sole right of the commons to direct, limit, and Maryland, and Pennsylvania; and, that he appoint in such bills, the ends, purposes, con- might not be delayed in his operations, those siderations, conditions, limitations, and quali- things might be immediately forwarded to him fications, of such grants, which ought not to under proper convoys; adding, that the said be changed by the house of lords." To say general had lately received intelligence, which nothing of certain remarkable provisions of he had communicated to him, that the French, theirs in the year 1678 (which, in a course of together with their Indians, intended, as soon conferences with the lords, they adhered to) as the army was far advanced, to fall upon the to appoint a receiver of their own for the ad- back country; and that, though the general ministration of the money then granted for the thought it a bravado, he also thought it advisepayment and disbanding of the army, and the able to take all possible precautions against payment of the same into the chamber of it; that he had called them together upon this London, instead of the exchequer. application and intelligence; that he had reTheir adjournment was to the first of Sep-commended it to them to enable him to furnish tember; but they were assembled by special summons on the 13th of June; and the first minute on their books of public note is, one, to specify the approbation given by the lords justices to governor Thomas's act for granting five thousand pounds out of bills of credit for the king's use. The date of this approbation is October 9, 1748, so that it was subsequent to the king's instruction so pertinaciously insisted upon; and having, either by some accident or neglect been overlooked thus long, the governor, as we have seen, had in the December before taken the advantage to express himself thus hardily to the assembly: "Colonel Thomas's conduct is no rule to me, nor will mine be for any one that may succeed me; and if we may judge from his not transmitting that act to England, we may presume, that he did not look upon that particular as the most recommendatory part of his administration. It is true, he was never censured for it; and, indeed, how could he, as the transaction was never made known to his majesty or his ministers."

And the next minute that follows this, concerning the said approbation, notifies,

That sundry letters from sir Peter Halket and colonel Dunbar were then read, acknowledging the receipt of certain presents from the house to the officers of their respective regiments, of the most considerate and acceptable kind, and returning thanks for the same. The reason of this summons assigned by the governor in his message was to this effect, "That general Braddock having begun his march towards fort Du Quesne, had represented to him, That in case he should reduce that fort, his intentions were to leave a garrison, with all the guns, stores, &c. he should find in it; that in case the French should abandon and destroy the fortifications, &c. as he had reason to apprehend they would, he should then repair it, or construct some place of defence; but that in either case, as the artillery, stores, &c. he had with him would be absolutely necessary for the prosecution of his plan, he was determined to leave none of them behind him, and expected to have all his wants of that kind, as well as provisions for his garrison, supplied by the governments of Virginia,

such of the things demanded as were proper for the province, and to conduct them to the places where they would be wanted, which could not be well done without a strong guard; as also by a militia or otherwise, to protect the said back country against the incursions of the enemy; that, upon the receipt of the general's letter, he had written to the governors of Virginia and Maryland, to know what shares of these supplies their governments would respectively furnish; that he needed not inforce the point by any other arguments, than that fort Du Quesne was within their province, and that the great expense the nation was at on this occasion would be thrown away, his majesty's intentions rendered abortive, and his arms dishonoured, if the countries the said general should recover were left in such a naked condition, that the French might take possession of them again, as soon as the army should be withdrawn, &c.

A very little skill in political matters would have shown those concerned, that there was rather more management concealed under this speech than was strictly necessary, and put them on their guard accordingly.

The assembly of Pennsylvania had some wisdom as well as much plainness; and therefore, by way of preliminary, desired to have the letter in their custody, which was to be the ground of their proceedings. The governor hesitated: said it contained many matters not proper to be made public; that it would not be safe, therefore, unless the house would previously promise him it should not be printed; but however, he would show it to a committee, if the house would appoint one for that purpose. The house on the other hand, renewed their request in writing, alleged that it had always been the custom, when assemblies were called together on occasion of letters received, to communicate those letters; that giving a committee a sight of letters, on which any important step was to be taken, did not seem sufficient; but that the letters should lie before the house to be read as often as necessary to the right understanding of the matters they contained or required; that the governor might safely put his trust in the prudence of the house; in fine, they would hear of no a

ternative, since the importance of the contents | in the preceding April, and paid out of the mo

of that letter had been urged as the reason for calling them together at so unseasonable a time of the year; and, as they could not take the letter into consideration without seeing it, they hoped he would not, by starting new methods of proceeding, and engaging them in trivial disputes, any longer obstruct or delay the public service.

