To the Crown, under this Difficulty, the Affembly now thought it high Time to make their Appeal; in' humble Confidence, that a fair and modeft State of their Cafe, would recommend them to the Royal Protection, and skreen them from the Malignity of their Adverfaries.

That the Governor, however, might not, in the mean Time, remain ignorant of their Sentiments, they made another Application to him by Meffage; in which they apprized him of what they had done, and of their joining Iffue with him in fubmitting their Caufe to his Majefty's Decifion; as alfo, of their Inclination to adjourn till May, for the Sake of their own private Affairs, to relieve the Province from the Expence they fat at, and fufpend the Uneafinefs" which a Contest, like to be endless, and in which they were treated with fo little Decency, had given to them. And having thus, as they obferved, reduced what immediately concerned them, within a narrow Compafs, they firft declare, it was hard for them to conjecture, how the Governor came by his Knowlede of the People's Fondness of their Currency, and Averfion to Reftraints on that Head; feeing they had not petitioned for any Increase of it, nor the Affembly offered any fuch Bill, during his Adminiftration, except that which comprehended the Sum given for the King's Ufe, and that only as the beft Method they could devife for making the Grant effectual:On the Behalf of the late Affemblies, they next infinuate, that when they did offer fuch Bills they were but for a very moderate Sum; founded on minute Calculations of their Trade; and guarded against the Danger of Depreciation, by fuch Securities as long Experience had fhewn to be effectual :-Proceeding then to the Governor's Re-Affertion concerning the fhameful Slights put on the Money-Act of Queen Anne, they appeal to the Teftimony of the Board of Trade in Favour of their own as a reasonable A&, and the Royal Sanction given thereto, by which it is declared, that their Provincial Bills of Credit are lawful

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Jawful Money of America, according to the faid Act of Q. Anne; as alfo to the Courfe of Exchange ever fince, as a full Confutation of his Charge. They farther plead a Neceffity to differ from him in his State of the Publick Money; affure him the Computations he relied upon were made without Skill, or a fufficient Knowledge of their Laws; adhere to the Juftice and Rectitude of their own State; maintain, that by the Laws in Being, 7000l. was the most they had Power over; which Sum, fince their last Settlement, had been greatly reduced by the very heavy Charges of Government.-And, having recapitulated what the Governor had been pleafed to fay concerning the Infufficiente of their Grant, &c. conclude in the following fpirited Manner.

What the Governor may think fufficient, is as much a Mystery to us, as he may apprehend his Proprietary Inftructions are; but, we prefume, it may be fufficient for all the Purposes in Sir Thomas Robinson's laft Letter, and as much or more than, "we think, can be reasonably expected from us. How ⚫ the Governor became fo fuddenly acquainted with the real Value of our Eftates, is not easy to conceive; but we know from long Experience, having many of us received our Birth in this Province, that the Inhabitants are not generally wealthy or rich, tho' we believe them to be, in the main, frugal and induftrious, yet it is evident that their Lands are greatly encumbered with their Debts to the Publick. From thefe Confiderations, we are obliged to think the Governor's Estimation of our • Wealth is undoubtedly too high, unless he includes the Value of the Proprietary Lands; for, by the Report of a Committee of Affembly in August, 1752, it appears, that the Taxables of this Province did not exceed Twenty-two Thousand; and the Grant we have offered of Twenty thousand • Pounds, from the best Calculations we can make, • doth at least amount to five Times the Sum that • hath ever been raised by a Two penny Tax through

• this

this Province. As we think the Governor cannot be a competent Judge of the real Value of our Eftates, in this little Time of his Adminiftration, and as we have now fubmitted our Caufe to higher Determination, we conceive ourselves lefs concerned in his Computations of our Eftates, whatever they may be,

