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him for the king's service, and by the nature of his station the sole and only judge what letters and papers were proper to be made public, did expect a promise of secrecy from the house, either verbal or otherwise, or something tantamount to it; and that otherwise he should not communicate it.

And, on the twenty-sixth following, the assembly returned their answer. In the opening of which, having admitted the governor's right or power to call them together, they, nevertheless, insist on the usual manner of exercising it; that is to say, with a proper regard to the convenience of the members at their harvest, and to dispatch, when necessarily summoned at that or other unseasonable times, for the sake of keeping up a good understanding between the governor and them. But,' said they, 'should our governors consider this power, as a power of bringing us together at a great expence to the country, merely to shew their abilities in contriving new modes, or making new demands upon the people, to obstruct the ends of their meeting, we apprehend it will answer no valuable purpose.' That his speeches and messages were a sufficient foundation for them to proceed upon, they also admitted to be occasionally true; but then they were of opinion, on the contrary, that when his writs of summons were founded on letters or advices, referred to in his said speeches and messages, they had a right to have the original papers laid before them; and they averred this had ever been the practice in their province; so that a different conduct at that time could only tend to obstruct the public business before them. If governors,' they farther intimated, 'might differ in their modes of conducting themselves, according to the different reasons for choosing them or purposes to be served by them, it became the people nevertheless to be consistent with themselves at all times, which could never be if they did not make original papers the rule of their proceeding. The objection drawn from their printing the secretary of state's letter, so often recurred to by the governor, though so fully confuted, they would not allow to be of any weight, unless he could shew, their printing it had discovered any of his majesty's designs and commands, with respect

to the French, not more generally known before by his own. messages, the public prints, and the speeches of other governors; especially as it had been communicated without any caution, and had been printed before this objection of his was known. Answerable for every secret of state communicated to him by his superiors as such, they seemed willing to allow; but such as he was enjoined to lay before the assembly, they contended, were so to be laid before them, and they were to be responsible for the use made of them afterwards. And as to his sole and only power of judging what papers were fit, and what not, to be laid before the public, they so far disputed it, as to except such papers as were necessary for their justification, which, they presumed, were subject to the decisions of their own prudence only, wherein they were assured he might very safely confide.'

The more trivial this dispute may appear, the more apparent becomes that spirit of perverseness which the proprietaries had let loose, to keep the province in a perpetual broil; till, weary of the conflict, they should grow tame by degrees, and at last crouch, like the camel, to take up what load, and carry it what length of way, their drivers pleased.

On the said 21st of June, when the governor's litigious message thus answered came down, the house sent up their two money-bills with a message, importing, that the several services, by them enumerated, having almost exhausted their treasury, they had sent up a new bill to give the additional sum of fifteen thousand pounds for those purposes; in which bill, said they (for the rest of the message shall be given in their own words) "We have carefully followed the act passed by governor Thomas, in 1746, for granting five thousand pounds for the king's use, and the other acts relating to our bills of credit, confirmed by the crown on the twenty-ninth of October, 1748; from which acts so confirmed, the enacting clauses, so far as they could be made agreeable to our present circumstances, have been inserted in this bill, that every objection arising from the royal instruction to colonel Thomas, in 1740, might be obviated by a direct decision of the highest authority. And as that confirmation of our acts, D d

which we presume will have its due weight with our governor, may be more certainly known to him than it appears to have hitherto been, we take the liberty of sending him the original confirmation.

"We have only to entreat the governor would be pleased to give this bill all the dispatch in his power, as our long sitting at this time is in every respect unseasonable, and the presence of many of our members is now absolutely necessary at their homes, for the better security of their harvests under their present calamitous circumstances."

To understand what is here meant by the words calamitous circumstances, it is necessary the reader should be informed, that Pennsylvania having been visited this year with a severe frost and drought, which had obliged the inhabitants in many places to mow their wheat, in order to supply the want of fodder for their cattle, no longer abounded in breadcorn, as it usually does; and very melancholy apprehensions began to be entertained, that the miseries of scarcity would be superadded to those of war.

