USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 52
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A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. -
" Gentlemen :
" On the present Emergency I think it proper on the part of the Proprietaries to propose as an additional Encouragement to such Persons as shall now engage and go upon an Expedition from this or the Neighbouring Provinces to remove the French from their Encroachments on the River Ohio, to grant the following Quantities of Land West of the Allegheny Mountains without any Purchase Money, and with an Exemption for the Payment of Quit Rent for the Space of 15 Years from the 1st Day of March next, vizt. :
"To every Colonel -
-
1,000 Acres.
" To each Lieut. Coll. & Major
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750
"To every Captain
500
66
" To each Lieutent & Ensign -
-
-
400
"To every common Soldier -
200
"The said Lands to be patented to the respective Officers and Soldiers, their Heirs or Assigns, without any Fees or Charges but those of Surveying, on Condition of Settlement within the Space of 3 Years after the Removal of the French. And I do recom-
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mend to You to afford some Assistance to such as shall incline to accept of the above Terms, and make Settlements accordingly.
" ROBERT H. MORRIS.
" PHILADELPHIA, July 20th, 1755."
The Assembly in the Fall sent over an Address to His Majesty in Council against the Governor for refusing to pass the Bill for granting Twenty thousand pounds to his Majesty's use, which was read in the Privy Council on the 15th April, and by the Committee of the said Council for Plantation Affairs it was referr'd to the Lords of Trade, whose report thereon having been transmitted to the Governor by the Secretary of that Board, the same was read in these words :
[L. s.] " To the Right Honorable the Lords of the Committee of his Majesty's most Honble. Privy Council for Plantation Affairs. " My Lords : L
" Pursuant to your Lordships' Order dated the 15th of April last, we have taken into Consideration the humble Address of the Repre- rentatives of the Freemen of the Province of Pennsylvania, Setting forth amongst other things that in consequence of the Letters re- ceived from his Majesty's Secretary of State they had prepared and sent up to the Govr. of the said Province a Bill for striking Twenty thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit for His Majesty's use, but that the Governor after repeated Sollicitations had refused to pass the same, induced thereto as they believe by Restrictions he had received from the Proprietaries of the said Province, and therefore humbly beseeching his Majesty if after hearing them upon these important Heads it shou'd be made appear that such Proprietary Restrictions are of dangerous Consequence to the British Interest or an Infringement of their Charter, that he would be graciously pleased to Grant them such Redress as may be agreeable to Com- passion and Justice.
" And having been attended by Mr. Partridge, Agent for the said Province, by Thomas & Richard Penn, Esquires, the Proprie- taries of it, and by Mr. Paris in behalf of the Lieutenant Governor, and heard each Party by his Counsel, we beg leave to acquaint your Lordships,-
" That the only allegation upon which the Prayer of this address is founded is that of the Lieut. Gov". being restrained by some In- structions from the Proprietaries from giving his Assent to the Bill prepared by them for Issuing Twenty Thousand pounds in Bills of Credit for his Majesty's Service. That the Petrs. have not been able to lay before us any proof in support of this Allegation, but that on the contrary there does not appear to have been the least Reason or Foundation for such a Suggestion or Belief, for it is not only declared by the Lieutt. Governor in the Messages which passed
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on this Occasion between him and the Assembly, that he had never received any Instruction from the Proprietaries, by which he was restrained from giving his Assent to laws of this Nature, but it has also been declared to us by the said Proprietaries that they never did give any such Instruction as is suggested in the address, and they offered to lay such Instructions as has been given by them to their Lieut. Gov. before his Majesty or any of his Ministers whenever he or they should be pleased to call for them.
"For these Reasons We are of Opinion that the sd. Address should be rejected.
" How far the Lieu'. Governor of the said Province is justifiable in rejecting the Act in Question must in a great measure depend upon a Consideration of the Act itself, which has not been laid be- fore us. But it has been alledged by his Counsel in his behalf That the Bills of Credit to be emitted by this Act were to be made Current for Twelve Years, and the excise Act was to be ex- tended to that Period as a Fund for sinking and discharging them. That as the Act of Parliament passed in the Year 1750 for restrain- ing Paper Currency, in the four Colonies of New England limits the Currency of the Bills of Credit which it permits to be Issued in those Colonies on Sudden and extraordinary Emergencies in case of War or Invasion to five Years, the Lieut. Gov". thought he could not be justified in consenting to the establishment of a Paper Cur- rency on Terms contradictory to the sense of Parliament, as ex- pressed in the said Act, for altho' the words of it do not include the Province of Pennsylvania, yet he could not but apprehend that the Reason and spirit of the Act must extend to that and every other Colony. And, therefore, when the said Lieut Governor refused his Assent to the said Act, he gave the Assembly repeated Assurances that he would join with them in any Bill for striking whatever Sum they might think Suitable to the Emergency, provided they wou'd establish a Fund for sinking such Emission in Five Years.
