In effect, the governor having given his consent to the militia bill, and the house having made some immediate provision, for landing and relieving the miserable French exiles obtruded upon them from Nova Scotia, they proceeded to resolve, first, unanimously,

them to ascertain the bounds of the king's do- | branches of the legislature; and that as the minions, they never directly or indirectly de- governor had yesterday evening sent down a nied those encroachments to be within them." message, intimating that the proprietaries are They then proceeded to examine the extracts now disposed to contribute a sum of money tofrom the council minutes sent by the gowards the common security of the province, vernor, in proof that money-bills had been there was a great probability that all controamended by former governors. They de- versies on that head were at an end, and that monstrated in ten several instances, those ex- some method would be speedily taken for retracts had not been fairly represented. And lieving the province from its present diffi they concluded in these words: "were all culties." these to be deducted from the list, it would appear that there are but few instances in our journals of proper money-bills amended by the governor, and the amendments agreed to by the house; this is no more than was acknowledged by the preceding assembly, in their message of the 29th of September, where they say, that in a very few instances their predecessors might have waved that right on particular occasions, but had never given it up." Scarce had the house agreed with their committee in laying aside, for the present, the first of these answers, for the reasons assigned in the second, than certain inhabitants of Philadelphia, joined with others of the county of Chester, in all twenty-nine persons, thought themselves at liberty to assail the house in person with a petition, desiring, that the governor and the house would unite in the fear of God, &c. And as the minute taken of this strange incident (which followed the Philadelphia remonstrance in much such a manner as the legion-letter followed the Kentish petition before referred to) will serve at once to show the ferment which then prevailed in the province, and yet how far the people in general were from desiring to be preserved against the incursions of the enemies, at the expense of their constitutional liberties; it is here inserted, to wit:

"The speaker told them, that it was well known this house was composed of members chosen without any solicitation on their parts, to be the representatives of the people, and guardians of their liberties; that the whole powers the house were invested with, were derived from the people themselves, and that as the house had hitherto, so they should still continue to discharge the high trust reposed in them to the best of their understanding and abilities; and then asked them, whether they desired that the house should give up any rights, which, in the opinion of the house, the people were justly entitled to? some of the petitioners, in behalf of the whole, answered, no; they were far from requiring any thing of that kind; all they wanted was, that some expedient might be fallen upon, if possible, to accommodate matters in such a manner, as that the province might be relieved from its present unhappy situation. To this the speaker replied, that nothing could be more agreeable to this house than a harmony between the two

"That the right of granting supplies to the crown in this province, is alone in the representatives of the freemen met in assembly, being essential to an English constitution. And the limitation of all such grants, as to the matter, manner, measure, and time, is in them only." And then,

"That in consideration of the governor's message of yesterday, by which it appears that the proprietaries have sent him an order on the receiver-general for five thousand pounds, to be paid into the hands of such persons as shall be appointed by act of assembly, and applied with such sums as the assembly should grant, to such uses as may be necessary for the common security of the province; and as it would not be reasonable or just, at this time, to tax the proprietary estate, in order to raise money therefrom, over and above the said grant from the proprietaries, the house will immediately proceed to form a new bill for granting a sum of money to the use of the crown, and therein omit the taxation of the said estate."

Accordingly, such a bill was ordered the same day; and, in full confutation of all the injurious surmises that they did not so much as intend to save their country, prosecuted with so much zeal and alacrity, that it received the governor's assent the next day but one following.

Thus the two branches of the legislature were at last united in the great duty of making all contribute to the defence and preservation of all.

But though the storm was for the present over, some marks of recent turbulence still remained. The governor, though frequently called upon, could not be brought to pass the bill for regulating the Indian trade; the house, therefore, thought proper to press him with such a message, as should, by explaining the nature of the bill, not only indicate the nature of the abuses it was calculated to correct, but also oblige him, if possible, to account for his delay; and the message agreed upon was as follows, viz.

and what, in modern proprietary documents and the speeches and messages of deputy-governors, it would be very hard to match.

