transmitted to them through the hands of their governor. Their true interest (which they will always find to consist in just, equitable, and generous measures, and in securing the affections of their people) was consulted in it, and one suitable means proposed to obtain that end.-As to rank, the proprietaries may remember, that the crown has likewise been pleased to give the assemblies of this province a rank; a rank which they hold, not by hereditary descent, but as they are the voluntary choice of a free people, unbribed, and even unsolicited: but they are sensible that true respect is not necessarily connected with rank, and that it is only from a course of action suitable to that rank they can hope to obtain it.'

Coming then to the eighth, they express their surprize at the concern affected by the proprietaries, on their being, as they say, laid under a necessity of acquainting the public with a state of the provincial revenue, the said revenue being annually settled, stated, printed, and published by the assembly, and having so been for thirty years past: adding, that whatever reasons the proprietaries might have to make a secret of their revenue, the province had none.-The manner in which the proprietaries reason concerning taxes they object to in the next place, as inaccurate and inconclusive: asserting, that taxes, how reasonably soever imposed or willingly paid, are, nevertheless, taxes: that all taxes ought upon the whole, to produce more good to those who pay them, than the same sum left at their own disposal, in which case they are no burden, &c. and concluding thus ; after estimating our whole present revenue, as if it had been the same for twenty years past, and would certainly continue, though the proprietaries know it depends on temporary acts near expiring, the renewal of which is at best dubious, they conclude that four hundred pounds a year, for Indian expences, is a small sum, and that we are under no necessity of being frugal, on this account, of the public money. This four hundred a year is the sum that they find has been paid on an average for twenty years past, and they take no notice of its being a growing charge, and that for the four last years before

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the representation, it amounted to nearly twelve hundred a year, which we conceive disinterested persons will think a very large sum: and although the same excise might have been raised, if not half that money had been expended, it does not seem to us to follow, that the proprietaries ought not to have paid their just proportion of it; if the sum be small, their proportion of it must have been smaller: and the money so saved might have been applied to some other use, beneficial to the public; or have remained ready in the treasury for any emergency.'

In return to the ninth they say, the people of Pennsylvania pay, proportionably, as much towards the support of his majesty's government, in the shape of duties and excise, as the proprietary family, or any other subjects; indeed as much as an infant colony can bear; and more they hoped and believed the justice of a British parliament would never burden them with: adding, 'the proprietaries exemption was not published till now at their own instance, it was made use of as a private motive to themselves only in the representation.'

To the tenth, which regards the Indian interpreter, among other things equally pertinent, they say, 'we suppose the instance alluded to, wherein the assembly did not fully satisfy him, must have been such as the proprietaries were concerned in by the purchase of lands; and a part might be accordingly left for them to pay.'-And for themselves and all other assemblies, they declare their hope and belief, that no service from the proprietaries to the province, will ever be suffered to pass without grateful acknowledgments and pro

per returns.

Of the proprietary right to a monopoly of land, whether from the crown or assembly, they, in answer to the eleventh article, wave all dispute; it being every way conclusive alike, 'that those in whose favour such monopoly was created, ought, at least, to bear a part of the expence necessary to secure them the full benefit of it.'

Lastly, having already given the concluding five articles of the proprietary paper in the intire, it is but reasonable to subjoin the intire answers, which were as follow. To wit.

12. In the twelfth paragraph, three things appear somewhat extraordinary to your committee. 1. That the proprietaries should deny that treaties for land are made at less expence on account of provincial presents accompanying them; which we think any disinterested judge would at least allow to be probable. 2. That they should say the last purchase was made on no other account, but purely to save the province the expence of a present; as if they had no occasion to purchase more land of the Indians, or found no advantage in it. 3. That to prove such purchases were not the cheaper on account of provincial presents accompanying them, they should give an instance in which, they themselves say, the purchase was the dearer for want of such presents. If purchases are dearer to the proprietaries when no provincial presents accompany them, does not this clearly confirm the assertion of the assembly, that they are the cheaper when there are such presents? and does it not prove what the proprietaries deny?'

