USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 35
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"ROB'T. H. MORRIS.
" March 21st, 1755."
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Scarrooyady being returned from the Six Nations with Answers to the Messages sent by him, and having quarrelled with Davison and left him behind, the Secretary was sent to the House to acquaint them of it, and to know whether it might not be best to send for Mr. Weiser, which the House agreed to.
The Governor ordered the Secretary to inspect the Journals of Assembly to the Twentieth Instant, and sent the following Message thereupon to the House :
" Gentlemen :
" I have ordered the Secretary to inspect the Journals of your House from the 17th to the 20th of this Instant March, both in- clusive, and to take a Copy thereof.
" ROB'T. H. MORRIS.
" March 21, 1755."
The Secretary by Order of the Governor made a second Demand of the House to inspect their Journals of Assembly, and desired that they would give an Answer in Writing to this Demand, Who was told that the House would to-morrow morning return the Gov- ernor an Answer thereto in Writing.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday the 25th March, 1755. PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esqr., Lieu- tenant Governor.
John Penn, Richard Peters, S Esquires.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Governor by an Express from Maryland received an Account of the safe Arrival of the Transports in Virginia with the Troops and Train of Artillery destined for America, and Three Letters from General Braddock of the Tenth of March, which were read and ordered to be entered :
A Letter from General Braddock to Governor Morris.
" WILLIAMSBURG, March 10, 1755. " Sir :
" The inclosed is calculated to be laid before your Assembly if you should think it may be of any Service towards bringing them to a State of their Duty to his Majesty and their own Interest upon the present Occasion, for which Purpose I would propose to You the calling them together once more as soon as possible.
" I am sensible of the Difficulties You must have in the Manage-
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ment of so factious a People as those under your Government, but am persuaded they are not sufficient to discourage You from con- tinuing your most earnest Endeavours for reclaiming them to a reasonable Conduct at this important Juncture. I am, Sir,
" Your most humble and most obedient Servant,
" E. BRADDOCK."
Another Letter from General Braddock to Governor Morris. " WILLIAMSBURG, March 10, 1755. " Sir :
"Ten days ago I sent an Express to Governor Shirley, with Orders to him to meet me at Annapolis in Maryland, and have desired Mr. Delancey to accompany him thither. If the Affairs of your Government will possibly admit of your leaving it at this time, I must desire you to join them, that I may have an Opportunity of conferring with you upon the Measures to be pursued upon the present Occasion. The Governors of Virginia and Maryland will be with us. I am, Sir,
"Your most humble and most obedient Servant, " E. BRADDOCK."
Another Letter from General Braddock to Governor Morris. " WILLIAMSBURG, March 10, 1755.
" Sir :
" As it must be attributed principally to a want of a proper Union among the Colonies that the French have had it in their Power to make so great Encroachments upon the King's Territories in America as they have lately done, it ought to be considered as a very strong Instance of his Majestie's Care and Regard for them that he has sent a considerable Force from England to their Assistance in order to repair those Losses which their own Misconduct has occasioned. As it is highly reasonable, he has declared that he expects the several Colonies in Proportion to their respective Abilities should furnish the Forces with Supplies of Pro- visions and all Necessaries, and likewise raise such additional Num- bers of Men as shall be requisite for the Purpose now intended ; upon this Occasion the Province of Pennsylvania, by far the most populous and most opulent of any upon the Continent as well as most nearly interested in the Event of the Expedition, instead of making the earliest and largest Contribution is endeavouring to take advantage of the common Danger in order to encroach upon His Majesty's Prerogative in the Administration of his Government; in
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what Light such Conduct must appear to his Majesty may easily be conceived. As I am directed by him to advise and assist his several Governors upon the present occasion, I would propose to You, Sir, to call your Assembly together and to endeavour once more to bring them to a Sense of their Duty to His Majesty and their own In- terest by representing to them in the Strongest Light the Con- sequences which must attend their Neglect of it. With the Assist- ance required of the Colonies I shall have good Hopes of answering His Majesty's Expectations from me, by securing his Dominions and the Possessions of his Subjects in these Parts, without their Assistance it may not be in my Power, and in such a case it may be worth their while, Particularly the Province under your Govern- ment, to consider whether it may not be presumed that the Govern- ment at home will take some Method to oblige them to act for the future as becomes the Duty of his Majesty's Subjects.
