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fembly, than in all the Years put together, fince the Settlement of the Province.

"We are now to take our Leave of the Governor'; and indeed, fince he hopes no Good from us, nor we from him, 'tis time we should be parted. If our • Conftituents difapprove our Conduct, a few Days will give them an Opportunity of changing us by a new Election; and could the Governor be as foon and as easily changed, Penfylvania would, we apprehend, deferve much lefs the Character he gives it, of an unfortunate Country.'

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That, however, they might ftill continue to act on the fame Maxims, and continue to deserve the fame Confidence, they proceeded to contribute all they could to the Advancement of the Service; not only without the Concurrence of the Governor, but in fpite of his Endeavours to render them odious by all the Means of Prevention his Wit, his Malice, or his Power could help him to. In what Manner, the following unanimous Refolutions will specify.

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That when Application is made to this House by the Governor, for fomething to be done at the Requeft of another Government, the Letters and Papers that are to be the Foundation of our Proceedings on fuch Application, ought to be, as they have been by all preceding Governors, laid before the House for their Confideration.

That a Sight afforded to the Speaker, or a few of the Members, of Papers remaining in the Go• vernor's Hands, cannot be fo fatisfactory to the reft of the Houfe, nor even to the Speaker, and • fuch Members, as if those Papers were laid before the House, where they might receive feveral diftinct Readings, and be fubject to repeated Inspection and • Difcuffion till they were thoroughly understood and all Danger of Miftakes and Mifconceptions through Defect of Attention, or of Memory, in one or a few Perfons, effectually prevented.

That great Inaccuracies and want of Exactnefs have been frequently obferved by the Houfe in the

Governor's Manner of ftating Matters, laid before them in his Meffages; and therefore they cannot think fuch Meffages, without the Papers therein. referred to, are a fufficient Foundation for the House to proceed upon, in an Affair of Moment, or that it would be prudent or fafe fo to do, either for themselves or their Constituents.

That though the Governor may poffibly have obtained Orders not to lay the Secretary of State's Letters, in fome Cafes, before the House, they humbly conceive and hope that Letters from the neighbouring Governments, in fuch Cafes as the C prefent, cannot be included in thofe Orders.

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That when an immediate Affiftance to neighbouring Colonies is required of us; to interrupt or ' prevent our Deliberations, by refufing us a Sight of the Requeft, is a Proceeding extremely improper ⚫ and unfeasonable.

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• But a Member of this House producing a Letter to himself from the Honourable Thomas Hutchinson, Efq. a Perfon of great Distinction and Weight in the Government of Maffachufets-Bay, and a • Member of the Council of that Province, mentioning the Application to this Government for Provifions, and the Neceflity of an immediate Supply: And it appearing by the Refolution of the Council of War, held at the Carrying Place, on the Twenty-fourth paft (an Abstract of which is com⚫municated to the Speaker, by the Honourable Tho• mas Pownal, Efq. Lieutenant Governor of the Jerfeys) that the Army will be in Want of Blankets and other Cloathing, fuitable to the approaching Seafon and this Houfe being willing to afford what Affiftance may be in their Power, under their present unhappy Circumftances of an exhaufted Treasury, and a total Refufal by the Governor of their Bills ⚫ for raifing Money, Refolved,

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That a voluntary Subfcription of any Sum or Sums, not exceeding Ten Thoufand Pounds, which fhall be paid by any Perfons into the Hands of Ifaac T • Norris,

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• Norris, Evan Morgan, Jofeph Fox, John Mifflin, Reefe Meredith, and Samuel Smith of the City of Philadelphia, Gentlemen, within two Weeks after this Date, towards the Furnishing of Provifions and Blankets, or other warm Cloathing, to the Troops < now at or near Crown-Point, on the Frontiers of New-York, will be of Service to the Crown, and acceptable to the Public, and the Subscribers ought to be thankfully reimburfed (with Intereft) by future Affemblies, to whom it is accordingly by this House earnestly recommended.'

And this may be called the finishing Measure of this every way public-fpirited Affembly: The Governor did not chufe to be in the Way to receive their Reply and fo the Seffion and the Controverfy for this Time ended together.

