in the Choice of Affeffors, fince that would give him half the Choice, in lieu, perhaps, of a hundredth Part of the Tax: That as it was, he had Officers, Friends, and other Dependents in every County to vote for him, in Number equal to the proportionable Value of the Share of the Tax: That if the Proprietary fhrunk at the Injuftice of being taxed where he had no Choice in the Affeffors, they again afked, with what Face of Juftice he could defire and infift on having half the Power of difpofing of the Money levied, to which he would not contribute a Farthing: That there was great Impropriety in faying the Proprietary Eftate was by this Act to be taxed at Difcretion, seeing the Affeffors were to be upon their Oaths or folemn Affirmations, which gave the Proprietary as good Security for Equity and Juftice as any Subject in the King's Dominions."

"That as to the Governor's Plea deduced from Ufage and Cuftom, they alledged, Ufage and Custom against Reafon and Justice ought to have but little Weight: That the Ufage of Exemptions in Cafes where the Proprietary Eftates could not be benefited by a Tax was not in Point: That if it was, fo far as regarded the Estates of Perfons exercifing Government by themfelves or Lieutenant, it could not include the Estates. of Proprietaries who not only did not exercise Government by themfelves, but would moreover restrain their Lieutenants from exercifing the juft Powers they were vefted with by the Royal Charter."

And their latt Paragraph was at once fo cogent and pathetic, that it ought to be given in their own Words, which cannot be amended. To wit.

On the whole, we beg the Governor would again calmly and seriously confider our Bill, to which End we once more fend it up to him. We know that ' without his Affent the Money cannot be raised, nor the good Ends fo earnestly defired and expected from it be obtained, and we fear his Refolution to refuse it. But we entreat him to reflect with what Reluctance a People born and bred in Freedom, and acR 3 ⚫ customed

To do this, will require great Skill, and an open Hand, for Prefents they certainly expect, and will not at this Time be fatisfied with fmall ones.

The Owendaets came on our Invitation, and such Terms must therefore be offered them as will effec tually engage their Friendship: The Matter cannot C now be minced neither with them nor the other Nations. You will therefore please to confider this Matter well, and give me your Sentiments and • Counfel in this nice and critical Situation of our Affairs.'

The Affembly's Anfwer.

May it please the Governor,

The Secretary, by a verbal Meffage from the Go vernor on the Twentieth of December laft, acquainted the Houfe," that Scaroyady's Son-in-Law was charged with a Meffage from the Owendaets, to enquire what their Brethren the English defigned to do in Regard to the late Encroachments of the French and having heard fince he came to Town that the • King of England intended to fend over a Number of Troops to affift in repelling those Invaders, he was willing, if the Governor thought proper, to return to his Nation, and acquaint them with the joyful News: The Governor therefore defired the Opinion of the Houfe whether it would be most advifeable for Scaroyaday's Son-in-Law to return now to the Ohio, or go to Onondago with Scaroyady." Whereupon the Houfe gave for Anfwer, that it was their Opinion that it would be most proper for Scaroyady's Son-in-Law to return to the Ohio as foon as conveniently he could. This is all the Part our House have had in Relation to the Owendaets; neither did we know of the leaft Intention of inviting them, or any others; fo that as they are now come down without our Knowledge or Request, entirely upon the GOVERNOR'S Invitation, it is fome Surprize to us to find the Indians • fhould have Reafon to importune him, or that he fhould

fhould be at any Lofs to know what it is be has to impart to them on this Occafion.

• Our Conduct towards the Indians in our Alliance has been always candid, and free from any Subterfuge whatever, fo that we do not understand what the Governor would mean by telling us that the "Matter cannot be now minced, neither with them. "nor the other Nations." And we are likewise at a Lofs to conceive why they fhould expect great • Presents from us who are wholly ignorant of the Intention of their coming.

The Governor has been pleased to refuse his Affent to our Bills which had provided for Indian and other Expences, and as our Treasury is exhaufted by the very heavy Charges for the King's Service, thefe Indians are come among us at a very unfortunate Time, when it is not in our Power to fupply them in the Manner we are inclined to do; however we will do all that can be reasonably expected from us, and muft leave the reft to be fupplied by the Proprietaries, whofe Intereft is at least as much concerned as ours in engaging the Affections of the Indians at this Time.'

