USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware > Part 53
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" Whereas the king hath graciously pleased, upon divers good considerations, to settle upon me and my heirs for ever, by his letters-patent, under the great seal of England, dated the 4th of March last, a tract of land in America, by the name of Pennsylvania, lying and bounded as in the said letters-patent is particularly expressed, with ample powers and authorities requisite for the well-governing of the same, to be exercised by me or my deputy. Out of the special re- gard that I have to the care and fidelity of my cousin, Wil- liam Markham, I do hereby appoint him my deputy, and fully authorize him in my stead and for my behoof, and for the benefit of the said province, to act and perform what may
1 Reg. Penns. vol. i. p. 377, and Memoirs Penn. Hist. Soc. vol. iii. p. 205.
2 New Castle Records.
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CHARLES II .- A. BROCKHOLLS, DEPUTY.
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To call a council.
Read letter to inhabit- ants, and ing's decla- ration.
Settle boun- daries with neighbours.
"3d. To settle bounds between me and my neighbours; to survey, set out, rent, or sell lands, according to (my) instruc- tions bearing date the 8th of the month called April, 1681.
" 4th. To erect courts, make sheriffs, justices of the peace, Erect courts. and other requisite inferior officers, that right may be done, Appoint officers. the peace kept, and all vice punished, without partiality, according to the good laws of England.
Call on in- habitants to suppress tu- mult, and generally to do all but calling an assembly to make laws.
" 5th. To call to his aid, and command the assistance of any of the inhabitants of those provinces, for the legal sup- pression of tumults or riots, and conviction of the offenders, according to law, and to make or ordain any ordinances, and to do any thing or things that to the peace and safety of the said province he may lawfully do, by the power granted to me in the letters-patent, calling assemblies to make laws only excepted. Given under my hand and seal, this 10th of the month called April, 1681.
WILLIAM PENN. [Seal. ] " Witnesses-Henry West, John West."
It will be observed, that on the face of this commission nothing appears in relation to the Indians. Whether the in- structions referred to in it contained any thing on the subject, `or whether it was reserved for a future occasion, we have no means of knowing; but the latter probably was the case, as he had so recently obtained his title, his first object would be to receive possession, and the submission of the inhabitants.
The foregoing document, so far as the author knows, now for the first time appears in print, and he has met with no one here who says he has before seen it. We unexpectedly found it among the records in the secretary of state's office, at Boston, in a volume marked "Colonial," vol. ii. p. 473. How it came there is unknown; it presents an additional reason why our state should early take some steps to collect and preserve the scattered fragments of our early history.
April 20.
be fully needful to the peace and safety thereof, till I myself shall arrive, or he shall receive further orders; that is to say, he has hereby power,
"1st. To call a council, and that to consist of nine, he presiding. 1
"2d. That he does there read my letter to the inhabitants, and the king's declaration of subjection ; then (or there) take the inhabitants' acknowledgments of my authority and pro- priety.
William Penn recommends Captain William Markham, as
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proposals to adventurers.
WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETARY AND GOVERNOR.
his kinsman and deputy, to Lord Baltimore, to treat about the boundary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania, with whom it appears he afterwards had an interview on the sub- ject. A copy of both exists in England.1
Markham was also the bearer of a letter from the king to April. Lord Baltimore, apprising him of the grant of Pennsylvania Letter from to Penn, and requiring both parties to adjust boundaries. the king to Lord Balti- Lord Baltimore being in the province, had an interview with more. Markham, at Chester, "which resulted in discovering, from actual observation, that Upland itself was at least twelve miles south of 40 degrees, and that boundaries would extend to Schuylkill. This discovery ended the conference, and gave fresh incentives to Penn to obtain from the Duke of York a grant of the Delaware settlements, as with such grant he had now reason to fear the loss of the whole peninsula."2
Having secured the title to the province, Penn very soon Penn's first issued his proposals and account of Pennsylvania, from the best information he then possessed, "together with the privi- leges and powers necessary to the well governing thereof, made public for the information of such as are, or may be disposed to transport themselves or servants into these parts." The description of the country occupies but a small portion of this document. It is introduced by a preface of some length, being an argument in favour of colonies, showing their origin and advantages, as follows :
" Since (by the good providence of God) a country in Ame- Argument in rica is fallen to my lot, I thought it not less my duty than my favour of co- lonies. honest interest, to give some public notice of it to the world, that those of our own, or other nations, that are inclined to transport themselves or families beyond the seas, may find another country added to their choice, that if they shall hap- pen to like the place, conditions, and constitutions, (so far as the present infancy of things will allow us any prospect,) they may, if they please, fix with me in the province hereaf- ter described. But before I come to treat of my particular concernment, I shall take leave to say something of the bene- fit of plantations or colonies in general, to obviate a common objection.
