on Admission; the Orphans to have Credit for any Subsistence brought in with them, and for the Profit made of it and of their Labour, and made Debtors for their Maintenance and Education. And at their Discharge on coming of Age, to be paid the Ballance, if any, in their favour, or remain Debtors for the ballance, if against them, which they may be exhorted to pay, if ever able, but not to be compell'd. Such as receive a Ballance may be exhorted to give back a Part in Charity to the Institution that has taken such kind Care of them, or at least to remember it favourably, if hereafter God should bless them with Ability, either in Benefaction while living, or a Legacy on Decease. The Orphans, when discharg'd, to receive, besides decent Clothing and some Money, a Certificate of their good Behaviour, if such it has been, as a Recommendation; and the Managers of the Institution should still consider them as their Children, so far as to counsel them in their Affairs, encourage and promote them in their Business, watch over and kindly admonish them when in danger of Misconduct.

1804. PLAN

FOR IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF THE FREE BLACKS

THE business relative to free blacks shall be transacted by a committee of twenty-four persons, annually elected by ballot, at the meeting of this Society,' in the month called April; and, in order to perform the different services with expedition,

1 The Society for promoting the Abolition of Slavery and the Relief of Free Blacks. ED.

regularity, and energy, this committee shall resolve itself into the following sub-committees, viz.

I. A Committee of Inspection, who shall superintend the morals, general conduct, and ordinary situation of the free negroes, and afford them advice and instruction, protection from wrongs, and other friendly offices.

II. A Committee of Guardians, who shall place out children and young people with suitable persons, that they may (during a moderate time of apprenticeship or servitude) learn some trade or other business of subsistence. The committee may effect this partly by a persuasive influence on parents and the persons concerned, and partly by coöperating with the laws, which are, or may be, enacted for this and similar purposes. In forming contracts on these occasions, the committee shall secure to the Society, as far as may be practicable, the right of guardianship over the persons so bound.

III. A Committee of Education, who shall superintend the school instruction of the children and youth of the free blacks. They may either influence them to attend regularly the schools already established in this city, or form others with this view; they shall, in either case, provide, that the pupils may receive such learning as is necessary for their future situation in life, and especially a deep impression of the most important and generally acknowledged moral and religious principles. They shall also procure and preserve a regular record of the marriages, births, and manumissions of all free blacks.

IV. A Committee of Employ, who shall endeavour to procure constant employment for those free negroes who are able to work; as the want of this would occasion poverty, idleness, and many vicious habits. This committee will,

by sedulous inquiry, be enabled to find common labour for a great number; they will also provide, that such as indicate proper talents may learn various trades, which may be done by prevailing upon them to bind themselves for such a term of years as shall compensate their masters for the expense and trouble of instruction and maintenance. The committee may attempt the institution of some useful and simple manufactures, which require but little skill, and also may assist, in commencing business, such as appear to be qualified for it.

Whenever the committee of inspection shall find persons of any particular description requiring attention, they shall immediately direct them to the committee of whose care they are the proper objects.

In matters of a mixed nature, the committees shall confer, and, if necessary, act in concert. Affairs of great importance shall be referred to the whole committee.

The expense, incurred by the prosecution of this plan, shall be defrayed by a fund, to be formed by donations or subscriptions for these particular purposes, and to be kept separate from the other funds of this Society.

The committee shall make a report of their proceedings, and of the state of their stock, to the Society, at their quarterly meetings, in the months called April and October.

VOL. X-K

1805. SOME GOOD WHIG PRINCIPLES1

DECLARATION of those RIGHTS of the Commonalty of Great Britain, without which they cannot be FREE.

It is declared,

First, That the government of this realm, and the making of laws for the same, ought to be lodged in the hands of King, Lords of Parliament, and Representatives of the whole body of the freemen of this realm.

Secondly, That every man of the commonalty (excepting infants, insane persons, and criminals) is, of common right, and by the laws of God, a freeman, and entitled to the free enjoyment of liberty.

Thirdly, That liberty, or freedom, consists in having an actual share in the appointment of those who frame the laws, and who are to be the guardians of every man's life, property, and peace; for the all of one man is as dear to him as the all of another; and the poor man has an equal right, but more need, to have representatives in the legislature than the rich

one.

Fourthly, That they who have no voice nor vote in the electing of representatives, do not enjoy liberty; but are absolutely enslaved to those who have votes, and to their representatives; for to be enslaved is to have governors whom other men have set over us, and be subject to laws made by the representatives of others, without having had representatives of our own to give consent in our behalf.

Fifthly, That a very great majority of the commonalty of

1 A printed paper, of which the following is a copy, was found among Dr. Franklin's papers, endorsed by him as above. — W. T. F.

this realm are denied the privilege of voting for representatives in Parliament; and, consequently, they are enslaved to a small number, who do now enjoy the privilege exclusively to themselves; but who, it may be presumed, are far from wishing to continue in the exclusive possession of a privilege, by which their fellow-subjects are deprived of common right, of justice, of liberty; and which, if not communicated to all, must speedily cause the certain overthrow of our happy constitution, and enslave us all.

And, sixthly and lastly, We also say and do assert, that it is the right of the commonalty of this realm to elect a new House of Commons once in every year, according to the ancient and sacred laws of the land; because, whenever a Parliament continues in being for a longer term, very great numbers of the commonalty, who have arrived at years of manhood since the last election, and therefore have a right to be actually represented in the House of Commons, are then unjustly deprived of that right.

1806. THE ART OF PROCURING PLEASANT

DREAMS1

INSCRIBED TO MISS [SHIPLEY], BEING WRITTEN AT HER

REQUEST

As a great part of our life is spent in sleep during which we have sometimes pleasant and sometimes painful dreams,

1 Sparks printed this bagatelle and assigned it conjecturally to the year 1772. Bigelow followed his example. While this volume was in the press, I found the following letter to Franklin from Miss Shipley (A. P. S.) which determines the date.

"Chilbolton, Nov 13th 1786. '... I have particularly to thank you for "The art of procuring pleasant