Philadelphia, and on every Burgess of a corporate town, to aid her in bringing to justice, all persons who may offend in any instance, specified in the act. So general, however, is disobedience to this law, and so great the contempt of public authority, that a stranger passing through our country, would rather suppose we had a law enjoining sports and diversions on Sunday, under a heavy penalty, than one forbidding them. To the disgrace of our police, and to the irreparable injury of our youth, most of our country towns exhibit on that day, one continued scene of violence, tumult and uproar; which the magistrates seem to be no more concerned to suppress, than if they had nothing to do with the support of law and government. This illegal and scandalous behaviour may, and ought to be checked, by directions to the Constables to apprehend all offenders, without any respect to persons; and directions of this kind may be easily given to the Constables, who are the immediate officers of the Justices, and always at hand to receive and execute their lawful commands. To the reasons already given of a public and general nature, for executing

the law on this subject, it may not be amiss to add in conclusion, that as it gives one half the fine to the poor, an ample fund for their relief might be procured by carrying it into effect, without the aid of taxes from the township. Thus the vices of one part of the community, would be the means of maintaining those of our fellow-creatures, who are no longer able to maintain themselves.

UPON PROFANE SWEARING. DELIVERED BEFORE THE GRAND JURY OF LUZERNE

'COUNTY, NOVEMBER, 1800.]

Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,

THE inhabitants of Pennsyl

vania, have been highly favored with a succession of legislators, who, from time to time, and by a variety of laws, have endeavoured to extend the interests of virtue and morality. At the head of these, for many reasons, we must place the illustrious founder of the province, WILLIAM PENN, a man not less distinguished by accomplishments of the understanding, than the more important virtues of a character éminently pious and moral. The comprehensive mind of this modern Lycurgus, as he has been properly styled by Montesquieu, was deeply sensible of the absolute necessity of combining religious belief with a

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corresponding practice, in order to lay a solid foundation for social happiness and prosperity. Under his auspices, and during his administration, the public acts of government, evince the greatest anxiety to blend with the civil laws of the country, those religious institutions that are calculated to advance the best interests of mankind. And though an unaffected sense of piety predominated in his mind, and always lay near his heart, yet it never led him to aim at any improper exercise of power, or to erect his own creed as a standard of popular belief. His Christianity was drawn from the purest sources; and while it taught him the most profound veneration for the rights of conscience, it served to expand and illumine the genius of the law-giver. It was the opinion of this enlightened Christian philosopher," that no person should be compelled to maintain or to frequent any place of religious worship whatever-or be ever molested on account of any religious principles, provided he believed in the existence of ONE GOD."But however liberal his ideas were on controverted points of theology, yet the pernicious member of society-the immoral

man, whose actions are hostile to virtue and a good life, was justly held in abhorrence, and delivered up to the secular power, to be dealt with according to his desert. The drunkard, the swearer, the adulterer, the Sabbath-breaker, the gambler, with the whole crew of moral disorganisers, were, in his judgment, proper objects of legal cognizance; because no dictates of conscience can be pleaded for violating the duties of natural religion, or justify overt acts, or even expressions, when they are subversive of private rights, or social order.

If the people of Pennsylvania at large, have derived no benefit from the excellent laws and instructive example of this truly great and benevolent legislator, we may be permitted to hope, the society at least, of which he was a conspicuous member, have profited by his precepts and by his labours. It is certain, that from some cause, the vice of common swearing, so generally and so shamefully pre-. valent in our country, is not so much as heard of among them; and that they are still distinguished by an undiminished zeal in support of their public institutions, a punctu