censured the Congress severely, as first resolving to receive a plan for uniting the colonies to the mother country, and afterwards rejecting it, and ordering their first resolution to be erased out of their minutes. Permit me to hint to you, that it is whispered here by ministerial people, that yourself and Mr. Jay of New York are friends to their measures, and give them private intelligence of the views of the popular or country party in America. I do not believe this; but I thought it a duty of friendship to acquaint you with the report.*

I have not heard what objections were made to

Gaway was one of the delegates to the first Congress from Pennsylvania. Neither his sentiments nor his aims accorded with those of the prominent patriots, who were assembled on that occasion. He proposed a plan of reconciliation, which was disapproved and rejected. Dr. Garden relates the circumstances as follows. Mr. Galloway became a member at the earnest solicitation of the Assembly, and refused ex mpliance till they had given him instructions agreeable to his own rond, as the rule of his conduct. These instructions they suffered hest draw up. They were briefly to state the rights and the grievances of America, and to propose a plan of amicable accommodation of the ₫ Tsences between Great Britain and the colonies, and of a perpetual Ur 2 On the 24th of September a plan was proposed by him, which was d 'ated a whole day, when the question was carried, six colonies to five, that it should be resumed and further considered; but it at length fell through.”— History, &c., Vol. I. p. 409.

way pebushed a pamel't on the subject, which was not well receued by the patriotic party. Samuel Whartonf, in a letter to Dr. Frack in written in England, says; "I am ready grieved at the publicata nof Mr. Galloway's extraordinary pamphlet. Our great friends in ber, Huss are extremely angry at it; while the courtiers rejoice at that hart of the pamphlet, which represents our divisions and contro verses, as to bourdaries and modes of religion, our incompetency to

power of that country, and the undecided state of Congress • veral weeks, ne to what really were the rights of America. Yet e ortura, at the same time, treat with ineffable contempt the plan n proposed; and which, they my, by not being adopted, offi nde d ath r'e prode, and has been tie hy ny means of their being satrly confirmed in their ideas of the weakness and division of the ca; and that, by perseverance, they shall unquestionably obtain a perfect subeniamin,” — „April 17th, 1775.

VOL. VIIL

19

M

the plan in the Congress, nor would I make more than this one, that, when I consider the extreme corruption prevalent among all orders of men in this old, rotten state, and the glorious public virtue so predominant in our rising country, I cannot but apprehend more mischief than benefit from a closer union. I fear they will drag us after them in all the plundering wars, which their desperate circumstances, injustice, and rapacity, may prompt them to undertake; and their wide-wasting prodigality and profusion is a gulf that will swallow up every aid we may distress ourselves to afford them.

Here numberless and needless places, enormous salaries, pensions, perquisites, bribes, groundless quarrels, foolish expeditions, false accounts or no accounts, contracts and jobs, devour all revenue, and produce continual necessity in the midst of natural plenty. I apprehend, therefore, that to unite us intimately will only be to corrupt and poison us also. It seems like Mezentius' coupling and binding together the dead and the living.

"Tormenti genus, et sanie taboque fluentes,

Complexu in misero, longâ sic morte necabat."

However, I would try any thing, and bear any thing that can be borne with safety to our just liberties, rather than engage in a war with such relations, unless compelled to it by dire necessity in our own defence.

But, should that plan be again brought forward, I imagine, that, before establishing the union, it would be necessary to agree on the following preliminary

articles.

1. The Declaratory Act of Parliament to be repealed.

2. All acts of Parliament, or parts of acts, laying duties on the colonies to be repealed.

3. All acts of Parliament altering the charters, or constitutions, or laws of any colony, to be repealed. 4. All acts of Parliament restraining manufactures to be repealed.

5. Those parts of the navigation acts, which are for the good of the whole empire, such as require that ships in the trade should be British or Plantation built, and navigated by three fourths British subjects, with the duties necessary for regulating commerce, to be reenacted by both Parliaments.

