Friday, I could swallow nothing but barley water and the like. On Friday came on a fit of the gout, from which I had been free five years. Immediately the inflammation and swelling in my throat disappeared; my foot swelled greatly, and I was confined about three weeks; since which I am perfectly well, the giddiness and every other disagreeable symptom having quite left me. I hope your health is likewise by this time quite reëstablished; being as ever, my dear child, your affectionate husband, A number of new engagements, occasioned by the death of Mr. Growdon, which detained me in the country for the most part of several months, prevented my acknowledging the receipt of your favors of January 11th, March 21st, and April 10th. I am much obliged to you for the state of American affairs on your side of the water, contained in yours of March 21st. The ministry are much mistaken in imagining, that there ever will be a union, either of affections or interest, between Great Britain and America, until justice is done to the latter, and there is a full restoration of its liberties. The people here are resolved to adhere to their former non-importation agreement. The people of Boston and Maryland are of the same opinion, until the duty on tea is taken off. The Yorkers and Rhode Islanders seem to be divided among VOL. VII. 61 00 themselves, but I think they will soon concur to support the cause of liberty. I am greatly surprised at the conduct of the administration, in relation to the New York and New Jersey paper money bills. The reasons assigned for their rejection are really ridiculous, and can be accounted for on no other ground, than that they are determined the Americans shall not have any paper medium at all. Is not every promiser in a promissory note obliged to receive his note, every banker to take his bill, and every drawer of a bill of exchange to take it back, if not paid; and yet I never understood that such notes or bills were ever deemed legal tender? When I lend to or deposit with another, one hundred pounds, he gives me paper, or a promissory note for repayment. Is he not Is he not obliged to receive his paper and deliver me my deposit? Such is the case of a bank bill, and inland bill of exchange, as well as foreign. And the same is the case with respect to American paper money. A farmer pledges his land to the government, and takes paper. When he comes to redeem his pledge, ought he not to return the paper, and ought not the government to be obliged to receive it in discharge of the land? To say that the statute intended to prevent this, is to say it prohibits all paper money in America. But how is their conduct on this occasion to be reconciled with what has passed heretofore. Several of our late laws for the support of government, and the act for payment of the debts of the House of Employment, were liable to the same objection, and yet they have been laid before the King in Council, and passed unrepealed. I am much pleased with your information, that Mr. Jackson is appointed counsel to the Board of Trade. From his good disposition towards America, his knowl edge of our affairs, and his great candor and integrity, we have good reason to hope our laws will not be rejected on frivolous pretences and partial policy. Nothing occurred in our winter or spring sittings worth communicating, or, engaged as I have been, I should have wrote to you on what passed. Several matters of consequence were agitated, but failed; some in the House, some with the governor; particularly a loan-office bill, which he rejected, (though the disposition of the money was to have been by act of Assembly,) because we would not give him, in a manner, the sole nomination of the trustees. But this I do not now regret, since I have been informed of the temper the ministry are in, with respect to American currency. I am, &c. JOSEPH GALLOWAY. TO MRS. MARY HEWSON. DEAR POLLY, London, 24 July, 1770. I wrote a few lines to you last week, in answer to yours of the 15th, since which I have been in the country; and, returning yesterday, found your good mother was come home, and had got a letter from you of the 20th. She has just put it into my hands, and desired me to write to you, as she is going into the city with Miss Barwell to buy things. Whether she will have time to write herself, or whether, if she had, she would get over her natural aversion to writing, I cannot say. I rather think she will content herself with your knowing what she should say, and would say, if she wrote; and with my letting you know, that she is well, and very happy in hearing that you are so. Your friends are all much pleased with your ac count of the agreeable family, their kind reception and entertainment of you, and the respect shown you; only Dolly and I, though we rejoice and shall do so in every thing that contributes to your happiness, are now and then in low spirits, supposing we have lost each a friend. Barwell says she conceives nothing of this; and that we must be two simpletons to entertain such imaginations. I showed her your letter to your mother, wherein you say, "Dolly is a naughty girl, and, if she does not mend, I shall turn her off; for I have got another Dolly now, and a very good Dolly too." She begged me not to communicate this to Dolly, for though said in jest, yet, in her present state of mind, it would hurt her. I suppose that it was for the same good-natured reason, that she refused to show me a paragraph of your letter to Dolly, that had been communicated by Dolly to her. * July 25th. The above was written yesterday, but, being interrupted, I could not finish my letter in time. for the post; though I find I had little to add. Your mother desires me to express abundance of affection for you, and for Mr. Hewson; and to say all the proper things for her, with respect to the rest of your friends there. But you can imagine better than I can write. Sally and little Temple join in best wishes of prosperity to you both. Make my sincerest respects acceptable to Mr. Hewson, whom, exclusive of his other merits, I shall always esteem in proportion to the regard he manifests for you. Barwell tells me, that your aunt had received his letter, and was highly pleased with it and him; so I hope all will go well there; and I shall take every opportunity of cultivat * William Temple Franklin, son of William Franklin, Governor of New Jersey. ing her good disposition, in which I think you used to be sometimes a little backward, but you always had your reasons. of I am apt to love everybody that loves you, and therefore I suppose I shall in time love your new mother, and new sister, and new Dolly. I find I begin to like them already, and, if you think proper, you may tell them so. But your old Dolly and I have agreed to love each other better than ever we did, to make up as much as we can our supposed loss you. We like your assurance of continued friendship, unimpaired by your change of condition, and we believe you think as you write; but we fancy we know better than you. You know I once knew your heart better than you did yourself. As a proof that I am right, take notice, that you now think this the silliest letter I ever wrote to you, and that Mr. Hewson confirms you in that opinion. However, I am still what I have been so many years, my dear good girl, your sincerely affectionate friend and servant, B. FRANKLIN. TO CADWALLADER EVANS. Transit of Venus. - Reeling of Silk. -Non- DEAR DOCTOR, London, 27 August, 1770. I am favored with yours of June 10th. With this I send you our last volume of Philosophical Transactions, wherein you will see printed the Observations of Messrs. Biddle and Bayley on the Transit, as well as those of Messrs. Mason and Dixon relating to the |