USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 34
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towards the Ohio, not only for the March of Troops but to facilitate the Supply of Provisions to such Forces as may be employed on the Frontiers of this or the neighbouring Governments. I have, there- fore, issued a Commission to a Number of Men acquainted with that Country to reconnoitre and examine the same and to mark out where such Roads may most conveniently be made, and to make Report to me of their Proceedings, with an Estimate of the Expences that will attend the Opening and Clearing them, and I recommend it to You to make a suitable Provision for this necessary Service.
" It is said the large Supply of Provisions that the French have received from these Colonies has enabled them to support the Forces employed in building Forts in his Majestie's Territories, and will enable them for some Time at least to maintain the Troops they have drawn together to defend them; And tho' this Province has been hitherto very little concerned in that Supply, yet as it is necessary to prevent it for the future I have issued Orders to the Officers of the Customs for that Purpose, and make no Doubt You will join with me in a Law effectually to hinder such an unnatural Trade.
"The Eastern Governments, ever active in the Defence of their Country and in maintaining his Majestie's just Rights and Dominions in America, are exerting themselves at this Juncture, and are very desirous that this Province should join in the operations intended to frustrate the Schemes of the French and to secure these Colonies against their future Encroachments; I therefore hope You will enable me to take such Part in the Measures proposed as becomes the Honour and Interest of a Province circumstanced as We are.
"General Braddock by his Letter of the Twenty-Eighth of last Month, which will be laid before You, desires me to establish a Post between Philadelphia and Winchester for the forwarding his Dis- patches; this he thinks may be of great Importance desiring the Operations of the Campaign, and You will be pleased to empower me to comply with his Request.
" His Majesty having by one of his principal Secretaries of State recommended it to the 'several Provinces to establish a common Fund for the Benefit of all the Colonies collectively, General Brad- dock now desires that the Quotas of the several Provinces towards that common Fund may be lodged in the Hands of a Treasurer, who may have orders to answer his Demands; as this is intended to ex- pedite Business, and the General is perfectly disinterested, and do- clares himself willing to give an account of his Disbursements, 1 hope You will put it in my Power to return a satisfactory Answer to his Letter in that Particular.
"I heartily recommend to You Vigor, Unanimity, and Dispatch in the Matters that You will have under your Consideration, that the happy Opportunity the Colonies now have by means of his Ma- VOL. VI .- 21.
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jestie's paternal Care and generous Assistance of securing themselves for ever against the Attempts of the French may not be lost.
" ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" March 18th, 1755."
MEMORANDUM.
Mr. Hall, the Printer, after the Council rose delivered to the Governor the printed Votes of the last Sessions of Assembly, and on reading them his Honour found to his Surprize that they had inserted the Secretary of State's Letters of the Fifth of July and the Twenth-Sixth of October, and thereupon immediately sent the Secretary to the House with the two following Messages:
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
"I observe by the printed Minutes of your Proceedings that You have inserted at large Sir Thomas Robinson's Letters to me of July the Fifth and October the Twenty-Sixth last, without my Knowledge or Consent.
" The King's Commands signified by a Secretary of State may be very proper for the Consideration of the different Parts of the Legislature, but are not always to be communicated to the Public. I think it therefore necessary, Gentlemen, to caution You against the like Practice for the future, and expect that no Letters or Papers communicated by me shall be printed without my previous Appro- bation ; and as it may be of dangerous Consequence to publish those ·Letters, I desire a Stop may be put to the Publication of that Part of your Minutes which contains them.
" I have Letters and other Papers that relate to his Majesty's Service which I wou'd willingly communicate to You, but I do not think it safe to do it till I have proper Assurance from You that the Contents of them shall remain secret.
" ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" March 18, 1755."
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
"On the Tenth of January last I demanded by the Secretary a Copy of the Minutes of your Proceedings, which You promised to send me, but not receiving them I did on the Twenty-Ninth of the same Month by Letter to the Speaker again demand them, and have frequently by the Secretary reiterated my Request, but could
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not obtain a Sight of them till the Twelfth Instant, above Two Months after your Rising, and then only a Part of them were sent me in Print, and I have not yet seen the whole of them.
