Liberty it seems thrives best in the woods. America best cultivates what Germany brought forth. And were it not for certain ugly comparisons, hard to be suppressed, the pleasure arising from such a research would be without alloy.

In the feuds of Florence recorded by Machiavel, we find more to lament and less to praise. Scarce can we believe the first citizens of the ancient republics had such pretensions to consideration, though so highly celebrated in ancient story. As to ourselves, we need no longer have recourse to the late glorious stand of the French parliament to excite our emulation.

It is a known custom among farmers, to change their corn from season to season, for the sake of filling the bushel: and in case the wisdom of the age should condescend to make the like experiment in another shape, from hence we may learn, whither to repair for the proper species.

It is not however to be presumed, that such as have long been accustomed to consider the colonies in general as only so many dependencies on the council board, the board of trade, and the board of customs; or, as a hot-bed for causes, jobs and other pecuniary emoluments, and as formed as effectually by instructions as by laws, can be prevailed on to consider those patriot rustics with any degree of respect.

But how contemptibly soever these gentlemen may talk of the colonies, how cheap soever they may hold their assemblies, or how insignificant the planters and traders who compose them, truth will be truth, and principle, principle, notwithstanding.

Courage, wisdom, integrity, and honour are not to be measured by the place assigned them to act in, but

VOL. III.

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by

by the trials they undergo and the vouchers they furnish and if so manifested, need neither robes or titles to set them off.

CONTENTS.

LIST of governors of Pensylvania, and dates of the several charters, &c. of that province.

Abstract of the charter granted to William Penn. Certain conditions or concessions of Mr. Penn to the first adventurers in, and settlers of, Pensylvania. Mr. Penn's first frame of government.

His reservation of quit rents.

His second frame of government.

The province of Pensylvania and the territory of the three lower counties united by his management.

Remonstrance of a subsequent assembly against the said union.

Motives of the planters, assigned by the said assembly, for accepting the second frame of government. Mr. Penn's return to England, and appointment of commissioners to administer the government.

Disorders which ensued during his absence.

Captain Blackwell's government.

The government assumed into the lands of the crown in 1693, and administered by colonel Fletcher, governor of New York.

He declares the constitution of Mr. Penn's government, and that of their majesties, to be directly opposite to each other.

He menaces the assembly with an annexion of their province to that of New York.

Protestation

Protestation against passing of bills, amended by the governor and council, without the previous assent of the assembly to those amendments, and of money-bills before grievances have been redressed.

Remonstrance to Mr. Penn concerning this period. The governor admits the principles of the quakers, not to carry arms, or levy money to make war; and solicits a supply to feed the hungry and clothe the naked (Indians).

The assembly insist on their right to appropriate as well as to raise money.

The government of William Markham, Esq.

A new act of settlement or frame of government.
The government resumed by Mr. Penn.

The province purged from the odium of favouring pirates, and carrying on an illicit trade.

A new model of elections agreed to.
The assembly formed thereon dissolved.

Another assembly called upon another model, to meet at Newcastle instead of Philadelphia.

Aids granted for the proprietary-governor, in exchange for a conformation of property.

An aid of 350l. sterling to the crown on this ac

count.

Mr. Penn's plausible speech to a new assembly. Three of the requisitions they made to him, with his answers and their replies.

A breach between the province and the territory. The last charter of privileges, which, under the royal charter, is now the rule of government.

It is unanimously rejected by the freemen of the territory.

Mr. Penn's departure for England.

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Andrew

Andrew Hamilton, Esq. deputy-governor, in vain endeavours to unite the territory with the province.

John Evans, Esq. succeeds Hamilton, and makes the like endeavour, also in vain.

Controversy between him and the assembly concerning the bill to confirm the charter.

Nine several heads of complaint entered in the minutes of the assembly, as the ground of a representation to the proprietary; being the representation several times before cited.

The remainder of that representation.

A copy of it demanded by the governor and refused by the assembly.

The latter make a merit of having forborne to make their representation public.

The governor obtains an assembly to his wish, by undue practices.

Animosities between Lloyd, speaker of the assembly, and Logan, secretary to the governor and council. The governor censures the proprietary's charter of property.

The draughtman's defence of it.

The governor declares the proprietary's high resentment of the assembly's representation.

The assembly's reply.

The governor refers to the charter of privileges as the only rule of government.

The assembly complains of infractions made in it. Their representation to the proprietary against the governor.

Logan impeached by the assembly.

An unanimous vote of thanks to the proprietary for recalling Evans.

General

General view of Gookin's government.
Assembly's character of themselves.

A proprietary-governor a wretched thing.
Artful conduct of governor Keith.

Mr. Penn's death.

The province left in the hands of trustees.

Logan, one of those trustees, obtains a majority in the council against the governor.

Logan makes a voyage to England, and returns with private instructions to Keith, which Keith communicates to the assembly.

The governor and assembly in concert pay no regard to the said instructions.

A controversy in print, between the governor and Logan thereon.

A breach between the governor and speaker.

The province in a state of tranquillity for nine years under his administration.

A pathetic reflection on the melancholy case of governors recalled.

Pensylvania easy to be governed, if well governed. Private instructions from the proprietary in two several instances declared void.

The proprietary of Pensylvania too inconsiderable here at home to be a patron to the province, and too unsizeably great there.

The proprietaries the sole purchasers of Indian lands: ---the people at the sole expence of Indian affairs :--treaties and purchases concomitant.

The quitrents of Pensylvania, paid to the proprietary, first demanded and granted to defray the charge of go

vernment.

Notwithstanding which the people now pay taxes for

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that