"I must repeat to You, Sir, what I have already mentioned in a former Letter, that I am directed by His Majesty to propose to the several Colonies to make one common Stock of the Money they shall severally raise in order to serve as a provisional Fund for the present Service; such a measure would greatly promote our Success, but if it should be objected to I must at least desire that what is raised may not be particularly appropriated but granted in general Terms for the Service of the Expedition.
"I doubt not, Sir, You will continue to exert your utmost en- deavours for the present Service, particularly by punishing according to their Deserts all, if any such shall be found, who are guilty of carrying on a traitorous Correspondence with the Enemy by supply- ing them with Provisions.
"I shall only add that as I am to give a faithful Account to His Majesty's Ministers of the Behaviour of each Colony at this im- portant Juncture, I am still in hopes that the Province under your Government will put it in my Power to represent them as becomes their Ability, their Interest, and their Duty to His Majesty.
"I am, Sir, Your most humble and most obedient Servant,
"E. BRADDOCK."
The Governor on this Occasion was reminded of the Letter from Lord Halifax of the Twenty-Sixth of November, which after the Part the House acted in the Case of Sir Thomas Robinson's Let- ters he was averse to lay before them and was pressed, notwith- standing that indecent Usage, now to lay it before them as it might contribute to the Publick Good, and at last the Governor consented, and the Letter was sent together with General Braddock's general Letter and the following Message :
" A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen-
"By Express from Maryland I have an Account of the safe
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Arrival of the Transports in Virginia with the Troops and Train of Artillery destined for American Service, upon which I heartily congratulate You.
" His Majestie's Care and Affection for his Subjects in America has induced him to send this large and seasonable Assistance for the Recovery of those Possessions that the French, contrary to the Faith of Treaties, have seized; and We shall be greatly wanting to Ourselves if We neglect to make Use of this Opportunity to frus- trate the Attempts of that perfidious People.
"To render effectual the Measures taken by his Majesty and our Mother Country upon this Occasion, it is expected that the Colonies shall raise an additional Number of Men to join those his Majesty has sent upon this Service, and that they shou'd furnish Provisions and all Necessaries to the Forces employed for their Protection, as You will see by a Letter from the Earl of Halifax and another from General Braddock to me which will be laid before You, And this is so reasonable in itself that I cannot doubt of its being readily com- plied with by all the Provinces in Proportion to their Abilities; and I hope that as Pennsylvania is the most interested in the Event of this Expedition, You will exert Yourselves as becomes the Repre- sentatives of a People actually invaded and having their All de- pending upon the Success of the present Enterprize.
"I earnestly beseech You, Gentlemen, well to consider what may be the Consequence of your now refusing to grant the necessary Supplies, as We may be assured his Majesty will not condescend repeatedly to recommend to You in vain the making Provision for your own Defence, but will doubtless upon your Refusal be enabled by his Parliament to oblige those who reap the immediate Benefit of such a chargeable Protection to contribute their Proportion of it, and if by a Disappointment in the Articles expected to be supplied by You the great Expence that the Nation has been put to for the Security of these valuable Branches of the British Empire should be rendered unavailable, You cannot but think You will justly draw upon You the Resentment of his Majesty and a British Par- liament.
" March 25, 1755."
"ROBT. H. MORRIS.
The Governor wrote the following Letter to Governor Shirley : " PHILADELPHIA, March 25th, 1755. " Dear Sir :
"I am favoured with Yours by Mr. Quincy who arrived here a few Days ago, and as my Assembly was sitting I immediately re- commended the Affair he came upon to them by a special Message and sent them the several Papers relative to it, as also a Letter wrote
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me by Mr. Quincy at my own Request upon the Head. I had men- tioned the Thing in general Terms in my Message at the Opening of the Sessions and desired they would enable me to take Part in the Affair. What Effect these Recommendations will have upon them I cannot as yet learn, but I am fearful their obstinate Turn of Mind is such that they will come into no reasonable Measures. Mr. Franklin, indeed, is labouring hard to prevail with them to give Forty Thousand Pounds for the general Service, and to sink it by a Tax in Five Years, but even he despairs of Success and thinks they will only offer me a Bill of the same Nature of that I refused to pass the last Sessions.
