USA > Pennsylvania > The history of Pennsylvania : from its discovery by Europeans, to the Declaration of Independence in 1776 > Part 19
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Had the governor confined himself to this answer, his tri- umph over Logan would have been complete, at least in the minds of the provincialists. But, betrayed by his fears, or seduced by his vanity, he committed an unpardonable fault, by communicating the instructions of Mrs. Penn, together with his reply, to the assembly. Logan also addressed them in a long memorial, recapitulating the arguments of the dissentient counsellors, the absurdity of which he, by at- tenuation, rendered more apparent. His appearance before the public, seemed to be felt by David Lloyd, as a chal- lenge from an ancient adversary. He had been appointed chief justice, and, in the holiday of a patriotic and popular administration, had almost slept on his woolsack; but now, aroused, he overwhelmed his antagonist with cases from the king's bench, to prove that the deputy is invested with the whole power of his principal, and could not be legally re- strained in its exercise. The governor also replied to Logan, by a recapitulation of his former arguments. The assembly
* Votes.
26
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highly approved of his conduct, remonstrated with Mrs. Penn upon her instructions, and, pledging themselves to support the governor in his resistance to them, they granted him a donation of one thousand pounds .*
Thus supported, Keith assumed the appearance of confi- dence, though extremely anxious with regard to his situation. Rumours of his removal were whispered from time to time. The family disputes might be compromised, misrepresentation might unite the family and trustees in his removal, and even the assembly might be influenced by the powerful interest exerted against him. He endeavoured to bind the last more closely to himself, by new propositions to improve the pro- vincial trade, and by new offers of his services, in passing such laws as they might deem necessary to their prosperity; and he even essayed to awaken their gratitude, by detailing the benefits which flowed from his administration. But, the house, having been assured of his removal, with the most condemnable versatility, treated his instances with coldness and reserve, and even depreciated his services. He attempted, in vain, to procure an immediate vote approbatory of his con- duct and of his address to the family; even though he was supported by the people in this purpose, the assembly pro- crastinated; and, finally, feebly and frigidly executed, his de- fence. Their waning affection conclusively appeared, in their refusal to grant him more than four hundred pounds towards his support for the current year. This injustice excited him to an indignant expression of his feelings; but the house, then informed of the appointment of his successor, postponed the consideration of his message until their next meeting, before which he was superseded by the arrival of Patrick Gordon, esq. t
Sir William Keith was decidedly the best of the proprie- tary deputies. Differing from the great body of the people whom he governed, in religion and manners, he acquired their esteem and confidence. If he sought popularity, he promoted the public happiness; and the courage he displayed, in resisting the demands of the family, may be ascribed to a higher mo-
Votes. + August, 1726.
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tive than private interest. The conduct of the assembly to- wards him was neither honourable nor politic: for his sins against his principals were virtues to the people, with whom he was deservedly a favourite; and the house should have given him such substantial marks of their gratitude as would have tempted his successors to walk in his steps. But fear of further offence to the proprietary family, the influence of Logan, and a quarrel between the governor and Lloyd, turned their attention from him to his successor .*
This successor was appointed by the family, and formally proposed to the crown, by Springett Penn, the heir-at-law. Keith's conduct was grossly misrepresented in London, and, among other things, he was charged with enmity to the Quak- ers, to promote whose interests was his constant endeavour, and whom he had certainly served, by his exertions to obtain for them an entire exemption from taking or administering oaths. Mrs. Penn, in her reply to the remonstrance of the assembly, (in which she treated them much like children unable to understand their own interests,) accused him of a design to wrest the government from the proprietary family. But there is no evidence of this intention during his admi- nistration. These misrepresentations rendered the removal of Keith much more easy than he had anticipated. (1)
· Franklin. Mod. Hist. (1) See Note 12, Appendix.
CHAPTER XI.
