knew perfectly well the nature of his views and the range of his knowledge. They framed questions that were wisely calculated to elicit information the most favourable to the cause he represented. The entire "Examination," as published in 1767 is printed in volume IV, pp. 412-448, and it is unnecessary in this place to quote from that astonishing document. It may be well however to relate that in a memorandum which Franklin gave to a friend who wished to know by whom the questions were put he admitted that many were asked by friends to draw out in answer the substance of what he had before said upon the subject. The following is the memorandum as printed in Walsh's Life of Franklin, contained in Delaplaine's Repository:·

"I have numbered the questions," says Dr. Franklin, “for the sake of making references to them.

"Qu. 1, is a question of form, asked of every one that is examined. Qu. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, were asked by Mr. Hewitt, a member for Coventry, a friend of ours, and were designed to draw out the answers that follow; being the substance of what I had before said to him on the subject, to remove a common prejudice, that the Colonies paid no taxes, and that their governments were supported by burdening the people here; Qu. 7, was particularly intended to show by the answer, that Parliament could not properly and equally lay taxes in America, as they could not, by reason of their distance, be acquainted with such circumstances as might make it necessary to spare particular parts. - Qu. 8 to 13, asked by Mr. Huske, another friend, to show the impracticability of distributing the Stamps in America. Qu. 14, 15, 16, by one of the late administration, an adversary. Qu. 17 to 26, by Mr. Huske again. His questions about the Germans, and about the

number of people, were intended to make the opposition to the Stamp Act in America appear more formidable. He asked some others here that the Clerk has omitted, particularly one, I remember.

There had been a considerable party in the House for saving the honour and right of Parliament, by retaining the Act, and yet making it tolerable to America, by reducing it to a stamp on commissions for profitable offices, and on cards and dice. I had, in conversation with many of them, objected to this, as it would require an establishment for the distributors, which would be a great expense, as the stamps would not be sufficient to pay them, and so the odium and contention would be kept up for nothing. The notion of amending, however, still continued, and one of the most active of the members for promoting it told me, he was sure I could, if I would, assist them to amend the Act in such a manner, that America should have little or no objection to it. 'I must confess,' says I, 'I have thought of one amendment; if you will make it, the Act may remain, and yet the Americans will be quieted. is a very small amendment, too; it is only the change of a single word.' 'Ay,' says he, 'what is that?' 'It is in that clause where it is said, that from and after the first day of November one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five, there shall be paid, &c. The amendment I would propose is, for one read two, and then all the rest of the act may stand as it does. I believe it will give nobody in America any uneasiness. Mr. Huske had heard of this, and, desiring to bring out the same answer in the House, asked me whether I could not propose a small amendment, that would make the act palatable. But, as I thought the answer he wanted too light and ludicrous for the House, I evaded the question.

It

“Qu. 27, 28, 29, I think these were by Mr. Grenville, but I am not certain. — Qu. 30, 31, I know not who asked them. Qu. 32 to 35, asked by Mr. Nugent, who was against us. His drift was to establish a notion he had entertained, that the people in America had a crafty mode of discouraging the English trade by heavy taxes on merchants. - Qu. 36 to 42, most of these by Mr. Cooper and other friends, with whom I had discoursed, and were intended to bring out such answers as they desired and expected from me. - Qu. 43, uncertain by whom.Qu. 44, 45, 46, by Mr. Nugent again, who I suppose intended to infer, that the poor people in America were better able to pay taxes than the poor in England. Qu. 47, 48, 49, by Mr. Prescott, an adversary.