"The Keeping your Proceedings thus a Secret from me I take to be a very unconstitutional and extraordinary Measure, liable to a Construction that I do not chuse at present to put upon it, but only to acquaint You that I expect You will order your Clerk to attend me every Night with the Minutes of the Day, that I may know what is done and doing in your House, and be able in Time to lay the same before his Majesty and his Ministers, who expect to be regularly informed of the Measures taking by the Legislatures of the Colonies.
" ROBT. H. MORRIS. " March 18, 1755."
The Governor having received the following Letter from Com .- modore Keppel it was ordered to be entered as follows :
" WILLIAMSBURG, February the 28th, 1755. " Sir :
"From the Accounts that I have received I find the carrying Stores and Provisions to the French in Traffick constantly pratised by the Gentlemen of the Colony in your Government; I am, therefore, under a Necessity of giving you the earliest Notice for the Information of them, that pursuant to his Majestie's Commands I shall direct the Captains of all his Ships cruising to detain and bring into Port every Ship loaded with Provisions, Stores, or Am- munition bound to any Port of the French King's Dominions, or that may be any ways consigned to them.
"I am extremely sorry You don't find more Zeal at this Time from those about You. If You have any Commands for me I shall with Pleasure receive them, and believe me, Sir,
" Your very humble Servant,
" A. KEPPEL."
The Commission to Mr. Croghan and others for surveying the Roads, &ca., having as yet not been sent, the Governor ordered Mr. Richard Peters to write the following Letter to Mr. John Armstrong and send it together with the Commission by Express :
A Letter from Mr. Richard Peters to Mr. John Armstrong. " Sir :
"I am commanded by the Governor to send you the enclosed Commission, which you may perceive by its Tenor requires Prudence. Secrecy where necessary, and the utmost Expedition ; and, there- fore, convene the several Persons therein mentioned together, and prevail with them to go upon the Service without any Loss of Time,
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and to continue thereon till all be finished ; for until such Commu- nications be opened the General cannot march with his Army, nor the Forces be supplied with Provisions, and, therefore, no Time can be spared. And there is another Reason for Expedition, viz *: the Assembly may sit a long Time and your Report may be laid before them, and the Orders for charges of opening and clearing the Roads may be made out in Assembly.
"Tho' nothing be said of the Pay of the Commissioners and their Charges in the Commission, yet I am ordered to assure them that the Governor will see them well paid, and they may look on this Letter as an Assumption to pay them for their Time and Trou- ble as well as for the Expences disbursed.
" I would have sent Money but it was thought more reputable to the Commissioners to let it alone till the Return of their Pro- ceedings, and to send them the Cash by the Messenger who brings their Dispatches.
I mentioned to the Governor before your Name was inserted that the Peace of the Settlement beyond the Hills might require your personal attendance as a Surveyor, and if so he consented you should be dispensed with ; but as he places a great Confidence in all the Commissioners and Mr. William Buchanan can survey in your Absence, he hopes that whether you go or no the Business will not be retarded one Moment.
" His Honour depends on You or Mr. Wm. Buchanan to convene and keep together the Commissioners and to take the Minutes.
" I have nothing to add but that it need not be known what You are doing least the French should hear it. If the Indians enquire leave it to Mr. Croghan to give them an Answer, viz“, that the In- habitants want to find out Roads to carry their Flower or any Thing else that he pleases.
" The Commissioners are to look on this as the Governor's pri- vate Instructions to each and every of them.
" I am Their humble Servant,
" RICHARD PETERS.
" Wrote by Order of his Honour.
" PHILADELPHIA, 15th March, 1755.
" Notwithstanding what is said about Mr. Armstrong the Gov- ernor does insist that he assist in the Execution of this Commission as a Commissioner."
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday, 20th March, 1755. PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
John Penn,
Robert Strettle, Joseph Turner, Esquires.
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Richard Peters,
The Governor laid before the Board the Assembly's Answer de- livered in the Afternoon of Yesterday to his Two Messages, which was ordered to be enter'd as follows :
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor-
" We have considered the Two last Messages sent down by the Governor to the House, and beg leave to say that We are humbly of Opinion Letters from the Secretary of State laid before the House by the Governor and containing the Commands of the Crown ought generally to be inserted in the Minutes of Assembly, as such Letters are the Foundation of the Proceedings of the House and may be necessary for their Justification.