" Cap". Morris has been and still is in the Back Parts of this Pro- vince, where I hear he has tolerable Success ; he has raised in York and Jersey about Sixty Men, Fifty of which I am told are embarked from thence for Boston, and his Friends there are listing more, and he has in this Town about Fifty ready for shipping and will go on till he has your Orders to stop.
" General Braddock writes me that he has sent to You to meet him at Annapolis, and he has invited Mr. Delancey and myself to be there, where he tells me We shall meet Mr. Dinwiddie, Mr. Sharpe, and Commodore Keppel. I wish he had appointed the Con- gress at this Place, as it is more central and convenient ; however, I shall have the Pleasure of entertaining You here in your Way to and from the Congress, and I hope You will give me the earliest Notice of your Motions that I may give the necessary Orders and be prepared to accompany You to the Southward. I am,
" Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, "ROBT. H. MORRIS."
And likewise one to General Braddock, which was read, together with one wrote to him on the Twelfth Instant, and both ordered to be entered in these Words :
A Letter to General Braddock from Governor Morris. " PHILADELPHIA, March 12, 1755,
" Sir :
" I was honoured with yours of the Twenty-Eighth of February last by Express, who came here on the Ninth Instant at night, and I immediately by a fresh hand sent forward the Letters to the Northern Governments, and wrote to Mr. Delancey to do the same, and You may depend on my sending Shirley's Letters by Express to You as soon as they come.
" I heartily congratulate You and this Continent on your Appoint- ment to tlie Command of his Majestie's Forces and safe Arrival . among Us-Events that must give Pleasure to all that have any Regard for the Honour or Interest of Britain or the safety of these Colonies.
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"The Conduct of the Assemblies upon the Continent almost without Exception has been so very absurd that they have suffered the French to take quiet Possession of the most advantageous Places, not only to answer the Purposes of a very extensive Indian Trade, but to enable them to protect their own Settlements and annoy ours ; such are their Forts at Niagara, Crown Point, and the several ones upon Lake Erie, the River Ohio, and its Branches. It is now about Four Years since the Indians first informed Us of the Designs of the French to take Possession of the Country upon the Ohio, and were very desirous that We should build a strong House at or near the Place where the French Fort now stands, and Mr. Hamilton, then Governor of this Province, recommended the Matter to the Assembly, but they refused to be at any Expence about it, tho' a thousand Pounds Sterling would then have been sufficient ; and having shamefully suffered the French to encroach upon them now more shamefully refuse to afford Assistance to the Troops that are employed to remove them.
" I am heartily sorry that a Province that I have the Honour to preside over should behave in so shocking a manner, especially as it ought to be foremost upon the present Occasion, not only as it is the Country invaded, but on Account of its Riches and Number of Inhabitants.
"I am, Sir, almost ashamed to tell You that We have in this Province upward of Three Hundred Thousand Inhabitants ; that We are blessed with a rich soil and temperate Climate, and besides our own Consumption raise Provisions enough to supply an Army of One Hundred Thousand Men, which is yearly exported from this City, and with other Commodities employs upwards of five hundred Vessels, mostly owned by the Merchants of this Town. From a Province so circumstanced what might not reasonably have been expected, especially as We are burthened with no Taxes and are not only out of Debt, but have a Revenue of Seven Thousand a Year and Fifteen Thousand Pounds in Bank, all at the Disposal of the House of Assembly. And yet when their All is invaded they refuse to contribute to the necessary Defence of their Country, either by establishing a Militia or furnishing Men, Money, or Provisions. The . manner in which I have laboured these Points with my Assembly you will see by my several Messages to them, which I sent to Gov- ernor Dinwiddie, and to which I beg Leave to be referred.
"The Trade that has been carried on from these Colonies with the French at Cape Breton has certainly enabled them to support an Army on the back of Us which they could not otherwise have done, and if that Supply be effectually cut off it must distress them in Time; but at present their Magazines are so full that they will not feel it, for I have been well informed that in the Month of May last upward of Forty English Vessels were seen in the Harbour of Louisbourg at one time ; this Trade was chiefly carried on from New
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York, Rhode Island, and Boston; the two last Places, indeed, had their Flower for that Purpose from hence which was sent first to those Parts, but the People here were no otherwise concerned int that Supply; however, agreeable to your Request I have made an Order that every Vessel carrying Provisions or Warlike Stores from hence should give Bond to land the same in some Part of the King's Dominions or in the Dominions of some Prince or State in Amity with his Majesty other than the French King, Copy of which I send You herewith and also to Commodore Kepple, to whom I also send a Copy of the Certificate of Clearance that I have ordered to be given to every Vessel out of this Port that shall give Bond in Pursuance to my Order, and any Vessel that does not produce such a Certificate may be justly suspected of intending to supply the French.
