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asserted to the assembly, exposed to the ravages of the enemy; and though provision had been at first made for having four regiments to carry on the war in these provinces, these provinces were now all at once supposed to be in a condition to cover themselves, though some of them had not yet armed a man, or beat a drum.

Out of all which, such a jumble of ideas encounter each other, and such a variety of doubts and suspicions arises, that one cannot help wondering that the assembly did not call for these several letters, and from the evidence of their own eyes, and their own understandings, form such a remonstrance, as would have displayed the whole state of things in its proper colours.

In this one instance, therefore, it may be not irrationally supposed, that their usual sagacity failed them; and this failure was no sooner discovered, than the governor came upon them with another message importing, "That his secretary would lay before them the copies of sundry petitions which had been presented to him from several parts of the province, representing their naked and defenceless condition, and praying to be enabled to defend themselves, which they were sensible was not in his power to comply with; that he would also lay before them a letter from one John Harris, giving an account of a large party of Indians actually set out from the French fort with a design to fall upon and destroy the inhabitants of this and the neighbouring provinces; that they had this piece of intelligence as he had received it; that they would form their own judgments upon it; that for his part he thought it probable; and that therefore he recommended it to them to take immediate thought about it, as the consequence would be very terrible to the inhabitants, if the account should prove true, and it could do them no injury to be upon their guard if it should prove false."

This was dated the 15th.....the 16th he farther gave them to understand, "That he found, by an extract of a letter from governor Lawrence, of Nova Scotia, to lieutenant-governor Phipps, of New England, sent by governor De Lancy, of New York, to him, that the French at Louisburg, were

in such distress for want of provisions, that if a supply could be prevented, they might be reduced to a necessity of giving it up to us; and that, therefore, he recommended it to them to think of some proper law, that their being supplied from Pennsylvania might be more effectually prevented.'

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And on the 19th he again notified, "That he had received letters by express from governor Shirley, [which however he did not communicate] acquainting him, that he had wrote to colonel Dunbar, that it appeared clear to him (Shirley) as there would be four months of good weather before the winter set in, that with the number of forces the colonel then had, and the assistances he might have from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, he might yet have it in his power, to retrieve the loss sustained in the late defeat, by proceeding to fort Du Quesne, and had sent him orders for that purpose; and that in addition to this, he had said to him, that it would depend on those several provinces to assist colonel Dunbar with reinforcements, provisions, ammunition, artillery, ordnance stores, carriages, horses, and all other things to fit him out for his march, &c. and that he had wrote to the same effect to governor Dinwiddie and governor Sharpe, whose assistance, with that of Pennsylvania, he entirely relied upon at that extraordinary crisis; that he must therefore recommend it to them, to enable him to do the several things so expected of them, to take the matter into immediate consideration, and give him their answer thereto, that he might send it forward to colonel Dunbar, and the said governors of Maryland and Virginia, whose measures would, in a great measure, depend on what he should be enabled to do."

Now general Shirley himself, in the state of his own conduct, which he has lately laid before the public, says, 1st, that colonel Dunbar did not receive any orders whatever from him till about the middle of August, at which time he had advanced far in his march to Philadelphia; and 2dly, that the orders he then sent him, were to march his troops to Albany, there to be ready to assist either in the expedition against Niagara or Crown-point as his majesty's service

should require, or at least cover the country in case major general Johnson should be defeated by the French, &c. nor does he mention one word of the assistances he expected, or required of the said provinces.

The general, nevertheless, might possibly have sent such orders subsequent.

The assembly did not, however, start any scruple on this head; but, as before, took all upon content; and behaved in every respect, as if they were altogether as solicitous to tax themselves, as their proprietaries.

To render this undeniable, an instance of a very singular kind is now to be brought forward. Certain gentlemen of Philadelphia, not of the assembly, to the number of twenty, subscribed in various proportions, the sum of five hundred and two pounds, ten shillings; and made a tender of it to the house with the following proposal, to wit:

'We the subscribers observe, with great concern that the governor and assembly differ in opinion, in respect to the taxing the proprietaries estate; and lest by such difference in opinion the bill for raising fifty thousand pounds for his majesty's service should not take effect.