" Sir Thomas Robinson's Letters of July 5 and October 26, were sent down to the House without the least Caution to keep the Con- tents a Secret. The latter which is the most material, is a circular Letter, one to the same Effect being sent by the same Conveyance to all the Provinces and Colonies in North America, and as We are informed the Substance of it has been already printed in the Speeches of several Governors to their Assemblies. The Design therein mentioned of sending Two Regiments to America and raising Two more in the Colonies to join them in repelling the French Invasions was no Secret, being avowed in the English Prints, particularly in the London Gazette published by Authority. And our Governor himself made very full and particular Abstracts of those Letters in his Messages to the House, which were printed in the Gazettes here during our last Sessions, long before the House adjourned, and no Objection was made to such Publication at that Time that We have heard of. We are, therefore, surprised that the Governor should now take Exeeptions at the Insertion of those Let- ters in our Minutes ; And as he has not been pleased to point out a single Inconvenience or dangerous Consequence that may attend it, the House is not enclined to expunge them.
"We know not what Assurances of Secrecy the Governor expects from Us or what wou'd be satisfactory, and therefore can only say that whenever it shall appcar to the House to be necessary for the King's Service or the Publick Good to keep secret any Matters laid before them by the Governor, We doubt not but that proper Mea- sures will be taken for that Purpose.
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" When the Governor was pleased on the Tenth of January to demand a Copy of the Minutes of that Sitting, the House ordered them to be printed with all convenient Speed and that a Copy should be delivered to the Governor when finished. They were accordingly put to the Press as soon as they could well be tran- scribed and revised by the Committee for that Purpose appointed ; and it seems the Governor has had a Copy of the greatest Part of them even before they were finished. Ever since the Votes were first printed in this Province, now upwards of Thirty Years, it has been the constant Practice to appoint a Committee to revise the Minutes, which has been done after the Rising of the House and before they were sent to the Press. And till this was done Copies were never delivered out, unless of particular Votes on special Oc- casions. The principal Matters they contain are generally to be found in the Governor's Speeches or Messages and the Answers of the House, and these with such votes as are material are for the most part immediately printed in the Newspapers, and thereby made more public than otherwise they would ever be. The rest is Chiefly Matter of mere Form, Abstracts of Petitions and Things of small Import, which very few even of the People of this Province think worth perus- ing or enquiring after, much less are they worthy the Attention of his Majesty or his Ministers. Therefore, and as it would be inconve- nient to the House to make up and perfect their Minutes daily, so as to Send a Copy of them to the Governor, and as We see no publick Service in such a Practice, nor know of any Right in the Governor so peremptorily to demand it, We are not enclined to alter our antient Custom. It has been frequent not to print the Votes till the End of the Year, and that without the least Design of keeping the Proceedings of House a Secret from our Governors. And We suppose scarce any votes of the same Bulk and Quantity have ever been published much sooner than these are like to be. When they appear We conceive nothing will be found in them that can give the least Reason to suppose they were affectedly delayed, or that the Governor's Charge against Us has any real Foundation. What the Construction is that the Governor thinks our Conduct in this re- spect is liable to We can neither know nor guess, but whatever it be We had rather it had been spoken plainly than insinuated, for so We might have had an Opportunity of saying what should be proper in our Justification. However, as We are conscious of the firmest Loyalty to the Crown and most upright Intentions towards the Peo- ple We represent, We are not very apprehensive of any great Prejudice from such Insinuations. And when We reflect on the Weight and Importance of the Matters laid before Us in the Gov- ernor's Message of the Morning, in which he so earnestly presses to Unanimity and Dispatch, We cannot but be surprized at receiving Messages of so different a Kind in the Afternoon, such as can only send to produce Division and Delay, and to waste our Time in Dis- putes on Things of little or no moment when there is such Danger
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of losing the happy Opportunity mentioned by the Governor, and Unanimity between him and the House on this Occasion is so ne- cessary. to the publick Welfarc. We would, therefore, humbly intreat the Governor to suspend these irritating Accusations and novel Demands till a Season of more Leisurc, and permit Us to proceed without any further Interruption of that Kind on the Business for which he has been pleased to call Us together, and the very important Matters he has recommended to our Consideration.
