; 

 
 GIFT OF 
 
 SEELEY W. MUDD 
 
 and 
 
 GEORGE I. COCHRAN MEYER ELSASSER 
 DR. JOHN R. HAYNES WILLIAM L. HONNOLD 
 JAMES R. MARTIN MRS. JOSEPH F. SARTORI 
 
 to the 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 SOUTHERN BRANCH 
 
 JOHN FISKE
 
 -r\J 

 
 i
 
 WILLIAM ALLEN 
 
 Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. 
 
 Nat. 1704- Ob. 1780. 
 
 , 
 
 arcn ffamvwnd ofJCir7cEU&.
 
 EXTRACTS 
 
 FROM 
 
 CHIEF JUSTICE WILLIAM ALLEN'S 
 
 LETTER BOOK- 
 
 SELECTED AND ARRANGED 
 
 BY 
 
 LEWIS BURD WALKER 
 
 TOGETHER WITH AN APPENDIX 
 CONTAINING PAMPHLETS 
 
 IX 
 
 THE CONTROVERSY WITH 
 FRANKLIN. 
 
 1897. 
 
 79705
 
 COPYRIGHT 1897 
 
 BY 
 LEWIS BURD WALKER,
 
 E F A C E. 
 
 Chief Justice William Allen was born August 5th, 
 1704. His mother, Mary, daughter of Thomas and 
 Susanna Budd, was a sister of Rose Budd, whose daugh- 
 ter, Sarah Plumley, was married to Edward Shippen, 
 oX-Lancaster.- William Allen was married February 16, 
 1733 1734, to Margaret Hamilton, daughter of Andrew 
 Hamilton, by whom he had four sons and two da ugh tors, 
 as follows: 
 
 John Allen, born about March, 1739 ; died February, 
 1778. 
 
 Andrew Allen, born June, 1840 ; died March 7, 1825. 
 
 James Allen, born about 1742; died September 19, 
 1778. 
 
 William Allen, born about 1751 ; died July 2, 1838. 
 
 Anne Allen, married May 31, 1766, to John Perm ; 
 died after August, 1813. 
 
 Margaret Allen, married August 19, 1771, to James 
 de Lancey ; died October 18, 1827. 
 
 In October, 1735, William Allen was chosen Mayor of 
 Philadelphia, and on October 2, 1750, was appointed 
 Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, which office he resigned 
 in 1774, having received an annual salary of about ,120, 
 which he distributed in charity. It is to William 
 Allen that the present location of the State House is 
 due, as he purchased the ground with his own money, 
 and held it until the province was able to reimburse him. 
 
 lie was ever ready to assist men of talent who were 
 struggling with adversity; and Benjamin West has 
 expressed his lively sense of gratitude to William Allen 
 in the strongest words, for the unexpected and unsolicited
 
 4 PREFACE. 
 
 advance of money, which enabled West to complete his 
 course of study in Italy. lie also aided Franklin very 
 materially, as will be seen by the letter to David Barclay 
 & Sous, dated November 5, 1753, and by the " Answer to 
 Mr. Franklin's Remarks," (attributed to Rev. William 
 Smith), as published in the Appendix ; and it is a matter 
 of great regret that gratitude for favors received did not 
 prevent Franklin from abusing his benefactor. 
 
 Though William Allen was strongly opposed to the 
 tyrannical course pursued by the British Government 
 towards America, and even contributed "cannon shot'' 
 for the use of the Board ot the Council of Safety ; yet 
 he was opposed to the Declaration of Independence, and 
 therefore was considered a Tory. 
 
 He was a very extensive land-owner in Pennsylvania ; 
 and upon one tract a town was laid out, which com- 
 memorates its founder in its present name of Allentown. 
 He died Sept., 6th, 1780 ; and his letter book passed into 
 the hands of Edward Shippen, afterwards Chief Justice. 
 After the death of Elward Shippen it was handed over 
 to Edward Burd, and from him to his daughter, Miss 
 Sarah Burd. 
 
 After Miss Burd's death the next owners, Misses Mary 
 and Louisa Hubley gave it to their nephew, Dr. Lewis 
 L. Walker, subsequent to whose decease it came into the 
 hands of his nephew, the present editor. This Book, 
 bound in leather, contains copies of 187 letters of Will- 
 iam Allen, covering the period of 1753-1770 ; from 87 of 
 which extracts or copies have been made, which are 
 herein published. In the appendix will be found a 
 reprint of three scarce pamphlets, which are explanatory 
 of some of the letters. The original spelling of the letters 
 has been retained.
 
 EXTRACTS 
 
 FROM 
 
 WILLIAM ALLEN'S LETTERS. 
 
 July 31, 1753. To B. Hume, P.Valette and P. Furnal. 
 
 The Sugars were consigned to Messrs. John & 
 Thomas Simpson, whose unhappy Fate, no doubt, you 
 must have heard ; The former having shot himself & 
 the latter so shocked at his Unckle's untimely End, that 
 he took to his Bed & died in a few davs. 
 
 Get. 21, 1753. To D. Barclay & Sons, London. 
 
 I note what you write about the Lottery Tickets. As I 
 do not like the Scheme of the Lottery should be glad thl 8 
 came in time to contradict my former Directions. I intend 
 the Money should be laid in the first Government Lottery 
 upon the usual footing. But as there is so large a 
 Deduction to be taken out of this, it will no doubt be 
 unprofitable to the Adventurers. However if this shall 
 come too late, I shall be contented with what you do- 
 I request you would Order my Periwig Maker to make 
 me three Bob Wigs of the same Colour with the last, and 
 forward them to me by any Opportunity that offers.
 
 6 THE BUBD PAPERS. 
 
 Nov. 5, 1753. To Evan Patterson, Atty. London. 
 
 -::- -::- # What I have from time to time charged you 
 :i> a Commission, is what every merchant in America 
 charges for the Receipt & Remittance of Money or only 
 tor Remittance : Two and a half (per cent) being gen- 
 erally added for the Receipt, & often Five which in the 
 whole would make Ten, But as I often thought that un- 
 reasonable, I never charged more than five under which 
 (upon Inquiry) you'll find no money ever remitted by 
 Bill or otherwise from America. * * * * I am 
 willing to purchase their (the heirs of Bullair) interest 
 in this Province which is One Hundred Acres of Liberty 
 Land & Rights to 8000 acres of unlocated Land. I can 
 with great truth inform you that their Rights are decay- 
 ing in value every day, and are not worth now so much 
 by forty per cent as they were twenty years ago : The 
 Reason if attended to is very plain ; Because other people 
 have taken up their Land. And the proprietors have 
 since that time sold some Millions of Acres, at the Rate 
 of fifteen pounds ten shillings this money a hundred in 
 Small Tracts, even from twenty five Acres or upwards , 
 so that all the good Land within the tract purchased of 
 the Indians is taken up. There is an Expectation that 
 within a few years another purchase may be made of the 
 Indians, in which the Rights to land may be laid out to 
 some advantage; tiio' they must be very remote and not 
 within one hundred & fifty miles of this City. Yet if 
 care is taken and by persons well acquainted in the 
 Country, some good Lands may be got. But if the Heirs 
 of the Family do not sell before that time, or get some 
 very judicious person immediately after it to locate their 
 Lands, which will I can assure you be a very difficult 
 Task, their Rights will be of no value ; they will be 
 oblidged to lay out their land iu some part of the Country,
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 7 
 