'And as the assembly, in their message to the governor, seem to be of opinion, that were the proprietaries lands to be taxed, the sum would not exceed five hundred pounds. 1o

'We, rather than the least check should be given to his majesty's service at this time of imminent danger, by a matter so very trifling, do hereby promise and engage to pay five hundred pounds, money of Pennsylvania, into the public stock, for the king's use, in lieu of what the proprietaries would pay as their part of the fifty thousand pounds, were their lands to be taxed.

And as we declare the absence of the honorable the proprietaries to be our motive for making this proposal, be

10 This however was a forced construction put on the words of the assembly by these friends of the proprietary; and it appears by an act afterwards passed, that five thousand pounds and not five hundred pounds was looked upon and accepted as an equivalent for the proprietaries of a sixty thousand pounds tax.

ing well assured, that were they present it would have been altogether unnecessary; and we doubt not but they will honorably acquit every subscriber of this expence.'

The house, taking it into consideration, resolved, that such a proposal to this house is improper, as this house is destitute of the necessary information to assess any estate duly, and neither can nor ought to assess the proprietaries estate at the sum proposed, or at any other sum whatever; and as, in case the subscribers should neglect or refuse to pay the sum subscribed, it would not be in the power of this house, not being a body incorporate, to sue them for the same. But as the house presumes that the said proposal may have arose from the subscribers judgment of the equity of taxing the proprietaries estate equally with all others in this province, for their common safety, ordered, that the said proposal be sent up to the governor as a further security to him, in case he should give his assent to the bill for raising fifty thousand pounds for the king's use,' &c.

And having on the 19th, prepared a suitable message, sent it up together with their bill, to the governor, under a strong expression of hope, that, with this further security he would cheerfully give his assent to it.

At the same time, also, in a separate message, they farther apprized him, 'that they had taken his message concerning governor Shirley's orders into consideration; and that it was their opinion, his giving assent to their bill, which they earnestly requested of him, would enable him to do every thing, which could be reasonably expected from them.'

And that he might not serve any insidious purpose by his message concerning Louisburg, they sent him the following answer, in which they at once corrected his state of the fact by inserting the very words of governor Lawrence's letter, and left him to answer for his deviation.

'May it please the Governor,

'We have considéred the governor's message of the 16th instant, with the extract from governor Lawrence's letter to governor Phipps, in which it is observed, "that if the excellent laws prohibiting the transportation of provisions to

Louisburg continue in force for two months longer, there is a probability that the governor of that place will be obliged to present the keys of the garrison to Mr. Boscawen.' And our governor is pleased to recommend it to us, to think of some proper law that may most effectually prevent their being supplied from this province; but as an act passed this house, and received the governor's assent, at our last sitting, intituled, "an act to continue an act, intituled, an act to prevent the exportation of provisions, naval or warlike stores, from this province to cape Breton, or to any other dominions of the French king, or places at present in possession of any of his subjects," by which the act continued will be in force at least ten months to come, and has been, as far as we know, effectual for the purposes intended; and as the governor has not pointed out to us any defect in that act, nor has any occurred to us, we cannot at present think what law can be made more effectually to prevent that place being supplied with provisions, &c. from this province.'

And now the period was come, when all capable of conviction, were to be convinced, that, though the governor had laboured hard to establish a belief, that the uncomplying disposition of the assembly was the only obstacle to the current of public business, the contrary was the matter of fact; and that having observed obstinacy on his side never failed to produce some concession on theirs, he had come to a resolution, to proceed in the same course of exaction, till nothing required of him by his instructions was left unperformed; that is to say, till the assembly had nothing left to part with.

The shadow of a royal instruction, so long and so often played before their eyes, was now out of the question; the governor says the province is actually invaded; that a victorious enemy is on the point of ravaging it with fire and sword; the king's troops after having been so many ways. gratified and assisted, are recalled; they are told they are to provide for their own defence; they offer fifty thousand pounds to be laid out for that purpose; the proprietary estate becomes liable to a demand, computed by his friends at

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