The charter goes on to give authority to commanders, captains, governors, and all other officers for the time being, "to correct, punish, pardon, govern and rule all such the subjects of us, our heires and successors, as shall from tyme to tyme adventure themselves in any voyage thither or from thence, or that shall at any tyme hereafter inhabit within the precincts and parts of New England aforesaid, according to the orders, lawes, ordinances, instructions and directions aforesaid, not repugnant to the laws and statutes of our realme of England as aforesaid." And in order to make the laws of these officers known, it is provided, as printing would not be practicable, that they shall be "published in writing under theire common seale." But it would seem, notwithstanding, that the authority exercised by the company was at first executive rather than legislative; and Mr. Savage remarks, that the body of the people "submitted at first to the mild and equal temporary usurpation of the officers, chosen by themselves, which was also justified by indisputable necessity." The first "Court of Assistants" was held at Charlestown, Aug. 23, 1630; and the first thing propounded was, "how the ministers shall be maintained," and it was determined, of course, at the public charge. Gov. Winthrop, Lieut.-Gov. Dudley, and the assistants were present; and this body carried on the government--what there was of it--"in a simply patriarchal manner," until "the first General Court or meeting of the whole company at Boston, 19 October," 1631, and this was held "for the establishing of the government." It was now determined that "the freemen should have the power of choosing assistants, and from themselves to choose a Governor and Lieut. Governor, who with the assistants should have the power of making laws and choosing officers to execute the same." This is the brief history of the origin of a local government in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, if it may be so called. It was autocratic for the first year and afterwards, although fully assented to by a general vote of the people.