 now in the possession of the French, for they have lately 
 built Forts within the bounds of this province. Upon 
 the whole I mean that if they keep their Lands another 
 twenty years in their Hands, the whole 8000 Acres will 
 not be worth Fifty Guineas. As I am well acquainted 
 with the back parts of the Country by Information from 
 some who have been upon the Spot, I am willing to give 
 them 800 for their Interest, & will remit them the 
 money for the same, as soon as I am informed the Heirs 
 are willing to sign the Deeds. I am no way anxious 
 about the purchase, being assured I shall make no great 
 matter of advantage by it. However that matter may 
 be, this Information I give may be of some use to them, 
 which may be depended on that if they let matters con- 
 tinue upon the Foot they have done, their Interest will 
 vanish, of which I desire you would be so good as t o 
 acquaint them & me of their Result. 
 
 I would have made them offers for their Lauds in the 
 Jerseys; But that Province is in so distracted a Condition, 
 and so little Hopes of it being otherwise as long as the 
 present Governor lives, that nobody will venture to lay 
 down any Sum for purchases there. All Lands in the 
 Jerseys belonging to Gentlemen in England, or this, or 
 the Neighboi ing provinces are taken possession of by a 
 set of Freebooters, whom you cannot dislodge ; But upon 
 any attempt to remove them by Law rise up in Bodies, 
 and in a riotous manner break open prisons and rescue 
 persons arrested. 
 
 I have nearly thirty thousand acres in that province, 
 which is mostly occupied by these Villians. 
 
 Nov. 5, 1753. To Thomas Simpson in London. 
 I have received your melancholy Letters, And give me 
 leave to say the shocking News of my good Old Friend
 
 8 TllE LtlKD 
 
 your Father's Death gave me inexpressible Concern. 
 There was scarce any man in the World but my very 
 nearest Relations, for whom I had so great a regard. 
 The great Civilities I received from him, whilst I w;i- 
 last in England ; The many repeated Acts of Friendship, 
 all rivitted by a twenty four years Correspondence carried 
 on to our Mutual Satisfaction, had greatly indeared him 
 to me. He was one of the best the worthiest of men, 
 the compleatcst Merchant I ever knew. I would have 
 as soon thought, the Monument would have fallen, as he 
 have failed in his Circumstances. What can have pro- 
 duced this Revolution in his affairs, or how so frugal, so 
 knowing & exact a man can have been reduced, I can by 
 no means imagine. I had a hint given me about five 
 years ago, from a friend of mine in London, that his 
 aftairs were in disorder, but I could by no means credit 
 it, and indeed that very account was contradicted by the 
 same person about six month after. 
 
 I am in a great measure got out of trade, which I by 
 experience find cannot be readily carried on to Profit, so 
 that my Connexions with your worthy Father have been 
 nothing near so considerable us formerly, but still the 
 House is indebted to Allen & Turner & to me about 
 1700 Sterling, which Sum we must endeavor to secure, 
 by the Sale of his Lands, by due Course of Law; of which 
 there remains in this Province unsold, two Tracts one of 
 1800 acres, Another of 550 acres. ******* 
 * There remains in the Jerseys unsold upwards of 
 Six thousand acres. But there are so many Disputes 
 between the Bounds of the Eastern & Western Division, 
 and such a Confusion among the Inhabitants about their 
 Titles, of which 1 formerly apprized your Father, that I 
 cannot sa}* much of the Value. I am in hopes that a good
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 9 
 
 part of our Debt, will be secured by the Lands in this 
 Province and that iu the Jerseys may remain clear to you. 
 I have already by the sale of the Lands remitted your 
 good Father more considerably than all his Lands both 
 here and in the Jerseys cost him. And as this was a 
 Scheme I advised him to and by my assistance they were 
 surveyed and located in beneficial Places, I hope you will 
 think it but right, that I should indeavour to secure my- 
 self what is owing to me out of them. He pressed me 
 to sell the Lands, but as he referred everything to my 
 Judgment I advised that they should remain, because I 
 thought they would rise in value, which has been 
 accordingly the Case, and what cost him but 350 being 
 five thousand acres. And one of the purchases will with 
 what I have already accounted with him for, amount to 
 near 2000. 
 
 Nov. 5, 1753. To Isaac & Peter Carey, Merchants in 
 Guernsey. 
 
 I applyed to young Mr. Baynton, & his Father's Ex. 
 Mr. Maddox, and laid your accounts before them. They 
 on their part produced theirs, and made their Objections 
 to sundry parts of yours. Upon the whole I proposed 
 to them to leave the matter to Reference, which was 
 accordingly done by mutual Consent to a very honest 
 judicious man Mr. William Coleman a merchant of this 
 place. * I am concerned in a still House here 
 
 that we imagine makes much better Rum * ~ x ~ 
 than the New England Rum. 
 
 Philada. 5th Nov 1753. 
 Gentlemen 
 
 I wrote you by way of Ireland, and sent Copy of the 
 Same by way of Bristol, acknowledging your Sundry
 
 10 THE BTJRD PAPERS. 
 
 favours and contradicting my former Orders about 
 investing the money of the South Sea Annuities in Lot- 
 tery Tickets, upon account of the disadvantageous lay 
 the Adventurers must have which I now confirm, I 
 had omitted to acquaint you that I shipped 1500 Bush- 
 ells of Wheat on board the Ship Philadelphia Robert 
 Ferguson Master addressed to Messrs Butler & Mathews 
 in Cadiz and gave them Directions to ship you the Nt Pro- 
 ceeds. /I now beg leave to request your favour in Behalf 
 of Mr. Benjamin Franklin : Who by Solicitations from me 
 to sundry of my friends has obtained the Office of being 
 joint Post Master with one Hunter in Virginia, of all 
 i^orth America. As perhaps some Securities may be 
 expected for the due performance oi his Office and 
 remitting any Overplus Money that may accrue after the 
 Officers Salaries are paid (Though hitherto that has 
 not been the Case, the Profits of the Post Office having 
 never amounted to so much as has been sufficient to pay 
 the Salaries and Charges.) But I am persuaded, that by 
 Mr. Franklin's good Management, matters will be put 
 upon a better footing, and that there will be yearly some 
 Ballance to be remitted to the general Post Office. I 
 therefore entreat you would be so kind as to call upon 
 Mr. Shelvock, the Secretary of the Post Office (who has 
 been instrumental in obtaining the Office) and inquire 
 whether any Security is necessary ; and if it is that you 
 would either by yourself or Friends become his Security. 
 And upon your acquainting me that such Security is 
 given, and sending over a proper Bond to be signed by 
 Mr. Turner and me, we will counter Secure you. 
 