Into the Hands of what Number of Readers, or Readers of what Capacities, Difpofitions, or Principles, this Treatife fhall fall, is out of Calculation the firft, and Decifion the laft: But whatever the Number may be, or however they may happen to be principled, difpofed, or endowed, the Majority will by this Time, probably, exclaim, Enough of this Governor! or, Enough of this Author!

But which ever should happen to be the Cafe, Pardon is afked for the Neceffity of proceeding a few Stages farther; and Patience ought to be required, to induce the Reader to hold out to the End of fo difagreeable a Journey.

Tho' foiled, difgraced, and filenced, this AntiPenn, this Undertaker to fubvert the Building Penn had raised, was far from quitting the Lifts.

On the contrary, he lay in wait with Impatience for a Verification of his own Predictions concerning the Danger of the Frontier, and the Miferies the Inhabitants were to fuftain when the Enemy fhould break in upon them.

-When fuch fhould actually become the Cafe, when' the Fugitives fhould on all Sides, be driven either by the Enemy or their own Fears, or both, towards the

Capital;

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Capital; when every Week should furnish fome new Tragedy; and Rumour fo practife upon Credulity, that every single Fact should by the Help of Echoes and Re-echoes be multiplied into Twenty: When the Pannic should become general, and the very Diftractions of the Herd, and their Incapacity to operate' for themselves, fhould render them obnoxious to any Imposition whatsoever-Then, he thought, and not altogether unjustly, their Paffions might be of Service to him, tho' their Reafon could not: And the Event will fhew, That, provided he might attain his Ends, he could be very indifferent about the Means.

Factions he had found Means to form, both in the City and the feveral Counties; and Tools and Implements of all Kinds, from the officious Magiftrate down to the Prostitute Writer, the whispering Incendiary, and avowed Defperado, he was furrounded with. The Prefs he had made an outrageous Ufe of; a Cry he had raised; and in Miniature the whole Game of Faction was here played by him with as little Reserve, tho' not with as much Succefs, as it is in greater Affairs elsewhere.

The Current of Elections, however, ftill continued to fet against him: Those who had the moft Interest at Stake remained firm to the Interest of their Country: And now nothing remained but by the Dint of Artifice and Clamour, to compel those to be fubfervient to his indirect Purposes, if poffible, whom he could not deprive of their Country's Confidence and Favour.

This was the true State of Penfylvania, when the new Affembly, compofed chiefly of the old Members, took their Seats..

On the 14th of October the Houfe met of course, according to their Constitution: But did not proceed to material, or at least, extraordinary Bufinefs.-The Governor was not as yet fure of his Crifis: And, therefore, chofe to feel their Pulfe firft in manner following. His Secretary being in Converfation with the Speaker

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Speaker of the Affembly (the fame who had ferved in that Office for many Years past) took occasion to communicate two Letters to him concerning Indian Affairs And the Speaker, afking, Whether they were not to be laid before the House, the Secretary replied, he had no fuch Orders. The Letters were of course returned; and the Speaker made the Houfe acquainted with this Incident; adding, "That he thought the faid Letters contained Matters of great Impor < tance to the Welfare of the Province: But as he • could not prefume to charge his Memory with the

Particulars, fo as to lay them before the House for the Foundation of their Conduct, he could only ⚫ mention the Fact, and recommend it to the Confideration of the Houfe.' The House hereupon deputed two Members to inform the Governor, That having gone thro' the ufual Bufinefs done at the firft Sitting of an Affembly, they were inclined to adjourn, unless he had any Thing to lay before them, particularly in regard to Indian Affairs, that might require their longer Stay.' And the fame Members were farther directed to acquaint him with the Time of their Adjournment, in cafe the Governor fhould in Reply fay, he had nothing to communicate.-This Concert upon one Side, produced Concert on the other. The Governor replied as had been foreseen, That • if he had had any Business to lay before the House •he fhould have done it before that Time.' And being then made acquainted with the propofed Time of Adjournment, which was till the firft of December, he faid, It was very well.

The Houfe, therefore, having firft refolved to continue the Supplies granted by the former Affembly to the Indians on their Frontier, adjourned accordingly, having fat but four Days.

Fifteen Days of this Adjournment were also fuffered to elapfe, as if all Danger and Apprehenfion were at an End. But then the Governor, being armed at all

Points,