To this message the governor returned a short answer in these words: "Gentlemen, hend his proprietary instructions are; but, we presume, it may be sufficient for all the purposes in sir Thomas Robinson's last letter, and as much or more, than we think, can be "I am very much surprised at your proreasonably expected from us. How the go- posal to adjourn till May, as you have made vernor became so suddenly acquainted with no provision for the defence of the province, the real value of our estates, is not easy to or granted the supplies expected by the crown, conceive; but we know from long experience, and recommended by the secretary of state's having many of us received our birth in this letters: I must, therefore, object to the proprovince, that the inhabitants are not gene- posed adjournment, while things remain in rally wealthy or rich, though we believe them this situation, and hope you will, in considerto be, in the main, frugal and industrious, yet ation of the danger to which your country it is evident that their lands are greatly in- stands exposed, continue sitting till you have cumbered with their debts to the public. granted the supplies to the crown, and effectFrom these considerations, we are obliged to ually provided for the defence of the people think the governor's estimation of our wealth you represent; but if you are determined to is undoubtedly too high, unless he includes the rise at this time without doing any thing, revalue of the proprietary lands; for, by the re-member it is your own act, and all the fatal port of a committee of assembly in August, 1752, it appears, that the taxables of this province did not exceed twenty-two thousand; and the grant we have offered of twenty thou sand pounds, from the best calculations we can make, doth at least amount to five times the sum that hath ever been raised by a twopenny tax through this province. As we think the governor cannot be a competent judge of the real value of our estates, in this little time of his administration, and as we have now submitted our cause to higher determination, we conceive ourselves less concerned in his computations of our estates, whatever they may be. We consequences that may attend your leaving the province in this defenceless state, must lie at your doors." The house in return unanimously resolved, "That the governor has been respectfully and repeatedly solicited by this house, to pass a bill presented to him, for granting twenty thousand pounds for the king's use, which, in our opinion would have answered the expectations of the crown from this province, as signified by the secretary of state's letters, had the governor been pleased to have given it his assent; therefore whatever ill consequences ensue, from supplies not having been granted at this critical juncture, must lie at his door." The governor, by his secretary, demanded a copy of their minutes. The house ordered the minutes both of this and their last sessions to be printed, and that a copy finished should be delivered to the governor: and, having then resolved to adhere to their adjournment, adjourned accordingly. "The governor is pleased to inform us, 'That the proprietaries are too nearly interested in the prosperity of this country, to do any thing to its prejudice, and he should have imagined that the people could not now stand in need of any proofs of the proprietary affection, or suspect them of having any designs to invade their just rights and privileges, which, he is confident, they detest and abhor.' In the beginning of March, however, the cannot suppose the governor would mean they governor thought fit to re-assemble them, and detest and abhor our just rights and privileges; assigned the arrival of general Braddock, the and yet we are convinced the clause in their necessity of considering what he had to procommission to him, their lieutenant, whereby pose without delay, and making the provisions they impower him to act as fully and amply, expected by his majesty for the service in to all intents, constructions, and purposes, as time, as his reasons for so doing. In the they themselves might or could do, were they same message he also acquainted them, personally present, You, (our governor) fol- "That he had issued a commission to a numlowing and observing such orders, instruc- ber of men acquainted with the country, to tions, and directions, as you now have, or form a plan of opening roads from the inhahereafter, from time to time, shall receive bited parts of the province westward towards from us, or our heirs,' is not only repugnant the Ohio, at the requisition of sir John St. to our just rights and privileges, but imprac- Clair, quarter-master-general, to facilitate ticable, against common sense, against law, the march of the troops, conveyance of proviand void in itself; and yet if the governor sions, &c. and also to prepare an estimate of should think his hands are so tied up by these the expense, which he called upon them to instructions, that he is not at liberty to act for provide for; also, to be enabled to take such the public good, we must conclude they are a part in the measures proposed by the eastof dangerous consequence at all times, and ern governments for the maintenance of his particularly in this time of imminent danger, majesty's just rights, &c. as became the ho not only to ourselves, but to the British inter-nour and interest of a province circumstanced est in North America." like theirs. Having then premised, that it was