 I beg pardon for giving }'ou this Trouble ; but as it is 
 giving the finishing Stroke to an affair I have had much 
 at heart, I beg you would be so good as to excuse it : 
 And your kindness herein I shall always greatly
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 11 
 
 acknowledge. Inclosed you have a Letter for Messrs 
 Isaac & Peter Carey of Guernsey ,which please to forward 
 to them, in whose favour I have drawn a Bill on you for 
 89 11s 6. and also another of this Date in favour of 
 Alexr Stuart both which please to pay. As you will no 
 doubt hear fully from Allen & Turner of the Remit- 
 tances we are making you by Bills on Paris, and that the 
 proceeds of Nicaragua Wood & Iron sent to Bristol are 
 ordered into your Hands, it will be needless for me to 
 say anything further but to assure you I always am 
 
 Gentlemen 
 
 Your Most Obt Humble Servt 
 
 WILLIAM ALLEN. 
 
 P. 8. Since writing the above I find Mr. Franklin has 
 irot his Commission & informs me that Mr. Hunter has 
 
 ~ 
 
 found Security for them both. 
 
 To Messrs David Barclay & Sons. 
 
 Nov. 16, 1753. To Don Bernardo Ruiz de Norriega 
 at Carthagena. 
 
 We could not meet with any Coach that we thought 
 suitable. There was indeed an old one belonging to a 
 former Governor, that we could have got fitted up for 
 about o: e hundred pistoles that would have appeared 
 like a new one, but was fearful it might not have suited. 
 If such a One would be agreeable, upon your advising 
 us we will get it ready again any other Opportunity, of 
 which please to give us the earliest Notice as it will take 
 a good deal of time to repair it. We have sent you Two 
 Barrel Is of Apples 3 Dozen of choice Pontac Wine, 1 
 Dozen of Frontiniack, one large Parmesan Cheese, one
 
 12 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 cask of Gammons & two Bottles of East India Catchup, 
 which we beg you would be so good as to accept of. 
 
 26 November, 1753. To D. Barclay & Son. 
 
 I request you would be pleased to buy for the Use of 
 my Sons, of Mr. Strahan the Books of which you have 
 herewith a List And as I live in the Country in the 
 Summer Season, and good part of my Amusement is a 
 Kitchen Garden, pray be so kind as to send me the Seeds, 
 a List of which you have here subjoined. 
 
 1 Gallon of each of the three best sorts of early Hot- 
 spur peas. 
 
 1 Peck of best early Readings 
 
 2 Oz. of early Battersea Cabbage 
 
 1 Oz. of the Russia, and one ounce of every sort of 
 Cabbage that is esteemed to be very good & one ounce of 
 each of the Savoy kind. 
 
 2 Ounces of Colly Flower. 
 
 Greek Books 3 Copies or Sets of Minorca Poetae 
 3 Do of Enchiridon's Epictetus 
 1 L)o of Stanhope's Epictetus 
 1 Do of Arian's Epictetus 
 1 Do of Avery's Epictetus 
 3 Do of Xenephon's Cyropaedia 
 3 Do of Homer by Clerk 
 3 Do of Sophocles 
 3 Do of King's Euripides 
 3 Do of Pindar ye Oxford Edn Folio. 
 3 Do of Longinus by Pearse. 
 1 Do of Smith's Translation of Lon- 
 ginus 
 3 Do of Antoninus by Gataker
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 13 
 
 3 Do of Potter's Antiquities 
 
 3 Do of Demosthenes Orations 
 
 3 Do of Thucidides 
 
 6 Do of Lucian by Murphy in 2 Vols. 
 
 2 Do of Taylor's Demosthenes. 
 
 3 Do of Winchester School Phrases 
 3 Do of Robertson's Phrase Book 
 
 3 Do of Walker on the Particles 
 
 3 Do of Willy's Notes. 
 
 3 Copies of Juvenal in usum Delphini. 
 
 3 Copies of Francis's Horace 
 
 3 Do of Virtots Revolutions of the 
 
 Roman Empire. 
 3 Do of Plutarch's Lives. 
 3 Do ofRollin's Method of Study- 
 ing the Belles Letters 
 3 Do of do Antient History in 
 
 Octavo 
 
 & of^iis do on Arts & Sciences. 
 3 of Dryden's Juvenal 
 3 of Mr. Frolard in 6 vol 4to on the Ro- 
 man's Arts of War. 
 Schanchii Chronologic 
 One Copy of the Compleat Collection of Voyages & 
 
 Travells by John Haris 2 Vols Fol 
 
 The Xew Universal Dictionary of Arts & Sciences just 
 published. Folio. 
 
 April 5, 1754. To Don B. Ruiz Norriege, Carthagena. 
 
 We are fitting up the Coach & will have it in readiness 
 to send by next Opportunity. * * At the desire 
 of a particular Friend of ours, we beg leave to request 
 you would be so good as to write to some friend of yours
 
 14 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 at St. lago de Cuba to procure the copy of the Condem- 
 nation of a Sloop taken in the late War. As we are 
 instructed the Affair stands circumstanced in this 
 manner. About the 27th of March 1746, a Sloop named 
 the "Watts, Joseph Arthur, junior, Master, belonging to 
 Samuel McCall Senr of this Place was taken on her 
 Voyage from hence to Jamaica, in the Windward Pas- 
 sage by the famous Spanish Row Galley, Capt Possant, 
 Commander, and by him sent to St lago de Cuba, where 
 very soon after, she was condemned as lawful prize, and 
 together with her Cargo was sold in that port. The 
 Owner had some Insurance made on said Sloop in Hol- 
 land, But the Assurers have refused hitherto to pay 
 any part of the Loss, because no Copy of the Condemna- 
 tion has been procured from under the Seals of the proper 
 Office or Officer at St. Tago de Cuba. * * You are 
 therefore prayed * * * to * * send two Copies 
 of said Condemnation of Sloop Watts. 
 
 April 20,1754. To Edmund Butler at the Temple 
 London. 
 
 The three houses in Chestnut Street sold for the fol- 
 lowing Sums viz one of them for 117 16s 6d. another 
 for 250 and the third for 650. and the five hundred 
 Acres of land in this County for 750. (all Pennsylvania 
 Currency); All which, I think well sold. 
 