Governor Gordon's address to, and reception by, the assem- bly. .. Keith's intrigues ·· · Shad fisheries· ·· Death of George I. .... Murder by the Indians ..... Indian expenses. ... Foreign emigrants ... County of Lancaster formed .... Paper currency .... Fraud in the loan-office ..... Sugar trade ..... Provincial agency ···· Attack on the freedom of the colonies in parlia- ment .... Assembly claim the right of appointment to office .... Visit of the proprietaries .... Abolition of the court of equity .... Death of governor Gordon .... his character. ... His administration ···· Logan president of council.
GOVERNOR Gordon endeavoured* to recommend himself to the assembly, by assuring them that the frankness of his character, acquired in camps, disqualified him for any artful system of policy; and therefore his views, openly avowed, would be fully understood by those they would affect. He felt confidence in the situation he had assumed, under the con- viction that it was not difficult to act rightly, and that, in cases of importance, he might consult with the representatives of the people, and at all times with those who had the inte- rests of the public seriously at heart. This was viewed by the house as an intimation of his disapproval of the policy of his predecessor, and of his own determination to be guided by his council. Yet the house declared itself heartily glad, that "the heir and executrix of their late worthy proprietary had had such regard to their own honour, and to the good of the colony, as to appoint him to represent them in the go- vernment, according to their undoubted right; and that his majesty's care and justice was obvious, in not suffering their disputes to obstruct his royal approbation." This reply was
* August, 1726.
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most severe and unexpected in regard to Keith. But the manners of governor Gordon were conciliating, his temper yielding, and he was so fortunate as to avoid matters of con- tention with the people.
Keitn, however, was not entirely deserted. Indeed, he was strong in the affections of many respectable inhabitants, and the great mass of the people adhered to his interests. His influence he believed sufficient so to embarrass the adminis- tration of Gordon, as to make the re-appointment of himself necessary; or, failing in this, to wrest the government from the proprietary family. With these views, he caused himself to be elected to the assembly. During his first year of ser- vice, no opportunity was presented of dividing the house; but in the second, on some dispute whose nature cannot be dis- tinctly ascertained, eight members receded with himself, and refused attendance during the remainder of their term, not- withstanding repeated threats and solicitations of the house. But, as Keith's views became understood, his power declined; and finally, having, with puerile vanity, talked of his plans for the subversion of all proprietary governments in North America, he drew upon himself the public contempt. Seve- ral respectable witnesses deposed before a justice of the su- preme court, and mayor of the city, to conversations with Keith, in which he developed his design of embarrassing the proprietaries, till they should sell the government to the crown, whence he expected a re-appointment. These depositions having been laid before the assembly, were published with their minutes, and extinguished all Keith's hopes of aggran- dizement.
The Delaware river afforded excellent shad fisheries, but the inhabitants of its borders were deprived of the power to use them extensively, by reason of the high duty laid by parliament on the importation of salt. The New England colonies had obtained exemption from duty on this article, and Pennsylvania had, at the instance of Keith, prayed for the like favour. The interests of the province, on this sub- ject, were confided to Mr. Perry, of London, whose success-
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ful exertions were rewarded by the province with a donation of one hundred and fifty guineas.
George the first having died in June, the accession of his son, George II., gave occasion for a congratulatory address from the assembly, at their first meeting in October. . Governor Gordon proposed to unite with the house in their address, but, afterwards, he declined, concluding that it became him to approach the king in a style different from that which they assumed.