said the large supply of provisions fur- the twelfth instant, above two months after nished to the French from these colonies, not your rising, and then only a part of them Pennsylvania in particular, which he acknow-were sent me in print, and I have not yet ledged had little concern in that unnatural seen the whole of them. trade, had enabled the enemy to support their forces in America, he informed them, he had given the officers of the customs preventive orders in relation thereto; and added, that he made no doubt of their joining with him in a law to make those orders more effectual. The desire of the eastern governments, that Pennsylvania would join with them in their operations to frustrate the schemes of the French, made his next topic; and he grafted a hope upon it, that they would enable him to take such part as became the honour and interest of a province, circumstanced like theirs. The establishment of a post between Philadelphia and a place called Winchester, at the desire of general Braddock, was what he recommended next; and that again was followed by another desire of the same general's, that the quotas for the common fund of the several provinces, recommended by the secretary of state, might be lodged in the hands of a treasurer, subject to his demands, in order to expedite business; and the general being perfectly disinterested, as also willing to account for his disbursements, he hoped they would put it in his power to return him a satisfactory answer; and for a conclusion, he recommended vigour, unanimity, and despatch, that the happy opportunity put into the hands of the colonies by his majesty's paternal care, &c. might not be lost." "The keeping your proceedings thus a secret from me, I take to be a very unconstitutional and extraordinary measure, liable to a construction that I do not choose at present to put upon it, but only to acquaint you that I · expect you will order your clerk to attend me every night with the minutes of the day, that I may know what is done and doing in your house, and be able in time to lay the same before his majesty and his ministers, who expect to be regularly informed of the measures taking by the legislatures of the colonies." Both were answered the next day in substance thus, "That they were humbly of opinion, such letters as those in question, containing the commands of the crown, ought generally to be inserted in their minutes as being the foundation of their proceedings, and what might be necessary for their justification; that those letters were communicated without the least caution to keep the contents a secret; that the latter, which was the most material of the two, was a circular letter which had been sent in effect to all the provinces and colonies in North America, and of which the substance, as they were informed, had been printed in the speeches of several governors to their assemblies; that the design of sending two regiments from England, and raising two more in America, was no secret, having been avowed even in the LonThat there was no retrospect in this mes- don Gazette; that the governor himself had sage was some recommendation of it; but the given very full and particular abstracts of merit of this forbearance lasted no longer than those letters, in his messages which had been till the afternoon of the very same day, when printed in their own gazettes long before the the house was artfully perplexed with two house adjourned, and passed without objecmessages more, which could not but revive tion; that they were, therefore, surprised at the memory of past dissensions, and conse- the exceptions started now to the insertion quently the ill humour they had produced. of them in their minutes, and, no single inThe first contained a reprimand for their hav- convenience to result from it, having been ing printed sir T. Robinson's letters, commu- pointed out, were not inclined to expunge nicated to them without his, the governor's, them; that knowing not what assurances of privilege or consent, and a caution against the secresy would be satisfactory, they could only publication of them; and an intimation, that say, that whenever it should appear to the though he had letters and other papers relat- house to be necessary for the king's service, or ing to his majesty's service to communicate to the public good, to keep any matters laid bethem, he did not think it safe to do it, without fore them secret, proper measures, they doubtproper assurances that the contents should re-ed not, would be taken for that purpose.' main a secret. The second being nearly as short, and rather more extraordinary, shall be given in his own words: "Gentlemen, "On the tenth of January last, I demanded, by the secretary, a copy of the minutes of your proceedings, which you promised to send me; but not receiving them, I did, on the twenty-ninth of the same month, by letter to the speaker, again demand them, and have frequently, by the secretary, reiterated my request, but could not obtain a sight of them till Proceeding then to what related to the governor's demand of a copy of their minutes, they adjourned, "That they had ordered the said minutes to be printed with all convenient speed, and, when finished, that a copy should be delivered as required; that as soon as they could be copied and revised by a committee of the house, they were put to press; and that the governor had been supplied with a copy of the greatest part of them even before they were finished; that it had