 April 20, 1754. To Evan Patterson. 
 
 I shall be expecting Answers from the Heirs of Bel- 
 lairs to my Proposals by Shirley. At the same time, 
 please to acquaint them that a new Indian Purchase is 
 like to be made some time this Summer, and that if I do 
 iiot purchase the Land early enough to be able to locate
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 15 
 
 the Rights in the New Purchase, I would not give a 
 Quarter of the Sum I ofter ; For all the good Land will 
 be taken up and Rights to Land will be of a triffling 
 Value. I offered all the money I am inclined to give, 
 which is 800 for the Liberty Land and 8000 as of 
 Rights to Land. And I am persuaded they never will 
 make more of it. 
 
 April 20, 1754. To 1). Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I perceive that the Lottery Tickets are all Blanks, to 
 which I have little to say, but that my Luck in the 
 English Lottery is not so good as that of some others, 
 And I am quite satisfied with what yon have done being 
 persuaded you acted for the best. 
 
 I have received the Books in good Order, as likewise 
 your kind presents to my Children of the Sleeve Buttons, 
 for which pray give me leave to return you my hearty 
 thanks. I find by imitating the example of your worthy 
 Father & partner I must employ another Factor for 
 these -Triffles, for I can never learn the Cost of them ? 
 which, was I not assured of your Friendship & good 
 Will, would be very disagreeable to me. * * * I was 
 truly concerned to hear of the Indisposition of my much 
 esteemed Friend Mr. David Barclay, Senior ; But hope 
 from some of your late Letters this will find him restored 
 to health, which will give high pleasure to many good 
 people here. 
 
 June 27, 1754. To Don Bernardo Ruiz. 
 
 We are glad to find that Mr. (John) Gibson has behaved 
 to your Satisfaction. As he was bred in our Counting 
 House, we can by a sufficient Experience pronounce him 
 a man of Honesty & Candour. * * * We beg you
 
 16 THE BURD PAPKHS. 
 
 would endeavour to procure for us some Balsam Copabia 
 & some of the Earth to cure Ringworms. We have 
 bought the Coach according to your Directions and have 
 got it fitted up in the best manner we could ; But as w<- 
 were at a Loss in what way you would have it painted, 
 We have only done it with One Colour, Mr. Gibson 
 telling us that you could get it done, with you, to your 
 Mind. We have given for it, only 80 Pistoles, being 20 
 less than we expected. We wish it safe to your Hands 
 & that it may be to your liking. 
 
 October 2, 1754. Col. John Chiswell, of Virginia. 
 
 In answer to your desire of borrowing the sum of 
 2000 Sterling at Six per Cent ; Give me leave to say 
 that at present we have among us ten Borrowers to One 
 Lender : and very few of the latter chuse to lend any 
 money without the Province ; As they cannot readily at 
 a Distance command a punctual payment of their 
 Interest. In the Neighboring Provinces their Interest is 
 Seven p Cent. Yet our People had rather have Six 
 within the Province for tbe Reason above. I am confi. 
 dent that Such a Sum as you mention cannot be obtained 
 on Interest for any Security without the Province. 
 Indeed Money is not near so plenty as it was during the 
 War, and some few years after, at which time there was 
 money Lenders, who now chuse to employ their Stocks 
 in Trade. 
 
 December 12, 1754. To Don Bernardo at Carthagena. 
 
 We have been endeavouring to buy you a couple of 
 large white Horses, but cannot meet with any that are 
 suitable, if those of another Colour will do we will pro- 
 cure the best we can. We hope by this time you have 
 been able to procure for us the Terra Maoamachica, &
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 17 
 
 must beg you would send us | Dozen pound of a Root 
 called Siena Raba, it being useful in Fluxes & a loner 
 settled laxed State of Body. We are told it is the pro- 
 duce of your Country, or somewhere along the Coast. 
 The Dutch frequently bringing it to Curacoa from the 
 Coast, we shall be much obliged to you, if you will take 
 some pains to get it for us, being greatly Sollicited by 
 our Physicians here to write for it 
 
 December 12 1754. To Don Juan Arrecharreta at 
 Carthagena. 
 
 We have Opportunities almost every week either to 
 London or Lisbon and frequently to Cadiz any Letters 
 you are pleased to send by Vessels returning here from 
 your place shall be forwarded with the greatest Care. 
 
 December 23, 1754. To Evan Patterson. 
 
 As I have not heard any more of Bellair's Lands I 
 decline making the purchase. The Land lately bot of the 
 Indians is in a great part possessed by the French, they 
 having lately invaded the Province & built three Forts 
 in the back parts, and what is not already in their pos- 
 session is, at present in so precarious a Situation, that I 
 do not care to venture to buy any more Laud here, 
 having too much already at Stake. The French finding 
 that our Quakers will not defend the Country seem to be 
 about to take possession of this Province, which they 
 will inevitably do, if we are not succoured from England. 
 
 March 18 1755. To Don Bernardo Ruiz. 
 
 We have by this Vessel 1 sent you a Doz. of Saltpetre 
 Hams, a Flitch of Bacon, 100 Ib of Dryed Beef, a Dozen 
 of Tongues, an English Cheese, a Dozen of Claret & a
 
 18 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Dozen of White Wine, which we beg you would be so 
 kind as to accept : we shall be waiting your Orders 
 about the Horses you would have shipped. 
 
 May 18 1755. To David Barclay & Sons. 
 
 Capt Thinn is a Scotch Gentleman who went with the 
 Command of a Company to Carthagena from this place, 
 was an acquaintance of Mr. Hamiltous, is married to a 
 Wealthy Poulterer's Widow at the other End of the 
 Town, & must be known to the Scotch Officers & I am 
 told frequents the British Coffee House, was upon Half 
 Pay, but has sold out. 
 
 I beg you would bespeak three Bob-wigs of my barber, 
 & that you would send me by the first Vessel!, a Groce 
 of the freshest Pyrmont Water. As it is intended for 
 Mr. Hamilton & me, I beg you would be very careful 
 that it be of the very last Importation. * * I have 
 a very high Opinion of the Mine, which mends every 
 Day. 
 
 May 23, 1755. To John Barclay, Dublin. 
 