ney in the disposition of the house, which was almost exhausted, could not answer all the purposes intended by the bill for granting twentyfive thousand pounds to which the governor refused his assent) had already prepared two money-bills, one for striking ten thousand pounds for the exchange of defaced bills, and one of fifteen thousand pounds more for the king's use, the governor's answer concerning general Braddock's letter came; and therein he asserted, that the governor for the time being had a right to call the assembly together whenever he thought the public service required it; that his speeches or messages were a sufficient foundation for them to proceed upon; that they having, by the plenitude of their own power, not only given their orders to the printers to proceed with the publication of the secretary of state's letters, in contradiction to his to the contrary, but also claimed a right of doing the same by any other papers laid before them, they could not be at a loss for the reason of his caution on the present occasion; that he being answerable for every secret of state that should be communicated to him for the king's service, and by the nature of his station the sole and only judge what letters and papers were proper to be made public, did expect a promise of secresy from the house, either verbal or otherwise, or something tantamount to it; and that otherwise he should not communicate it.

This was done the sixteenth. The next day, instead of an answer, the governor sent them down a brace of new messages. One in the morning, giving them to understand, "That the roads they had ordered to be made to the Ohio would be attended with a much greater expense than was at first imagined; that the money sent to the commissaries was already spent; that more was wanting; and, that the general having discharged the soldiers' wives out of the army, with a stoppage of one shilling sterling a week out of their husband's pay for their subsistence, it would become the compassion of the province to supply what would be farther necessary for that purpose;" and another in the afternoon, containing more intelligence. Intelligence he himself had now received, and had forwarded to the general: namely, that several bodies of troops had passed from Canada over the lake Ontario in their way to the Ohio, to join the forces already there; that the French were doing their utmost to engage the Indians on their side; and, rather than fail, were determined to oppose general Braddock with the whole force of Canada. Containing also a And, on the twenty-sixth following, the asrepetition of what in effect he had said before sembly returned their answer. In the opening concerning the back country; heightened of which, having admitted the governor's right with some new apprehensions, that when the or power to call them together, they, nevertroops were removed, the enemy might either theless, insist on the usual manner of exerciscut off or greatly interrupt their communica- ing it; that is to say, with a proper regard to tion with the province, which might be every the convenience of the members at their harway attended with fatal consequences. And vest, and to despatch, when necessarily sumall was made use of to authorize a fresh de- moned at that or other unseasonable times, mand for a militia-law, and a new demand for for the sake of keeping up a good understanda supply to enable him to build strong houses ing between the governor and them. 'But," on the new road to the Ohio, and to maintain said they, "should our governors consider such a number of men as should be necessary this power, as a power of bringing us togeto keep the communication between the pro- ther at a great expense to the country, merely vince and the army open, escort provisions, to show their abilities in contriving new stores, &c. that the general might neither be modes, or making new demands upon the peoforced to weaken his army by making detach-ple, to obstruct the ends of their meeting, we ments from it, nor expose those detachments to be surprised and cut off; and that he might occasionally make use of them as auxiliaries too, in case the numbers brought against him should make such a reinforcement necessary; and (after having rung all the changes that such a medley of demands and suggestions in such hands was capable or) making the province answerable, as usual, in case of non-compliance, for all mischiefs.

On the 21st, however, when the house (having taken into consideration, that the fifteen thousand pounds given to the king's use

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apprehend it will answer no valuable purpose." That his speeches and messages were a sufficient foundation for them to proceed upon, they also admitted to be occasionally true; but then they were of opinion, on the contrary, that when his writs of summons were founded on letters or advices, referred to in his said speeches and messages, they had a right to have the original papers laid before them; and they averred this had ever been the practice in their province; so that a different conduct at that time could only tend to obstruct the public business before them. "If governors,”

“We have only to entreat the governor would be pleased to give this bill all the despatch in his power, as our long sitting at this time is in every respect unseasonable, and the presence of many of our members is now absolutely necessary at their homes, for the better security of their harvests under their present calamitous circumstances."