It has been further urged as another Reason why the said Lieut. Gov"· rejected the Act in Question, that the extension of the excise Act for so long a Term appeared to him to be an unnecessary Bur- then upon the people at a Time when the state of the publick Funds and revenue might well afford other means of raising Money for His Majesty's Service.
"But as the said Assembly in their Address to his Majesty make strong professions of Duty and Zeal for his Service, and complain that their Lieut. Governor has hindered them from demonstrating their chearful and ready compliance with the Royal Orders, We shall beg leave before we conclude to lay before your Lordships a short state of their Proceedings upon this Occasion, from which We conceive the best Judgment may be formed of the Warmth and. Sincerity of that Zeal & Readiness which they profess :
"On the 14th February, 1754, Mr. Hamilton, at that time Lieu-
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tent. Gov". of Pennsylvania, acquainted the Assembly with his hav- ing received his Majesty's Comands in a Letter from the Earl of Holderness, dated the 28th August, 1753, in case the Subjects of any Foreign Prince should have presumed to make Encroachments, Erect Forts, or commit any other Hostilities within his Majesty's Dominions, if, after representing to them the Injustice of their pro- ceedings they should not desist, to draw forth the Armed Force of the Province and to endeavour to repel Force by Force, and to call the Assembly and engage them to grant such Supplys as the Exi- gence of Affairs might require. Mr. Hamilton also laid before them the Intelligence he had received from the Lieut. Governor of Vir- ginia with respect to the Answer made by the Commander of the French Fort on the Ohio to Major Washington, avowing the Hostilities he had committed, and declaring his Orders from the French King to build more Forts and take possession of all the Country.
" The Message with which Mr. Hamilton accompanied these papers were taken into Consideration from day to day to the 27th Feb- ruary, when the Assembly sent up a Message to him in which they observe that the Earl of Holdernesse's said Letter had very minutely and precisely directed the several Steps to be taken and the Cautions to be used by the Governors of the Colonies, who are thereby en- joined not to make use of any armed Force excepting within the undoubted Limits of his Majesty's Dominions, and in that case under certain Restrictions. That it would be presumptuous in them to Judge of the undoubted Limits of his Majesty's Dominions or to fix the Boundaries of that Province, beyond which they conceived their own Force were strickly enjoined by no means to Act as principals. That their Governor had not made the necessary Requisition nor called on them to resist any attack made within his Government, but to grant such a Supply as might enable him to raise Forces to be ready to join those of Virginia early in March ; from all which they conclude that it would be most prudent in them to wait the result of the Government of Virginia, which, so far as they knew, had not yet made any provision for raising forces, and to see what the Pro- vinces of Maryland and New Jersey would do in consequence of the like Orders from the Earl of Holderness.
"On the 2d March Mr. Hamilton sent a very full and strong Answer to the foregoing Message, in which he acquainted the House that he had undoubted Assurance that part of his Majesty's Dominions within his Government was at that time Invaded by the Subjects of a Foreign Prince, who had erected Forts within the same, and desired them to take notice that he did then call on them pursuant to his Majesty's Orders to grant such supplies as might enable him to draw forth the armed Force of the Province and to repel Force by Force.
" On the 4th the Lieut. Governor laid before the House at their
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request the Grounds on which he founded the foregoing Assertion, that Hostilities were at that time committed by the French within his Governments, and the said Grounds were referred to a Com- mittee, who made their Report on the 7th, when the Question being put whether the Papers and Evidences received from the Governor make it clearly appear that the Subjects of a Foreign Prince have Erected Forts within the undoubted Limits of this Government ? It passed in the negative, and on the 9th they sent a Message to the Lieut. Govr. in which they Abide by their former Opinion of waiting to sce what Measures Virginia will take, and tell him that as they conceive him to be enjoined not to Act as a principal beyond the undoubted Limits of his Governmt, and as those Limits have not been clearly ascertained to their Satisfaction, they apprehend his precipitate call on them to Act as Principals can answer no good purpose at that time, and therefore desire to make a short adjourn- ment. And they did accordingly adjourn (notwithstanding the Lieut. Govr's endeavour to disuade them) to the 6th of May.
