received with every mark of respect and satisfaction. Soon after the arrival of the latter, news was brought that Lord Baltimore had made application to have the provinces transferred to his colony. A vigorous protest was made against this by Quakers in England, headed by Richard Penn; but lest this protest might prove ineffectual, John Penn very soon went to England to defend the proprietary rights at court, and never again returned, he having died a bachelor in 1746. In August, 1736, Gov. Gordon died, deeply lamented as an honest, upright and straightforward executive, a character which he expressed the hope he would be able to maintain when he assumed authority. His term had been one of prosperity, and the colony had grown rapidly in numbers, trade, commerce and manufactures, ship-building especially having assumed extensive proportions.

James Logan was president of the council, and in effect governor during the two years which elapsed between the death of Gordon and the arrival of his successor. During this period troubles broke out on the Maryland border, west of the Susquehanna. The question of boundary was involved in these difficulties, but the troubles were quelled by an order of the king and council.

George Thomas, a planter from the West Indies, was appointed governor in 1737, but did not arrive in the colony till the following year. His intercourse with the assembly was not at first harmonious, but became more so on his relinquishment of the coercive policy which he at first adopted. After the death of John Penn, the eldest of the proprietors, he retired from the duties of his office because of declining health.

Anthony Palmer was president of the council at the time of the withdrawal of Thomas, and became acting governor. He continued at the head of the government about two years. He was a wealthy retired merchant from the West Indies, and had come into the colony in 1708.

On the 23d of November, 1748, James Hamilton arrived in the colony from England, bearing the commission of lieutenant-governor. He was born in

America, a son of Andrew Hamilton, who had for many years been speaker of the assembly. The Indians west of the Susquehanna had complained that settlers had come upon their best lands, and were acquiring titles to them, whereas the proprietors had never purchased these lands of them and had no claim to them. The first care of Hamilton was to settle these disputes, and allay the rising excitement of the natives. Richard Peters, secretary of the colony, a man of great prudence and ability, was sent in company with the Indian interpreter, Conrad Weiser, to remove the intruders. It was firmly and fearlessly done, the settlers giving up their tracts and the cabins which they had built, and accepting lands on the east side of the river. The hardship was, in many cases, great, but when they were in actual need the secretary gave money and placed them on lands of his own, having secured a tract of two millions of acres.

But these troubles were of small consequence compared with those that were threatening from the West. The French were determined to occcupy the whole territory drained by the Mississippi, including that on the Ohio, by force of arms, and a body of one hundred and fifty men, of which Washington was second in command, was sent to the support of the settlers there; but the French having the Allegheny river at flood-tide on which to move, and Washington, without means of transportation, having a rugged and mountainous country to overcome, the former first reached the point of destination. Contracœur, the French commander, with 1,000 men and field pieces on a fleet of sixty boats and 300 canoes, dropped down the Allegheny and easily seized the fort then being constructed by the Ohio Company at its mouth, and proceeded

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to erect there an elaborate work which he called Fort Du Quesne, after the governor-general. Informed of this proceeding, Washington pushed forward, and finding that a detachment of the French was in his immediate neighborhood he made a forced march by night, and coming upon them unawares killed and captured the entire party save one. Ten of the French, including their commander, Jumonville, were killed, and twenty-one made prisoners. Fry, the commander of the Americans, died at Will's creek, where the command devolved on Washington. Though re enforcements had been dispatched from the several colonies in response to the urgent appeals of Washington, none reached him but one company of 100 men under Capt. Mackay, from South Carolina. Knowing that he was confronting a vastly superior force of the French, well supplied with artillery, he threw up works at a point called the Great Meadows, which he characterizes as a "charming field for an encoun ter," naming his hastily built fortification Fort Necessity. Stung by the loss of their leader, the French came out in strong force and soon invested the place. Unfortunately one part of Washington's position was easily commanded by the artillery of the French, which they were not slow in taking advantage of. The action opened on the 3d of July, and was continued until late at night. A capitulation was proposed by the French commander, which Washington reluctantly accepted, seeing all hopes of re-enforcements reaching him cut off, and on the 4th of July marched out with the honors of war and fell back to Fort Cumberland. Gov. Hamilton had strongly recommended, before hostilities opened, that the assembly should provide for defense and establish a line of block-houses along the frontier. But the assembly, while willing to vote money for buying peace from the Indians, and contributions to the British Crown, from which protection was claimed, was unwilling to contribute directly for even defensive warfare. In a single year £8,000 were voted to Indian gratuities. The proprietors were appealed to to aid in bearing this burden. But, while they were willing to contribute liberally for defense, they would give nothing for Indian gratuities They sent to the colony cannons. to the value of £400.

In February, 1753, John Penn, grandson of the founder, son of Richard, arrived in the colony, and as a mark of respect was immediately chosen a member of the council, and made its president. In consequence of the defeat of Washington at Fort Necessity, Gov. Hamilton convened the assembly in extra session on the 6th of August, at which money was freely voted; but owing to the instructions given by the proprietors to their deputy-governor not to sign any money bill that did not place the whole of the interest at their disposal, the action of the assembly was abortive.