" Colonies, then, are the seeds of nations begun and nou-
1 MS. Catalogue of Documents in England, in possession of John Cadwala- der, Esq., to whom we are indebted for a sight of it.
2 Chalmers, p. 657, McMahon's Maryland.
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CHARLES II .- A. BROCKHOLLS, DEPUTY.
1681. rished by the care of wise and populous countries, as con- ceiving them best for the increase of human stock, and bene- ficial for commerce.
Argument in favour of co- lonies, con- tinued.
" Some of the wisest men in history have justly taken their fame from this design and service. We read of the reputation given on this account to Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, in Scrip- ture records ; and what renown the Greek story yields to Lycurgus, Theseus, and those Greeks that planted many parts of Asia ; nor is the Roman account wanting of instances to the credit of that people ; they had a Romulus, a Numa Pompilius, and not only reduced, but moralized the manners of the nations they subjected, so that they may have been rather said to conquer their barbarity than them.
"Nor did any of these ever dream it was the way of de- creasing their people or wealth, for the cause of the decay of any of those states or empires was not their plantations, but their luxury and corruption of manners ; for when they grew to neglect their ancient discipline, that maintained and rewarded virtue and industry, and addicted themselves to pleasure and effeminacy, they debased their spirits and de- bauched their morals, from whence ruin did never fail to follow to any people. With justice, therefore, I deny the vulgar opinion against plantations, that they weaken England ; they have manifestly enriched, and so strengthened her, which I briefly evidence thus :
"1st. Those that go into a foreign plantation, their indus- try there is worth more than if they stayed at home, the product of their labour being in commodities of a superior nature to those of their country. For instance, what is an improved acre in Jamaica or Barbadoes worth to an improved acre in England ? We know it is three times the value, and the product of it comes for England, and is usually paid for in English growth and manufacture. Nay, Virginia shows that an ordinary industry in one man produces three thousand pounds weight of tobacco, and twenty barrels of corn yearly ; he feeds himself, and brings as much of commodity into Eng- land besides, as being returned in the growth and workman- ship of this country, is much more than he could have spent here. Let it also be remembered, that the three thousand weight of tobacco brings in three thousand twopences, by way of custom, to the king, which makes £25, an extraordi- nary profit.
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WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETARY AND GOVERNOR.
" 2d. More being produced and imported than we can spend here, we export it to other countries in Europe, which brings in money, or the growth of those countries, which is the same thing, and this is the advantage of the English merchants Argumentin and seamen.
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favour of co- lonies, con- .
" 3d. Such as could not only not marry here, but hardly tinued. live and allow themselves clothes, do marry there, and bestow thrice more in all necessaries and conveniences, (and not a little in ornamental things too,) for themselves, their wives and children, both as to apparel and household stuff, which coming out of England, I say it is impossible that England should not be a considerable gainer.
