CHAPTER V.

The Assembly grants Money in aid of the Expedition against Carthagena. The Governor enlists indented Servants upon that Occasion ; and the Assembly apply the Money they had given to indemnify the Masters. They give Money towards the Public Service. The Proprietaries of Pennsylvania oppose the Bill brought into Parliament for restraining the Northern Colonies from issuing Paper Bills of Credit. The Assembly call upon the Proprietaries to contribute to the Expense of Indian Affairs, which they decline. A Bill for increasing the Provincial Paper Currency. Rejected by the Governor; and petitioned for by the Inhabitants. The Answer of the Proprietaries to the Representation of the Assembly concerning the Expense of Indian Affairs. The Assembly's Message sent to the Governor, together with the Currency Bill he had before rejected. Another Message to him concerning Indian Affairs. Governor's Message, importing his Assent to the Currency Bill, with a suspending Clause. Resolution of the Assembly not to accept this Clause, with their Reasons. Their Reply to the Proprietary's Answer to the Representation on Indian Expenses.

IN April, 1740, when the paper currency of the province had been just increased, as above specified, to eighty thousand pounds, and established for sixteen years, the merchants trading to the eastern colonies of America took occasion to complain to the House of Commons, of the inconveniences and discouragements brought on the commerce of Great Britain in those parts, by the excessive quantities of paper money there issued, and the depreciated condition thereof, for want of proper funds to support its credit. The House, by way of palliative, addressed the throne to put a temporary stop to the evil, by instructing the several governors not to give their assent to any farther laws of that nature, without an express proviso, that they should not take effect, till his Majesty's approbation had been first obtained.

Such instructions were accordingly sent; and those to the governor of Pennsylvania were dated August 21st,

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1740. Notwithstanding all which, the Lords of Trade and Plantations (having already in their hands a full and clear account of the currency, as established by the eighty thousand pounds act, as also of the rates of gold and silver, from the year 1700 to the year 1739, and having been moreover convinced, by the merchants trading to that province, that such a sum was not only reasonable but necessary for carrying on the commerce of the country) thought fit to recommend the said act to the royal acceptance and ratification, and ten days afterwards the Lords Justices passed it into a law.

Here the affair slept for several years, except that the assembly, in conformity to an order which accompanied the instructions just mentioned, caused a second state of their currency to be transmitted the following year to the Lords of Trade; and before it was again resumed in Parliament, the several incidents, next to be recited, took place.

When the attempt upon Carthagena was under consideration, the northern colonies were called upon to furnish soldiers for that service, and Pennsylvania among the rest. The assembly was at that time composed, as it had hitherto generally been; consequently this demand could not but be productive of scruples and difficulties in point of conscience. That, however, they might discharge all obligations at once, they voted four thousand pounds for the King's use, and the governor took upon himself to raise the soldiers.

This was a duty of office; and, if he had discharged it properly, what would have given universal satisfaction. The labor of the plantations is performed chiefly by indented servants brought from Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany; nor, because of the high price it bears, can it be performed any other way. These ser

vants are purchased of the captains who bring them; the purchaser, by a positive law, has a legal property in them during the term they are bound for, can sell or bequeath them, and, like other chattels, they are liable to be seized for debts. Out of these, nevertheless, did the governor make his levies. A ferment ensued; the owners were tenacious of their rights; the governor stood upon prerogative as paramount to all; the dispute was brought into the courts, and such was the terror of power, that the aggrieved was forced to repair to New York for advocates.

The assembly, seeing no other remedy, thought themselves bound to defend the rights of their constituents, and did defend them accordingly, by refusing to part with their supply, unless these servants, so unjustly taken from their masters, were restored. The governor was obstinate, and so the money was at last applied, as it ought, to indemnify them for the injury they had sustained.

That, however, they might not be misrepresented or misunderstood at home, as deficient in zeal for the public, or backward to contribute to the service, they came the next year to the following vote, to wit; "The House, taking into consideration the many taxes their fellow subjects in Great Britain are obliged to pay towards supporting the dignity of the crown and defraying the necessary and contingent charges of government, and willing to demonstrate the fidelity, loyalty, and affection of the inhabitants of this province to our gracious sovereign, by bearing a share of the burden of our fellow subjects proportionably to our circumstances, do therefore cheerfully and unanimously resolve, that three thousand pounds be paid for the use of the King, his heirs, and successors, to be applied to such uses as he, in his royal wisdom, shall think

fit to direct and appoint." And the said three thousand pounds were afterwards paid into his Majesty's exchequer by the agent of the province accordingly. A free gift, if ever there was one, from subject to sovereign; and, however small, a sufficient voucher for the good intentions of those who made it.

In the beginning of the year 1745, the project against Louisburg, having been carried in the assembly of New England by a single vote only, was imparted to the assembly of Pennsylvania by Governor Shirley, with a desire that they would contribute thereto; but, though they could not be prevailed upon to take any part in an enterprise which to them appeared so desperate, they voted four thousand pounds in provisions for the refreshment and support of the brave troops who had taken the place, as soon as it was known they were in possession of it, and that such supplies were wanting.

In the beginning of the year 1746, the ministers affected to entertain a project for the reduction of Canada. By letters from the secretary's office, dated April 6th, the northern colonies were severally called upon to contribute their respective quotas towards it, which they cheerfully concurred in doing, seduced by their interests and their inclinations into a belief, that the whole line of our colonies would not be thus agitated, nor their Indian allies induced to take up the hatchet in conjunction with them, merely by way of feint to facilitate a peace.

Forces were everywhere raised by the several governors, and the assembly of Pennsylvania voted five thousand pounds for the King's use, or, in other words, as their contingent for this pretended national service. The money so voted being more than their revenue could furnish, they proposed to raise it by an addition of the like sum to their paper currency; in which case

the King would be served, the provincial capital would be so far enlarged, and the interest arising from it would, in a due proportion of time, discharge the principal.

And here began the first dispute between the governor and the assembly on this topic; the governor pleaded the instruction of 1740 as a reason, why he could not bring himself to such a pitch of boldness as he apprehended was necessary to the contravention of it, and therefore urged them to find out some method less exceptionable for raising the said sum; and they, willing to comply as far as possible with his scruples, so far receded from their point at that time as to issue it out of the money dormant in the loan-office for exchanging torn and illegible bills, and to replace it by a new emission of bills to the same amount, to be sunk out of the product of the excise in ten years. Upon which the governor waved the instruction, and passed the bill; five hundred men were raised and supported by it, for near eighteen months, employed chiefly in defending the frontiers of New York, when the expedition at length was dropped and the troops disbanded.

A formal bill to restrain the northern colonies in general from issuing paper bills of credit, it must be observed, had been brought into Parliament, but not perfected; and in the year 1748 again; upon which occasion the next governor of Pennsylvania, James Hamilton, Esquire, in a message to the assembly, in October, 1749, made use of the following remarkable expressions. "I take it for granted, we are all sensible of the mischievous tendency of the bill that was brought into Parliament the last year to regulate and restrain paper bills of credit in the plantations (in which there was a clause to enforce the orders of the crown in his Majesty's American dominions), and it is not improbable that something of the same kind may be offered