6. Then, to induce the Americans to see the reguLating acts faithfully executed, it would be well to give the duties collected in each colony to the treasury of that colony, and let the governor and Assembly appoint the officers to collect them, and proportion their salaries. Thus the business will be cheaper and better done, and the misunderstandings between the two countries, now created and fomented by the unprin cipled wretches, generally appointed from England, be entirely prevented.

These are hasty thoughts submitted to your con

sideration.

You will see the new proposal of Lord North, made on Monday last, which I have sent to the Committee.*

• Tus proposal, which was introduced into Parliament by Lord North on the 20th of February, is as follows; "That, when the Governor, Council, and Assembly, or General Court of his Majesty's provinces, or cosunies, shail propose to make provision according to their respective conditions, circumstances, and situations, for contributing their proporton to the common defence; such proportion to be raised under the authorities of the General Court, or General Assembly, of such provmare or colony, and disposable by Parliament; and shall engage to make provision also for the support of the civil government, and the administration of justice in such province or colony; it will be proper, if such proposal shall be approved by his Majesty in Parliament, and fut so long as such provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear in respect of such province or colony, to levy any duties, tax, or asse^SStur at, or to impose any further duty, tax, or assessment, except only

Those in administration, who are for violent measures, are said to dislike it. The others rely upon it as a means of dividing, and by that means subduing us. But I cannot conceive, that any colony will undertake to grant a revenue to a government, that holds a sword over their heads with a threat to strike the moment they cease, to give, or do not give so much. as it is pleased to expect. In such a situation, where is the right of giving our own property freely, or the right to judge of our own ability to give? It seems to me the language of a highwayman, who, with a pistol in your face, says, "Give me your purse, and then I will not put my hand into your pocket. But give me all your money, or I will shoot you through the head." With great and sincere esteem, I am, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

DEAR SIR,

TO JOSIAH QUINCY.

London, 26 February, 1775.

I received, and perused with great pleasure, the letter you honored me with, by your amiable and valuable son. I thank you for introducing me to the acquaintance of a person so deserving of esteem for his public and private virtues. I hope for your sake, and that of his friends and country, that his present indisposition may wear off, and his health be established. His coming over has been of great service to our cause, and would have been much greater, if his constitution would have borne the fatigues of being

such duties as it may be expedient to impose for the regulation of commerce; the net produce of the duties last mentioned, to be carried to the account of such province, colony, or plantation respectively." -Almon's Parliamentary Register, Vol. I. p. 196.

more frequently in company. He can acquaint you so fully with the state of things here, that my enlarging upon them will be unnecessary. I most sincerely wish him a prosperous voyage, and a happy meeting with his friends and family; and to you, my old dear friend, and the rest of those you love, every kind of felicity; being, with the truest esteem and affection, B. FRANKLIN.

yours,

Dr. Franklin left England, in the Pennsylvania Packet, about the 20th of March. From a letter, dated March 17th, and written to a friend on the continent, whose name is not mentioned in the draft from which an extract is here taken, it appears that he thought of returning in a few months.

Being about to embark for America, this line is just to take leave, wishing you every kind of felicity, and to request, that if you have not yet purchased for me the Theatrum Machinarum, you will now omut doing it, as I have the offer of a set here. But, if you have purchased it, your draft on me will be duly paid in my absence by Mrs. Stevenson, in whose hands I leave my little affairs till my return, which I propose, God willing, in October. Mrs. Stevenson keeps the bisuse in Craven Street, wherein I have always lodged since my residence in London.

* Be pleased to present my humble respects to your good Prince, with my best wishes for his prosperity, and repeat my thankful acknowledgment for his gracious and benevolent proposition in my favor, of which, though I could not, for the reasons I gave you, avail myself, I shall nevertheless always retain the most grateful sense, and if, either here or in America, I could render his highness any kind of service, it would give me infinite pleasure."

He arrived in Philadelphia on the 5th of May. The Pennsylvania Assembly was then sitting. The following resolve is contained in the Vites of the House, May 6th. Resolved unanimously, that Benjamin Fraskin be, and he is hereby, added to the deputies appointed by this Hase on the part of Pennsylvania, to attend the Continental Congress expected to meet on the 10th instant in this city."