"Qu. 50 to 58, by different members, I cannot recollect who. - Qu. 59 to 78, chiefly by the former ministry. —Qu. 79 to 82, by friends. - Qu. 83, by one of the late ministry. — Qu. 84, by Mr. Cooper. — Qu. 85 to 90, by some of the late ministry. Qu. 91, 92, by Mr. Grenville. -Qu. 93 to 98, by some of the late ministry. — Qu. 99, 100, by some friend, I think Sir George Saville. - Qu. 101 to 106, by several of the late ministry. - Qu. 107 to 114, by friends. - Qu. 115 to 117, by Mr. A. Bacon. Qu. 118 to 120, by some of the

late ministry. - Qu. 121, by an adversary.- Qu. 122, by a friend. Qu. 123, 124, by Mr. Charles Townshend. - Qu. 125, by Mr. Nugent. Qu. 126, by Mr. Grenville. - Qu. 127, by one of the late ministry. Qu. 128, by Mr. G. Grenville. -Qu. 129, 130, 131, by Mr. Welbore Ellis, late Secretary of War. -- Qu. 132 to 135, uncertain. —Qu. 136 to 142, by some of the late ministry, intending to prove that it operated where no service was done, and therefore it was a tax. - Qu. 143, by a friend, I forgot who. Qu. 144, 145, by C. Townshend.

- Qu. 146 to 151, by some of the late ministry. — Qu. 152 to 157, by Mr. Prescott, and others of the same side. - Qu. 158 to 162, by Charles Townshend. — Qu. 163, 164, by a friend, I think Sir George Saville. - Qu. 165, by some friend. Qu. 166, 167, by an adversary.—Qu. 168 to 174, by friends.

"Mr. Nugent made a violent speech next day upon this examination, in which he said, 'We have often experienced Austrian ingratitude and yet we assisted Portugal, we experienced Portuguese ingratitude, and yet we assisted America. But what is Austrian ingratitude, what is the ingratitude of Portugal, compared to this of America? We have fought, bled, and ruined ourselves, to conquer for them; and now they come and tell us to our noses, even at the bar of this House, that they were not obliged to us,' &c. But his clamour was very little minded."

Eight days after the Examination closed, or on the 21st of February, a Repealing Bill was introduced into Parliament which successfully passed both Houses and received the royal assent on the eighth of March. The news was received in America with uproarious and extravagant joy. The Governor of Pennsylvania, the Mayor of Philadelphia, and the gentlemen of the city drank the health of "our worthy and faithful agent, Dr. Franklin." The chief feature of the procession in honour of the event was a barge forty feet in length, named Franklin, from which salutes were fired. At the annual election in October opposition was silenced and Franklin was renominated agent, as Cadwallader Evans wrote to him, "without any dirt being thrown at you; - indeed it is so notorious that you exerted all your abilities in favour of the Colonies that none now are so hardy as to insinuate the

contrary even the great Giant' acknowledged in the House you had been of service." Historians have occasionally censured Franklin for not more actively resisting the Stamp Act. Five tracts concerning the bill, printed in London and Paris (1765-69), which belonged to Franklin and in which he wrote copious notes are now in the Lenox Library. A random reading of these abundant and incisive comments is sufficient to demonstrate the whole-hearted aversion with which Franklin regarded "the mother of mischiefs."

One of these tracts is entitled "The Claim of the Colonies to an Exemption from Internal Taxes imposed by Authority of Parliament, examined in a Letter from a Gentleman in London to a friend in America" (London, for W. Johnston, 1765). Franklin wrote upon the title-page "by Knox Esq. agent for Georgia." I quote a few of his marginalia:

Knox: "The parliament of Great Britain has exercised supreme and uncontrouled jurisdiction, internally and externally over the properties and persons of the subjects in the colonies. Yet it is said, all these instances do not go to the point of an internal tax that has never been imposed by parliament."

Franklin's note: "Highwaymen on Hounslow Heath have for ages past exercised the same jurisdiction over subjects here; but does that prove they had a Right so to do?"

Knox: "In the Charter granted by the crown to Mr. Penn, the clause of exemption is to this purpose, That the inhabitants of Pennsylvania shall not be subject to any taxes or impositions, other than such as shall be laid by the House of Assembly, or by the parliament of England. Here is an

1 The Chief Justice - William Allen.