 Having seen in the Universal Magazine of July last 
 an account of a Mine in Ireland by W. Henry D. D. ex 
 tracted from the Philosophical Transactions at Crone 
 Bawn, near the Town of Arklow in the County of Wick- 
 low, which affords a Water out of the Level of said mine 
 that dissolves Iron, and makes the Copper with which 
 this Water is impregnated, precipitate, so as to produce 
 great Quantities thereof. We take the freedom to re- 
 quest you would be pleased to make a minute Inquiry 
 nto this matter, what profit is made yearly of this 
 Water ; how the precipitated Copper is melted, in what 
 kind of a Furnace, whether the Bellows goes by Water, 
 or whether it is what they call an Air Furnace : what
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 19 
 
 Fuel is used in the melting, and what Flux, or if any is 
 used And, if you can, procure a Draught of the Pits 
 where the Iron is placed, and how the Water is let out, 
 in order to get out the Copper Dust (the Magazine in- 
 forming us how it is carried into the Pits) and whether 
 any Workmen can be got, particularly those who under- 
 stand the building the Furnaces and melting the Copper, 
 that understand the whole Process, and at what Rate 
 they would come over here to be hired for four year 8 
 certain, and whether any sober able-bodied Miners can 
 be procured to come over here & upon what terms. The 
 Reason of our giving you this Trouble, is that we are 
 concerned One Third in a Copper Mine in this Province, 
 that affords a Spring whose Qualities are the same with 
 that above mentioned, but much Stronger, as it will dis- 
 solve Iron iu a Quarter part of the Time, and yield the 
 same yellowish Copper Mud or Dust, which, melted in a 
 Crucible, produces about half pure Copper. 
 
 This Spring comes through an immense Body of 
 Vitriol Ore a small quantity of it (it is apprehended) 
 will, if taken inwardly kill a Man when lowered with 
 common Water, it is used frequently for purging and 
 vomiting the Country people, is useful for curing Ulcers 
 & cutaneous Disorders, and particularly for sore Eyes. 
 From the Spring flows about 7 or 800 Hhds. in twenty 
 four hours, consequently it is sufficient to fill, as many 
 pits as we please. 
 
 We have not worked the Mine for some years, this 
 Vitriolic Spring having been so prominent, that we could 
 not clear it of water. We never got any large Vein of 
 Copper ; But to Sulphur & Vitriol Ore there was no End. 
 
 As you may perhaps be acquainted with some of the 
 Proprs of the mine at Crone Bawri, or by a proper
 
 20 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Inquiry you may be able we are in hopes, to return to 
 us, by Letter a Satisfactory Accot of this matter. 
 
 May 23 1755. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 We have some Thoughts of building a Furnace for 
 melting our poor Copper Ore. And as we are not sure of 
 Bricks made of a proper Clay fit to bear the hot Fire of 
 Furnace we beg you would endeavour to procure 3000 
 Bricks fit for that Use. We are told they are got near 
 Windsor ; however that you will be best assured of upon 
 Inquiry. I hope they may be got for an easy Freight as 
 they will serve as ballast. Please to ship them by any 
 Opportunity that offers this Fall. 
 
 Governor Fisher has wrote on my Behalf to Mr. 
 Sydenham at the end of Catherine Street in the Strand 
 for 12 Dishes & Six Dozen of Plates of a particular kind 
 of pewter. 
 
 June 15, 1765. To Don Bernardo Ruiz. 
 
 Dr. Ross is lately gone to New York, so that we could 
 not get his Opinion of the Quality of the (Jesuits') Bark. 
 Our other Doctors say it is not of the first Sort. * * 
 As there is a probability of a French War, we must beg 
 for the future that you would not send any more Bar 
 Gold, for as we are obliged to ship it to London, the 
 Insurance will run high. 
 
 July 7, 1755. To D. Barclay & Sou. 
 
 As we are just returned from the Mine, and have had 
 a Sight of yours to Captain Stevens of the 19th of March, 
 in which you send the Report of the Essay-Master on 
 the 90 Barrells, I take the liberty to desire you would 
 get tried, all the Ore that has gone since that was shipped,
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 21 
 
 as it comes all out of the same Vein, as did, that Barrell, 
 in which you say Gold is found. 
 
 And though the Ore is grown harder, as it goes into 
 the Hill, and richer in Copper yet it retains the same 
 dark Colour. And what further confirms us, is, that as 
 we have the Stamping Mill now agoing, we have been 
 able to discern small Specks of Gold in the Ore after it 
 is stamped, and in a very little Vein, that runs close by 
 the large Vein, we have discovered some Specks of Gold. 
 Our Stamp Ore according to our Trials here yields near 
 Two Thirds Copper. We are a little hindered by the 
 dry Weather, there not being Water sufficient for our 
 Mill, or should have shortly a large Quantity on hand, 
 we stamped about Three tuns the Ten days we worked. 
 We are at a loss whether to proceed to stamp any more, 
 as the five Barrells you mention to yield 500 Ib to the 
 Tun are from our Stamp Ore, and we have above Ground, 
 we think, at least 2000 Tuns, not much, if anything 
 inferior in Quality. We are apt to think it would be 
 more for our Interest to ship it without Stamping, as it 
 is so valuable. I wish you would be so kind to inquire* 
 whether a person, who is used to melting of Ore in a 
 large Furnace could not be procured to come over here & 
 upon what Terms, for as we have a prodigious quantity 
 of that Sort of inferior Ore, we would keep a Furnace 
 constantly going. 
 
 And as our Ore is chiefly of a soft Nature, full of 
 Verdigrease, we fear it will lose considerably in the 
 Washing, & that the Verdigrease will run off with the 
 Water. We have neglected to work of late upon this 
 Sort, of which there is a vast Body, as we wrote you 
 formerly, and are now wholly imployed in following the 
 Vein of blackest Ore, & are carrying up a Level As that
 
 22 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Vein increases in Quantity and Quality, we are in hopes, 
 if it continues to improve as it has done for these last 
 two Months, or even continues as it is now, to get out, at 
 least, a hundred Barrells of Firsts & Seconds a Month 
 besides Stamp Ore. The Vein of all three Sorts, being 
 eight feet wide, & we already know it to be near 20 Feet 
 up and down, being now at work upon it in 5 Sloops & 
 we leave it over Head and under Feet. 
 
 Upon the whole we cannot but think it to be the 
 greatest discovery of this Sort that has been found out. in 
 these parts of the "World. * * * Please likewise to 
 send an Account of the Produce of the small bags, that 
 had the Ore in which was found Gold. This they have 
 been long desirous to hear the Upshot of. * * * 
 Please to send by any Vessell this Fall 
 a peck of early Hotspur Peas. 
 
 Do of early Readings. 
 
 Do of Windsor Beans. 
 
 July 21, 1755. To D. Barclay & Sous. 
 
 The late Defeat of the King's Forces has put every 
 tiling in the greatest confusion in this Province, to the 
 great Scandal of the English Name. General Braddock 
 with an advanced part of his Army was attacked by one 
 Third of his Number of Indians & French & put to the 
 Rout; one half of his party either killed or wounded; 
 his Military Chest with 25,000 Sterling, all his Artil- 
 lery, Baggage, Papers &c lost to the Enemy. And what 
 is scarce to be credited, the Remainder of Ms Army was 
 in such a pannick, that they retreated after having 
 destroyed all the Ammunition & Provisions, and brought 
 oft' only with them two Six Pounders of all the fine 
 Train, Sent out of England. This last part of their Con-
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 23 
 
 duct is still more unaccountable than all the rest. If 
 the Train or Ammunition had been preserved,'the Amer- 
 icans were so enraged, that they would of themselves, 
 have raised a Sufficient Number of men to dislodge the 
 French men. 
 
