"puty without it; feeing to proceed upon other Mat"ters, would be to raise a Superftructure before the "Foundation were well laid; nor do we look upon "it very advifable for us to proceed far in Legiflation,

untill thou repeals thofe Parts of thy Lieutenant's "Commiffion, relating to Prorogation and Diffolution "of Affemblies, for the Reafons before given; as "alfo concerning thy final Affent to Laws, which we "conceive to be very unreafonable in itself, and a great "Abuse and Violation of our Conftitution, that thou "fhould offer to put three Negatives upon our Acts, "whereas by our firft Charter, we had none but that "of the Crown, and how thou gain'd another to thy"felf, we have before fhewed thee, but now to bring

us under three, feems a Contrivance to provoke us "to complain to the Queen, that thou art not effec"tually represented here, and make that a Motive for "her to take us under her immediate Care and Pro"tection, which would make thy Surrender in fome "Measure our Act, which if thou fhould do without "the Confent of the Landholders and Inhabitants of "this Province firft obtain'd, would look too much "like Treachery.

"That it appears, by feveral Petitions now before ' us, that very great Abufes have been and are put upon the Inhabitants, and Extortions used by thy "Secretary, Surveyors, and other Officers, concern'd "in Property as well as Courts, which might have

been prevented or fooner remedied, had thou been "pleafed to pafs the Bill propofed by the Affembly in "the Year 1701 to regulate Fees; as alfo the Want "of a Surveyor-General, which is a great Injury and "Diffatisfaction to the People; as is likewife the "Want of an establish'd Judicature for Trials between "thee and the People; for if we exhibit our Com

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plaints against thee, or those who represent thee in "State or Property, they must be determined by or "before Juftices of thy own Appointment; by which

means, thou becomes, in a legal Senfe, Judge in "thy own Caufe, which is against natural Equity :

"There

"Therefore, we propofe, that a Man learned in the "Laws of England, may be commiffioned by the

Queen, to determine all Matters, wherein thy Ten"nants have juft Caufe to complain against thee, thy Deputies or Commiffioners; or elfe reftore the Peo

ple to the Privilege of electing Judges, Juftices, "and other Officers, according to the Direction of "the first Charter, and Intent of the first Adventu "rers, and as the People of New-England have by

King William's Charter: That thy Commiffioners "of Property, are very unwilling to make good the "Deficiencies of thofe Lands thou haft been many "Years ago paid for (tho' thou gave them Power fo "to do) and fo great is the Difficulty and Trouble to

get Satisfaction in this Particular, that it is better "for one to forego his Right, than wait on and attend "the Commiffioners about it, unless the Quantity "wanting be very great.

"We have many other Things to reprefent to thee "as Grievances; as thy unheard of Abuses to thy "Purchafers, &c. in pretending to give them a Town, " and then by impofing unconfcionable Quit-rents, "makes it worfe by Ten-Fold than a Purchase would "have been: Alfo the Abuse about the Bank, and "want of Common to the Town, and not only fo "but the very Land the Town ftands on, is not cleared of the Swede's Claims.

"These are the chief Heads, which we thought fit "at this Time to lay before thee, earneftly entreating "thy ferious Confideration of them, and that thou "will now at laft, after we have thus long endured "and groan'd under thefe Hardships (which of late "feem to be multiplied upon us) endeavour as far as "in thee lies, to retrieve thy Credit with us thy poor "Tenants and fellow Subjects, by redreffing thefe Ag

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grievances, especially in getting our Laws con"firm'd, and alfo to be eas'd of Oaths, and giving pofitive Orders to thy Deputy to unite heartily "with us, upon our Conftitution; and that the Charters thou granted us for City and Country, may be "explain

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"explained, fettled, and and confirm'd by Law and we further intreat, that effectual Care be taken for "the fupreffiing of Vice, which, to our great Trouble "we have to acquaint thee, is more rife and common "amongst us fince the arrival of thy Deputy and Son, "efpecially of late, than was ever known before: "Nor are we capable to fupprefs it, whilst it is connived at, if not encourag'd by Authority the "Mouths of the more fober Magiftrates being ftopt by the faid late Order about Oaths, and the Governors licencing Ordinaries not approven by the Ma"giftrates of the City of Philadelphia, and the "Roaft chiefly ruled by fuch as are none of the most exemplary for virtuous Conversation: Thy pofitive Orders in the Premifes, will be abfolutely neceffary "to thy Deputy, who thinks it unreasonable, and a "great Hardship on him, to give Sanction to Laws. Explanatory of thy Grants, or to do any Thing by "way of Enlargement or Confirmation of caught, "fave what is particularly and exprefly granted by "thee, it being by fome of his Council urg'd as an