Of the stress in this message, however, laid on the present state of Indian affairs, the house took the advantage to recollect what had passed between them and the governor in relation to the Shawanese complaint; and with an equal regard to truth and candour, took occasion in a message to the governor, to express themselves upon it as follows, viz.

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relation to their bill for regulating the Indian trade; and resolved thereon, "That it was their opinion, the governor had evaded giving any answer, or offering amendments to it, that it might be transcribed and sent over to the proprietaries for their opinion or assent; that the said bill was of great importance in the present critical situation of affairs; that the delay or refusal of entering into the consideration thereof at that time, might be attended with very ill consequences; and that those consequences would not lie at their door."

And having before resolved to adjourn till the first of March ensuing, they moreover took upon them to provide for the subsistence of certain friendly Indians, settled near their frontiers, in the mean while.

Nor was this all: for the incidents of the session having shown, that it was high time for the assembly to assert their own authority, as far forth at least, as the factions and intrigues of the province at that time subsisting would permit, they called for the report of their committee appointed to sit on the several irregular and improper applications which had been made to them during the session; and having duly considered it, ordered it to be entered on the minutes of the house.

May it please the Governor, "We have considered the report of the committee of the governor's council, to which he is pleased to refer us for an answer to our inquiry, relating to a claim of the Shawanese Indians, on the lands near Conedoguinet.We are far from desiring to justify those Indians in their late outrages and murders, committed against the people of this province, in violation of the most solemn treaties. We believe that great care has generally been taken to do the Indians justice by the proprietaries in the purchases made of them, and in all our other public transactions with them; and as they have not the same ideas of legal property in lands that we have, and sometimes think they have right, when in law they have none, but yet are cheaply satisfied for Every body knows, that the reports of comtheir supposed as well as real rights, we mittees can consist of opinions only; and these think our proprietaries have done wisely, not gentlemen give it as theirs, "that though it only to purchase their lands, but to purchase was the undoubted right of the freemen of the them more than once,' as the governor says province, not only to petition, but even to adthey have done, rather than have any differ-vise their representatives on suitable occasions, ence with them on that head, or give any yet all applications whatever to the house, handle to the enemies of the province to exas- ought to be respectful, decent, pertinent, and perate those people against us. It appears in- founded in truth." deed, from the report, that they could have but a slender foundation for a claim of satisfaction for those lands; we are, however, convinced, by original minutes taken by one of the commissioners at the treaty of Carlisle, now lying before us, that the Shawanese chiefs mentioned that claim of theirs to the lands in question at that time, and were promised that the matter should be laid before the proprietaries. It was after the public general business of the treaty was over, and was not inserted in the printed account of the treaty, perhaps because it was thought to relate more particularly to the proprietary than to the province; and one of the commissioners being himself concerned in the proprietaries' affairs, there was reason to believe he would take care to get it settled; and doubtless he would have done so, had he not, as appears by the report, entirely forgot the whole transaction. We are sorry it was not done, though probably the instigations, present situation, and power of the French, might have been sufficient nevertheless to have engaged those Indians in the war against us."

They also took into consideration the governor's answers to their several messages in

"That the petition of Moore and his thirtyfive followers, concerning unnecessary disputes with the governor, when no disputes had been begun; and insinuating, that the house had neglected the security of the province from conscientious scruples, was founded on mistakes and misapprehensions of facts and circumstances." [They might have said much more if they had thought proper.]

"That the petition intitled, an address of certain people called quakers in behalf of themselves and others, (signed by Anthony Morris and twenty-two others) so far as it engaged for any more than themselves, and insinuated they would be under a necessity of suffering rather than paying for other than peaceable measures, had notwithstanding the decency of its language, assumed a greater right than they were invested with; and, forasmuch as the said petitioners had not duly considered former precedents, especially the grant of two thousand pounds to the crown in the year 1711, was an unadvised and indiscreet application to the house at that time."