 Could our Assembly be prevailed on to raise the Money, 
 not less than 3000 men would have gone out of this 
 Province ; who as they fight for their Country, and are 
 more used to the Woods & have a better notion of the 
 Indian method of Fighting, would behave in another 
 manner than the English Troops have done. The Gen- 
 eral sent over (who is now dead of his wounds) was quite 
 an improper man, of a mean Capacity, obstinate and self- 
 sufficient, above taking advice, & laughed to scorn all 
 such as represented to him that in our "Wood Country, 
 war was to be carried on in a difterent manner from that, 
 in Europe. Nothing, he thought could stand his Vet- 
 erans. The private Soldiers behaved shamefully. The 
 Officers acted like brave Men & were mostly killed or 
 wounded. 
 
 As there is some appearance of our being roused from 
 our Lethargy, we are about putting the Province in some 
 small position of Defence. But as we are much in want 
 of Arms, we are desired to send for a Thousand Mus- 
 quets, which we are told may be bought at the Tower 
 from lls. to 13s. a piece with Bayonets & Cartouch 
 Boxes, being such as the Army have formerly used. 
 We are informed that the East India Company purchase 
 such for their Settlements. We beg therefore that you 
 would purchase the above Quantity, on the best Terms 
 you can & Ship them by the very first Opportunity this 
 Fall if possible, taking care they be well inspected that 
 they are good & fit for Service, together with a Tun of 
 Musquet Balls and get the whole insured.
 
 24 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 August 9, 1755. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 Please to send our William Allen The Chronology & 
 History of the World from the Creation of the World to 
 1753 by the Revd John Blair L. L. D. in Folio. 
 
 Philada. October 25 1755. To Ferdinand Paris. 
 
 Sir : The present melancholy Situation of this Coun- 
 try has so alarmed our Inhabitants that they cannot 
 longer remain silent, but think it their Duty to lay their 
 Condition before his Majesty ; they have therefore pre- 
 pared the inclosed Petition, which I am directed to 
 transmit to you. The terrible accounts we have received 
 from Cumberland County of the murders committed 
 there, & in the back parts of Virginia & Maryland have 
 given Rise to the Petition at this Time ; and as it was 
 got ready but a few days before this Vessell sailed, we 
 have not had time to get it signed by many persons, but 
 some of the people of the best Consideration in this City. 
 As the Season begins to be far advanced, we tho't it best 
 to send one Copy with the Names already to it. Copies 
 are gone up to several of the Counties ; and we shall be 
 able to send you by the next Opportunity another Copy 
 with a great number of Hands. In the mean time I beg 
 you would retain such Council as you shall think most 
 proper. We presume the Attorney General, Mr. Hume 
 Campbell, Mr. York, Mr. Forester (which last was, we 
 hear Council for our Govr before the Board of Trade) 
 may be suitable : However this we shall leave to you, 
 desiring that two or three, at the most should be retained, 
 among which we would have the Attorney General 
 for one. 
 
 We all hope and assuredly depend that our Proprietors 
 will give us all the Assistance in their power, as their 
 Interest is so nearly connected with that of the Inhabit.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 25 
 
 ants. If the malevolent party that is opposed to their 
 Interest & their Government do not receive a Check from 
 England, both their power and Estate will be rendered 
 very precarious ; as there is a Conspiracy among the 
 Leaders ef the Opposition to destroy both as much as in 
 them lies ; of all which, & who they are, no doubt you 
 a?e sufficiently apprized from other Hands, I mean from 
 the Letters sent to the Proprietors from Such as are 
 immediately concerned in their Affairs. The petitioners 
 are some of the most Zealous Friends to the proprietary 
 Family ; men in whose Breast all Traces of Gratitude 
 are not effaced, but have a high Sense of the Obligations 
 we are under to that Ilonbl Family for the ample Char- 
 ter of priviledges received from our first worthy Proprie- 
 tor, & count themselves happy to live under his Suc- 
 cessor's just administration could it be preserved to us. 
 
 If we shall not be happy enough to have their Aid 
 and Assistance, we know all our weak efforts will be in 
 vain, and we shall have the mortification to be laughed 
 to Scorn b} 7 their adversaries ; who now have the Confi- 
 dence to tell us that the Proprietors are well pleased with 
 the Conduct of our Assembly, and are desirous we should 
 continue in the same defenceless Condition. We cannot 
 but with Horror see the Blood of our Fellow Subjects 
 spilt by cruel Savages ; and we are not a little alarmed 
 to think we are in the greatest danger of losing our 
 Fortunes & Liberties. I expect before the End of next 
 Summer, if nothing is done (if an entire Conquest is not 
 made of the Province) that all the people over Suvsque- 
 hannah who are upwards of 4000 Families, chiefly 
 Scotch-Irish, will be driven from their Habitations, & 
 when they come down among the Germans & Quakers 
 there will be next to a Civil War among them.
 
 26 THE BURD PAPBRS. 
 
 Upon the whole I fear, even as matters now stand it 
 will be impossible to preserve the peace of the Province 
 for any time. 
 
 I am placed by the Government in a Station that 
 makes this matter pretty immediately my care. my 
 place I would fain resign, but that I think it unworthy 
 of a man to desert his Country in such difficulties. I 
 fear the Laws, when things are gone to confusion, will 
 be little regarded ; no pains shall be wanting on my part, 
 as far as I am concerned, to see them put in execution, 
 in the most effectual manner possible. 
 
 It you think our Circumstances are such, that they 
 need not the Weight of more Hands to our petition, in 
 such case it will be best, to save time, to present it 
 immediately. 
 