they farther intimated, "might differ in their as that confirmation of our acts, which we modes of conducting themselves, according to presume will have its due weight with our the different reasons for choosing them or pur- governor, may be more certainly known to poses to be served by them, it became the peo-him than it appears to have hitherto been, we ple nevertheless to be consistent with them- take the liberty of sending him the original selves at all times, which could never be if confirmation. they did not make original papers the rule of their proceeding. The objection drawn from their printing the secretary of state's letter, so often recurred to by the governor, though so fully confuted, they would not allow to be of any weight, unless he could show, their printing it had discovered any of his majesty's designs and commands, with respect to the French, not more generally known before by his own messages, the public prints, and the speeches of other governors; especially as it had been communicated without any caution, and had been printed before this objection of his was known. Answerable for every secret of state communicated to him by his superiors as such, they seemed willing to allow; but such as he was enjoined to lay before the assembly, they contended, were so to be laid before them, and they were to be responsible for the use made of them afterwards. And as to his sole and only power of judging what papers were fit, and what not, to be laid before the public, they so far disputed it, as to except such papers as were necessary for their justification, which, they presumed, were subject to the decisions of their own prudence only, wherein they were assured he might very safely confide."

The more trivial this dispute may appear, the more apparent becomes that spirit of perverseness which the proprietaries had let loose, to keep the province in a perpetual broil; till, weary of the conflict, they should grow tame by degrees, and at last crouch, like the camel, to take up what load, and carry it what length of way, their drivers pleased.

On the said 21st of June, when the governor's litigious message thus answered came down, the house sent up their two money-bills with a message, importing, that the several services, by them enumerated, having almost exhausted their treasury, they had sent up a new bill to give the additional sum of fifteen thousand pounds for those purposes; in which bill, said they (for the rest of the message shall be given in their own words) "We have carefully followed the act passed by governor Thomas, in 1746, for granting five thousand pounds for the king's use, and the other acts relating to our bills of credit, confirmed by the crown on the twenty-ninth of October, 1748; from which acts so confirmed, the enacting clauses, so far as they could be made agreeable to our present circumstances, have been inserted in this bill, that every objection arising from the royal instruction to colonel Thomas, in 1740, might be obviated by a direct decision of the highest authority. And

To understand what is here meant by the words calamitous circumstances, it is necessary the reader should be informed, that Pennsylvania having been visited this year with a severe frost and drought, which had obliged the inhabitants in many places to mow their wheat, in order to supply the want of fodder for their cattle, no longer abounded in bread-corn, as it usually does; and very melancholy apprehensions began to be entertained, that the miseries of scarcity would be superadded to those of war.

From the 21st to the 25th, nevertheless, the governor brooded over the two bills (viz. the ten thousand pounds bill for exchange, and the fifteen thousand pounds bill for the king's use,) and then sent down a message acknowledging, that many of the bills of credit were in a bad condition; but requiring to be first satisfied, how much of the money formerly struck for exchanging bills, and of which three thousand three hundred and two pounds six shillings and eight pence was at the last settle. ment remaining in the hands of the trustecs, was still so remaining, before he passed that bill. He was answered the same day, that, according to the best computation that could be made, the sum was one thousand three hundred and two pounds six shillings and eight pence. Before that answer could reach his hands, his secretary was despatched to the house with such amendments to the other, which was the principal bill, as he was, unquestionably, preconvinced the assembly would never comply with. And that this is no uncharitable or unreasonable assertion, is manifest from the whole tenor of his conduct, which was demonstrably such as would have better became a French governor than an English one.

The assembly, however, bestowed a proper time of consideration on those amendments, and then acquainted him by message, that they adhered to their bill in all its parts; but accompanied this declaration with a question, Whether he would pass it into a law as it then stood? to which he answered first, that he would take it into consideration; and finally gave it under his hand, that he adhered to his amendments, without assigning any

reasons, desiring a conference, or having recourse to any other expedient usual on the like

occasions.

no distinction as to age or sex-as to those
that are armed against them, or such as they
can surprise in their peaceful habitations
all are alike the objects of their cruelty—
slaughtering the tender infant and the fright-
ed mother with equal joy and fierceness. To
such enemies, spurred on by the native cru-
elty of their tempers, encouraged by their

The ten thousand pounds bill for exchanging torn and defaced money, met with a better fate; for, after some concessions on both sides, it was passed into a law; and this was almost the only fruit of a session so unseasonably exacted, and introduced with such extra-late success, and having now no army to fear, ordinary demands.