"I had the Pleasure of receiving an Account of your Arrival some days before your Express came hither, and immediately sum- moned the Assembly of this Province who are to meet on Monday next the Seventeenth Instant, when I shall press upon them the doing every thing that is proper upon the present Occasion in which I promise myself more Success from your Letter to me which I shall lay before them than from any Thing Ican say. I have ordered the Country from a Place called Carlisle near the Sasquehanna Westward towards the Turkey's Foot to be reconnoitred by Persons best acquainted with those Parts, with whom I sent a Draughtsman, and if it be possible to make a Road that Way I will recommend it to the Assembly to enable me to do it.
" Governor Shirley's Son, who is the only recruiting Officer herc. has already raised above Two Hundred Men for his Father's Regi- ment, in the doing which He has conducted himself with great Prudence and good Sense, and this Day I expect a Nephew of mine to whom Governor Shirley has promised one of his vacant Compa- nies upon his raising one hundred and Fifty Men; he has been about Ten Days returned from Bosto.1, and I believe has a consider- able Part of his Number already, and will very soon in this Pro- vince with the Aid I shall give him, not only Compleat the Number he has engaged to raise, but will soon fill Shirley's Regiment tho' it should require a much greater Number.
" With this I have the Honour to send You a Letter from Gor- ernor Shirley to me of the Twenty-fifth Ultº with a Message from him to his Assembly and their Resolutions upon it, which together contain the Plan he had laid for the Operations of this Summer.
"The Scheme is very extensive, and to execute it properly in all its Parts will require a great Number of Men-more I am afraid than can be raised and properly equipped in Time, tho' I am told the Two Thousand Men for the Eastern Service are already raised : and I must do the New England Governments the Justice to sar that they are very active upon such occasions; and if you should VOL. VI-22.
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approve the Plan and resolve to build a Fort near Crown Point, I make no doubt they would do their Part. But I do not think that the Governments of New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania can be prevailed upon to do theirs. The Assemblys of the two last are under the Influence of Quaker Councils, from whom nothing good is to be expected ; and as to New York, the Albany Members, who have a very great Influence in their Legislature, are concerned in a very pernicious but profitable Trade that is carried on between Albany and Crown Point, and it is to be feared that they would rather see the former in the Hands of the French than contribute to annoying the latter. By that Trade the French are furnished with the most material Articles of their Indian Trade, and are thereby enabled fully to supply them, which they could not other- wise do. And within these few Months great Quantities of Gun- powder have been bought up in this Town and New York, and I am told sent from Albany to Crown Point, there being only twelve Miles Land Carriage between them, which you will see marked by a prickt Line from the Head of Lake St. Sacrament to Hudson's River upon a Map I sent Sir John St. Clair by the last Express.
" I shall try what the Assembly will enable me to do with Re- spect to the Post You mention, and write you upon the Head as soon as I can form any Judgement of their Resolutions.
" It will give me the most sensible Pleasure to afford You any Assistance in the Execution of your important Command, not only from my Zeal for his Majesty's Service, but from the personal Re- gard I haye for you ; and hope when the public Service will admit, You will give me an Opportunity of seeing You in a Place that I shall be proud of rendering as agreeable to You as possible, and am,
" Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,
"ROB'T. H. MORRIS."
Another Letter to General Braddock from Governor Morris. " PHILADELPHIA, 25 March, 1755. " Sir :
" An Express this Minute from New York brought me Governor Shirley's Packet, which I now forward to Maryland to Governor Sharpe, and only take Time to tell You that I have your favours of the Tenth Instant ; that designed for the Assembly I have laid be- fore them with a Message strongly recommending it to them to exert themselves upon the Present Occasion and Pointing out the Conse- quences of their Refusal, but such is their Temper of Mind at Present that I have no hopes of their acting reasonably ; however, this day and to-morrow will fully inform me of what they will do.
