"The new ticket carried all but Harrison and Antis, and Fox and Hughes came in their room; but it is surprising that from upwards of 3900 votes, they should be so near each other. Mr. Willing and Mr. Bryan were elected Burgesses by a majority of upwards of one hundred votes, though the whole number was but about 1300. Mr. Franklin died like a philosopher. But Mr. Galloway agonized in death, like a mortal deist, who has no hopes of a future existence. The other Counties returned nearly the same members who had served them before, so that the old faction have still considerable majority in the House." "

After fourteen years of service Franklin was unseated by a majority of twenty-five in a vote of four thousand. When the Assembly met, his name was proposed as the agent of the House to present their petition to the king. Dickinson ineffectually opposed the nomination with all his eloquence. By a vote of nineteen to eleven Franklin was appointed the agent of the province. The minority prepared a protest which they asked to have inscribed upon the minutes. Franklin printed a reply entitled "Remarks on a Protest." *

A loan was authorized in order to raise money for his expenses. Eleven hundred pounds were subscribed. Franklin accepted five hundred, and on November 7, 1764, was escorted by a cavalcade of three hundred citizens to Chester

1 "Life of Joseph Reed," Vol. I, p. 37.

2 Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives for the Province of Pennsylvania. October 26, 1764.

"Resolved That Benjamin Franklin, Esq. be, and he is hereby appointed to embark with all convenient expedition for Great Britain, to join with and assist Rich Jackson Esq. our present Agent, in representing, soliciting and transacting the Affairs of this Province for the ensuing Year. A true extract from the Journals. Chas Moore, Clk of Assembly."

3 See Vol. IV, p. 273.

where he took ship for England.

Galloway, Wharton,

and James accompanied him in the ship from Chester to Newcastle and went ashore there. "The affectionate leave

taken of me by so many friends at Chester was very endearing," Franklin wrote to his daughter from Reedy Island, "God bless them and all Pennsylvania." 1

2

1

Out of the atmosphere of strife, pursued still by cries of passion and furious anger, Franklin slipped into the silence of the sea, and in thirty days reached England, and on the evening of the 10th of December was again in his old lodgings at No. 7, Craven Street. Cadwallader Evans wrote to him from Philadelphia: "A vessel from Ireland to New York brought us the most agreeable news of your arrival in London, which occasioned a great and general joy in Pennsylvania among those whose esteem an honest man would value most. The bells rang on that account till near midnight, and libations were poured out for your health, success, and every other happiness. Even your old friend Hugh Roberts stayed with us till eleven o'clock, which you know was a little out of his common road, and gave us many curious anecdotes within the compass of your forty years' acquaintance." A letter from William Franklin to William Strahan (February 18, 1765) relates the occurrences that followed hard upon Franklin's departure: "We have not heard anything from my Father since he sail'd, but I hope he has been safely landed in England at least two months ago. Since he left us Mr. Allen one of the principal Prop Tools in Pensylvania has employ'd that Miscreant Parson Smith,

1 To Sarah Bache, November 8, 1764.

2 "An Answer to Mr. Franklin's Remarks on a Late Protest" appeared just after the ship sailed.

and two or three other Prostitute Writers to asperse his Character, in which they have been very industrious. However, they have lately receiv'd a terrible Shock from Mr. Hughes, one of my Father's Friends, who being incens'd at their base Conduct published an Advertisement sign'd with his Name in which he promised that if Mr. Allen, or any Gent" of Character would undertake to justify the Charges brought against Mr. Franklin, he would pay £10 to the Hospital for every one they should prove to the Satisfaction of impartial Persons, provided they would pay £5. for every Falshood he should prove they had alledged against Mr. Franklin. But this Challenge they were afraid to accept, and therefore still kept their Names concealed; but as they thought that something must be done, they endeavoured to turn all Mr. Hughes's Challenge into Ridicule and raise the Laugh against him by an anonymous Answer. He, however, published a Reply with his Name subscribed, in which he has lash'd them very severely for their Baseness. Not being able to answer this, they employ'd one Dove, a Fellow who has some Talents for the lowest kind of Scurrility, to publish a Print with some Verses annex'd, vilifying my Father and some of the most worthy Men of the Province. By way of Revenge some Writer has attack'd them in their own Way, and turn'd all Dove's Verses against Mr. Allen, he being the Head of the Prop Party. This has enraged him excessively as those Verses and the Print had cost him upwards of £25. You will probably have seen, before this reaches you, the Advertisement, Answer and Reply, as they were printed in Mr. Hall's Newspaper, and therefore I send you the enclos'd Pamphlet which is likely to put a stop to that kind of Writing here for the future, as was the Intention of the Author. The Matter of the Prop

Party against my Father, on Account of his wanting to bring about a Change of Government, is beyond all Bounds. They glory in saying and doing Things to destroy his Character that would make even Devils blush. If he does not succeed I know not what will become of the Province, as there is such a rooted Hatred among a great Majority of the People against the Prop' Family. Do let me hear what you think of his Undertaking etc."

CHAPTER IV

THE STAMP ACT

FRANKLIN'S immediate business of presenting the petition of the Assembly of Pennsylvania for the change from proprietary to royal government was for a time postponed by the urgency and excitement occasioned by the threatened passage of the Stamp Act. Mr. Grenville, in the winter of 1763-1764, had "called together the agents of the several colonies and told them that he proposed to draw a revenue from America, and to that end his intention was to levy a stamp duty on the colonies by act of Parliament in the ensuing session, of which he thought it fit that they should be immediately acquainted, that they might have time to consider, and, if any other duty equally productive would be more agreeable to them, they might let him know of it." 1

The Assembly of Pennsylvania replied that the proposition of taxing them in Parliament was cruel and unjust. "That, by the constitution of the colonies, their business was with the King, in matters of aid; they had nothing to do with 1 See Vol. VII, p. 118.

any financier, nor he with them; nor were the agents the proper channels through which requisitions should be made it was therefore improper for them to enter in any stipulation, or make any proposition, to Mr. Grenville about laying taxes on their constituents by Parliament, which had really no right at all to tax them, especially as the notice he had sent them. did not appear to be by the king's order, and perhaps was without his knowledge; . . . But, all this notwithstanding, they were so far from refusing to grant money, that they resolved to the following purpose; that as they always had, so they always should think it 'their duty to grant aid to the crown, according to their abilities, whenever required of them in the usual constitutional manner.'

A copy of this resolution Franklin took with him to England and presented to Mr. Grenville at an interview which took place on the 2d of February, 1765, between the minister and the four colonial agents. Grenville listened politely to the presentation of the colonial resolution, but at once made it plain to the agents that he was irrevocably committed to the bill, that he would certainly offer it to the House, and that while the ears of the mother country would always be open to every remonstrance expressed in a becoming manner, he hoped that America would preserve moderation and temperance in the expression of objections.

In less than seven weeks the bill had passed almost without opposition through both Houses, and had received the royal assent. The news that the Stamp Act had become law was received in America with universal indignation. The colonies drew together in common protest. The Assemblies passed comminatory resolutions denouncing the tyranny and

1 See Vol. VII, p. 118.