 But in case you should be of opinion that a great rium 
 ber of Signers, would be more regarded by his Majesty 
 & his Ministers, you may be assured that wo shall pro- 
 cure several Hundred, I believe I may venture to say a 
 Thousand more Signers to the Copies that will be sent 
 you by the Opportunities that may offer. As to Instruc- 
 tions to a Gentleman ?o well acquainted with the affairs 
 of this province, we hardly think them necessary ; how- 
 ever shall by other-Conveyances write what we judge to 
 be needful. The Allegations in our Petition are strictly 
 true/ The Remady we would request is, that we may 
 be included in the Bill for uniting the Colonies, & our 
 Case properly provided for in the same, should that 
 measure take Efiect. If no such Bill passes this Session 
 coming on, we would faiu hope his Majesty & his Minis- 
 ters will not suffer this Colony, Situate in the Center of
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 27 
 
 his Majesty's American Dominions, to remain any longer 
 defenceless, but will recommend it to the Parliament to 
 restrain our Quakers & Germans from sitting in the 
 House of Assembly & the latter from even voting, till 
 they know our language and are better acquainted with 
 our Constitution. These poor people are so poysoned by 
 the false Stories of the Quakers that they will be abso- 
 lutely under their Direction ; Nothing less than this will 
 be a sufficient Remedy ; for otherwise we shall never be 
 put into a proper posture of Defence ; nor the Force of 
 the Province exerted for the Common Cause.' Some few 
 of us have been put already to very great Expenses by a 
 former petition & Since that in erecting a Fortification, 
 purchasing of Arms &c. Therefore intreatyou would be 
 as frugal as possible in this Solicitation, & disburse no 
 money but what is absolutely necessary. 
 
 We flatter ourselves, as we conceive our Cause & that 
 of the proprietaries is the same, that they would be so 
 good as to help to alleviate the Charge, by contributing 
 a part. 
 
 I have wrote to Mr Barclay & Sons to pay such Sums 
 as you shall call upon them for towards this Service, 
 which I trust you will make as little expensive as 
 possible. 
 
 Our Case is so grievous, & at the same time so notori- 
 ous that we would fain hope much need not be said or 
 done to convince the Ministry of the Danger we are in, 
 and the Disgrace that will accrue to Britain should we 
 fall a pray to the Enemy which will be undoubtedly the 
 Case if we are attacked by any Number of Men. 
 
 I have in a Hurry wrote you my crude Thoughts on
 
 28 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 this Affair, <fe beg leave only to assure you, that I am, 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 your affectionate Friend & most Humble Servt. 
 
 W A 
 To 
 
 Ferdinaudo Paris Esq 
 at his House in Surry Street in the Strand 
 London. 
 
 Oct 25 1755. To D. Barclay & Sous. 
 
 The frequent accounts of the cruel Murders committed 
 in the back parts of Virginia & Maryland by the Indians, 
 formerly belonging to this Province; who, as they found 
 they were not likely to be supported by us against the 
 French, have at length joined them, & have for some 
 time greatly alarmed us, not knowing how soon it 
 might be the case of our own Inhabitants. To our great 
 concern we have accounts from Cumberland County in 
 this Province this last Week that the Indians have mur 
 dered & carried into Captivity near thirty People ; which 
 has caused a great Terror & Confusion among the People; 
 they having very few Arms & no fortified places to 
 Shelter themselves in. The Inhabitants therefore in this 
 City & in most of the Counties in the Province have 
 thought it their Duty to lay their distressed Condition 
 before their Sovereign & praj'ed his gracious Interposi- 
 tion that they might be put into a position of Defence. 
 A petition to that purpose is by this Opportunity Sent 
 to Mr Paris to sollicit the same. I desire therefore you 
 be pleased to pay him such Sums on my Acco't for that 
 Service that he shall be under a necessity to call upon 
 you for, and charge the same to me.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 29 
 
 November 6 1755. To Don Bernardo Ruiz. 
 
 As Letters of Reprisals are granted, and near a Hun- 
 dred Sail of French merchantmen carried into the Eng- 
 lish Ports, and War is long before this time declared 
 between the two Nations ; we do not doubt but you will 
 think it right to allow us the War price. As some of 
 the Vessells we send you may probably be intercepted 
 by the French, it will be necessary to send us more 
 passes that there may be no Failure or Interruption of 
 our Commerce. 
 
 November 14 1755. To John Barclay, Dublin. 
 
 We are exceedingly obliged to you for the pains you 
 have taken in the Enquiry about the Copper Water, 
 which gives us no small Satisfaction. We have taken 
 the Freedom to send you a Couple of Bottles of our 
 Water, which we desire you would be pleased to show 
 to some of those Gentlemen, who are acquainted with 
 the Properties of that in the Mines with you. We should 
 have sent you a larger quantity, but have not time to 
 send into the Country for more. We are convinced the 
 Water has very near the same Qualities with the Irish 
 Water, but fear that the Vitriol is too predominant, & 
 will consume the Iron too fast. 
 
 We are a Quarter concerned in a very valuable Copper 
 Mine about 50 miles from this Town, in the province of 
 New Jersey ; and have now at work between 50 & 60 
 men ; but as we are greatly in want of able & Skillful 
 Miners, we should be glad you would engage for us 6 or 
 8 good Workmen such as are compleat Masters of their 
 Business & understand boring and blasting. Our Ground 
 being pretty hard & rocky we would chuse such as have 
 been acquainted with sinking down Shafts & carrying on 
 Levels, such as they call in Cornwall, Sump Men, who
 
 30 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 are used to sink Shafts when troubled with Water. As 
 the Miners generally chuse to work in Mines where the 
 Ore is plenty, & turns to profit you may assure them 
 ours is of such a Sort, we having got out upwards of a 
 Thousand Barrells within these 12 mos. besides an im- 
 mense Quantity of Stamp Ore. * * We shall be content 
 to pay them 20 Sterling p Annum and find them in 
 Lodgings & Victuals ; Or give them 12s. Sterling a 
 Month in Lieu of their Board, to be at their Option, pro- 
 vided they indent on these Conditions for 4 years, in 
 which Case we will pay their passages over here. 
 
 November 25 1755. To Ferdinando Paris. 
 
 The late Commotions in the Country & the Terror <fe 
 Confusion the People are in, have been the Occasion why 
 the Petitions from the back Country have not yet been 
 sent to Town : However I do by this Opportunity 
 transmit to you such as are come to Hand. I beg there- 
 fore if you have not presented the Petition sent by Capt. 
 Robinson, you will immediately lay what is now sent 
 before his Majesty. I presume as they are only copies 
 there will be no necessity of presenting more than one, 
 and keeping the rest only to be shown as vouchers of the 
 dumber who conceive themselves aggrieved. Petitions 
 have been presented from all Quarters to our Assembly 
 for the Defence of the Country, who have gone into a 
 Solemn Farce, and made what they call a Melitia Law, 
 impracticable & ridiculous & calculated rather to prevent 
 than iucourage persons to exert themselves in defence of 
 their Country. 
 
 In case you should not think fit to solicit our petition 
 of which I think there is no danger, tho' our people here
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 31 
 
 & indeed many of them are fearful that your Connection 
 with the Proprietary Family may induce you to decline 
 it. In such Case, they & I trust to your Honor, that 
 you would employ some proper persons in our Behalf to 
 transact our Affairs. For my part, I cannot suffer 
 myself to be persuaded but that the Proprietors in com- 
 passion to the poor distressed people, <fe in regard to their 
 own true Interest will co-operate with us on this Occa- 
 sion. I need not particularly describe the Miseries of 
 the Province, great part of which is already laid Waste, 
 and if his Majesty does not graciously interpose will, in 
 a little time, be quite ruined. I beg you would be so 
 good with your wonted care & assuidity to do everything 
 in your power to obtain a favorable Answer to our Peti- 
 tion. You will hereby confer a great Obligation on our 
 Inhabitants. 
 