Finding himself in a false position by the repugnant instructions of the proprietors, Gov. Hamilton had given notice in 1753, that at the end of twelve months from its reception, he would resign. Accordingly, in October, 1754, he was succeeded by Robert Hunter Morris, son of Lewis Morris, chief justice of New York and New Jersey, and governor of New Jersey. The son was bred a lawyer, and was for twenty-six years a counselor, and for twenty chief justice of New Jersey. The assembly at its first session voted a money bill for £40,000, but not having the proviso required by the proprietors it was vetoed. Determined to push military operations, the British government had called early in the year for three thousand volunteers from Pennsylvania, with subsistence, camp equipage and transportation, and had sent two regiments of the line, under Gen. Braddock, from Cork, Ireland. Landing at Alexandria, Va., he marched to Frederick, Md., where, finding no supplies of transportation, he halted. The assembly of Pennsylvania had voted to borrow £5,000, on its

own account, for the use of the crown in prosecuting the campaign, and had sent Franklin, who was then postmaster-general for the colonies, to Braddock to aid in prosecuting the expedition. Finding that the army was stopped for lack of transportation, Franklin returned into Pennsylvania, and by his commanding influence soon secured the necessary wagons and beasts of burden.

Braddock had formed extravagant plans for his campaign. He would march forward and reduce Fort Du Quesne, thence proceed against Fort Niagara, having conquered which he would close a season of triumphs by the capture of Fort Frontignac. But this is not the first time in warfare that the result of a campaign has failed to realize the promises of the manifesto. Accustomed to the discipline of military establishments in old, long settled countries, Braddock had little conception of making war in a wilderness with only Indian trails to move upon, and against wily savages. Washington had advised to push forward with pack-horses, and by rapidity of movement forestall ample preparation. But Braddock had but one way of soldiering, and where roads did not exist for wagons he stopped to fell the forest and construct bridges over streams. The French, who were kept advised of every movement, made ample preparations to receive him. In the meantime Washington fell sick; but. intent on being up for the battle, he hastened forward as soon as sufficiently recovered, and only joined the army on the day before the fatal engagement. He had never seen much of the pomp and circumstance of war, and when on the morning of the 9th of July the army of Braddock marched on across the Monongahela, with gay colors flying and martial music awakening the echoes. of the forest, he was accustomed in after years to speak of it as the "most magnificent spectacle" that he had ever beheld. But the gay pageant was destined to be of short duration; for the army had only marched a little distance before it fell into an ambuscade skillfully laid by the French and Indians, and the forest resounded with the unearthly whoop of the Indians and the continuous roar of musketry. The advance was checked and thrown into confusion by the French from their well-chosen position, and every tree upon the flanks of the long drawn outline concealed a murderous foe, who with unerring aim picked off the officers. A resolute defense was made and the battle raged with great fury for three hours; but the fire of the English was ineffectual because directed against an invisible foe. Finally, the mounted officers having all fallen, killed or wounded, except Washington, the survivors being left without leaders were seized with a panic, and "they ran,' says Washington, "before the French and Indians like sheep before dogs."

Gov. Morris made an earnest appeal to the assembly for money to ward off the impending enemy and protect the settlers, in response to which the assembly voted £50,000; but having no exemption of the proprietor's estates it was rejected by the governor, in accordance with his original instructions. Expeditions undertaken against Nova Scotia and at Crown Point were more fortunate than that before Du Quesne, and the assembly voted £15,000 in bills of credit to aid in defraying the expense. The proprietors sent £5,000 as a gratuity, not as any part of expense that could of right be claimed of them. In this pressing emergency, while the governor and assembly were waging a fruitless war of words over money bills, the pen of Franklin was busy in infusing a wholesome sentiment in the minds of the people. In a pamphlet that he issued, which he put in the familiar form of a dialogue, he answered the objections which had been urged to a legalized militia, and willing to show his devotion by deeds as well as words, he accepted the command upon the frontier. By his exertions a respectable force was raised, and, though in the dead of winter, he commenced the erection of a line of forts

and block-houses along the whole range of the Kittatinny hills, from the Delaware to the Potomac, and had them completed and garrisoned with a body sufficient to withstand any force not provided with artillery. In the spring he turned over the command to Col. Clapham, and returning to Philadelphia took his seat in the assembly. The governor now declared war against the Indians, who had established their headquarters thirty miles above Harris' Ferry, on the Susquehanna, and were busy in their work of robbery and devastation, having secured the greater portion of the crops of the previous season of the settlers whom they had killed or driven out. The peace party strongly objected to the course of the governor, and voluntarily going among the Indians induced them to bury the hatchet. The assembly which met in May, 1756, prepared a bill with the old clause for taxing the proprietors, as any other citizens, which the governor was forbidden to approve by his instructions, "and the two parties were sharpening their wits for another wrangle over it," when Gov. Morris was superseded by William Denny, who arrived in the colony and assumed authority on the 20th of August, 1756. He was joyfully and cordially received, escorted through the streets by the regiments of Franklin and Duché, and royally feasted at the State House.