As the colonists extended themselves through the interior of the country, they came more frequently and more closely in contact with the natives, and, in despite of the efforts of the government, opposition of habits, interests, and dispositions, led to occasional violence, by either party, and sometimes to bloodshed. A person named Wright had been killed beyond Conestoga, at a place called Snake town, by the Pennsylva- nia Indians. The course directed by the assembly, on this occasion, to obtain redress, was that established for the prose- cution of Indian offenders generally. The criminal was de- manded of the town or nation to which he belonged, with a threat that, unless he were surrendered within a specified time, the proper officer would be empowered to apprehend him; and, when surrendered, he was tried by an English jury. The colonists were much annoyed by non-resident Indians, who frequently, in small and armed parties, roved on the borders of the settlements, and, stimulated by drink and cupidity, com- mitted outrages upon the persons and property of the inha- bitants. A case of this kind had called forth the inhabitants on the Manatany, a creek emptying into the Schuylkill thirty miles from Philadelphia, and, in the affray, several of the whites, as well as Indians, were wounded. During the alarm and irritation occasioned by this affair, three unoffending In- dians, of a friendly provincial tribe, were inhumanly killed in the woods by four whites. The governor, who had, on the first disturbance by the strange Indians, proceeded to Mana- tany, ordered three of the murderers to be arrested, the fourth escaped. The vengeance of the Indian chiefs, to whom the deceased were related, was much dreaded; but it was averted
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by the interposition of the Five nations, and a new treaty, sealed in the usual manner by presents; the expense of which, in the present case, was near three hundred pounds.
In considering the expenses of this treaty, and other ne- gotiations with the Indians, the house took the distinction between the charges consequent upon their political relations with the Indians, and such as were incurred in treaties for the purchase of lands. The latter, they contended, should be paid by the proprietary. The right to purchase lands was vested in William Penn, his heirs and grantees; and, by an act of assem- bly, passed in 1700, all purchases made by others were declared void. The charge of preserving a social and friendly inter- course with the savages was a provincial one; and the frequent visits of the chiefs and their followers, to polish the chain of friendship with English blankets, broad-cloths, and metals, were hitherto paid from the provincial treasury. But almost every treaty was accompanied by a purchase of land, and the oblations to the flame of friendship, in the calamut of peace, became considerations implied in the bargain for the soil. The Indian chiefs had not yet discriminated between the go- vernment and the land proprietors; but the assembly, more acute, resolved that they who so much depended upon the friendly chain, should contribute to its preservation.
The increase of foreigners, particularly of palatines, again awakened the fears of the government, which found sufficient cause to discourage their importation, in their adherence to each other, and their exclusive use of the German language. Even the mother country apprehended that Pennsylvania was about to become a colony of aliens. Excited by their own fears, and instructed by the ministry, the assembly passed an impolitic act, laying a duty of forty shillings per head, on all aliens imported. A regard to revenue may have assisted this determination, as many thousands of Germans were ex- pected in the ensuing year .* In justice to the Germans, it should be told, that this law was enacted in the face of a re- port of a committee of the house, containing satisfactory evi-
· The number of emigrants that arrived, from December, 1728, to De-
1
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dence of their good conduct. "The palatines who had been imported directly into the province, had purchased and ho- nestly paid for their lands, had conducted themselves respect- fully towards the government, paid their taxes readily, and were a sober and honest people in their religious and civil duties. Yet some who had come by the way of New York, and elsewhere, had seated themselves on lands of the pro- prietaries and others, and refused to yield obedience to the government."*
The city of Philadelphia had certainly cause to complain of the great influx of strangers. Many of them with families, having no means of support, were cast on public charity, dis- pensed by the guardians of the poor. These officers were created by act of assembly of 1705, upon a system analogous to that of England. And from funds furnished by the bills of credit, was laid the foundation of a perpetual moral disease, in the alms-house of Philadelphia, and the general pauper system-a powerful magnet, attracting to the city much of the crime, engendered by slavery in other states, and all the poverty which can obtain a legal claim to relief; a mat- ter extremely easy, since the mistaken philanthropy, which founded the system, presides over its administration; entail- ing upon the citizens immense annual burdens, which become
cember, 1729, was about six thousand two hundred and eight; but a small portion were aliens.
There were of English and Welsh passengers and servants - 267
Scotch servants - - - - -
43
Irish passengers and servants - - -
1155
Palatine passengers
243
By the way of Newcastle, chiefly passengers and servants from Ireland,t - 4500
-
6208
The town of Newcastle, at this time, contained two thousand five hun- dred souls. Humph. Hist. Acct. 163.