That the representation from the mayor of Philadelphia, and one hundred and thirtythree others, said to be of the principal inha

bitants, but in reality a great part of them not freeholders, many of them strangers and obscure persons, and some of them under age, as it charged the house with not having a proper concern for the lives of the inhabitants, and dictated, in a haughty peremptory manner, to the representative body of the whole people, what laws to make, and threatened to force a compliance, &c. if its commands were not obeyed, was a paper extremely presuming, indecent, insolent, and improper; and that the said mayor, by becoming a promoter and ringleader of such an insult on that part of the government, and by his authority, arts, and influence, drawing in so many indiscreet or unwary persons to be partakers with him therein, had exceedingly misbehaved himself, and failed greatly in the duty of his station." Expressions equally applicable to the governor himself as chief magistrate, if the mayor in all this, only acted as a tool of his.

And upon the whole, "that the said paper ought to be rejected."

in their way to Philadelphia] to the Marylandline, was then almost complete; that they were placed at the most important passes, at convenient distances, and were all garrisoned with detachments in the pay of the province, and he believed, in case the officers and men posted in them did their duty, they would prove a sufficient protection against such parties as had hitherto appeared on their borders; that he had directed the minutes of the several conferences held with the Indians, and other papers relating to Indian affairs (by which it appeared that the bulk of the Indians living on the Susquehanna, were not only in the French interest, but deaf to all the instances of the Six Nations thereon) to be laid before them; that the heads of those nations had been convened by the timely care of general Shirley, and were then met in council to treat on those and other matters; that he was informed, they were so much displeased with the conduct of the Delawares and Shawanese, that they seemed inclinable to take up the hatchet against them; and that he hoped the warmth with which general Shirley had recommended this matter to them, would induce them to act vigorously on this occasion.”

Connexion is not to be expected in this gentleman's proceedings; his congress we have already seen converted into a council of war; instead of a general treaty with the Indians, he brings back a plan of military operations; and while the levies were actually making of the sixty thousand pounds, just given, for the defence of the province, he calls upon them for a supply, towards an offensive war.

Thus ended this memorable session, on the 3d of December; and that day two months, instead of that day three months, which was the time prefixed by their own adjournment, the governor, having, in that interval, left his province, in order to attend the military congress at New York, notwithstanding the preventives thrown as above by the assembly in his way, thought fit to convene them again; and by the medium of a written message in the usual form, told them," that he had called them together, to consider of the plan of operations concerted in the late council of war held at that place for the security of his majesty's do- By the plan settled among the governors at minions on the continent; that he had direct- their late council, which is now in print, the ed the said plan to be laid before them, under colonies were to raise ten thousand two huna recommendation of secresy, that no part of dred and fifty men, to be employed in two it might be suffered to transpire; that the bodies against the French settlements on the many encroachments of the French, &c. suf- lake Ontario, and Crown-point; and of these, ficiently showed what they had farther to ex-fifteen hundred were to be supplied by Pennpect, if they did not by an united, vigorous, sylvania. and steady exertion of their strength, dislodge The governor, however, did not think it and confine them within their own just expedient to push this demand in the cavalier bounds; that he was persuaded this would be manner he had hitherto practised; probably found the best way of providing for their own convinced that it was what the province neisecurity; and that therefore, he must recom-ther would or could comply with; and that mend it to them to grant him such supplies consequently he should only draw down so as might enable him to furnish what was ex- much the more odium on himself. pected from that province towards the general Besides, the assembly was scarce met, beservice; that they must be sensible their suc-fore a circumstance occurred, which, though cess would very much depend on their being of an almost private nature, served to evince early in motion; and that he made no doubt, the truth of what has been just insinuated. they would use the greatest diligence and despatch in whatever measures their zeal for the public cause might induce them to take upon the present occasion; that every thing possible had been done for the security of the province; that a chain of forts and block-houses, extending from the river Delaware along the Kittatinny hills [where he had formerly said the 1500 French and Indians had taken post

The several recruiting parties distributed through the province by the order of general Shirley, had renewed the old practice of enlisting purchased servants; the persons thus deprived of their property brought their complaints before the assembly; the assembly not only received the petitioners favourably, but also espoused their cause in the strongest terms to the governor; and as their address

on this occasion, contains such a state both of the province and its conduct, as will serve to make the reader equally acquainted with both, the most material paragraphs are here adjoined.

