The Petition and Remonstrance of the citizens of the Second District of York county, Humbly Sheweth:

That it is with Hearts truly glowing with a disinterested love to the Honour & Dignity of your Honourable House, when its operations are directed in a legal and Constitutional Line, and at the same time dispassionately to intimate to you our utter abhorance of any the least attempt to invade the valuable rights, liberties and privileges of free Citizens of this Commonwealth, that we present you this with our names hereunto subscribed.
Be assured that your authority we have supported through every opposition and confusion, when the darkest and most lowering clouds hung over this State, occasioned by the opposition of enemies within and without. All conspiring to embarrass the Execution of such salutary laws as under any form of good government ought and must be supported to preserve the State from ruin.
But there is so many things extraordinary in your late resolve for taking the sense of the people on some interesting points of our Constitution that we cannot pass them without remonstrating, and first, we cannot conceive what induced your honourable house to pass the resolve in question, as there was no general call of the citizens of this Commonwealth, nor any opposition to obstruct the execution of your laws. Had there been any opposition, it must first have been felt by the executive Branch, who in their wisdoms under such circumstances would have presented to you the incompetency of the constitution in its present form to answer the purposes of government, and concurred with you in taking the sense of the people on the proposed amendments.
...And whoever the members of your house may sport with their own privileges, we are determined not to part with ours, but to retain the reins of government in our own hands as the true and proper source from whence all civil government derives its power; for we are persuaded that those in your House, or elsewhere, who would support a contrary opinion, Have other designs in view, i. e.,the gratification of their thirst after power, dis-daining to hold an office by the suffrage of their fellow citizens...