The Affembly, on the other Hand, gladly fasten'd on an Acknowledgment fo exprefs in favour of the Thing; and, from the fame Senfe of it, declar'd themselves to be equally careful with the Governor in the Conduct and Direction of it: But having fo done, they went on to fay, That as they did not think the Diflike rais'd in Britain of the Plantation-Bills, was fo general and undiftinguishing, or still fo warmly fubfifted as the Governor feemed to apprehend, fo neither did they conceive the Time to be unfeasonable for an Application to the Crown about theirs: That they were equally concerned with the Governor for their Difference of Opinion, and that they might not feem to act too precipitately in an Affair of fuch Importance, they chose to make a fhort Adjournment, before they took his Objection into Consideration.'

Adjourn they did accordingly; and at their next Meeting, which was towards the End of May the fame Year, found themselves earnestly preffed by a Meffage from the Governor on one Hand, concerning Indian Affairs, and on the other by Petitions from a confiderable Number of Inhabitants, for a farther Addition to their Paper Money, fupported by a Variety of Allegations of the moft interefting and affecting Nature.

The Governor's Meffage, whether premature or not will beft appear from the Sequel, prepared the House to expect," That the Country of Allegheny fituate on the Waters of the Ohio, partly within the Limits of Penfylvania, partly within thofe of Virginia, already was, or foon would be invaded by an Army of French and Indians from Canada: In which Cafe the Indians inhabiting there, who were a Mixture of the Six Nations, Shawonefe, Delawares, and Twigtwees lately recommended as Allies to the Province by the faid Six Nations, would be obliged to leave the Country, and his Majefty's Subjects trading with them would be cut off, &c. &c. unlefs timely warned by the Meffengers fent to them by himself for that Purpose: That Montour, an Interpreter, had heard the French De

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claration delivered, and the Reply of the Indians which was firm and refolute, but not to be rely'd upon as they were in Want of all Things."-So far was Matter of Intelligence. The reft was pathetic Reprefentation of Dangers and Mischiefs to be apprehended on their own Frontiers, and Exhortations to enable him to give the faid Indians Affiftance answerable to their Exigencies.

And upon the Heels of this Meffage the Governor alfo communicated to them the Anfwer of the Proprietaries to the Reprefentation of the Affembly above exhibited; and which, if purposely calculated to divide the Province and inflame the Animofities already kindled, could not have been better framed or better timed for thofe fatal Purposes.

Profeffions of Attachment to the true and real Interest of the Province, of fparing no Coft or Pains whenever it fhould appear to them neceffary to advance it, and acting fuch a Part in confidering the Matter of the Reprefentation as all difinterested Perfons fhould think juft, they fet out with. And, having made this Ground for themfelves, they proceed to charge the Affembly with being actuated by illWill to them on one Hand, and a Defire to ingratiate themselves with the weaker Part of the Electors on the other. In the next Paragraph they say, ' After we had ' ordered our Governor to give you the Answer which 'he did, to your former Application, we had no reason to expect a Repetition of the Application directly to ourselves, as you might well fuppofe we had confidered the Matter before we had returned our first Anfwer, and the repeating the Request could only produce the repeating the Anfwer, the Occafion for which does not appear to us. It is poffible, that one Purpose may be in order to fhew more publickly this Difference in Opinion between us and yourselves; and if that was ever intended it will be • convenient we fhould fet this Matter in a clear Light (altho' it may make our Answer longer than we could wish) that the true State of the Matter may appear."

They then urge the Authority of the Board of Trade in Juftification of their former Affertion, that they were no more obliged to contribute to the public. Charges, than the chief Governor of any other Color ny: They will not allow that their honoured Father had any Affiftance from the People in making his Purchases, or that there is the least Colour for preffing them fo unfeasonably to contribute to the public Charge, feeing that the faid Charge did not much exceed one half of the Revenue.-And they not only return to their first Charge, that the Affembly by so doing, could only mean to captivate the weakest of the People, and fo by their Affiftance continue to hold their Seats in the Affembly, but farther, cite as fo many Proofs, the Time of making their firft Reprefentation, which was just before an Election: Their printing the Report and moft extraordinary Refolutions on which the faid Representation was founded, which feemed to argue it was rather intended as an Addrefs to them the faid Populace than to the Proprietaries, and the folemn Repetition of the fame Request as if it was a Matter of great Value and Importance.