But the promise of efficient legislation was broken by an exhibition of the new governor's instructions, which provided that every bill for the emission of money must place the proceeds at the joint disposal of the governor and assembly; paper currency could not be issued in excess of £40,000, nor could existing issues be confirmed unless proprietary rents were paid in sterling money; proprietary lands were permitted to be taxed which had been actually leased, provided that the taxes were paid out of the rents, but the tax could not become a lien upon the land. In the first assembly the contention became as acrimonious as ever.

The finances of the colony, on account of the repeated failures of the money bills, were in a deplorable condition. Military operations could not be carried on, and vigorous campaigns prosecuted, without ready money. Accordingly, in the first meeting of the assembly after the arrival of the new governor, a bill was passed levying £100,000 on all property alike, real and personal, private and proprietary. This Gov. Denny vetoed. Seeing that money must be had the assembly finally passed a bill exempting the proprietary estates, but determined to lay their grievances before the crown. To this end two commissioners, Isaac Norris and Benjamin Franklin, were appointed to proceed to England and beg the interference of the royal government in their behalf. Failing health and business engagements of Norris prevented his acceptance, and Franklin proceeded alone. He had so often defended the assembly in public, and in drawing remonstrances, that the whole subject was at his fingers' ends. Franklin, upon his arrival in England, presented the grievances before the proprietors, and that he might get his case before the royal advisers and the British public, wrote frequent articles for the press, and issued a pamphlet entitled "Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania." The dispute was adroitly managed by Franklin before the privy council, and was finally decided substantially in the interest of the assembly. It was provided that the proprietors' estates should be taxed, but that their located uncultivated lands should be assessed as low as the lowest uncultivated lands of the settlers; that bills issued by the assembly should be receivable in payment of quit-rents, and that the deputy-governor should have a voice in disposing of the revenues. Thus was a vexed question of long standing finally put to rest. So success

fully had Franklin managed this controversy that the colonies of Massachusetts, Maryland and Georgia, appointed him their agent in England.

In October, 1759, James Hamilton was again appointed governor, in place of Gov. Denny, who had by stress of circumstances transcended his instructions. The British government, considering that the colonies had borne more than their proportionate expense in carrying on the war against the French and Indians, voted £200,000 for five years, to be divided among the colonies, the share falling to Pennsylvania being £26,000.

The boundary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania had long been in dispute, and had occasioned serious disturbances among the settlers in the lifetime of Penn, and repeatedly since. It was not definitely settled until 1760, when a beginning was made of a final adjustment, though so intricate were the conditions that the work was prosecuted for seven years by a large force of surveyors, as men and pioneers. Finally, the proprietors, Thomas and Richard Penn, and Frederick, Lord Baltimore, entered into an agreement for the executing of the survey, and John Lukens and Archibald McLean on the part of the Penns, and Thomas Garnett and Jonathan Hall on the part of Lord Baltimore, were appointed with a suitable corps of assistants to lay off the lines. After these surveyors had been three years at work, the proprietors in England, thinking that there was not enough energy and practical and scientific knowledge manifested by these surveyors, appointed Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, two mathematicians and surveyors, to proceed to America to take charge of the work. They brought with them the most perfect and best constructed instruments known to science, arriving in Philadelphia on the 15th of November, 1763, and, assisted by some of the old surveyors, entered upon their work. By the 4th of June, 1766, they had reached the summit of the Little Allegheny, when the Indians began to be troublesome. They looked with an evil eye on the mathematical and astronomical instruments, and felt a secret dread and fear of the consequences of the frequent and long continued peering into the heavens. The Six Nations were understood to be inimical to the further progress of the survey. But through the influence of Sir William Johnson a treaty was concluded, providing for the prosecution of the work unmolested, and a number of chieftains was sent to accompany the surveying party. Mason and Dixon now had with them thirty surveyors, fifteen axmen, and fifteen Indians of consequence. Again the attitude of the Indians gave cause of fear, and, on the 29th of September, twenty-six of the surveyors abandoned the expedition and returned to Philadelphia. Having reached a point two hundred and twenty-four miles from the Delaware, and within thirtysix miles of the western limit of the State, in the bottom of a deep, dark valley they came upon a well-worn Indian path, and here the Indians gave notice that it was the will of the Six Nations that this survey proceed no further. There was no questioning this authority, and no means at command for resisting, and accordingly the party broke up and returned to Philadelphia. And this was the end of the labors of Mason and Dixon upon this boundary. The line was marked by stones which were quarried and engraved in England, on one side having the arms of Penn, and on the opposite those of Lord Baltimore. These stones were firmly set every five miles. At the end of each intermediate mile a smaller stone was placed, having on one side engraved the letter P, and on the opposite the letter M. The remainder of the line was finished and marked in 1782-84 by other surveyors. A vista was cut through the forest eight yards in width the whole distance. In 1849 the stone at the northeast corner of Maryland having been removed, a re-survey of the line was ordered, and surveyors were appointed by the three States of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Mary