" 4th. But let it be considered that the plantations employ many hundreds of shipping, and many thousands of seamen; which must be, in divers respects, an advantage to England, being an island, and by nature fitted for navigation above any. country in Europe. This is followed by other depending trades, as shipwrights, carpenters, sawyers, hewers, trunnel- makers, joiners, slop sellers, drysalters, iron-workers, the Eastland merchants, timber sellers, and victuallers, with many more trades which hang upon navigation ; so that we may easily see the objection (that colonies or plantations hurt England) is at least of no strength, especially if we consider how many thousand blacks and Indians are also accommodated with clothes, and many sorts of tools and utensils, from Eng- land, and that their labour is mostly brought hither, which adds wealth and people to the English dominions. But it is further said, they injure England, in that they draw away too many of the people, for we are not so populous in the countries as formerly. I say there are other reasons for that,
"1st. Country people are so extremely addicted to put their children into gentlemen's service, or send them to towns to learn trades, that husbandry is neglected, and after a soft and delicate usage there, they are for ever unfitted for the labour of a farming life.
"2d. The pride of the age, in its attendance and retinue, is so gross and universal, that where a man of £1000 a year formerly kept but four or five servants, he now keeps more than twice the number ; he must have a gentleman to wait upon him in his chambers, a coachman, a groom or two, a butler, a man-cook, a gardener, two or three laqueys, it may be an huntsman, and a falconer; the wife a gentlewoman,
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CHARLES II .- A. BROCKHOLLS, DEPUTY.
Argumentin favour of co- lonies, con- tinued.
1681. and maids accordingly : this was not known by our ancestors of like quality. This hinders the plough and the dairy, from whence they are taken, and instead of keeping people to manly labour, they are effeminated by a lazy and luxurious living ; but which is worse, these people rarely marry, though many of them do worse, but if they do, it is when they are in age, and the reason is clear, because their usual keeping at their masters' is too great and costly for them, with a family at their own charge, and they scarcely know how to live lower, so that too many of them choose rather to vend their lusts at an evil ordinary, than honestly marry and work, the excess and sloth of the age not allowing of marriage and the charge that follows; all which hinders the increase of our people. If men, they often turn either soldiers or gamesters, or highwaymen. If women, they too frequently dress them- selves for a bad market, rather than know the dairy again, or honestly return to labour, whereby it happens that both the stock of the nation decays, and the issue is corrupted.
" 3d. Of old time, the nobility and gentry spent their estates in the country, and that kept the people in it, and their servants married, and sat at easy rents, under their masters' favour, which peopled the place ; now the great men, (too much loving the town, and resorting to London,) draw many people thither to attend them, who either do not marry, or if they do, they pine away their small gains in some petty shop, for there are so many, they prey upon one another.
"4th. The country being thus neglected, and no due bal- ance kept between trade and husbandry, city and country, the poor countryman takes double toil, and cannot (for want of hands) dress and manure his land to the advantage it for- merly yielded him, yet must he pay the old rents, which oc- casions servants, and such children as go not to trades, to continue single, at least all their youthful time, which also obstructs the increase of our people.
" 5th. The decay of some country manufactures (where no provision is made to supply the people with a new way of living) causes the more industrious to go abroad to seek their bread in other countries, and gives the lazy an occasion to loiter and beg, or do worse, by which means the land swarms with beggars ; formerly, it was rare to find any asking alms but the maimed or blind, or very aged, now thousands of both Sexes run up and down both city and country, that are sound
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Argument in favour of co- lonies, con- tinued.
WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETARY AND GOVERNOR.
and youthful, and able to work, with false pretences and cer- tificates ; nor is there any care taken to employ or deter such vagrants, which weakens the country, as to people and labour.
" To which let me add, that the great debauchery in this kingdom has not only rendered many unfruitful when married, but they live not out half their time, through excess, which might be prevented, by a vigorous execution of our good laws against corruption of manners. These and the like evils are the true grounds of the decay of our people in the country, to say nothing of plague and wars ; towns and cities cannot complain of the decay of people, being more replen- ished than ever, especially London, which, with reason, helps the countyman to this objection. And though some do go to the plantations, yet, numbering the parishes in England, and computing how many live more than die, and are born than buried, there goes not over to all the plantations a fourth part of the yearly increase of the people, and when they are there, they are not (as I said before) lost to England, since they furnish them with much clothes, household stuff, tools, and the like necessaries, and that in greater quantities than here their condition could have needed, or they could have bought, being there well to pass, that were but low here, if not poor ; and now masters of families too, when here they had none, and could hardly keep themselves; and very often it happens that some of them, after their industry and success there have made them wealthy, they return and empty their riches into England, one in this capacity being able to buy out twenty of what he was when he went over.