13. It appears by their thirteenth paragraph that the proprietaries think the part they voluntarily submit to bear, and expect always to bear, of public expences, is greater than their proportion, equitably laid, would amount to. If this be so, and they are, as they say, "far from desiring to avoid contributing to any public expence which it is reasonable they should bear a part of, although their estate is not by law liable to be taxed," your committee are at a loss to conceive, why they should refuse, "to enter into an agreement for the payment of any particular proportion of Indian or other public expences," when such agreement might save them money, and is proposed to prevent dissatisfactions, and to preserve union and harmony between them and the people; unless it be to shew their utter contempt of such union and har mony, and how much they are above valuing the people's regard.

'The charge on former assemblies, that they neglected the defence of the proprietaries' city, your committee cannot but think unkind, when it is known to the world, that they gave many thousand pounds during the war to the king's use, besides paying near three thousand pounds at one time, to

make good the damages done to the masters of servants, by the irregular and oppressive proceedings of the proprietaries lieutenant; and that their not providing cannon to defend the city was not from neglect, but other considerations set forth at large in the printed proceedings of those times, needless now to be repeated. At the same time it may be remembered, that though the defence of the proprietaries city, as they are pleased to term it, by batteries of cannon, was more their interest (we will not say duty) than any other persons whatsoever, and they now represent it as a thing so necessary, yet they themselves really neglected, and even discouraged it; while some private gentlemen gave sums nearly equal to that they mention, and many contributed vastly more, considering their circumstances, by which means those batteries were not only completed in season, but the defence of both town and country in that way provided for; whereas this boasted assistance of four hundred pounds' worth of cannon, was sent, like Venetian succours, after the wars were over. Yet we doubt not, but the proprietary who sent them has long since had the thanks of those who received them, though we cannot learn that they ever were favoured with any from him, for what they did and expended in defence. of his share of the province property.'

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14. The fourteenth paragraph of the proprietaries' answer seems calculated merely for the same design with which they charge the representation, viz. to amuse the weaker part of the people. If they are really disposed to favour the drinkers of spirituous liquors, they may do it without a law, by instructing their lieutenants to abate half the license fees, which would enable the retailers to sell proportionably cheaper; or to refuse licenses to more than half the present number of public houses, which might prevent the ruin of many families, and the great increase of idleness, drunkenness, and other immoralities among us.

15. In return to the good resolutions expressed by the proprietaries in their fifteenth section, your committee hope. that future, as well as past assemblies will likewise endeavour to make the public good the rule of their actions, and upon all occasions consult the true interest and honour of the pro

prietary family, whatever may be the sentiments or conduct of any of its particular branches. To this end, we think the honest and free remarks contained in this report, may be more conducive than a thousand flattering addresses. And we hope, that when the proprietaries shall think fit to reconsider this matter, they will be persuaded, that agreeing to an equitable proportion of expence will be a good means of taking away one handle of dissention from "men of warm uneasy spirits, if such should ever unhappily procure themselves to be elected."

16. Yet if the proprietaries are really desirous of preserving an union and harmony between themselves and this people, we cannot but be surprized at their last paragraph, whereby they endeavour to cut off the assemblies access to them, in cases where the answers received from their deputies may not be thought agreeable to the public good. No king of England, as we can remember, has ever taken on himself such state, as to refuse personal applications from the meanest of his subjects, where the redress of a grievance could not be obtained of his officers. Even sultans, sophies, and other eastern absolute monarchs will, it is said, sometimes sit whole days to hear the complaints and petitions of their very slaves; and are the proprietaries of Pennsylvania, become too great to be addressed by the representatives of the freemen of their province? if they must not be reasoned with, because they have given instructions, nor their deputy because he has received them; our meetings and deliberations are hence. forth useless; we have only to know their will and to obey.

'To conclude; if this province must be at more than two thousand pounds a year expense, to support a proprietary's deputy, who shall not be at liberty to use his own judgment in passing laws [as is intimated to us in the fourteenth section of the answer we have been considering] but the assent must be obtained from chief governors, at three thousand miles distance, often ignorant or misinformed in our affairs, and who will not be applied to or reasoned with when they have given instructions. We cannot but esteem those colonies that are under the immediate care of the crown in a much