plied with a copy of the greatest part of them even before they were finished; that it had been the constant practice of the house to have their minutes so revised, and to postpone the said revisal till after the rising of the house; and that till this was done, no copies had ever been given out, unless of special votes on special occasions; that the principal matters contained in these minutes were generally to be found in the governor's speeches or messages, and the answers of the house; and that these, together with such votes as were most material, were, for the most part, immediately printed in the newspapers, that the rest was chiefly matter of form; that, therefore, as it would be inconvenient to the house to make up and perfect their votes daily, so as to send a copy to the governor, as they saw no public service concerned in it, nor knew of any right in the governor so peremptorily to demand it, they were not inclined to alter their ancient custom; that his charge of taking extraordinary or unconstitutional measures to keep their proceedings a secret from him, was void of any real foundation; that as to the construction put by the governor on their conduct, they neither knew nor could guess what it was; that whatever it was, they had rather it had been spoken plainly, than insinuated, because they might then have known how to justify themselves; that, however, being conscious of the firmest loyalty to the crown, and the most upright intentions to the people they represented, they were not very apprehensive of any great prejudice from such insinuations; that reflecting on the weight and importance of the matters laid before them in the morning message, which, moreover, so earnestly pressed them to unanimity and dispatch, they could not but be surprized at receiving messages of so different a kind in the afternoon, and which could only tend to produce division and delay, &c.— And that, therefore, they humbly intreated the governor to suspend those his irritating accusations and novel demands till a season of more leisure, and that he would permit them to proceed, without any farther interruption, on the business for which he had been pleased to call them together."

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Not to be diverted, however, from the pursuit he was in by this caution, he sent a letter to the printers for the assembly (one of whom was a member) forbidding them to publish the secretary of state's letters; and ordered his secretary to inspect the journals of the house from the 17th to the 20th of March then current, both inclusive, and to take a copy thereof. Upon the former of which measures they resolved, that the said letters had been properly inserted; that the house had by sufficient reasons shewn, that the expunging those letters was both improper and unnecessary; that the right of directing what should, or should not be inserted in the minutes of the house, was solely in the house; and that the governor had not, nor could have, any right to interfere therein and they ordered the printer to proceed with the publication of their minutes as they then stood; and with regard to the latter, they informed the governor by message, "that when their minutes should be revised and printed after the end of the session according to long continued custom, a fair copy should be presented to the governor; but that till then they hoped the governor would excuse them if they did not permit any body to inspect them, or any copy of them to be taken."

Here this little ruffle ended: and while it was yet subsisting, the governor informed the house, as a secret which he recommended to them to keep so, "that governor Shirley, with the concurrence of his council and assembly, having, *among other measures, formed a design to build a fort near Crown Point, within the limits of his majesty's territories, had sent commissioners to this and other governments, to solicit their contributions to the same undertaking; that the said governor had written to him fully upon this head, that he should communicate his letter to them, that they might see what was expected from the province; that Mr. Quincy, his commissioner, was actually arrived, and had made his application to him; and that he heartily recommended it to them to grant the necessary supplies for that important service."

Upon the heels of this, by another message he also informed them of, and congratulated them upon, the arrival of the transports, with the forces and artillery destined for the American service in Virginia; after which he proceeded, as in the last session, to say, "that his majesty's care and affection for his subjects in America having induced him to so large and seasonable an assistance, for the recovery of those possessions which the French, contrary to the faith of treaties, had seized, they would be greatly wanting to themselves if they neglected the opportunity to frustrate the attempts of that perfidious people; that to render his majesty's measures effectual, it was expected, that the colonies should raise an additional number of forces, and should furnish provisions and all necessaries to those employed for their protection; as they would see by a letter from the earl of Halifax, and another from general Braddock, which were to be laid before them; that this being so reasonable in itself, he could not doubt its being readily complied with by all the provinces, in proportion to their abilities; and he hoped, that as Pennsylvania was the most interested in the event, they would exert themselves as became the representatives of a province actually invaded, and having their all depending on the success of the present enterprize; that he earnestly besought them to consider what might be the consequence of their refusing to grant the necessary supplies, as they might be assured his majesty would not condescend to recommend to them in vain the making provision for their own defence, but would doubtless, upon their refusal, be enabled by his parliament to oblige those who reaped the immediate benefit of such a chargeable protection to contribute their proportion of it; and that if by a disappointment in the articles expected to be supplied by them, the great expence the nation had been put to for the security of these invaluable branches of the British empire, should be rendered unavailable, they could not but think they would justly draw upon themselves the resentment of his majesty, and a British par liament."