" Thus much to justify the credit and benefit of planta- tions, wherein I have not sought to speak my interest, but my judgment, and I dare venture the success of it with all sober and considering men."
He then proceeds to a very short notice of the country, Does not observing, "I shall say little in its praise, to excite desires wish to in- duce any to go by his in any whatever. I could truly write as to the soil, air, and water; this shall satisfy me, that by the blessing of God, and praise of the the honesty and industry of man, it may be a good and country. fruitful land.
" For navigation, it is said to have two conveniences ; the Fine naviga- one by lying ninescore miles upon Delaware River, i. e. about tion of the streams. threescore and ten miles before we come to the falls, where a
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CHARLES II .- A. BROCKHOLLS, DEPUTY.
1681. vessel of 200 tons may sail, (and some creeks and small har- bours in that distance, where ships may come nearer than the river into the country,) and above the falls, for sloops and - boats, as I am informed, to the extent of the patent. The other convenience is through Chesapeake Bay."
Products of the country, present and future.
He then notices briefly, the variety of the timber, and the abundance of the fowl, fish, and wild deer. "Our English provision is likewise to be had there at reasonable rates." The commodities that the country is thought capable of pro- ducing, viz. "silk, flax, hemp, wine, cider, woad, madder, liquorice, tobacco, potashes, and iron." He then enumerates what "it does actually produce, hides, tallow, staves, beef, pork, sheep, wheat, barley, and furs of different kinds, to be found among the Indians." He then notices " the way of trading" with other countries, &c.
Constitution and laws.
" The constitutions" next claim his attention. According to the patent, the people and governor have a legislative power, so that no law can be made, nor money raised, without the people's consent. The rights and freedoms of England to be in force there. "May enact what laws we please, ex- cept against allegiance," which would be void. "So soon as any are engaged with me, we shall begin a scheme or draft together, such as shall give ample testimony of my sincere inclinations to encourage planters, and settle a free, just, and industrious colony there."
Conditions and division of shares and land. Price and quit-rents.
Towns and cities.
The conditions come next in order, and relate, " 1st, To those that will buy. 2d. Those that take up land upon rent. 3d. Servants. As to the first, the shares to be certain as to the number of acres; each to contain 5000 acres, free from any Indian incumbrance, price £100, and 1s. English quit-rent for 100 acres ; quit-rent not to begin till after 1684. Se- cond, renters to pay 1d. per acre, not to exceed 200 acres. Third, servants, those that are carried; the master shall be allowed 50 acres per head, and 50 acres to every servant when his time is expired. And as some engage with me that may not be disposed to go," he advises an overseer to be sent for every three adventurers, with their servants ; and he then speaks of the dividend. " If the persons concerned please, a tract shall be surveyed, of 50,000 acres, to 100 adven- turers, of which some of the best shall be set out for towns or cities, and there shall be so much ground allowed to each in those towns, as may maintain some cattle, and produce
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most suita- ble to go.
WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETARY AND GOVERNOR.
some corn ;" the remainder of the 50,000 to be shared among the adventurers, (casting up the barren for commons,) and allowing for the same, whereby every adventurer will have a considerable quantity together ; likewise every one a propor- tion by a navigable river, and then backward into the coun- try. The manner of the dividend I shall not be strict in ; we can but speak roughly of the matter here, but let men skilful in plantations be consulted, and I shall leave it to the majority of votes among the adventurers, when it shall please God we come there, how to fix it to their own content."