" Mr. Hamilton, however, Summoned them to meet him on the 2nd of April, and on the next day he informed them by Message of the Intelligence he had received from Mr. Dinwiddie with respect to the provision made by the Assembly of Virginia, reminded them of his former Messages in Consequence of the Earl of Holdernesse's Letter, and of their professions of Zeal & Readiness, and pressed them in the strongest Terms to grant such aid to his Majesty as might be suitable to the Exigence of the Service.
" On the 5th of April the House took this Message into Consid- eration, and after a long Debate it was resolved by a Majority of two (the number being 18 to 16) that a sum of Money shou'd be given to his Majesty's use.
"On the 8th a Bill was accordingly brought in, and a Debate arising at the third Reading on the 9th concerning the sum to be inserted as given to the King's use, the follow". Questions were put and passed as undermentioned :
" Whether the sum of Twenty thousand pounds should be given ?
" It passed in the Negative-25 to 28.
" Whether Fifteen thousand pounds should be given ?
"It passed in the Negative-25 to 10.
" Whether Ten thousand pounds should be given ?
" It passed in the Negative-22 to 11.
" The next day, being the 10th, was spent in the further Con- sideration of the sum to be granted; and the Question being put on the 11th whether the sum of &5,000 should be given to his Majesty's use, that also passed in the Negative-22 to 10; and the House adjourned to the 7th of May.
.
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"On that day Mr. Hamilton laid before them the Account he had received from Colonel Washington of the Surrender of the Fort which the Virginians were building near the Mouth of the Mohongialo to the French, with several other Letters and Papers of Intelligence from the Lieutt. Gov's. of New York and Virginia.
" On the 8th of May the Question was again put whether £20,000 should be given to his Majesty's use, & it again passed in the Nega- tive by so great a Majority as 24 to 8.
" The Question was likewisc put whether £15,000 should be the sum given, & that likewise passed in the Negative-22 to 10.
" It was, however, carried by a Majority of two (17 to 15) that the Sum of £10,000 should be given to his Majesty's use; and on the 10th the Assembly passed a Bill for striking £30,000 in Bills of Credit, and for granting £10,000 thereof to the King's use, &ca., and sent it up to the Lieut. Gov"", who refused to pass it, as appears by his Message, for the same Reasons as Mr. Morris is alledged to have rejected the Bill since offered to him.
" The Present Lieut. Gov", Mr. Morris, arrived in the Province in the begining of October, 1754, and having on the 15th of that Month represented to the Assembly the dangerous situation of Affairs, and earnestly recommended it to them in his Majesty's name to exert themselves in so critical a juncture in defence of their Country, he received for answer on the 18th that as they found the late Assembly had done what was most consistent with the Trust re- posed in them to comply with the royal Orders sent to the several Colonies by the Earl of Holderness in his name of the 28th of August, 1753, so the Governor might likewise depend on their doing whatever could be reasonably expected whenever their Assistance could be applied to any valuable purpose; But as they knew not at that time where to direct their Aid they desired to make a short Adjournment, and they did accordingly adjourn to the 3rd of De- cember.
"On that day Mr. Morris laid before the House a Letter which he had received from Sir Thomas Robinson, one of his Majesty's principal Secretary of State, Signifying his Majesty's express com- mands to the said Gov". 'That he should not only Act Vigorously in Defence of the Government under his care, but that he should like- wise be aiding & assisting to His Majesty's other Colonies to repel any Hostile Attempts made against them.'
" In answer to the Speech which Mr. Morris made to them upon this Occasion, the Assembly acquainted him on the 12th that they had almost unanimously resolved to Grant ££20,000 for the King's usc, and they soon after sont up to him the Bill, which after having been the subject of a long Altercation between the said Governor
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and Assembly, gave rise to the Address which is now before your Lordships.
