APPENDIX,

CONTAINING

SUNDRY ORIGINAL PAPERS

RELATIVE TO

THE GENERAL POINTS OF CONTROVERSY

BETWEEN

THE GOVERNORS AND ASSEMBLIES

OF

PENNSYLVANIA.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

REPRESENTATION OF THE ASSEMBLY TO THE PROPRIETARIES, REQUESTING THEM TO BEAR A PROPORTIONABLE PART OF INDIAN EXPENSES; WITH THE PROPRIETARIES' ANSWER, AND THE ASSEMBLY'S REMARKS.

TO THE HONORABLE THOMAS PENN AND RICHARD PENN, PROPRI◄ OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA, &c.

ETARIES

THE REPRESENTATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

OF THE SAID PROVINCE, MET AT PHILADELPHIA, THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY OF THE SIXTH MONTH, 1751.

MAY IT PLEASE the ProprietARIES;

The first settlers of this province unanimously concurred with your worthy father, to lay the foundation of their settlements, in doing justice to the native Indians, by coming among them as friends, upon an equitable purchase only. This soon appeared to be the best and safest way to begin the infant settlement, by the veneration and love it procured from those people, who kindly supplied the wants of many, then destitute of the necessaries of life; and, as the settlements increased, retired to make room for their new guests, still preserving that esteem and veneration, which had been so strongly impressed upon their minds. By this voluntary retreat, all were satisfied, for there was room enough for all; and the good faith so carefully kept with those, who were nearest, gave the more distant Indian nations that favorable opinion of us, which our continuing to act on the same principles of justice hath supported to this day. They entered freely into our alliance; they became the guards of our frontiers against the French and French Indians, by obliging them to observe a neutrality towards us, as we

experienced during the course of the last war; and we have reason to think we now share largely in their affections. But this beneficial friendship hath neither been procured nor continued without a very great expense to the people of this province, especially for some years past, wherein we find the assemblies opened their hands liberaily to all the purposes of peace, among those who could best, under God, preserve our distant settlements against the depredations of an active and powerful enemy; without strictly inquiring, at that time, how far the people alone ought to bear the burden of those expenses. But as that burden became yearly more and more heavy, the assemblies were naturally led to request the assistance of the proprietaries, and we hoped an application so apparently reasonable might have their approbation.

We are therefore much concerned to receive an answer, so different from our expectations, in which the proprietaries are pleased to say, "that they do not conceive themselves under any obligation to contribute to Indian or any other public expenses, even though taxes were laid on the people for the charges of government; but, as there is not one shilling levied on the people for that service, there is the less reason for asking any thing of them. Notwithstanding which, they have charged themselves with paying to the interpreter much more than could be due to him on any treaties for land, and are at this time at the expense of maintaining his son, with a tutor, in the Indian country, to learn their language and customs for the service of the province, as well as of sundry other charges on Indian affairs. That they have been at considerable expense for the service of the province, both in England and here; that they purchase the land from the Indians, and pay them for it; and that they are under no greater obligation to contribute to the public charges, than any other chief governor of any of the other colonies."

Upon which we beg leave respectfully to represent to our proprietaries, that the preserving a good understanding with the Indians. more particularly advances the interest and value of the proprietary estate, than that of any other estate in the province, as it gives the proprietaries an opportunity of purchasing at a low price, and selling at high rates, great tracts of land on the frontiers, which would otherwise be impracticable That, therefore, though they may conceive themselves und obligation i y law, they are under the much stronger obligations of natural equity and justice to contribute to the expense of those Indian treaties and presents, by which that good understanding, so beneficial to them, is maintained. That, although formal taxes have not been laid in this province during

some years past. for the support of the proprietaries' lieutenantgovernor, and defraying the charges of Indian treaties, yet the interest of our paper money is a virtual tax on the people, as it arises out of, and is paid by, their labor, and our excise is a real tax, yielding about three thousand pounds per annum, which is principally expended in those services, besides the tax of licenses of various kinds, amounting to considerable sums yearly, which have been appropriated wholly to the support of the governor. That the assemblies of this province have always paid the accounts of our Indian interpreter for his public services to his full satisfaction; and we believe future assemblies will not fail to do, in that respect, what may reasonably be expected from them, when his son shall be thought qualified to succeed him. Nor do we doubt their discharging all just debts, for expenses properly chargeable to the province, whether made here or in England, whenever the accounts are exhibited. We are, nevertheless, thankful to our proprietaries for their care in our affairs, and their endeavours to provide a wellqualified successor to our present interpreter, as such a one may be of service to the public, as well as to the private interests of their family.

We would further entreat our proprietaries to consider, that their great estate, not lying in Britain, is happily exempt from the burdens borne by their fellow-subjects there, and cannot, by any law of ours, now in being, be taxed here. That, therefore, as they are not obliged, on account of that estate, to bear any part of the charge of any war the British nation may be involved in, they may with us more freely contribute to the expense of preserving peace, especially on the borders of their own lands, as the value of those lands so much depends upon it.

We beg leave further to observe to our proprietaries, that the act forbidding all others to purchase lands of the natives establishes a monopoly solely in their favor; that, therefore, they ought to bear the whole charge of treaties with the Indians for land only, as they reap the whole benefit. And that their paying for land (bought, as we conceive, much the cheaper for the provincial presents accompanying those treaties), which land they sell again to vast advantage, is not a satisfactory reason why they should not bear a part of the charge of such other treaties, as tend to the common welfare and peace of the province.

Upon the whole, since the proprietaries' interests are so constantly intermixed, more or less, with those of the province, in all treaties with our Indian allies; and since it appears, that the proprietaries