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31. Politics in Pennsylvania (1740-1754)

BY ROBERT PROUD (1780)

Robert Proud, one of the few careful and laborious historians who wrote of their own times, was a loyalist. — Bibliography: Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 242-246; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 108.

DUR

URING the administration of Governor Thomas, it is observed that the enlisting of indented or bought servants, for soldiers, was first permitted to be carried into execution, in the province, before the act of parliament, in that case, was made; which being disagreeable and injurious to many of the inhabitants, and contrary to ancient usage, John Wright, one of the people called Quakers, a worthy Magistrate of Lancaster county, and a Member of Assembly for the same, having spoke his mind freely against it, in the Assembly, was, therefore, with divers others, dismissed from his office, as a Judge, by a new commission which came out for Lancaster without his name; before which, having got intelligence of the intention, he came to the court, in May, 1741, and took his leave thereof, in a valedictory speech.

Thomas Penn, after this, on the death of his brother John, in 1746, became the principal Proprietor, and possessed of three fourths of the province. He lived the longest of the three brothers; but he appears never to have been very popular, in the province: he is said, in general, to have conducted himself rather too much reserved towards the people, and too nearly attached to certain views, for his private interest, in reference to the province; which are things opposite to popularity. Besides, the imprudence of some persons in the province, in order to shew their dislike at some part of his conduct, which did not please them, tended to create and increase a similar disposition, where the contrary ought the more to have been cultivated and cherished; but, in general, he was a person of a worthy character, and of moderate principles.

In the fifth year of Governor Thomas's administration, in October, 1742, at the annual election, for the Members of Assembly, in Phila delphia, happened such an instance of the unwarrantable effect of party spirit, as, at that time, made a lasting impression on the minds of many of the inhabitants. . . .

. . . a large number of sailors, from the shipping in the river Delaware, during the time of election (not being any way interested, or, of right, concerned therein) armed with clubs, suddenly and unexpectedly appeared, in a tumultuous manner, and formed a riot, at the place

of election, knocking down a great number of the people, both Magistrates, Constables and others, worthy and reputable inhabitants, who opposed them; and, by violence having cleared the ground, several of the people were carried off, as dead!

This was repeatedly done, upon the return of the electors; till, at last, many of the inhabitants, being enraged, took measures to force them into their ships, and near fifty of them into prison; but they were soon discharged for it afterwards appeared, that they had been privately employed, in this work, by some party leaders; it being then in time of war, when consequently party spirit, which is so nearly allied to it, and, in the extreme, ends in the same, was encouraged to make greater efforts, to distract the public proceedings, and under this Governor's administration, by more ways than one, to divert the established form of the constitution, from its peaceable order and course, into that of its opposite nature; in which an increasing party here, since that time, though generally under the most specious and plausible pretences, have ever appeared to take delight: for change is grateful to the human. race; and, probably, no government of mankind is, at all times, entirely free from factious spirits; and a large number will always be found, especially where much liberty abounds, which is only proper for the wise and good, whose interest, as well as pleasure, it will ever be to favour revolutional consequences.

During Governor Thomas's administration, the Indian affairs, seem mostly to have been well managed, and harmony continued with that people; which has always been a matter of great importance, as well as expence to this province. But, as before observed, his ardour, in pressing some things of a military nature, appears to have introduced unprofitable altercation between him and the Assembly, during part of his administration; which naturally tends to disappointment and dislike, between parties of such opposite and fixed principles, and so very dif ferent views of advancing the public utility, as those of Governor Thomas, and the Assemblies of Pennsylvania were, at that time; but afterwards, for divers years before his resignation, which was in the summer of the year 1747, a much better understanding existed between them.

In consequence of Governor Thomas's resignation, the administration, as usual, devolved on the Council, Anthony Palmer being President, till November, 1748; when James Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, arrived Governor from England; a gentleman of considerable fortune in the province, and well esteemed by the people: he was the son of Andrew

Hamilton, before mentioned as a lawyer of note, in Philadelphia; and who likewise had held several eminent public offices, in the government, with reputation.

Governor Hamilton continued till his resignation in October, 1754; when he was succeeded, in the government, by Robert Hunter Morris of New Jersey, son of Lewis Morris who had been Governor of that province. Robert Proud, The History of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1798), II, 220-231 passim.

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Burnaby travelled throughout the colonies, and his well-written book is one of the best sources of our knowledge of colonial society. - Bibliography: Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 252–258. — For previous accounts of New York, see Contemporaries, I, ch. xxiii.