"We presume that no one colony on the continent has afforded more free recruits to the king's forces than Pennsylvania; men have been raised here in great numbers for Shirley's and Pepperell's regiments, for Halket's and Dunbar's, for the New York and Carolina independent companies, for Nova Scotia, and even for the West India islands. By this, and the necessity we are under of keeping up a large body of men to defend our own extensive frontiers, we are drained of our hired labourers; and as this province has but few slaves, we are now obliged to depend principally upon our servants to assist us in tilling our lands. If these are taken from us, we are at a loss to conceive how the provisions that may be expected out of this province another year, for the support of the king's armies, are to be raised.

strongest manner recommends it to him to avoid doing it.

Even the governor himself in his answer acknowledged the fact; admitted it to be a great hardship, and an unequal burden upon the inhabitants of the province; but, instead of issuing his proclamation, strictly charging and commanding all officers civil and military to be aiding and assisting to the inhabitants, in securing or recovering their servants, when any attempt should be made to force them away, as required by the assembly; told them the courts were open, and that the injured might there sue out his remedy by due course of law.

He also signified, that general Shirley had now altered his opinion, and issued orders different from those he had before given to colonel Dunbar. And in effect, a letter from the said general, in answer to one of the governor's, was soon after communicated to the assembly, in which he pleads the necessities of the service for a continuance of the practice; and in justification of it, cites the authority of his own government," where it was common, he said, to impress both indented servants and others for garrisoning the frontier towns, where they often remained several years."

"We conceive that this province could not possibly have furnished the great numbers of men and quantity of provisions it has done for the king's service, had it not been for our constant practice of importing and purchasing servants to assist us in our labour. Many And his thus renouncing his former convicof these, when they become free, settle among tion, is so much the more remarkable, because us, raise families, add to the number of our the province had recently made his troops a people, and cultivate more land; and many voluntary present of warm waistcoats, stockothers who do not so settle, are ready and fit ings, and mittens; and in his letter of acto take arms when the crown calls for sol-knowledgment (dated but five days before that diers. But if the possession of a bought ser- to the governor) to the assembly, addressed to vant, after purchase made, is thus rendered one of the members, he expresses himself as precarious, and he may at any time be taken follows: away from his master at the pleasure of a recruiting officer, perhaps when most wanted, in the midst of harvest or of seed time, or in any other hurry of business, when another cannot be provided to supply his place, the purchase, and of course the importation of servants will be discouraged, and the people driven to the necessity of providing themselves with negro slaves, as the property in them and their service seems at present more secure. Thus the growth of the country by in-like spirit, so necessary at this critical concrease of white inhabitants will be prevented, the province weakened rather than strengthened (as every slave may be reckoned a domestic enemy) one great and constant source of recruits be in a great measure cut off, and Pennsylvania soon be unable to afford more men for the king's service, than the slave colonies now do."

They also accompanied their address with an extract of a letter from general Shirley to colonel Dunbar, in which he declares himself convinced, that the enlisting of apprentices and indented servants would greatly disserve his majesty's interest, as well as be in most eases grievous to the subject, and in the

"I am now, sir, to acquaint you, that I have ordered a distribution of clothing, and to desire the favour of you to make my acknowledgments to the assembly for this second instance of their public spirit and zeal for his majesty's service, and the general good of these colonies, given by them in the expedition against Crown-point.

"I cannot but hope that so laudable an example will inspire the other colonies with the

juncture for putting a stop to the invasions and devastations of the French and their Indians within our borders, and placing the Britishnorthern colonies in a state of security against the attempts which, from the armament sent thelast year from France, and their known designs, we have the utmost reason to expect they will push this year; and that it will continue to animate the government of Pennsylvania in the common cause, as it hath hitherto done, so highly to their advantage.

"Be pleased likewise, to assure them, sir, that I shall not be wanting in making a just representation to his majesty of these marks of their zeal for the service of their king and