They then acquainted the governor by message, that they proposed to adjourn to the first of September then next ensuing; and the governor signified in reply, that he had no objection thereto.

are the inhabitants of this province exposedand by such must we now expect to be overrun, if we do not immediately prepare for our own defence; nor ought we to content ourselves with this, but resolve to drive and confine the French to their own just limits."

Notwithstanding which he summoned them Here the noble example of the eastern again to meet on the 23d of July; and they governments (New England) in forcing the met accordingly, gave him notice thereof as enemy to keep a due distance from their borusual, and required a copy of the writs by ders, was recommended and enforced; and which they were summoned. His answer then returning to his main point, he again exwas not returned till the next day, and then patiated thus: "Allow me therefore, gentlewhat he said was to this effect: that he should men, to recommend to your most serious conhave laid the business he had for the consider-sideration the present state and condition of ation of the house before them the day preceding, had not the shocking news he had received, prevented his getting it ready time enough; but that the house should hear from him that morning, and also have the copy of the I writ as desired.

This shocking news was the strange, unprecedented, ignominious defeat of general Braddock; and what, if possible, is more shocking still, this incident, which, though so inconsiderable to the whole, struck so much horror through every part, had no other effect on him, than the miracles of Moses had on the heart of Pharaoh.

If the exposed condition of the province had before furnished him with topics for levies of money and troops, and for placing an unlimited confidence in him their governor, and his first movers the proprietaries, he now thought it would render his eloquence irresistible; and at all hazards resolved to make the most

of it.

Fear, though most and enfeebler of any of the passions, has the strongest dominion over us; and while we are scarce half of ourselves, it is not to be wondered, that we become the property of any body else.

With a face, and a voice, and whatever else was suitable for the practice now to be tried, did the governor now meet the assembly; and having despatched his text (the defeat of Braddock) in less than six lines, came at once to use and application in the terms following: "This unfortunate and unexpected change in our affairs, will deeply affect every one of his majesty's colonies, but none of them in so sensible a manner as this province, which, having no militia, is thereby left exposed to the cruel incursions of the French and their barbarous Indians, who delight in shedding human blood, and who make

your country, the danger to which the lives and properties of all those you have undertaken to represent, stand exposed at this critical and melancholy conjuncture; and to desire that you would not, by any ill-timed parsimony, by reviving any matters that have been in dispute, or from any other motive, suffer the people to remain any longer undefended, or the blood of the innocent to be shed by the cruel hands of savages. There are men enough in this province to protect it against any force the French can bring, and numbers of them are willing and desirous to defend their country upon the present occasion, but they have neither arms, ammunition, nor discipline, without which it will be impossible to repel an active enemy, whose trade is war. I therefore hope, that you will, without delay, grant such supplies as may enable me not only to secure, the people of this province, but by reinforcing and assisting the king's troops, enable them to remove the French from their present encroachments.

"If something very effectual be not done at this time for the safety and security of the province, the enemy, who know how to make the best use of a victory, will strengthen themselves in such a manner, that it will be next to impossible for us to remove them.”

In effect, the assembly chose, for this once, to be blind to the artificial part of his speech, and to discharge their own duty in such a manner, as should leave him, even on his own premises, inexcusable for any failure on his side.

On the very next day they granted an aid to the crown of fifty thousand pounds; and though it is plain by this that they did not want a goad, on the next following, when they had the ways and means of raising this sum under consideration, the governor, by mes

sage, apprised them that colonel Dunbar, "We have deliberately and seriously conwith the remainder of the king's forces, had sidered the governor's speech of the twentyreached fort Cumberland; and that, as soon fourth instant, together with the letters and as his circumstances would admit, he intend- papers he has been pleased to lay before us, ed to continue his march to Philadelphia; and by which we find, that the defeat of the forces, that he had laid these matters before them, under the immediate command of general that they might fall upon measures, as soon as Braddock, and the retreat of colonel Dunpossible, for the protection of the western bar, to fort Cumberland, are attended with frontier. very shocking circumstances; nevertheless, it gives us real satisfaction, under this unfortu

But this had not the desired effect; for the assembly in their reply most rationally suggest-nate and unexpected charge in our affairs, ed, that colonel Dunbar's forces might be employed on this service; and requested the governor to make use of his instances accordingly. This he could not refuse; but the sequel may show how little desirous he was of having the province defended by those forces.