Proprietaries have done wifely, not only to purchale their Lands, but to purchase them more than once," as the Governor fays they have done, rather than have any Difference with them on that Head, or give any Handle to the Enemies of the • Province to exafperate thofe People against us. It appears indeed, from the Report, that they could have but a flender Foundation for a Claim of Satisfaction for thofe Lands; we are however convinced, by original Minutes taken by one of the • Commiffioners at the Treaty of Carlile, now lying ⚫ before us, that the Shawanefe Chiefs mentioned that Claim of theirs to the Lands in Question at that Time, and were promifed that the Matter fhould be ⚫ laid before the Proprietaries. It was after the publick general Bufinefs of the Treaty was over, and was not inferted in the printed Account of the Treaty, perhaps because it was thought to relate more particularly to the Proprietary • than to the Province; and one of the Commiffioners being himself concerned in the Proprietaries Affairs, there was Reafon to believe he would take ⚫ Care to get it fettled; and doubtlefs he would have done fo, had he not, as appears by the Report, entirely forgot the whole Tranfaction. We are forry it was not done, though probably the Inftigations, prefent Situation and Power of the French, might have been fufficient nevertheless to have engaged thofe Indians in the War against us.'

They alfo took into Confideration the Governor's Anfwers to their feveral Meffages in Relation to the Bill for regulating the Indian Trade; and refolved thereon, "That it was their Opinion, the Governor had evaded giving any Anfwer, or offering any Amendments to it, that it might be tranfcribed and fent over to the Proprietaries for their Opinion or Affent: That the faid Bill was of great Importance in the prefent critical Situation of Affairs: That the Delay or Refufal of entering into the Confideration thereof

thereof at that Time might be attended with very ill Confequences; and that thofe Confequences would not lie at their Door."

And having before refolved to adjourn till the first of March enfuing, they moreover took upon them to provide for the Subfiftence of certain friendly Indians fettled near their Frontiers in the mean while.

Nor was this all: For the Incidents of the Seffion having fhewn, that it was high Time for the Affembly to affert their own Authority, as far forth at least, as the Factions and Intrigues' of the Province at that Time fubfifting would permit, they called for the Report of their Committee appointed to fit on the feveral irregular and improper Applications which had been made to them during the Seffion; and having duly confidered it, ordered it to be entered on the Minutes of the Houfe.

Every body knows, that the Reports of Committees can confift of Opinions only: And thefe Gentlemen gave it as theirs," That tho' it was the undoubted Right of the Freemen of the Province, not only to petition, but even to advise their Representatives on fuitable Occafions, yet all Applications whatever to the House, ought to be refpectful, decent, pertinent, and founded in Truth.”

"That the Petition of Moore and his thirty-five Followers concerning unneceffary Disputes with the Governor, when no Difputes had been begun; and infinuating, that the Houfe had neglected the Security of the Province from confcientious Scruples, was founded on Miftakes and Milapprehenfions of Facts and Circumftances." [They might have faid much more if they had thought proper.]

"That the Petition intituled, An Addrefs of certain People called Quakers in Behalf of themfelves and others, (figned by Anthony Morris and twenty-two others) fo far as it engaged for any more than themfelves, and infinuated they would be under a Neceffity of fuffering rather than paying for other than peaceable Measures, had, notwithstanding the Decency of

its Language, affumed a greater Right than they were invested with, and, forafmuch as the faid Petitioners had not duly confidered former Precedents, especially the Grant of 2000l. to the Crown in the Year 1711 was an unadvised and indifcreet Application to the House at that Time."

"That the Representation from the Mayor of Philadelphia, and 133 others, faid to be of the principal Inhabitants, but in Reality a great Part of them not FREE-holders, many of them Strangers and obfcure. Perfons, and fome of them under Age, as it charged the House with not having a proper Concern for the Lives of the Inhabitants, and dictated, in a haughty peremptory Manner, to the reprefentative Body of the whole People, what Laws to make, and threatened to force a Compliance, &c. if its Commands were not obeyed, was a Paper extremely prefuming, indecent, infolent, and improper; and that the faid Mayor, by becoming a Promoter and Ringleader of fuch an Infult on that Part of the Government, and by his Authority, Arts, and Influence, drawing in fo many indifcreet or unwary Perfons to be Partakers with him therein, had exceedingly misbehaved himself, and failed greatly in the Duty of his Station."-Expreffions equally applicable to the Governor himself as chief Magiftrate; if the Mayor in all this, only acted as a Tool of his.