been the constant practice of the house to have their minutes so revised, and to postpone the said revisal, till after the rising of the house; and that till this was done, no copies had ever been given out, unless of special votes on special occasions; that the principal matters contained in these minutes were generally to be found in the governor's speeches or messages, and the answers of the house; and that these, together with such votes as were most material, were, for the most part, immediately printed in the newspapers, that the rest was chiefly matter of form; that, therefore, as it would be inconvenient to the house to make up and perfect their votes daily, so as to send a copy to the governor, as they saw no public service concerned in it, nor knew of any right in the governor so peremptorily to demand it, they were not inclined to alter their ancient custom; that his charge of taking extraordinary or unconstitutianal measures to keep their proceedings a secret from him, was void of any real foundation; that as to the construction put by the governor on their conduct, they neither knew nor could guess what it was; that whatever it was, they had rather it had been spoken plainly, than insinuated, because they might then have known how to justify themselves; that, however, being conscious of firmest loyalty to the crown, and the most upright intentions to the people they represented, they were not very apprehensive of any great prejudice from such insinuations; the reflecting on the weight and importance of the matters laid before them in the morning message, which, moreover, so earnestly pressed them to unanimity and despatch, they could not but be surprised at receiving messages of so different a kind in the afternoon, and which could only tend to produce division and delay, &c. And that, therefore, they humbly entreated the governor to suspend those his irritating accusations and novel demands till a season of more leisure, and that he would permit them to proceed, without any farther interruption, on the business for which he had been pleased to call them together." Not to be diverted, however, from the pursuit he was in by this caution, he sent a letter to the printers for the assembly (one of whom was a member) forbidding them to publish the secretary of state's letters; and ordered his secretary to inspect the journals of the house from the 17th to the 20th of March then current, both inclusive, and to take a copy thereof. Upon the former of which measures they resolved, that the said letters had been properly inserted; that the house had by sufficient reasons shown, that the expunging those letters was both improper and unnecessary; that the right of directing what should, or should not be inserted in the minutes of the house, was solely in the house; and that the governor had not, nor could have, any right to interfere therein: and they ordered the printer to proceed with the publication of their minutes as they then stood; and with regard to the latter, they informed the governor by message, "that when their minutes should be revised and printed after the end of the session according to long continued custom, a fair copy should be presented to the governor; but that till then they hoped the governor would excuse them if they did not permit any body to inspect them, or any copy of them to be taken.” Here this little ruffle ended: and while it was yet subsisting, the governor informed the house, as a secret which he recommended to them to keep so, "that governor Shirley, with the concurrence of his council and assembly, having, among other measures, formed a design to build a fort near Crown Point, within the limits of his majesty's territories, had sent commissioners to this and other governments, to solicit their contributions to the same undertaking; that the said governor had written to him fully upon this head, that he should communicate his letter to them, that they might see what was expected from the province; that Mr. Quincy, his commissioner, was actually arrived, and had made his application to him; and that he heartily recommended it to them to grant the necessary supplies for that important service.” Upon the heels of this, by another message he also informed them of, and congratulated them upon, the arrival of the transports, with the forces and artillery destined for the American service in Virginia; after which he proceeded, as in the last session, to say, "that his majesty's care and affection for his subjects in America having induced him to so large and seasonable an assistance, for the recovery of those possessions which the French, contrary to the faith of treaties, had seized, they would be greatly wanting to themselves if they neglected the opportunity to frustrate the attempts of that perfidious people; that to render his majesty's measures effectual, it was expected, that the colonies should raise an additional number of forces, and should furnish provisions and all necessaries to those employed for their protection; as they would see by a letter from the earl of Halifax, and another from general Braddock, which were to be laid before them; that this being so reasonable in itself, he could not doubt its being readily complied with by all the provinces, in proportion to their abilities; and he hoped, that as Pennsylvania was the most interested in the event, they would exert themselves as became the representatives of a province actually invaded, and having their all depending