Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

to the Province of Penfylvania but all the Provinces adjoining, was at laft acknowledged; and it thereby became undeniable, That, under fuch a Commission, inforced by a penal Bond upon the Holder of it, neither the Province could be protected, the King ferved, or the Intereft of the Community maintained, unless the Freemen parted with their Birth- Rights, and the fpecial Confirmations of them contained in their Charter.

f

And it is equally to be wondered, That any Two Subjects in the King's Dominions, fhould prefume to exact fuch Conceffions from their Fellow-Subjects as his Majefly himself neither has, or makes any Claim to; and that any Gentleman fhould, fubmit to ferve them on fuch equally tyrannical and servile Terms.

h

The Refolutions of the Houfe hereon were worthy of the Occafion, and as fuch are equally worthy of having a Place in this Work.

• Refolved,

That it is the Opinion of this Houfe, that the faid Proprietary Inftruction was the principal, if not the only, Obftruction to the Paffing the feveral Bills of⚫fered to the Governor by the last Affembly for granting Money for the King's Ufe.

6

1

[ocr errors]

That the Act for laying an Excife on Wine, Rum, Brandy, and other Spirits, paffed in the Year 1744; and the Act granting Five Thoufand Pounds for the King's Ufe, paffed the 24th of June, 1746, by which the faid Act for laying an Excife on Wine, Rum, Brandy and other Spirits, was continued for Ten Years next after the first Day of June, 1746, have received the Royal Approbation.

That Acts laying an Excife on fpirituous Liquors have been found neceffary for defraying the Charges of Government, and have been continued within tihs Province for more than Thirty Years, and • that

8.

[ocr errors]

that the Governor's not paffing the Bill prefented to him for continuing the Excife, upon the Terms of all our former Acts, repeatedly approved of by the Crown, from an Apprehenfion that he is reftrained by the said Proprietary Inftruction, is evafive and frivolous, and an Infringement of our juft Rights; and, that, as Deputy-Governor of this Province, he has, or ought to have, full Powers to give his Affent to all fuch Bills as we have an undoubted < Right to offer.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

That the faid Inftruction" is not calculated to promote the Happinefs and Profperity of this Province, and is inconfiftent with the Prerogative of the Crown, and the Liberties of the People ;" and that all Proprietary Inftructions, not warranted by the Laws of Great-Britain, are illegal and void in themselves: Nevertheless, if the Governor should apprehend himself bound by fuch Proprietary Inftructions, they may prove ruinous to the Province, and of dangerous Confequence to the British Interest • in America.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

That the Houfe do adhere to the Bill for, continuing the Act for laying an Excife on Wine, Rum, Brandy and other Spirits, as it now ftands, without admitting the Governor's propofed Amendments

• thereto.'

It now alfo became.apparent to the Province, that even the boafted Free Gift of the Proprietaries of 5000l. was not to be obtained but as it could be collected out of the Arrears of their Quit Rents: And that it being impracticable to collect fuch a Sum faft enough to answer the public Demands, the Deficiency could no otherwife be made good than by Act of Affembly for ftriking the Sum of 4000l. remaining due on the Proprietary-Order, in Bills of Credit, to be funk out of the growing Payments as they should come in.This, in fhort, was the Favour applied for on their Behalf by their, Receiver-General, who declared, at the fame Time, That he had confulted the Governor on this Head, who had expreffed his

[blocks in formation]

Readiness to concur with the House in a reasonable Bill for that Purpose: Not directly to the Affembly, however, was this Favour applied for; nor as a Favour to the Proprietaries: That would have been beneath the Proprietary Dignity; but by the Interpofition of the Commiffioners of the 60,000l. A&t.The Affembly nevertheless gave Way to the Expedient; the Receiver-General had Leave to bring in a Bill for the Purpose; and the fame, with a different Preamble, was paffed and fent up to the Governor. The Difference is this. In the first, the Reafon affigned for the Bill was to this Effect: "Whereas the Proprietaries have been pleased to make a Free-Gift of the Sum of 5000l. towards the public Charge, c. whereof their Receiver General had as yet been able to pay but 1000 l. To the End, therefore, that the good Intentions of the Proprietaries in the faid Gift may be fully anfwered, and the Public may receive the immediate Benefit thereof, Be it enacted," &c.— In the fecond, Care was taken to fpecify, That the faid Sum was to be applied towards the Public Charge, and was given in Confideration of their [the Proprietaries] being exempted from the Payment of their Taxes towards railing the Sum of 60,000l.

