled；　on　all　questions　which　by　this　confederation　are　submitted　to　them。　And　the　articles　of　this　confederation　shall　be　inviolably　observed　by　every　State；　and　the　Union　shall　be　perpetual；　nor　shall　any　alteration　at　any　time　hereafter　be　made　in　any　of　them；　unless　such　alteration　be　agreed　to　in　a　Congress　of　the　United　States；　and　be　afterwards　confirmed　by　the　Legislatures　of　every　State。　And　whereas　it　has　pleased　the　Great　Governor　of　the　world　to　incline　the　hearts　of　the　Legislatures　we　respectively　represent　in　Congress；　to　approve　of；　and　to　authorize　us　to　ratify　the　said　articles　of　confederation　and　perpetual　union。　Know　ye　that　we　the　undersigned　delegates；　by　virtue　of　the　power　and　authority　to　us　given　for　that　purpose；　do　by　these　presents；　in　the　name　and　in　behalf　of　our　respective　constituents；　fully　and　entirely　ratify　and　confirm　each　and　every　of　the　said　articles　of　confederation　and　perpetual　union；　and　all　and　singular　the　matters　and　things　therein　contained：　and　we　do　further　solemnly　plight　and　engage　the　faith　of　our　respective　constituents；　that　they　shall　abide　by　the　determinations　of　the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled；　on　all　questions；　which　by　the　said　confederation　are　submitted　to　them。　And　that　the　articles　thereof　shall　be　inviolably　observed　by　the　States　we　re＇s＇pectively　represent；　and　that　the　Union　shall　be　perpetual。　In　witness　whereof　we　have　hereunto　set　our　hands　in　Congress。　Done　at　Philadelphia　in　the　State　of　Pennsylvania　the　ninth　day　of　July　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　s　even　hundred　and　seventy…eight；　and　in　the　third　year　of　the　independence　of　America。*　*　From　the　circumstances　of　delegates　from　the　same　State　having　signed　the　Articles　of　Confederation　at　different　times；　as　appears　by　the　dates；　it　is　probable　they　affixed　their　names　as　they　happened　to　be　present　in　Congress；　after　they　had　been　authorized　by　their　constituents。
  On　the　part　&　behalf　of　the　State　of　New　Hampshire。　JOSIAH　BARTLETT；　JOHN　WENTWORTH；　JUNR。；　August　8th；　1778。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　Massachusetts　Bay。　JOHN　HANCOCK；　SAMUEL　ADAMS；　ELDBRIDGE　GERRY；　FRANCIS　DANA；　JAMES　LOVELL；　SAMUEL　HOLTEN。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　Rhode　Island　and　Providence　Plantations。　WILLIAMS　ELLERY；　HENRY　MARCHANT；　JOHN　COLLINS。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　Connecticut。　ROGER　SHERMAN；　SAMUEL　HUNTINGTON；　OLIVER　WOLCOTT；　TITUS　HOSMER；　ANDREW　ADAMS。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　New　York。　JAS。　DUANE；　FRA。　LEWIS；　Wm。　DUER；　GOUV。　MORRIS。　On　the　part　and　in　behalf　of　the　State　of　New　Jersey；　Novr。　26；　1778。　JNO。　WITHERSPOON；　NATHL。　SCUDDER。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　Pennsylvania。　ROBT。　MORRIS；　DANIEL　ROBERDEAU；　JONA。　BAYARD　SMITH；　WILLIAM　CLINGAN；　JOSEPH　REED；　22d　July；　1778。　On　the　part　&　behalf　of　the　State　of　Delaware。　THO。　M'KEAN；　Feby。　12；　1779。　JOHN　DICKINSON；　May　5；　1779。　NICHOLAS　VAN　DYKE。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　Maryland。　JOHN　HANSON；　March　1；　1781。　DANIEL　CARROLL；　Mar。　1；　1781。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　Virginia。　RICHARD　HENRY　LEE；　JNO。　HARVIE；　JOHN　BANISTER；　THOMAS　ADAMS；　FRANCIS　LIGHTFOOT　LEE。　On　the　part　and　behalf　of　the　State　of　No。　Carolina。　JOHN　PENN；　July　21st；　1778。　CORNS。　HARNETT；　JNO。　WILLIAMS。　On　the　part　&　behalf　of　the　State　of　South　Carolina。　HENRY　LAURENS；　WILLIAM　HENRY　DRAYTON；　JNO。　MATHEWS；　RICHD。　HUTSON；　THOS。　HEYWARD；　JUNR。　On　the　part　&　behalf　of　the　State　of　Georgia。　JNO。　WALTON；　24th　July；　EDWD。　TELFAIR；　EDWD。　LANGWORTHY。　1778。　THE　NORTHWEST　TERRITORIAL　GOVERNMENT　　1787。　THE　CONFEDERATE　CONGRESS；　JULY　13；　1787。　An　Ordinance　for　the　government　of　the　territory　of　the　United　States　northwest　of　the　river　Ohio。　SECTION　1。　Be　it　ordained　by　the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled；　That　the　said　territory；　for　the　purpose　of　temporary　government；　be　one　district；　subject；　however；　to　be　divided　into　two　districts；　as　future　circumstances　may；　in　the　opinion　of　Congress；　make　it　expedient。　