The Governor is pleased to inform us, "That the Proprietaries are too nearly interested in the Prof'perity of this Country, to do any Thing to its Prejudice, and he fhould have imagined that the Peo'ple could not now ftand in Need of any Proofs of the Proprietary Affection, or fufpect them of having any Designs to invade their juft Rights and Privileges, which, he is confident, they deteft and ab· hor." We cannot fuppofe the Governor would mean they detest and abhor our juft Rights and Privileges; and yet we are convinced the Clause in their 'Commiffion to him, their Lieutenant, whereby they impower him to act as fully and amply, to all Intents, Conftructions, and Purpofes, as they themfelves might or could do, were they perfonally prefent," You (our Governor) following and obferving fuch Orders, Inftructions and Directions, as you now have, or hereafter, from Time to Time, "Thall receive from us, or our Heirs," is not only repugnant to our juft Rights and Privileges, but impracticable, against common Senfe, against Law, ' and void in itself; and yet if the Governor should 'think his Hands are fo tied up by these Instructions, that he is not at Liberty to act for the Publick 'Good, we must conclude they are of dangerous Confequence at all Times, and particularly in this 'Time of imminent Danger, not only to ourselves, but to the British Intereft in North-America.

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To this Meffage the Governor returned a fhort Anfwer in thefe Words.

• Gentlemen,

I am very much furprized at your Propofal to adjourn till May, as you have made no Provifion for the Defence of the Province, or granted the Supplies expected by the Crown, and recommend⚫ed by the Secretary of State's Letters: I must therefore object to the propofed Adjournment, while Things remain in this Situation, and hope you will, in Confideration of the Danger to which your Country ftands expofed, continue fitting till you have granted the Supplies to the Crown, and effectually provided for the Defence of the People you reprefent; but if you are determined to rife at this • Time without doing any Thing, remember it is your own Act, and all the fatal Confequences that may attend your leaving the Province in this defenceless State, muft lie at your Doors.? The House in Return unanimously refolved, That the Governor has been refpectfully and repeatedly follicited by this Houfe, to pafs a Bill prefented to him, for granting Twenty thousand Pounds for the King's Ufe, which, in our Opinion, would have answered the Expectations of the Crown from this Province, as fignified by the Secretary of State's Letters, had the Governor been pleafed to have given it his Affent; therefore whatever ill Confequences enfue, from Supplies not having been granted at this critical Juncture, muft lie at his • Door."

'

The Governor by his Secretary demanded a Copy of their Minutes: The Houfe ordered the Minutes both of this and their laft Seffions to be printed; and that a Copy finished should be delivered to the Governor: And, having then refolved to adhere to their Adjournment, adjourned accordingly.

In the Beginning of March, however, the Governor thought fit to re-affemble them; and affigned the Arrival of General Braddock, the Neceflity of confidering what he had to propofe without Delay, and

making the Provifions expected by his Majefty for the Service in Time, as his Reafons for fo doing.. In the fame Meffage he alfo acquainted them,

he had iffued a Commiffion to a Number of Men acquainted with the Country, to form a Plan of opening Roads from the inhabited Parts of the Province Weftward towards the Ohio, at the Requifition of Sir John St. Clair, Quarter Mafter-General, to facilitate the March of the Troops, Conveyance of Provifions, &c. and alfo to prepare an Eftimate of the Expence; which he called upon them to provide for : Alfo to be enabled to take fuch a Part in the Meafures propofed by the Eastern Governments for the Maintenance of his Majefty's juft Rights, &c. as became the Honour and Intereft of a Province circumftanced like theirs: Having then premised, that it was faid, the large Supply of Provifions furnished to the French from thefe Colonies, not Penfilvania in particular, which he acknowledged had little Concern in that unnatural Trade, had enabled the Enemy to fupport their Forces in America, he informed them, he had given the Officers of the Cuftoms preventive Orders in Relation thereto; and added, that he made no Douht of their joining with him in a Law to make those Orders more effectual.-The Defire of the Eastern Governments, that Penfylvania would join with them in their Operations to fruftrate the Schemes of the French, made his next Topick; and he grafted a Hope upon it, that they would enable him to take fuch Part as became the Honour and Intereft of a Province circumftanced like theirs.-The Eftablishment of a Poft between Philadelphia and a Place called Winchefter, at the Defire of General Braddock, was what he recommended next: And that again was followed by another Defire of the fame General's, that the Quotas for the common Fund of the feveral Provinces, recommended by the Secretary of State, might be lodged in the Hands of a Treasurer, fubject to his Demands, in Order to expedite Bufinefs; and the General being perfectly difinterefted, as alfo willing to account for his

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