* Votes. + Europ. Sett. Universal Hist. Douglass.
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less tolerable from the conviction, that much is paid for the maintainance and encouragement of vice.
The inconveniences sustained by the inhabitants, from the great extent of the counties, were at this time severely felt by those of the county of Chester, who complained of the distance of the county town and public offices, and of the impunity allowed to petty offenders, resorting to remote parts of the province, distant from a court of justice, and public prison. In consequence of this memorial, the county of Lan- caster was erected.
The causes which produced the bills of credit required further issues, but the system was opposed by many obstacles. The first acts had been reluctantly sanctioned by the commis- sioners of trade and plantations, with an explicit declaration, that any attempt to extend them would be resisted; but the arguments of Keith, founded on a just discrimination between the paper money of the New England provinces, resting on the faith of the government alone, and that of Pennsylvania, secured by the estates and industry of an enterprising popu- lation, removed the scruples of the ministry. But they were not sufficient to conciliate the proprietaries, who, though satisfied of the general advantage resulting from the system, were sensibly injured in their pecuniary receipts, by its operation. By the proclamation of 6th Anne, the provincial currency was regulated, and the pound sterling was worth a third advance; since the introduction of paper, exchange had risen to seventy per cent., operating most injuriously on those who had claims for sterling money, but were paid in provin- cial paper at its nominal value, and especially upon the pro- prietaries in the collection of their quit-rents. Justice required that they should be indemnified; and their deputies were re- spectively forbidden to pass any law for making, emitting, increasing, or continuing any paper currency, unless provision were made for the payment of the quit-rents, and other rents, according to the rate of exchange between the cities of Phila- delphia and London.
Governor Gordon endeavoured to obtain a clause, requiring all the proprietary rents to be paid in sterling currency, or
27
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in its equivalent; but the house would consent to provide only for the quit-rents, which provision he refused to accept, and preferred to leave the whole subject open for future dis- cussion. The assembly proposed to issue an additional sum of fifty thousand pounds, at four per cent., repayable by in- stalments, in sixteen years ; and to re-issue the sums author- ized by former laws, at like interest, and for the like term; but after much conference between them and the governor, they reduced the amount to thirty thousand pounds, and raised the interest to five per cent. The whole sum of paper money now current in the province was seventy-five thou- sand pounds, which continued until 1739, supported by occa- sional laws, directing new bills to be issued for supplying such as were torn or defaced.
In 1739, a great diminution of the circulating medium having taken place by the re-payment of former loans, the assembly were petitioned not only to extend the term of the former laws, but to add to the amount of bills, to lower the . interest, to permit larger sums to be loaned to individuals, and to extend the time for payment. A bill was prepared, enlarging the currency to eighty thousand pounds, repayable in sixteen years, by annual instalments, and reissuable as paid in for the remainder of that term; the interest at five per cent .; the minimum of loans to individuals twelve, and the maximum one hundred pounds.
The governor objected to this bill, its injurious effects upon the proprietary interests; and recalled to the assembly its admission, that the quit-rents demanded English money, and that the debt could not be otherwise discharged than by the payment of an English shilling, or the value of it, in the current coin, for every hundred acres of land. He also re- quired that provision should be made in the act, for equalizing all the sterling payments due to the crown, the English merchants, and the proprietaries. The house replied, that the first were already secured by act of parliament; the second, by the general sense of the province, and the practice of the courts, in which juries always considered the rate of ex- change; and that a statutory provision for the last would
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produce two standards of value, and depreciate the currency ; would prejudge the interests of those who might contest the difference of exchange, and would render the value of rents uncertain, fluctuating with the rate of exchange, which de- pended upon various causes, beside the intrinsic value of money. They also insisted, that it would enable the pro- prietors, whose large receipts gave them the command of the money market, to raise the rate of exchange at pleasure.