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Take the next Article in their own Words. • Wherefore, on this Occafion, it is neceffary that we fhould inform the People, through yourselves their Reprefentatives, that, as by the Conftitution, our • Consent is necessary to their Laws, at the fame Time that they have an undoubted Right to fuch as are ne→ ceffary for the Defence and real Service of the Coun. try; fo, it will tend the better to facilitate the fe • veral Matters which must be tranfacted with us, for their Representatives to fhew a Regard to us and our Intereft: For, confidering the Rank which the • Crown has been pleased to give us in Penfylvania, we fhall expect from the People's Reprefentatives, ⚫ on all Occafions, a Treatment fuitable thereto; and that whilft we defire to govern the Province according to Law only, they fhould be as careful to fupport our Interests, as we fhall always be to fupport theirs.'

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Recurring again to the Revenue, they affect to be truly concern'd for being obliged to acquaint the Pub. lic with a State of it, fettle that State at 6000 7. a Year, arifing from the Excise and the provincial Bills: Again affert, that the annual Expence of Government for a Series of Years, including Indian Charges, amounts to little more than half that Sum: And that of all this Revenue, about 400/. a Year has, on an Average, for twenty Years paft (and great Part of that Time during War) been expended in Prefents to the Indians and Charges on that Account, which they could not conceive to be a large Sum, compared with that Revenue, the Manner of its being raised, and fo important a Service as that of keeping the united Nations of Indians in the Intereft of Great-Britain.

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They then talk of the Taxes paid by their Family here at Home, as an equivalent to the Indian Article; and then proceed in the following remarkable Terms. And at the fame Time that we fhew you that we do pay all other Taxes here, that on Land only excepted, we muft advise you to be very careful, not to put People here in Mind of that fingle . Exemption. Several Proposals have been made for laying Taxes on North America, and it is most easy "to foresee, that the felf-fame Act of Parliament that fhall lay them on our, will alfo lay them on your • Eftates, and on those of your Conftituents.'

In the next Article, having deny'd, that the Affembly had always paid the Interpreter to his Satiffaction, and infifted that they themselves had gratified him when the Affembly had refufed to pay him what he thought his Services deferved; they add, in a higher Tone: However, with respect to any Expences of that Sort, and many others here, we entered into them without any Expectation of being repaid, and should think it far beneath us to fend the Accounts of them to the House of Reprefentatives, as your Agents employed by yourselves might do, for the Expences incurred by them.'

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Proceeding in the fame Stile, they fay in the next Article, We do not conceive that any Act of Affembly does, or can eftablish what you call a Monopoly in us for the Purchase of Lands: We derive no Right or Property from any fuch Law: It is under the King's Royal Charter that we have the fole Right to make fuch Purchases,' &c.

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It is fit the last five Articles fhould be inferted intire; and they are verbatim as follows, viz.

6 12. Your Affertion that Treaties for Land are made at a lefs Expence to us, on Account of Provincial Presents being given at the fame Time, does not appear to us to be founded on Fact: The laft • Purchase was made on no other Account, but purely to fave the Province the Expence of making ⚫ another Present to fome Indians, who came down after the Time that the principal Deputation had received the Prefents intended for the whole, and 6 were on their Return back; and the Land was bought very dear on that Account. Other Treaties for Land have been made when provincial Presents ⚫ have not been given; and we do not or ever did defire that the Inhabitants fhould bear any Part of the Expence of Indians, who come down folely at our Requeft to confent to the Sale of Lands, unless they stay on other public Business also; and whenever they have come down on both Accounts, we are fenfible the Expence has been divided in a Manner very favourable to the Publick.

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" 13. We are far from defiring to avoid contributing to any public Expence which it is reasonable we fhould bear a Part of, altho' our Eftate is not, by Law, liable to be taxed. As we have already been, so we doubt not we fhall always be, at a far greater Expence in attending the Affairs of the Province, than our Eftate could be taxed at, if all the Estates • in the Province were rated to the public Charges, which would be the only fair Way of establishing a Proportion. If we were willing to confent to any fuch Matter, the Value of our Eftate, and of the • Eftates