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Abfurdity in us to expect; and we defire that thou "would order the licencing of Ordinaries and Ta"verns, to be by the Juftices, according to thy Let"ter dated in September 1697; and we hope we need "not be more express in charging thee, as thou ten"ders thy own Honour and Honefty, or the Obliga"tions thou art under to thy Friends, and particular"ly thy firft Purchasers and Adventurers into this "Province, that thou do not furrender the Govern

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ment, whatfoever Terms thou may by fo doing "make for thyfelf and Family, which we shall deema "no lefs than a betraying us, and at least will look: "like firft fleecing, then felling: But rather ufe thy "utmoft Intereft with the Queen, to eafe us in the "Premifes; and if after thy Endeavours used to i keep the Government, it be per Force taken from "thee, thou will be the clearer in the Sight of God "and us the Reprefentatives of the People of this thy Province, who are thy real Friends and well

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Wishers,

**Wishers, as we hope is evident in that we have dealt thus plainly with thee."

It was but natural, that fuch a Paper as this fhould deeply affect thofe it was levell'd againft: And that it fhould operate differently on Perfons differently made and differently fituated.

Thofe beft acquainted with the Neceffity of keeping the first Principles of Government ever before their Eyes, and the Danger of admitting the leaft Departure from them, could not but be pleas'd with the plain and firm Language of this Remonftrance: While those apt to be fo dazzled with the Out-fide of Things, that they were incapable of looking into their Contents, were as much foften'd with Concern for the Father and Founder of their Community, and confequently inclin'd to think him hardly dealt by in it.

There is fomething in Connection and Dependance which gives a fecret Biafs to all we think and wish, as well as what we fay: And in all Difputes this must be duly allow'd for on both Sides.

Seven Perfons, fome of them of the Council, made their Application by Petition to the next Affembly for a Copy of it, but were flatly refus'd: And even when the Governor himself in very high Language requir'd it, they were immoveable as before.

Willing as they might be to reclaim the Proprietary to a due Senfe of his firft Obligations, they might be equally unwilling to expofe him. And, agreeable to this, the Affembly of 1706-7 in one of their Remonftrances to the Governor fay, "that hoping the Bill of Courts then in Difpute would have put an End to fome of the Grievances they had feveral Years groan❜d under, they had hitherto forborn publickly to remonftrate; chufing rather to provide Remedies for Things amifs than to complain of them." Some Concern they might alfo be under for themselves: Their Afcendancy was precarious: It depended on the good Will of Numbers: And the Infirmity of Nature above touch'd upon, might happen to operate

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more powerfully in the People, than the Confideration of Juftice and Safety to themselves and their Pofterity. The Province, at this Time, had moreover their Reasons on Account of Oaths, a Militia, &c. to apprehend fome Inconveniency if they fell under the immediate Government of the Crown; and therefore did not care to break with the Proprietary entirely.

Nor was it long before, by partial and indirect Practices, fuch as both influencing and awing the Electors (Facts publickly charg'd on the Inftruments of Government by the Affembly of 1706-7) that the Governor obtain'd both an Affembly and a Speaker, almoft as complaifant as he could wifh.-Nor ought it to be forgot that his Succeffor Gookin obtain❜d fuch another in the Year 1710.

In all Matters of public Concern fomething perfonal will interfere. Thus we find during this turbu lent Period two Names frequently occur, as Oppofites, in Principle and Purpose, and the Oracles of their respective Parties: To wit, David Lloyd, Speaker of the Affembly, and James Logan, Secretary to the Governor and Council.

Logan infults the Members of the Affembly fent from the Houfe on a Meffage to the Governor. The House refent it, complain of it, arraign his Conduct in Office, and proceed against him as a public Delinquent. The Governor, on the other Hand, conceives an infuperable Averfion to the Speaker, points him out to the Public as an interefted, factious, dangerous Perfon, treats him arrogantly at two several Conferences, and complains of the House for not abandoning him to his Refentments.

Thus Heat kindled Heat: Animofity excited Animofity: And each Party refolving to be always in the Right, were often both in the wrong.

By the Way, This.--And 'tis neceffary ftill to add, that all this while, the Charter of Privileges and that for the City of Philadelphia, as well as that of Property, remain'd unconfirm'd at Home. And the

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