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How unusual soever such language was on such occasions, and how inconsistent soever with the claims and rights of freemen, the assembly not only stifled their resentments of it, but proceeded the very same day to do all that was required of them with all the alacrity imaginable.

Twenty-five thousand pounds was the sum they granted to the king's use: five thousand pounds of it was appropriated for the sum borrowed for the service at the last sitting; ten thousand pounds for the purchase of provisions, at the request of the government of Massachusett's-bay, for victualling their forces; five thousand pounds, to answer the occasional draughts of general Braddock: and the remaining five thousand for the `maintenance of such Indians as had taken refuge in the province, and other contingent expences in their votes expressed: and the whole was to be raised by an emission of paper bills to the same amount, and to be sunk by an extension of the excise for ten years.

If the other part of the former bill concerning torn and ragged bills, was mentioned, or at all insisted upon, it could not be carried; the majority on this occasion resolving, that no provincial consideration of that kind should furnish the least pretence for any obstruction to the general service.

Upon the 28th of March, 1755, this bill was left with the governor, and on the first of the next month he sent then the following message, viz.

"Gentlemen,

"Your bill for striking twenty-five thousand pounds, being contrary to his majesty's instructions relating to paper-money, and of the same nature with the bill I refused my assent to the last sitting of the assembly, I cannot pass it into a law, without a breach of duty to the crown; and I am con> cerned you should offer such a bill to me, when you had agreed to submit the dispute between us, upon one of the like kind, to his majesty.

'As this is a time of imminent danger, and the forces raised and destined for the service of the colonies must wait the supplies from this province, I again intreat you to fall upon some other method of raising money, that we may not

lose this happy opportunity of recovering his majesty's dominions, now invaded by the subjects of the French king, and preventing their unjust encroachments for the future.

'But if these repeated recommendations of so reasonable a supply, shall fail of the desired effect, and any ill consequences should attend it, his majesty and his ministers, a British parliament, your own constituents, and the neighbouring governments will be at no loss on whom to lay the

blame.'

This message was also accompanied with another, dated March 31, in which the governor having referred to an account to be given them by his secretary, of several matters committed to the care of one Scarroyady, an Indian chief, by the Ohio Indians, made use of it as an additional goad to the assembly, in the manner following:

'Gentlemen,

'So much depends on the disposition and, measures of the Indians at this time, that I must earnestly recommend it to you to make provision for the ensuing treaty, as well as to enable me to take proper notice of this chief, who is so hearty in our interest, and of the young men he has brought along with him, in order to be employed in some services, which, he says, are of importance to the general cause.

'It will readily occur to you, that the several western Indians, who wish well to the English interest, wait with impatience for the return of this chief, and will form their measures according to the report which he shall make to them of our treatment of them: for which reason, it will be of the last consequence, that this chief, and these young men, go from us well clothed, and perfectly well pleased.'

On the same day also, Mr. Quincy, commissioner to the province from the government of Massachusetts-bay, presented a memorial to the assembly, which containing an unquestionable testimonial in their favour, deserves to be inserted intire as follows, viz.

'Gentlemen,

'I am extremely sorry to find, that notwithstanding all the motives and arguments I was able to offer his honour