And upon the whole, "That the faid Paper ought to be rejected."

Thus ended this memorable Seffion, on the 3d of December; and that Day Two Months, inftead of that Day Three Months, which was the Time prefixed by their own Adjournment, the Governor, having, in that Interval, left his Province, in Order to attend the military Congress at New-York, notwithstanding the Preventives thrown as above by the Affembly in his Way, thought fit to convene them again; and by the Medium of a written Meffage in the ufual Form, told them, "That he had called them together, to confider of the Plan of Operations, concert

ed,

ed, in the late Council of War held at that Place for the Security of his Majefty's Dominions on the Continent: That he had directed the faid Plan to be laid before them, under a Recommendation of Secrefy, that no Part of it might be fuffered to tranfpire: That the many Encroachments of the French, &c. fufficiently fhewed what they had farther to expect, if they did not by an united, vigorous, and fteddy Exertion of their Strength diflodge, and confine them within their own juft Bounds: That he was perfuaded this would be found the beft Way of providing for their own Security, and that, therefore, he must recommend it to them to grant him fuch Supplies, as might enable him to furnish what was expected from that Province towards the general Service: That they must be fenfible their Succefs would very much depend on their being early in Motion; and that he made no Doubt, they would ufe the greatest Diligence and Difpatch in whatever Measures their Zeal for the public Caufe might induce them to take upon the prefent Occasion: That every Thing poffible had been done for the Security of the Province: That a Chain of Forts and Block-houses, extending from the River Delaware along the Kittatinny Hills [where he had formerly faid the 1500 French and Indians had taken Poft in their Way to Philadelphia] to the Maryland-Line, was then almost complete: That they were placed at the most important Paffes, at convenient Distances, and were all garrifoned with Detachments in the Pay of the Province, and he believed, in case the Officers and Men pofted in them did their Duty, they would prove a fufficient Protection against fuch Parties as had hitherto appeared on their Borders : That he had directed the Minutes of the feveral Conferences held with the Indians, and other Papers relating to Indian Affairs (by which it appeared that the Bulk of the Indians living on the Sufquehanna, were not only in the French intereft, but deaf to all the Inftances of the Six Nations thereon) to be laid before them: That the Heads of thofe Nations had been convened

convened by the timely Care of General Shirley, and were then met in Council to treat on thofe and other Matters: That he was informed, they were fo much displeased with the Conduct of the Delawares and Shawanefe, that they feemed inclinable to take up the Hatchet against them, and that he hoped the Warmth with which General Shirley had recommended this Matter to them, would induce them to act vigorously on this Occafion."

Connection is not to be expected in this Gentleman's Proceedings: His Congress we have already feen converted into a Council of War; inftead of a general Treaty with the Indians he brings back a Plan of military Operations: And while the Levies were actually making of the 60,000 l. juft given,, for the Defence of the Province, he calls upon them for a Supply, towards an Offensive War.

By the Plan fettled among the Governors at their late, Council, which is now in Print, the Colonies were to raise 10,250 Men, to be employed in two Bodies against the French Settlements on the Lake Ontario, and Crown-Point; and of these 1500 were to be fupplied by Pensylvania.

The Governor, however, did not think it expedient to push this Demand in the cavalier Manner he had hitherto practifed; probably convinced that it was, what the Province neither would or could comply with; and that confequently he fhould only draw down fo much the more Odium on himself.

2

Befides: The Affembly was fcarce met, before a Circumftance occurred, which, tho' of an almost private Nature, ferved to evince the Truth of what has been just infinuated.

The feveral. Recruiting Parties diftributed through the Province by the Order of General Shirley, had renewed the old Practice of enlifting purchased Ser vants: The Perfons thus deprived of their Property brought their Complaints before the Affembly: The Affembly not only received the Petitioners favourably, but also efpoufed their Caufe in the ftrongeft Terms Y.

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