"I promise myself the Pleasure of meeting You at Annapolis
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with Governor Shirley, who I expect in about a Week, when I shall have an Opportunity of Laying more fully before You the Conduct of my Assembly, and in the mean Time am,
" Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,
" ROBT. H. MORRIS."
MEMORANDUM.
The Clerk of the House gave to Mr. Peters after he had delivered the last foregoing Message from the Governor to the Assembly the following Answer to his Demand to inspect their Journals : " May it please the Governor-
" When the present Sitting is ended the Minutes will be revised by the Committe appointed for that Purpose and immediately printed, and when printed a fair Copy will be presented to the Governor ac- cording to our long continued Custom. Till then We hope the Gov- ernor will excuse Us if We do not permit any Person to inspect them or any Copy of them to be taken.
"Signed By Order of the House, " ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. "In Assembly March 25, 1755."
On the Twenty-Eighth a Bill entituled "An Act for striking the Sum of Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit and giving the same to the King's Use, and for providing a Fund to sink the Bills so to be emitted," was presented to the Governor by Two Mem- bers for his Concurrence, who acquainted him that the House de- sired to know what Progress he had made in the Bill for preventing the spreading of infectious Distempers, &ca .; And the Governor in- formed them that he had fully considered it and should lay it before his Council.
On the Twenty-Ninth Two Members waited on the Governor and delivered him for his Concurrence A Bill intituled " An Act to pre- vent the Exportation of Provisions, naval or Warlike Stores from this Province to Cape Breton or to any other the Dominions of the French King or Places at present in Possession of any of his Sub- jects."
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday, 31st March, 1755.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
John Penn, - Robert Strettell, Esquires.
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
A Bill entituled " An Act for striking the Sum of Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit, and giving the same to the King's Use, and for providing a Fund to sink the Bills so to be emitted," was read, and the Governor observed that it was of the same Tenor with the one to which he refused his Assent at the last Sitting of the Assembly, and said he could not pass it without a Breach of Duty to the Crown, and was referred to the Considera- tion of a fuller Council.
Mr. Weiser arriving in Town on Saturday night, Scarrooyady was sent for, and he with Aroas, Daniel, and Two other Mohock Indians came into Council, and being kindly saluted, Scarrooyady was desired to communicate his Proceedings in the Business comitted to his Care, and spoke as follows, Mr. Weiser being Interpreter :
" Brethren-
"First. I let You know that I am now in my Return from the Six Nations and have delivered the several Messages committed to my Care by the Government of Virginia, Maryland, and this Pro- vince.
"I have, agreeable to your Request, not only looked into the Houses where I have been, but entered in and staid there some Time and seen every Thing that is doing.
"I passed by the Mohocks' Castle, finding some of their Chiefs absent, and proceeded to the Oneidos taking some Mohocks, one of which was a great Chief, along with me, and staid with them, and told them I had several Messages to deliver to the Six Nations from their Brethren the English, and they advised me to go on to the Onondagers, but hearing on all hands that the Onondagers were not well affected to the English I told them I was advised to stop at my native Country. They said they were glad I was so advised, because nobody cared now to do Business at Onondago. All Per- sons who were in the English Interest and had Business to do with the Six Nations of late came round about Onondago and passed by the Town and came to their Castles and delivered their Messages to them. And as there were then present some of the Mohocks, Tus- cororas, and Nanticokes, they desired me in the Name of the Six Nations to deliver to them what I had to say, assuring me that it
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would be entirely as good and effectual as if delivered at Onondago. I did not, therefore, proceed any further, but addressing myself to these Four Nations I desired them in the particular Matter I had first to speak to them about to consider me not as a Counsellor but as a Warrior, and as one that lived among the Bushes in the Wilder- ness. I ask'd how the French came to set down on the Ohio? Is it by the Advice of the Counsellors or is it by the Orders of the Warriors of the Six Nations ? I have it in Charge from the Indians with whom I live at the Ohio to make this my first Question and not to proceed farther till I am imformed of this Fact, nor shall I say a Word more till You give me your Answer. On which the Chiefs withdrew to Council and then returned and spoke as follows : " ' Brother :
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