After much delay the proprietaries consented to accept an ascertained compensation for the difference of the currency. The arrearages of rent at this time amounted to eleven thou- sand pounds sterling; the exchange on which exceeded four thousand pounds. For this sum they received twelve hundred pounds, and an annuity of one hundred and thirty pounds during the continuance of the paper currency, in consideration of its future receipt at the current value. These obstacles removed, the bill became a law, and the sum of eighty thou- sand pounds, in bills of credit, was continued current, by an act of 1745, until the year 1773, when the sum of one hun- dred and fifty thousand pounds was issued on loan, by authori- ty of an act of assembly, sanctioned by Richard Penn.
Large sums of paper money were issued on the exigencies of war, and for several purposes of improvement. But these were temporary in their nature, and redeemed by the product of certain taxes created with that design.
In 1778 the commonwealth called in all the bills of credit issued by the legislative authority of Pennsylvania, under the sanction and authority of the crown of Great Britain, direct- ing them to be exchanged with the treasury for bills issued by congress, or by the commonwealth, or to be paid for taxes, or in satisfaction of monies due on mortgage, before certain 8 periods, under the penalty of forfeiture.
In consequence of rumours of mismanagement in the loan office, the assembly added to their usual annual examining committee certain assistants, not members of the house, dis- tinguished for their knowledge of accounts. These attempted to examine the books from the establishment of the office ;
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but William Fishbourne, the treasurer, and acting manager of the board of commissioners, refused to submit them, on the ground, that they had been conclusively settled by former legislative committees, whose reports were confirmed by the house. But the assembly immediately directed him to ac- count with their last committee from the emission of the paper currency, and submit to their view all the cash and bills of credit remaining in the office. From the investiga- tion which ensued, it appeared, that the trustees had devolved on Fishbourne the whole management of the office, examining occasionally such accounts as he chose to exhibit, and confid- ing in the semi-annual inspection of the legislature; that for several years he had made short returns of monies paid, and was a defaulter for more than eighteen hundred pounds. All the trustees were removed, and others appointed. Fishbourne secured the payment of his arrears by mortgage on his real estate, and attempted to account for his delinquency, by a robbery, he said, was committed upon him by a member of his family. But the house, not crediting his justification, disqualified him by law from holding any office in the pro- vince. This punishment, perhaps, was not disproportionate to the offence; but the law inflicting it was, ex post facto, enacted after the commission of the crime, and was dangerous
in precedent. The assembly was the prosecutor, and the judge, with uncontrolled power to punish. Such amalgama- tion of executive, judicial, and legislative powers, should ever be viewed with dread. Governor Gordon hesitated to sanc- tion the bill, but his scruples were overcome by ex parte representations of the assembly.
The British West India islands, which had attained great wealth and population, applied, first to the king in council, and, subsequently, to parliament, to confine the continental colonies, in their purchases of West India produce, wholly to the English islands. The passage of a bill for this pur- pose was arrested by the efforts of the colonial proprietaries and agents, who represented, that this measure, partial and inconsiderate, would exclude them from the sources whence they derived the means for payment of the English balance
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against the colonies. Pennsylvania was justly alarmed, and threatened the English manufacturers, that, in case of the adoption of the measure, she would be compelled to manu- facture for the supply of her own wants. The assembly, in conjunction with the governor and council, addressed remon- strances to the king, the lords, and commons, respectively. These were presented by Ferdinando John Paris, agent for the province at London.
Before the appointment of Mr. Paris, the province had no permanent agent to superintend its interests. Her laws were repealed by the king, from ignorance of their operation and of the causes of their enactment ; the representations of the proprietaries, to promote their exclusive interests, were unop- posed; and prejudices frequently prevailed, which a well- instructed agent might speedily remove. The charge was burdensome, and was occasionally complained of, but the agency was too advantageous to be discontinued. The agent was the special minister of the assembly; he received his instructions from them, and communicated his reports through a committee of the house.
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