" We are, my Lords, Your Lordships most Obedient and most humble Servants,
"(Signed) DUNK HALLIFAX, "JAMES OSWALD, "J. PELHAM, "FRAN. FANE.
" WHITEHALL, May 30th, 1755."
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At a Council held at Philadelphia on Friday the 1st of August, 1755.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tent. Governor.
Robert Strettell, Richard Peters, Lynford Lardner,
Esquires.
On Wednesday a Bill Entituled " An Act for raising Fifty thou- sand pounds for the King's use by a Tax of Twelve pence + pound and twenty shillings + Head, Yearly for two Years, on all the Es- tates real and personal, and Taxables within this Province," was presented to the Governor for his Concurrence, with the following Address in answer to his Honour's Speech of the 24th Instant :
" To the Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, &ca.,
" The Address of the Representatives of the Freemen of the said Province in General Assembly met, at Philadelphia, the 30th day of the 7th Month called July, 1755.
" May it please the Governor :
" We have deliberately and seriously considered the Governor's Speech of the twenty-fourth Instant, together with the Letters and Papers he has been pleased to lay before us, by which we find that the defeat of the Forces under the immediate. Command of General Braddock, and the Retreat of Colonel Dunbar to Fort Cumberland, are attended with very shocking Circumstances; Nevertheless it gives us real satisfaction under the unfortunate and unexpected change in our Affairs that this Province has seasonably and chear- fully comply'd with the Demands of the King's Forces, and that no part of this unhappy defeat can be laid to our charge.
" We think it our Duty on this Occasion to be neither Parsimo- nious nor tenacious of such matters as have been in dispute and are now under the Consideration of our Superiors; but reserving to
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ourselves all our just Rights we have resolved to grant Fifty thou- sand Pounds for the King's use by a Tax on all the real and per- sonal Estates within this Province, in which we shall proceed with all possible Dispatch, hoping to meet in the Governor the same good Dispositions he so earnestly recommended to us.
" The Governor's call of our House at this Time is agreeable to us, as it impowers us to exert ourselves yet farther in the Service of our Country; And the like Opportunity given to the Lower Counties under the Governor's Administration we doubt not will be acceptable to them and add their Contribution to the common Cause before the Time to which they stand adjourned.
"Signed by Order of the House.
" ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker."
The Governor laid before the Council a Letter from GovT. De Lancey of the 26th Instant relating to an Embargo :
" NEW YORK, 26 July, 1755.
" Sir :
" As Information had been given that the French at Louisburgh are in want of Provisions, & as it was apprehended that the stopping all supplys from the Northern Colonies might at this time greatly distress the Fleet and Army which the French have at Louisburgh & Canada, and perhaps disappoint their designs on the British Colonies, I have, therefore, Yesterday, by the advice of his Ma- jesty's Council, laid an embargo to restrain the Exportation of Pro- visions and Warlike Stores till further Order, hoping you will do the same, as the step taken here will be of a little avail unless you fall into the same measure. I am, Sir,
"Your most Obedient and most humble Servant, " JAMES DE'LANCEY. " Governor MORRIS."
Which being taken into Consideration, together with the present Circumstances of the Port, it was not thought proper that the General Embargo should be received, especially as there was a standing prohibition by Act of Assembly against the Exportation of Provisions, &ca., and the Governor acquainted Governor De'lancey with this resolve by Letter of this date.
The following Letters to the Secretary of State, Governor Shirley, the Justices of Cumberland County, and Colonel Dunbar, were read and ordered to be entered, as also a Letter from the Governor to the Honble. Thomas Penn, Esqr., of the 30th July, 1755:
A Letter from the Governor to the Secretary of State. " PHILADELPHIA, July 30th, 1755.