TH

HIS city is situated upon the point of a small island, lying open to the bay on one side, and on the others included between the North and East rivers, and commands a fine prospect of water, the Jerseys, Long Island, Staten Island, and several others, which lie scattered in the bay. It contains between 2 and 3000 houses, and 16 or 17,000 inhabitants, is tolerably well built, and has several good houses. The streets are paved, and very clean, but in general they are narrow; there are two or three, indeed, which are spacious and airy, particularly the Broad Way. The houses in this street have most of them a row of trees before them; which form an agreeable shade, and produce a pretty effect. The whole length of the town is something more than a mile; the breadth of it about half an one. The situation is, I believe, esteemed healthy; but it is subject to one great inconvenience, which is the want of fresh water; so that the inhabitants are obliged to have it brought from springs at some distance out of town. There are several public buildings, though but few that deserve attention. The college, when finished, will be exceedingly handsome: it is to be built on three sides of a quadrangle, fronting Hudson's or North river, and will be the most beautifully situated of any college, I believe, in the world. At present only one wing is finished, which is of stone, and consists of twenty-four sets of apartments; each having a large sitting room, with a study, and bed chamber. They are obliged to make use of some of

these apartments for a master's lodge, library, chapel, hall, &c. but as soon as the whole shall be completed, there will be proper apartments for each of these offices. The name of it is King's College.

There are two churches in New York, the old, or Trinity Church, and the new one, or St. George's Chapel; both of them large buildings, the former in the Gothic taste, with a spire, the other upon the model of some of the new churches in London. Besides these, there are several other places of religious worship; namely, two Low Dutch Calvinist churches, one High Dutch ditto, one French ditto, one German Lutheran church, one presbyterian meeting-house, one quakers ditto, one anabaptists do, one Moravian ditto, and a Jews synagogue. There is also a very handsome charity-school for sixty poor boys and girls, a good work-house, barracks for a regiment of soldiers, and one of the finest prisons I have ever seen. The court or stadt-house makes no great figure, but it is to be repaired and beautified. There is a quadrangular fort, capable of mounting sixty cannon, though at present there are, I believe, only thirty-two. Within this is the governor's palace, and underneath it a battery capable of mounting ninety-four guns, and barracks for a company or two of soldiers. Upon one of the islands in the bay is an hospital for sick and wounded seamen; and, upon another, a pest-house. These are the most noted public buildings in and about the city. . . .

Arts and sciences have made no greater progress here than in the other colonies; but as a subscription library has been lately opened, and every one seems zealous to promote learning, it may be hoped that they will hereafter advance faster than they have done hitherto. The college is established upon the same plan as that in the Jerseys, except that this at New York professes the principles of the church of England. At present the state of it is far from being flourishing, or so good as might be wished. Its fund does not exceed 10,000l. currency, and there is a great scarcity of professors. A commencement was held, nevertheless, this summer, and seven gentlemen took degrees. There are in it at this time about twenty-five students. The president, Dr. Johnson, is a very worthy and learned man, but rather too far advanced in life to have the direction of so young an institution. The late Dr. Bristow left to this college a fine library, of which they are in daily expectation.

The inhabitants of New York, in their character, very much resemble the Pensylvanians: more than half of them are Dutch, and almost all traders they are, therefore, habitually frugal, industrious, and parsimonious. Being however of different nations, different languages, and different

religions, it is almost impossible to give them any precise or determinate character. The women are handsome and agreeable; though rather more reserved than the Philadelphian ladies. Their amusements are much the same as in Pensylvania; viz. balls, and sleighing expeditions in the winter; and, in the summer, going in parties upon the water, and fishing; or making excursions into the country. There are several houses pleasantly situated upon East river, near New York, where it is common to have turtle-feasts: these happen once or twice in a week. Thirty or forty gentlemen and ladies meet and dine together, drink tea in the afternoon, fish and amuse themselves till evening, and then return home in Italian chaises, (the fashionable carriage in this and most parts of America, Virginia excepted, where they make use only of coaches, and these commonly drawn by six horses), a gentleman and lady in each chaise. In the way there is a bridge, about three miles distant from New York, which you always pass over as you return, called the KissingBridge, where it is a part of the etiquette to salute the lady who has put herself under your protection.

The present state of this province is flourishing: it has an extensive trade to many parts of the world, particularly to the West Indies; and has acquired great riches by the commerce which it has carried on, under flags of truce, to Cape-François, and Monte-Christo. The troops, by having made it the place of their general rendezvous, have also enriched it very much. However, it is burthened with taxes, and the present public debt amounts to more than 300,000l. currency. The taxes are laid upon estates real and personal; and there are duties upon Negroes, and other importations. The provincial troops are about 2600 men. The difference of exchange between currency and bills, is from 70 to 80 per cent. Before I left New York, I took a ride upon Long Island, the richest spot, in the opinion of the New-Yorkers, of all America; and where they generally have their villas, or country houses. It is undeniably beautiful, and some parts of it are remarkably fertile, but not equal, I think, to the Jerseys. The length of it is something more than 100 miles, and the breadth 25. About 15 or 16 miles from the west end of it, there opens a large plain between 20 and 30 miles long, and 4 or 5 broad. There is not a tree growing upon it, and it is asserted that there never were any. Strangers are always carried to see this place, as a great curiosity, and the only one of the kind in North America.

Andrew Burnaby, Travels through the Middle Settlements in North-America, in the Years 1759 and 1760 (London, 1775), 61-67 passim.

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