"Signed by Order of the House.
"ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. " In Assembly, March 19, 1755."
And then the Governor laid before the Board a Letter which he on receiving this Message immediately wrote to Mess" Franklin and Hall in these Words :
WEDNESDAY, March 19, 1755, Four o'Clock, P. M. " Gentlemen :
" Observing by the Minutes of the Assembly which you sent me that two Letters from Sir Thomas Robinson, one of his Majesty's . Principal Secretarys of State, to me, the one of July 5 and the other of October 26, 1754, are there Printed at large, and as no Person or Body in this Province has any right to make publick his Majesty's Commands to me significd by a Secretary of State Further than I shall think proper, and as I conceive it may be very preju- dicial to his Majesty's Service to Publish those Letters, I do, there- fore, notify the same to you, and do hereby forbid you to publish the same.
"I am, Gentlemen, Your most humble Servant, "ROBT H. MORRIS."
And thereupon observed the dangerous Consequences that might ensue from inserting Letters from the King's Ministers in their full Length, for as it is well known that all our News Papers are trans- mitted to Canada, forcign Princes in actual Enmity or such as werc wanting Pretences of Quarrel and Contention with the British Na- tion might thence furnish themselves with Materials prejudicial to the King's Interest, as well as that the Means which his Majesty should think proper to make use of being published before they are carried into Execution may be frustrated.
" Mr. Peters acquainted the Governor and Council that Mr. Franklin had given him the Governor's Letter with an earnest Re- quest that it might not at this Time be insisted on, being apprehen- sive if it was that he must produce it to the House, who would not- withstanding the Governor's Inhibition order him to publish the Votes, and that he should as Printer to the Assembly be obliged to do it, and so the Differences would encrease between the Two
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Branches of the Legislature and the King's Business be thereby ex- ceedingly retarded. i
"On receiving this Request of Mr. Franklin's Mr. Peters had acquainted the Governor with it, and that it might be of Service if the Matter was considered so far at least as whether it should now be insisted upon or postponed till the public Business of the Ses- sions should be finished. The Council was unanimously of Opinion that the Publication was a bad thing and undutiful in the Assembly and against the Confidence placed in them, and that it ought to be litigated, but then they as unanimously thought that it had better be postponed till the End of the Sessions, and so singly gave their Opinion and supporting them by various Arguments, but the Gov- . ernor was clear that this and no other Time was the proper one, and thought it would have a good Effect on public Business and make the Assembly more careful in their other Proceedings. The Gov- ernor further mentioned that he had a Right to see the Assembly's Minutes from day to day, and yet they had never been sent him as is the Practice between Governor and Assembly in other Govern- ments. So far from this, tho' he desired at the Close of the last Sessions a Copy of their Minutes they refused it, and the day before yesterday, and not before, the Printers delivered him the printed Minutes and those unfinished. This he said he could no longer suffer, and would send the Secretary to inspect the Journals of the House from time to time and take Copies of them. The Council had the same Opinion of this Matter as the Governor, but so many Things of Consequence to the King's Service and the Safety of the Colonies being now under Consideration they requested most earn- estly that as well as this as the other Affair of the Publication of the Secretary of State's Letter's might be postponed till the Business in hand should be finished.
Then the Governor laid before the Board the following Message which he received this day from the House by Two Members in Answer to his first Message of the Eighteenth Instant, which is in these Words :
" May it please the Governor-
"Though the Season of the Year and the Badness of the Roads have made it difficult for many of Us to attend the Governor's Call of the House at this Time, yet considering the present Circumstances of Affairs and the Matters of Importance he has been pleased to lay before Us, We return him our Thanks for giving Us this Oppor- tunity of continuing to demonstrate our Loyalty to our King, our to Regard the British Interest in America, and our Care of the People We represent.