SEC。　2。　Be　it　ordained　by　the　authority　aforesaid；　That　the　estates　both　of　resident　and　non…resident　proprietors　in　the　said　territory；　dying　intestate；　shall　descend　to；　and　be　distributed　among；　their　children　and　the　descendants　of　a　deceased　child　in　equal　parts；　the　descendants　of　a　deceased　child　or　grandchild　to　take　the　share　of　their　deceased　parent　in　equal　parts　among　them；　and　where　there　shall　be　no　children　or　descendants；　then　in　equal　parts　to　the　next　of　kin；　in　equal　degree；　and　among　collaterals；　the　children　of　a　deceased　brother　or　sister　of　the　intestate　shall　have；　in　equal　parts　among　them；　their　deceased　parent's　share；　and　there　shall；　in　no　case；　be　a　distinction　between　kindred　of　the　whole　and　half　blood；　saving　in　all　cases　to　the　widow　of　the　intestate；　her　third　part　of　the　real　estate　for　life；　and　one…third　part　of　the　personal　estate；　and　this　law　relative　to　descents　and　dower；　shall　remain　in　full　force　until　altered　by　the　legislature　of　the　district。　And　until　the　governor　and　judges　shall　adopt　laws　as　hereinafter　mentioned；　estates　in　the　said　territory　may　be　devised　or　bequeathed　by　wills　in　writing；　signed　and　sealed　by　him　or　her　in　whom　the　estate　may　be；　（being　of　full　age；）　and　attested　by　three　witnesses；　and　real　estates　may　be　conveyed　by　lease　and　release；　or　bargain　and　sale；　signed；　sealed；　and　delivered　by　the　person；　being　of　full　age；　in　whom　the　estate　may　be；　and　attested　by　two　witnesses；　provided　such　wills　be　duly　proved；　and　such　conveyances　be　acknowledged；　or　the　execution　thereof　duly　proved；　and　be　recorded　within　one　year　after　proper　magistrates；　courts；　and　registers；　shall　be　appointed　for　that　purpose；　and　personal　property　may　be　transferred　by　delivery；　saving；　however；　to　the　French　and　Canadian　inhabitants；　and　other　settlers　of　the　Kaskaskias；　Saint　Vincents；　and　the　neighboring　villages；　who　have　heretofore　professed　themselves　citizens　of　Virginia；　their　laws　and　customs　now　being　in　force　among　them；　relative　to　the　descent　and　conveyance　of　property。　SEC。　3。　Be　it　ordained　by　the　authority　aforesaid；　That　there　shall　be　appointed；　from　time　to　time；　by　Congress；　a　governor；　whose　commission　shall　continue　in　force　for　the　term　of　three　years；　unless　sooner　revoked　by　Congress；　he　shall　reside　in　the　district；　and　have　a　freehold　estate　therein；　in　one　thousand　acres　of　land；　while　in　the　exercise　of　his　office。　SEC。　4。　There　shall　be　appointed　from　time　to　time；　by　Congress；　a　secretary；　whose　commission　shall　continue　in　force　for　four　years；　unless　sooner　revoked；　he　shall　reside　in　the　district；　and　have　a　freehold　estate　therein；　in　five　hundred　acres　of　land；　while　in　the　exercise　of　his　office。　It　shall　be　his　duty　to　keep　and　preserve　the　acts　and　laws　passed　by　the　legislature；　and　the　public　records　of　the　district；　and　the　proceedings　of　the　governor　in　his　executive　department；　and　transmit　authentic　copies　of　such　acts　and　proceedings　every　six　months　to　the　Secretary　of　Congress。　There　shall　also　be　appointed　a　court；　to　consist　of　three　judges；　any　two　of　whom　to　form　a　court；　who　shall　have　a　common…law　jurisdiction；　and　reside　in　the　district；　and　have　each　therein　a　freehold　estate；　in　five　hundred　acres　of　land；　while　in　the　exercise　of　their　offices；　and　their　commissions　shall　continue　in　force　during　good　behavior。　SEC。　5。　The　governor　and　judges；　or　a　majority　of　them；　shall　adopt　and　publish　in　the　distric＇t＇　such　laws　of　the　original　States；　criminal　and　civil；　as　may　be　necessary；　and　best　suited　to　the　circumstances　of　the　district；　and　report　them　to　Congress　from　time　to　time；　which　laws　shall　be　in　force　in　the　district　until　the　organization　of　the　general　assembly　therein；　unless　disapproved　of　by　Congress；　but　afterwards　the　legislature　shall　have　authority　to　alter　them　as　they　shall　think　fit。　SEC。　6。　The　governor；　for　the　time　being；　shall　be　commander…in…chief　of　the　militia；　appoint　and　commission　all　officers　in　the　sam