on the success of the present enterprise; that he earn estly besought them to consider what might be the consequence of their refusing to grant the necessary supplies, as they might be assured his majesty would not condescend to recommend to them in vain the making pro- may not lose this happy opportunity of revision for their own defence, but would doubt- covering his majesty's dominions, now invaded less, upon their refusal, be enabled by his par- by the subjects of the French king, and preliament to oblige those who reaped the im-venting their unjust encroachments for the mediate benefit of such a chargeable protec- future. any tion to contribute their proportion of it; and "But if these repeated recommendations of that if by a disappointment in the articles ex-so reasonable a supply, shall fail of the desired pected to be supplied by them, the great ex-effect, and ill consequences should atpense the nation had been put to for the se-tend it, his majesty and his ministers, a Bricurity of these invaluable branches of the tish parliament, your own constituents, and British empire, should be rendered unavail- the neighbouring governments will be at no able, they could not but think they would loss on whom to lay the blame." justly draw upon themselves the resentment of his majesty, and a British parliament.” This message was also accompanied with another, dated March 31, in which the goHow unusual soever such language was on vernor having referred to an account to be such occasions, and how inconsistent soever given them by his secretary, of several matwith the claims and rights of freemen, the as-ters committed to the care of one Scarroyady, sembly not only stifled their resentments of an Indian chief, by the Ohio Indians, made it, but proceeded the very same day to do all use of it as an additional goad to the assembly, that was required of them with all the alacrity in the manner following: imaginable. Twenty-five thousand pounds was the sum they granted to the king's use: five thousand pounds of it was appropriated for the sum borrowed for the service at the last sitting; ten thousand pounds for the purchase of provisions, at the request of the government of Massachusetts-bay, for victualling their forces; five thousand pounds, to answer the occasional draughts of general Braddock; and the remaining five thousand for the maintenance of such Indians as had taken refuge in the province, and other contingent expenses in their votes expressed and the whole was to be raised by an emission of paper bills to the same amount, and to be sunk by an extension of the excise for ten years. : If the other part of the former bill concerning torn and ragged bills, was mentioned, or at all insisted upon, it could not be carried; the majority on this occasion resolving, that no provincial consideration of that kind should furnish the least pretence for any obstruction to the general service. Upon the 28th of March, 1755, this bill was left with the governor, and on the first of the next month he sent them the following message, viz. "Gentlemen, "Your bill for striking twenty-five thousand pounds, being contrary to his majesty's instructions relating to paper-money, and of the same nature with the bill I refused my assent to the last sitting of the assembly, I cannot pass it into a law, without a breach of duty to the crown; and I am concerned you should offer such a bill to me, when you had agreed to submit the dispute between us, upon one of the like kind, to his majesty. "As this is a time of imminent danger, and the forces raised and destined for the service of the colonies must wait the supplies from this province, I again entreat you to fall upon some other method of raising money, that we "Gentlemen, "So much depends on the disposition and measures of the Indians at this time, that I must earnestly recommend it to you to make provision for the ensuing treaty, as well as to enable me to take proper notice of this chief, who is so hearty in our interest, and of the " young men he has brought along with him, in order to be employed in some services, which, he says, are of importance to the general cause. "It will readily occur to you, that the several western Indians, who wish well to the English interest, wait with impatience for the return of this chief, and will form their measures according to the report which he shall make to them of our treatment of them: for which reason, it will be of the last consequence, that this chief, and these young men, go from us well clothed, and perfectly well pleased." On the same day also, Mr. Quincy, commissioner to the province from the government of Massachusetts-bay, presented a me- a morial to the assembly, which containing an unquestionable testimonial in their favour, deserves to be inserted entire as follows, viz. "Gentlemen, "I am extremely sorry to find, that notwithstanding all the motives and arguments I was able to offer his honour the lieutenantgovernor, he did not see his way clear to give his consent to the money-bill you have laid before him. "The cheerfulness with which you therein granted ten thousand pounds, for victualling the forces intended to march from New England to secure his majesty's territories, leaves me no room to doubt your zeal for his majesty's service, or your hearty concurrence with the government I have the honour to represent, in the measures now proposed for our common safety; and therefore, though you are unhappily disappointed in the manner of 