He then speaks " of the persons that providence seems to Persons have most fitted for plantations: 1st. Industrious husband- men and day-labourers, that are hardly able (with extreme labour) to maintain their families and portion their children.
" 2d. Laborious handicrafts, especially carpenters, masons, smiths, weavers, tailors, tanners, shoemakers, shipwrights, &c., where they can be spared, or are low in the world; labour will be worth more there, and provisions be cheaper.
"3d. A plantation seems a fit place for those ingenious spirits that, being low in the world, are much clogged and oppressed about a livelihood, for the means of subsisting being easy there, they may have time and opportunity to gratify their inclinations, and thereby improve science, and help nurseries of people.
" 4th. A fourth sort of men to whom a plantation would be proper, takes in those that are younger brothers of small inheritances, yet because they would live in sight of their kindred, in some proportion to their quality, and cannot do it without a labour that looks like farming, their condition is too strait for them, and if married, their children are often too numerous for the estate, and are frequently bred up to no trades, but are a kind of hangers on or retainers to the elder brother's table and charity, which is a mischief as in itself to be lamented, so here to be remedied, for land they have for next to nothing, which with moderate labour produces plenty of all things necessary for life, and such an increase as by traffic may supply them with all conveniences.
" Lastly, there are another sort of persons, not only fit for, but necessary in plantations, and that is, men of universal spirits, that have an eye to the good of posterity, and that both understand and delight to promote good discipline and just government among a plain and well-intending people.
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Such persons may find room in colonies for their good counsel and contrivance, who are shut out from being of much use or service to great nations under settled customs; these men de- serve much esteem, and would be hearkened to. Doubtless it was this (as I observed before) that put some of the famous Greeks and Romans upon transplanting and regulating colo- nies of people in divers parts of the world, whose names, for giving so great proof of their wisdom, virtue, labour, and constancy, are with justice honourably delivered down by story to the praise of our own times, though the world, after all its higher pretences of religion, barbarously errs from their excellent example."
Then, of the journey, and what may be reasonably ex- pected when they arrive there :
Of the jour- ney, and what is to be done there.
" Next, let us see what is fit for the journey and place, when there, and also what may be the charge of the voyage, and what is to be expected and done there at first, that such as incline to go may not be to seek here, or brought under any disappointments there. The goods fit to take with them for use, or sell for profit, are all sorts of apparel and utensils for husbandry, and building and household stuff. And be- cause I know how much people are apt to fancy things beyond what they are, and that imaginations are great flatterers of the minds of men, to the end that none may delude them- selves with an expectation of an immediate amendment of their conditions, so soon as it shall please God they arrive there ; I would have them understand that they must look for a winter before a summer comes, and they must be willing to be two or three years without some of the conveniences they enjoy at home ; and yet I must needs say that America is another thing than it was at the first plantation of Virginia and New England, for there is better accommodation, and English provisions are to be had at easier rates; however, I am inclined to set down particulars, as near as those inform me that know the place, and have been planters both in that and in the neighbouring colonies.
" Ist. The passage will come, for masters and mistresses, at most to £6 a head ; for servants, £5 a head, and for child- ren under seven years of age, 50s., except they suck, then nothing.
" Next being, by the mercy of God, safely arrived, in Sep- tember or October, two men may clear as much ground by
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tion recom- mended.
WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETARY AND GOVERNOR.
spring, (when they set the corn of that country,) as will bring in that time twelvemonth, forty barrels, which amounts to two hundred bushels, which makes twenty-five quarters of corn ; so that the first year they must buy corn, which is usually very plentiful. They may, so soon as they come, buy cows, more or less, as they want, or are able, which are to be had at easy rates. For swine, they are plentiful and cheap ; these will quickly increase to a stock ; so that after the first year, what with the poorer sort sometimes labouring to others, and the more able fishing, fowling, and sometimes buying, they may do very well, till their own stocks are sufficient to supply them and their families, which will quickly be, and to spare, if they follow the English husbandry, as they do in New England and New York, and get winter fodder for their stock."
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