Britain, of pine boards; they having fifty sawmills on one river. These accounts are very satisfactory here, and induce the Parliament to despise and take no notice of the Boston resolutions. I wish you would send your account before the meeting of next Parliament. You have only to report a glasshouse for coarse window glass and bottles, and some domestic manufactures of linen and woollen for family use, that do not half clothe the inhabitants, all the finer goods coming from England and the like. I believe you will be puzzled to find any other, though I see great puffs in the papers. The Parliament is up, and the nation in a ferment with the new elections. Great complaints are made that the natural interests of country gentlemen in their neighbouring boroughs is overborne by the moneyed interests of the new people, who have got sudden fortunes in the Indies, or as contractors. Four thousand pounds is now the market price for a borough. In short, this whole venal nation is now at market, will be sold for about two millions, and might be bought out of the hands of the present bidders (if he would offer half a million more) by the very Devil himself. I shall wait on Lord H. again next Wednesday, on behalf of the sufferers by Indian and French depredations, to have an allowance of lands out of any new grant made by the Indians, so long solicited, and perhaps still to be solicited, in vain. I am your affectionate father, B. FRANKLIN. P. S. I dined yesterday with General Monckton, Major Gates, Colonel Lee,1 and other officers, who have served in 1 Afterwards General Gates, and General Charles Lee, of the American Continental Army. — S. and are friends of America. Monckton inquired kindly after your welfare. 466. TO THE COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA 1 1 GENTLEMEN, London, March 13, 1768. On receipt of your letter of January 20, Mr. Jackson and myself waited on Lord Hillsborough, the new secretary of state for American affairs, and communicated to him the contents, pressing the necessity of enforcing the orders already sent to Sir William Johnson, for immediately settling the affair of the boundary line with the Indians. His Lordship was pleased to assure us, that he would cause duplicates of the orders to be forwarded by this packet, and urge the completion of them. We communicated also the copy of General Gage's letter, and the messages that had passed between the governor and the House thereupon. His Lordship acquainted us that a letter from Governor Penn had been shown him by the Proprietor, importing that a horrid murder had lately been committed on the Indians, upon which the governor had issued a proclamation for apprehending the murderer; and that a bill was under his and the Council's consideration to prevent future settlements on Indian lands. But his Lordship remarked, that these messages had not been communicated to him by the Proprietor. 1 From "The Works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin" (Duane), Phila., 1817, Vol. VI, p. 274. — ED. Government here begins to grow tired of the enormous expense of Indian affairs, and of maintaining posts in the Indian country; and it is now talked of, as a proper measure, to abandon these posts, demolishing all but such as the colonies may think fit to keep up at their own expense; and also to return the management of their own Indian affairs into the hands of the respective provinces as formerly. What the result will be, is uncertain, counsels here being so continually fluctuating. But I have urged often, that after taking those affairs out of our hands, it seems highly incumbent on the ministry not to neglect them, but to see that they are well managed and the Indians kept in peace. I think however that we should not too much depend on their doing this, but look to the matter a little ourselves, taking every opportunity of conciliating the affections of the Indians, by seeing that they always have justice done them, and sometimes kindness. For I can assure you, that here are not wanting people, who though not now in the ministry, no one knows how soon they may be; and if they were ministers, would take no step to prevent an Indian war in the colonies; being of opinion, which they express openly, that it would be a very good thing, in the first place, to chastise the colonists for their undutifulness, and then to make them sensible of the necessity of protection by the troops of this country. Mr. Jackson, being now taken up with his election business, will hardly have time to write by this opportunity. But he joins with me in respects to you and the Assembly, and assurances of our most faithful services. I am, Gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. 467. TO THE COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE IN PENNSYLVANIA 1 GENTLEMEN, 1 London, Saturday, April 16, 1768. I have just received your favour of February 20, directed to Mr. Jackson and myself, containing instructions for our conduct relating to the application for a repeal of the duty act, to the change of government, and to the legal tender of paper money; which instructions we shall observe to the best of our abilities. Mr. Jackson has read your letter, and is now reading the messages and other papers transmitted to us, which we shall lay before the secretaries of state on Monday, and thereupon press the necessity of a change in the administration of our province. The Parliament will have a short session, it is said, in May, when, if any application is made for the repeal of that act, by the agents of the other colonies, we shall join them heartily, and do what we can likewise in the affair of paper money. In the mean time, should an Indian war make it necessary to emit paper money with a legal tender, it may be considered how far the fourth clause in the act of the 24 Geo. II. might give countenance to your providing in that way for the emergency; that act not being altered or repealed by any later, it seems as if the Parliament thought that clause not improper, though they have not expressly made the same provision for the other colonies. The mail being to go this evening, I can only add, that I am with the utmost respect for you and the Assembly, Gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. 1 From "The Works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin" (Duane), Phila., 1817, Vol. VI, p. 276. — ED. 468. TO WILLIAM FRANKLIN1 DEAR SON, London, April 16, 1768. Since my last, a long one, of March 13th, nothing has been talked or thought of here but elections. There have been amazing contests all over the kingdom, twenty or thirty thousand pounds of a side spent in several places, and inconceivable mischief done by debauching the people and making them idle, besides the immediate actual mischief done by drunken mad mobs to houses, windows, &c. The scenes have been horrible. London was illuminated two nights running at the command of the mob for the success of Wilkes, in the Middlesex election. The second night exceeded any thing of the kind ever seen here on the greatest occasions of rejoicing, as even the small cross-streets, lanes, courts, and other out-of-the-way places were all in a blaze with lights, and the principal streets all night long, as the mobs went round again after two o'clock, and obliged people who had extinguished their candles to light them again. Those who refused had all their windows destroyed. The damage done, and expense of candles, has been computed at fifty thousand pounds. It must have been great, though probably not so much. The ferment is not yet over, for he has promised to surrender himself to the court next Wednesday, and another tumult is then expected; and what the upshot will be no one can yet foresee. It is really an extraordinary event to see an outlaw and an exile, of bad personal character, not worth a 1 From "The Works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin" (Duane), Phila., 1817, Vol. VI, p. 277.— Ed. |