" As We are resolved to contribute such Sums of Money as may be consistent with our Circunstances on the present Occasion, We shall immediately proceed to consider the best Methods of raising
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and discharging the same, and shall forthwith prepare a Bill for that Purpose to be laid before the Governor for his Assent.
"The other Parts of his Message will also come under our De- liberation with all possible Dispatch, that nothing may be wanting on our Part which may contribute to the Prosperity or Honour of this Colony; and if the Governor has received any further Intelli- gence which may be of Service to Us in the Course of our Business, We make no Doubt he will be pleased to communicate it to Us for our Consideration.
"Signed by order of the House. "ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. "In Assembly, 20th March, 1755."
"The Governor informed the Council that Mr. Quincy was em- powered by a Commission from Governor Shirley to sollicit this Government for Provisions, &c., on the Scheme mentioned in Mr. Shirley's Letter of the Twenty-Fifth of February, and that he was attending in order to consult and agree on the Method of managing this Affair, upon which he was called in, and after a long Conversa- tion it was agreed that he should write the Governor a Letter which he would lay before the Assembly, together with Mr. Shirley's Letter of the Twenty-Fifth of February, his Speech of the Thirteenth of February to the Council and House of Representatives of the Province of Massachusets Bay, and their Resolves of the Eighteenth.
MEMORANDUM.
On the Twenty-First of March Mr. Quincy wrote the following Letter to the Governor :
A Letter to Governor Morris from Josiah Quincy, Esquire. " Sir :
" In obedience to the commands of the Government of Massa- chusets Bay, in New England, contained in my Commission and Instructions from his Excellency Gov. Shirley, I do in the Name and Behalf of the Government aforesaid invite the Government of Pennsylvania to join with or assist us in the Execution of a pro- posed Enterprize to Prevent the further Encroachments of our restless and Perfidious Neighbours the French upon his Majesty's Territories in America.
" The measures to be pursued are contained in his Excellency's Speech of the 13th of Febuary last to both Houses of Assembly in the above said Government, and in their resolves of the 10th thereon, copies whereof your Honour has already receiv'd.
"The Necessity and advantage of a Speedy and Vigorous Ex-
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ecution of the scheme are so obvious, and so clearly illustrated by his Excellency in his speech above mentioned and in his Letter to your honour, that its needless in me to Enlarge upon them.
" Your Honour and the Assembly (to whom you will be Pleased to communicate the Affair as soon as may be) will perceive that nothing is desired or expected by the Government I have the Honour to represent from the Government of this Province but what they of all his Majesty's Governments are best able to spare- that is a quantity of Provisions sufficient for the subsistance of the men proposed to be raised for the above-mentioned Service. And when I consider the Supplies of this kind which were so chearfully granted by this Government in the late successfull and Glorious Expedition against Cape Breton, I can't but flatter myself with assurance of success in my present application, and that nothing in your honour's Power will be wanting to facilitate the same with the Assembly of your Province.
"I am, in the name and behalf of the Government of Massa- chusets Bay,
"Your Honour's most humble and most obedient Servant,
" JOSA. QUINCY.
" PHILIDA., March 21st, 1755."
And on the Twenty-Fourth the Governor laid his Letter and the other Papers agreed on before the Assembly with the following Message :
" Gentlemen-
" Governor Shirley, for securing the Colonies against the future Encroachments of the French, having among other Measures formed a Design to build a Fort near Crown Point, within the Limits of his Majesty's Territories, and his Council and Assembly having chearfully concurred with him in the Thing, he has sent Commis- sioners to this and other Governments to sollicit them to join in the Undertaking, and some time ago wrote me fully upon the Head.
" Mr. Quincy, one of the Commissioners sent to this Province, is arrived, and has made application to me. And I now send You a Copy of his Letter, as also of Governor Shirley's Message to his Council and Assembly, their Resolutions upon it, and of his Letter to me upon this and other Affairs; And as You will see by those Papers what is expected from this Province, I heartily recommend it to You to grant the necessary Supplies for that important Ser- vice.
"I must desire You to keep this Affair secret, for as you have given me no Assurance of doing so the bad Consequences of an untimely Discovery may, tho' unjustly, be attributed to you.
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