" Sir :
" A few days ago I received an Account of the Defeat of the
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Forces under General Braddock, within about six Miles of Fort Duquesne. The Action happened on the ninth Instant, and by the best Information I can get of it our Army upon the crossing a small River near the Fort fell into an Ambuscate and was almost encom- passed by about seven hundred French and Indians, who kept a continual Fire for three hours upon our Troops from behind Trees and in Trenchments which they had thrown up four days before, and killed great numbers without being themselves in the least exposed, which struck such a Panick into our Troops that it was impossible to keep them from the greatest confusion, tho' the Oficers behaved in a most extraordinary manner, as you will see by the enclosed Letter from Captain Ormes, who was Aid-de-Camp to the late General Braddock, and by the list of the Killed and Wounded. The General had Five Horses killed under him, and at last received a wound in his breast of which he afterwards dyed. All his train of Artillery are lost, the Military Chest and all his Papers, together with all his Baggage, Provisions, and Ammunition, so that they have obtained a Compleat Victory, and are now so strengthen'd by our Cannon that it will be very difficult to dislodge them. Colonel Dunbar, who was with the heavy Baggage about forty Miles from the place of action, received the remains of the General's broken division, and either before or soon after the General's death having destroyed his Provisions and Ammunition and buried his Shells & Cohories, made a hasty retreat to Fort Cumberland, where he arrived on the 22nd Instant, and you will see by his Let- ter to me, a Copy of which I have the Honour to Inclose, that he intends to march immediately to this City into Quarters. But as that will be leaving the French and their Indians quite at Liberty to destroy all the back Settlements in this Province as well as Vir- ginia & Maryland, and as they are flushed with their late success, and will be encouraged by the Retreat of the Army, they will cer- tainly penetrate far into this Province and lay waste the Country, as the Inhabitants have neither Arms or Ammunition to defend them- selves, nor are they formed into a Militia for want of proper Laws, which I have in vain endeavoured to prevail on my Quaker As- sembly to pass.
" I have informed Gen1 Shirley, who is now on his march for Niagara, of this defeat, which will be the means of his meeting with some resistance there than he at first expected, as most of the Troops that were at Ohio will doubtless be drawn to the defence of that important Pass, And have called my Assembly together and recommended to them the taking Measures to prevent the bad Effects this reverse of our Affairs will have upon this Province, but have no great reason to expect they will act with vigour tho' this Country is so nearly concerned. I am, Sir,
" Your Excellency's most obedient and most humble Servant, " ROBT- HUNTER MORRIS.
" To his Excellency Sir THOMAS ROBINSON."
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A Letter from the Governor to General Shirley.
" PHILADELPHIA, July 30th, 1755.
" Dear Sir :
"I yesterday received the Inclosed Letters, which Informed me that Colonel Dunbar with the Forces under his Command arrived at Fort Cumberland on the 22d Instant, and I am much surprized at his Intention to march immediately to this town and desiring me - to provide him Winter Quarters in the Month of July. It gives me some concern to observe that after the General's defeat, which was a very extraordinary one, and the return of the forces to Dun- bar's division, such a panick should prevail as to induce an Army of fifteen hundred effective Men to destroy all their Provisions, Ammu- nition, and Baggage, and make a precipitate retreat, when it does not appear that they had any knowledge of a greater number of French and Indians than five hundred; and it appears full as Extraordinary to me and every body here that the Colonel should have any thoughts of coming to this town all this season and leaving the back Inhabi- tants of this and the neighbouring provinces exposed to the Incur- sions of the Indians and the French at Liberty to draw all their Forces to Niagara, which they certainly would not do if an Army was kept upon the Western Frontiers, from which they would expect an Attack.
"I laid these Letters before my Assembly, who by a Message have requested me to use my endeavours to keep those Troops upon the Frontiers for the Protection of the Settlement, at least till the winter season. You will, therefore, give me leave to propose to you to order that such parts of the troops as shall not be wanted for the Garrison of Fort Cumberland be posted in the Towns of Shippens- burgh and Carlisle, and at or near a place called McDowell's Mill, where the new Road to the Allegheny Mountains begins, at which places there are numbers of houses for the Soldiers, and where they can be well supply'd with every thing necessary, it being as Plentiful a Country as any in this Province ; should these Troops be permitted to come from the frontiers it will encourage the French Indians to penetrate far into the Settlements, and I am already informed that all the Inhabitants beyond the Sasquehanna, which are near one- fourth of the Province, will immediately quit their Farms and leave that Country to the Mercy of the Enemy. If this can be prevented, with great submission I conceive it ought, and I am sure if your Excellency has no immediate Service for these troops you will order them to be posted in such a manner as to afford Protection to so great a number of his Majesty's subjects, instead of Lying Idle in this City, where such of them as do not desert will be continually drunk. For this purpose I send this by express to you, and imagine Colonel Dunbar will be on his March from Fort Cumberland before you can possibly receive it, as he proposed to be at the Mouth of VOL. VI .- 33.
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