The Governor's Rejoinder.

Gentlemen,

If my Meffage gave you Room to think that the * Owendaets came here on a particular Invitation of 'mine, at this Time, I have led you into a Mistake.

They fet out from their Country as they have informed me on the Plan fet forth in the Minutes of Council of the Twentieth and Twenty-fourth of December laft, which were laid before you,

The other Indians, at their Requeft, accompanied them hither as they were Strangers; and Scaroyady fays, he has fome particular Bufinefs to transact with this Government. I have in the Name of the Province given Thanks to the Owendaets for this kind Vifit, and to thofe of the Six Nations that were with our Army in the late Action; affured

them

• them all of the Affections of the English; recom'mended to them to continue firm in their Attach

ment to us; and given them Room to expect some Prefents as a Token of our Regard.

As the Treafury is exhaufted, I can only fay, that I will readily pafs a Bill for ftriking any Sum in Paper Money the prefent Exigency may require; provided Funds are established for finking the fame in five Years.

The Secretary will communicate to you what was faid to the Indians Yefterday, and I fhall lay • before you what may further pass between us, and earneftly recommend it to you to enable me to fend thefe People away perfectly fatisfied.'

In this Interval alfo, the Governor in another written Meffage did his utmoft to refute the Arguments urged by the Affembly, to juftify their Claim to tax the Proprietary Eftate: But as the Paper is long, and the Affembly's Answer to it much longer: As the Difpute was again and again revived, and a thoufand Ways diverfified; as the Data already before us afford fufficient Grounds for a fair Decifion: And as it would require the Phlegm of a German to wade through all the Minuteneffes of it; all thefe Pieces may be collected in an Appendix, for the Sake of thofe fo fond of Precifion, that they cannot be fatisfyed unless they fee the Whole of a Controverfy together.

The Affembly, however, on the very Day that they received the Governor's Paper prepared him to expect a full, and as they hoped, a fatisfactory Anfwer; and in order, that the public Bufinefs, of the greatest Importance, might not any longer be delayed by fuch Difputes, took Leave to acquaint him, "That the Bill they had fent up to him was a Money-Bill, granting Fifty Thousand Pounds to the King's Ufe, which they faw no Reason to alter: That they, therefore, adhered to their Bill, and defired the Governor would be pleafed to give his final Answer, Whether he would pafs it, or not, as it then flood?"

And

And upon the next, the Governor fignified in Writing, to the Affembly," That having amended the Bill for raifing 50,000l. and not being YET fatisfied, that it was in his Power or confiftent with his Truft to pass it without thofe Amendments, whatever he might be when he fhould bear what they proposed to say to him upon that Head, he thought it neceffary, in Answer to their Meffage of the Day before to inform them, that he did adhere to the Amendments to the Bill fo by him made.”

This Meffage was, alfo, accompanied by another, in which the Governor fpecifies, "That he had received a Letter from Col. Dunbar in Anfwer to the Propofition he had made to him [at the Inftance of the Affembly fhould have been acknowledged] for pofting PART of his Troops on the Western Frontier, fignifying, That he was willing to employ them in the best Manner he could, for the Honour of his Master and the Service of the Public, and inclofing the Opinion of a Council of War, by which he, the Governor, was defired to give them a Meeting at Shippenburg, where they would wait till he could join them: And that he fhould readily have gone thither for that Purpose, had he not received another Letter from Governor Shirley, (in answer to one of his, requesting Orders for employing the Remainder of the two English Regiments in protecting the Frontiers of that and the neighbouring Provinces) in which he faid, he thought it for his Majefty's Service to employ those Troops another Way, as thofe Provinces were populous enough to protect themfelves; and therefore had fent Orders to Col. Dunbar under Cover to him, to march his Troops to that City; which he had [already] forwarded to him. And that as the March of thefe Troops would leave the Western Frontier expofed to the French and Indians, he thought it his Duty to communicate thofe Matters to them, that they might, as foon as poffible, make Provifion for the Security of the Back Inhabitants, and for the Subfiftence of the Troops during their March through

the