On the fame Day that the Bill was thus fent up, namely, the Seventh after their Meeting, they also fent up a Money-Bill for granting the Sum of 40,000l. for the King's Ufe, and for ftriking the faid Sum in Bills of Credit, and to provide a Fund for finking the fame: And, upon the Receipt of the faid Bill, the Governor was pleafed to fay, "That he would give it all the Dispatch in his Power: But that he could not fay when the Houfe might expect to know his Refult thereupon, as he was that Day going to NewCafile, in Order to meet the Affembly of the Three Lower Counties."

Notwithstanding which, the two Members to whom he thus expreffed himself, were no fooner with. drawn, than he fent after them another Meffage to the Houfe fignifying, "That, by Intelligence he had

received

received from two Indians, Two Days before, the Western Indians were forming themfelves into a Body in Order to attack the Province about the Time of Harveft, &c." Adding, If, upon Confideration of this Matter, any other Meafures are neceffary for the Public Safety, you will enable me to take • them.'

A

Thus, Harlequin like, he could play contrary Parts in the fame Interlude. If a Supply was not given without Delay, the Troops were to be dif banded, the Forts deftroyed, and the Frontier confequently laid open: And yet, with a Supply in his Hand, he could deliberately go upon another Service: At the fame Time he could alfo communicate. Intelligence of additional Dangers; and yet, with the fame Supply in his Hand, he could infinuate Want of Ability to withstand them.

The Affembly, in Fact, told him in their Reply to this Meffage, That, in cafe he paffed their Bill, he would find himself fufficiently enabled to take every Measure that might be neceffary.

What is farther remarkable, a Merchant of Philadelphia, who had fupplied the Garrifons in Newfoundland with Provifions for Six Years, and who had now a Veffel in the Port freighted with the fame, could not obtain a Clearance; the Governor and Council being unanimously of Opinion, That, becaufe of the late Act to prevent Exportations, no fuch Clearance could be granted. A Member of the House who, by Order from the Navy-Contractor at Jamaica had, in like Manner, freighted a Ship, met with the fame Difficulty under the fame Pretence. Both made their Application to the Houfe for Relief: And it was not only Refolved, That the faid Act was of the fame Tenor with That of New-York, and never intended in any wife to reftrain the Exportation of Provifions for his Majefty's Navy and Garrisons, nor could, in their Opinion be fo understood, except by the most forced Conftruction thereof; but alfo, That, to prevent any ill Confequences which might arife from

fuch

[ocr errors]

fuch Interpretation, a Bill fhould be immediately. prepared at the Table for exprefly permitting fuch Exportations.

;

This Bill, when finifhed, was fent up to the Governor, who promifed to give it all the Difpatch in his Power; and was followed by another for a longer Continuance of the Embargo Act, with a fimilar Claufe of Explanation: Upon the prefenting of which, the Governor being afked, by Order of the Houfe, Whether he had come to any Determination upon the Former? anfwered, That he had read but not confidered it." And being farther preffed on the Neceffities of the Service, according to the Allegations above fpecified, faid, "That, in cafe the Legiflature of the Three Lower Counties did not continue the Embargo, the fame would expire in a few Days, and then there would be no Neceffity of the faid Supplementary Act; and if the Embargo Act of the Three · Lower Counties fhould be continued, he would have it in his Power to permit Veffels laden with Provisions or Stores for his Majefty's Service to fail at any Time, by the Bill the Houfe had fent him for that Purpofe."

Thus the Two Ships were to be continued in Port, to wait the good Pleafure of another Government; and the Interval was to be loft to the Service, unless the Owners found Ways and Means to accommodate Matters with the Governor.

The Houfe, however, plied him with another Meffage, and received fuch another illufory Answer: They alfo again put him in Mind of the 40,000 l. Supply-Bill: And were told (notwithstanding his preffing Meffage at the Opening of the Seffion) "That he had not read it through; but that he thought it ftood in need of Amendments." He alfo told the two Members employed upon that Occafion, "He was juft then fetting off for New-Caftle:" And they acquainting him farther, "That, as it would be extremely inconvenient to the Country-Members, to continue fitting till his Return, and as there was no Bufinefs depending of any Importance, but what lay

before

« VorigeDoorgaan »