From the 21st to the 25th, nevertheless, the governor brooded over the two bills (viz. the ten thousand pounds bill for exchange, and the fifteen thousand pounds bill for the king's use), and then sent down a message acknowleging, that many of the bills of credit were in a bad condition; but requiring to be first satisfied, how much of the money formerly struck for exchanging bills, and of which three thousand three hundred and two pounds six shillings and eight pence was at the last settlement remaining in the hands of the trustees, was still so remaining, before he passed that bill. He was answered the same day, that, according to the best computation that could be made, the sum was one thousand three hundred and two pounds six shillings and eight pence. Before that answer could reach his hands, his secre, tary was dispatched to the house with such amendments to the other, which was the principal bill, as he was, unquestionably, preconvinced the assembly would never comply with. And that this is no uncharitable or unreasonable assertion, is manifest from the whole tenor of his conduct, which

was demonstrably such as would have better became a French governor than an English one.

The assembly, however, bestowed a proper time of consideration on those amendments, and then acquainted him by message, that they adhered to their bill in all its parts; but accompanied this declaration with a question, Whether he would pass it into a law as it then stood? to which he answered first, that he would take it into consideration; and finally gave it under his hand, that he adhered to his amendments, without assigning any reasons, desiring a conference, or having recourse to any other expedient usual on the like occasions.

The ten thousand pounds bill for exchanging torn and defaced money, met with a better fate: for after some concessions on both sides it was passed into a law; and this was almost the only fruit of a session so unseasonably exacted, and introduced with such extraordinary demands.

They then acquainted the governor by message, that they proposed to adjourn to the first of September then next ensuing; and the governor signified in reply, that he had no objection thereto.

Notwithstanding which he summoned them again to meet on the 23d of July; and they met accordingly, gave him notice thereof as usual, and required a copy of the writs by which they were summoned. His answer was not returned till the next day, and then what he said was to this effect: that he should have laid the business he had for the consideration of the house before them the day preceding, had not the shocking news he had received, prevented his getting it ready time enough; but that the house should hear from him that morning, and also have the copy of the writ às de

sired.

This shocking news was the strange, unprecedented, ignominious defeat of general Braddock; and what, if possible, is more shocking still, this incident, which, though so inconsiderable to the whole, struck so much horror through every part, had no other effect on him, than the miracles of Moses had on the heart of Pharaoh.

If the exposed condition of the province had before furnished him with topics for levies of money and troops, and for placing an unlimited confidence in him their governor, and his first movers the proprietaries, he now thought it would render his eloquence irresistible: and at all hazards resolved to make the most of it.

Fear, though most and enfeebler of any of the passions, has the strongest dominion over us; and while we are scarce half of ourselves, it is not to be wondered, that we become the property of any body else.

With a face, and a voice, and whatever else was suitable for the practice now to be tried, did the governor now meet the assembly; and having dispatched his text (the defeat of Braddock) in less than six lines, came at once to use and application in the terms following: 'This unfortunate and unexpected change in our affairs, will deeply affect every one of his majesty's colonies, but none of them in so sensible a manner as this province, which, having no militia, is thereby left exposed to the cruel incursions of the French and their barbarous Indians, who delight in shedding human blood, and who make no distinction as to age or sex.....as to those that are armed against them, or such as they can surprize in their peaceful habitations.....all are alike the objects of their cruelty....slaughtering the tender infant and the frighted mother with equal joy and fierceness. To such enemies, spurred on by the native cruelty of their tempers, encouraged by their late success, and having now no army to fear, are the inhabitants of this province exposed.....and by such must we now expect to be over-run, if we do not immediately prepare for our own defence; nor ought we to content ourselves with this, but resolye to drive and confine the French to their own just limits.?

Here the noble example of the eastern governments (New England) in forcing the enemy to keep a due distance from their borders, was recommended and enforced; and then returning to his main point, he again expatiated thus: 'Allow me therefore, gentlemen, to recommend to your most serious consideration the present state and condition of your coun

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