1 your grant, I flatter myself you will not fail | vince; they had overlooked whatever was of to find some other means of rendering it effec-fensive in the governor's messages and behatual. "The advantages which a speedy and vigorous execution of those measures promises to all the colonies, and the mischiefs which a neglect of them will entail upon us and our posterity, are clearly pointed out, and fully illustrated in the papers which have been the subject of your late deliberations. viour to them, they had forborne all altercation thereon; and Mr. Quincy, on behalf of the government he represented, presented them such a paper of acknowledgment, as abundantly verifies all that is here said of them, to wit: "SIR,-The sum which this honourable assembly has granted to his majesty's use, and appropriated for victualling the troops intended to be marched for securing his majesty's territories, is an instance of your concern and zeal for the public safety, which I doubt not will be highly acceptable to his majesty. And as it was made in consequence of my application to you, I beg leave to return you my grateful sense and acknowledgment; and to assure you, in the name and behalf of the government I have the honour to represent, that it will be duly applied to the purposes for which it was granted." "In rendering this important service to the crown, to the British nation, and to their fellow-subjects in the other governments, New England offers to spend her treasure as freely as her blood, and, were her abilities equal to her zeal, would as cheerfully bear the whole expense, as she undertakes the whole hazard of the enterprise. But the vast yearly charge she is subjected to, by her vicinity to the French, and the necessity of defending so extensive a frontier from the incursions of those perfidious people, and their Indians, both in The governor, however, dissatisfied still, time of peace and war, has so exhausted her because disappointed and defeated, first evadfinances, and burdened her with such a loaded the assembly's demand of the restitution of of debt, that, without the assistance of the neighbouring more wealthy colonies, she must drop the design, however promising and glorious, as utterly impracticable. 66 Happy will your province be, gentlemen, if you can still keep those dangerous people at a distance from your borders, by which you will be free from the many mischiefs we have always suffered by their neighbourhood. their bill according to custom, and then refused it, saying, "That it was a bill of so extraordinary a nature, that he thought it his duty to lay it before his majesty, and should keep it for that purpose." He also informed them by message of intelligence he had received, that the French had fitted out fifteen sail of the line, with which they were sending out six thousand land "The opportunity is now offered you, and, forces, and that the king's ministers were not if embraced, will, by the blessing of God, se- in the secret of their destination; yet as they cure your future peace and prosperity. But were bound for America, and could not be igwhatever you do, should be determined in-norant that Pennsylvania was both a plentistantly, for the season flies, and the delay may De as pernicious as a refusal. "I have just received advice, that Connecticut has voted fifteen hundred men, and that even the little government of Rhode Island has granted four hundred, the expense of which will be more than is asked of you. New York seems heartily disposed to do her part; and there is reason to think that your good example may have an advantageous influence on your neighbours of New Jersey. "I need say no more to urge you to a speedy and effectual resolution, but conclude, with the utmost respect, gentlemen, Yours, &c." The rest of the day was spent in debates, as it was natural it should; but on the morrow they resolved to raise fifteen thousand pounds on the credit of the province, in the manner they had done before; that is to say, five thousand pounds to repay the sum so before borrowed for victualling the king's troops, and ten thousand pounds to answer the request of the Massachusetts government, so earnestly enforced by Mr. Quincy. Thus, one would think, they had done all that could be reasonably required of men: they had dropt the particular concern of the pro ful and defenceless country, he thought it his duty to call upon them to enable him to put it into a posture of defence, by establishing a regular militia, and providing the necessary stores of war. This message was dated April 3d, and yet on the 8th following he advised them to make a short adjournment, because he was to receive the governors Shirley and De Lancey, that evening, and was to accompany them to Annapolis, there to confer with general Braddock, and the governors Sharpe of Maryland, and Dinwiddie of Virginia; after which, it was probable, he should have several matters to lay before the assembly; but, as a parting stroke, he called upon them to make some provision for Scarroyady, before mentioned, and his young men, which they did-not without some wholesome hints, that they had been long enough already a charge to the province; that there were proper lands where, and it was a proper season when, they might both hunt, and plant their corn, by which they might provide for themselves; and that as to the Indian treaty they had been required to make provision for, the governor could not expect they could come to any immediate resolution, |