 November 27 1755. To Wm. Beckford Esq. Soho 
 Square, London. 
 
 As I have the Honour to be intimately acquainted 
 with a friend of yours Mr Wm Gordon of the Island of 
 Jamaica, & am further imboldened by the great & Wor- 
 thy Character you bear, I tho' a Stranger, have taken 
 the Freedom to solicit your Favour in Behalf of this dis- 
 tressed Province. 
 
 We have of late been harrassed by the Incursions of 
 bloody Savages, who have, for Some time past, ravaged 
 the back parts of this Province, & laid it waste with Fire 
 & Sword ; by which means Thousands of Familys have 
 been driven from their Habitations. These Miserys are 
 chiefly owing to the defenceless State of the Province ; 
 our Assemblys being filled with Quakers, who, by the
 
 32 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 influence they have over the German Foreigners, get 
 themselves elected as our Representatives. From their 
 avowed principles they surely are unfit for the Seats they 
 till, at least in time of War, being, as they say, princi- 
 pled against bearing Arms. 
 
 We have by Petition, laid our distressed Condition 
 before his Majesty & prayed his gracious Interposition ; 
 and are in hopes, by aid of Parliament, to have our 
 Grievances redressed. I do therefore intreat you, in 
 behalf of this Province, that you would aftord us your 
 Countenance & Assistance. The Colonies in the several 
 parts of America are so connected by Commerce & a mu- 
 tual Dependance on one another for Support that one 
 partcannot be destroyed without affecting the Other. As 
 your large Possessions in Jamaica must, of course, make 
 these parts of the World the Object of your Thoughts & 
 Care ; and as it cannot be unknown to you that we are 
 the greatest Granary in America, should we be torn from 
 the British Empire (which is too probable in case of a 
 War with France, as more than One Third of it is already 
 in possession of the Enemy) not only Britain but the 
 West India Islands must be deeply affected. 
 
 Our Assembly, within these few days, being alarmed 
 by the daily Incroachments of the Enemy, and frightened 
 by the threats of the People, who vowed Vengeance 
 against the Authors of their Miseries, have been induced 
 to pass a Melitia Law, which is so absurd in itself, and 
 so destructive of the Prerogatives of the Crown, that it is 
 feared it will not answer, by any means, our Necessity s, 
 as no person is obliged to regard it, and such as are will- 
 ing to defend their Country are exposed to be treated in 
 a different manner than any other Melitia in hia Majesty's
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 33 
 
 Dominions, no Distinction being made between such as 
 enlist for pay & are to be sent on any expeditions, and 
 those who meet occasionally as they do in the rest of the 
 Colonies. 
 
 One other Observation, I beg leave to make, is, that 
 one half the inhabitants of this Province are Foreigners, 
 and as they, by the Bill, have the Choice of their own 
 Officers they cannot be supposed to be under a proper 
 Dependance on the Crown of England, but may join the 
 Enemy, or drive out the English Inhabitants. They 
 have, in their own Country, generally been Soldiers, 
 whereas the other Inhabitants, having lived under a 
 Quaker Government are quite unexperienced in all mil- 
 itary Matters. I have taken the freedom to inclose you 
 three of our public papers, in which you will find this 
 blessed Quaker Melitia Act, & some other Things that 
 may help to give you a proper notion of our Affairs.. 
 
 As I am sure you love your Country, and have a 
 pleasure in having an Opportunity of rendering it Ser- 
 vice, I shall make no further Apology for this Freedom, 
 but only request you would be assured that I should be 
 proud to receive your Commands, & that I am, Sir, 
 Your Most Obedt Humble Servant 
 W. Allen. 
 
 December 17 1755. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 We are in the most deplorable Situation imaginable 
 in this province, every day bringing fresh Accounts of 
 the Murders committed by the Indians ; and the pannick 
 is so great that it affects the people within twenty miles 
 of the Town. Some have been killed by them within 
 55 miles this Week. What a Deal have those Wretches 
 to answer for, who, instead of putting the Province into 
 a position of Defence have wasted the time in Senseless
 
 34 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 insignificant Disputes. They are in the End like to get 
 their Reward, tor they are heartily dispised and hated 
 by the people & particularly by the Germans who were 
 formerly much attached to them. The serious Quakers 
 likewise greatly blame them for their Conduct. 
 
 December 24 1755. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I understand Mr Hamilton has desired you to ship 
 some small Arms &c., for the Use of the Province. As I 
 know he gave the Owners of this Vessell an Expectation 
 if she sailed as soon as any other, that he would desire 
 you to give her the preference in taking said Guns on 
 board. He is now out of Town being gone back to the 
 Frontier of the Province. I therefore take the Freedom 
 to mention that matter to you to request, in case the 
 Vessell sails in time, that the Warlike Arms be put on 
 board her. 
 
 March 3rd 1756. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 Please to send me by first Opportunity 
 
 2 Oz's of early Battersea Cabbage seed 
 
 1 z Collyflower do 
 
 1 Oz Roman Brocoli do 
 
 2 Oz of Sugarloaf Cabbage do 
 2 Oz of Coloured Carrot Seed 
 
 4 Oz of the large Broad leaf Spinnage Seed 
 And pray let the Seeds be fresh & of this 3'ear for a 
 Disappointment in my Garden is no small Mortification. 
 
 May 24 1750. To Mr John Wade in Carthagena. 
 
 As we were well informed that our Port was like to 
 be shut up by an Embargo for three months; we there- 
 fore freighted the Ship, Charming Polly, Capt Dun, 
 Master. * * * Mr Gibson further acquaints us that
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 35 
 
 you incline to have a Vessel of about 110 Tuns built here 
 on your Account, and has showed us your Letter to him 
 on that Subject. As you would have her fitted, she will 
 cost near One Third more than a Single Deck Vessel, 
 built & fitted here in the usual manner, which Mr. Gib- 
 son says he told you would cost about 2500 Dollars. We 
 were at first at some loss whether it would be advisable 
 to set her up imagining you would expect her price 
 would be much lower, than it would turn out in the End. 
 But as he informs us it would be a Disappointment to 
 you if she was not got ready ; We have therefore ven- 
 tured without Advise to have the Vessel built, and have 
 employed our best Builder who will do the Work faith- 
 fully, and comply with your Directions in Mr. Gibson's 
 Letter. 
 
 June 22, 1756. To Hon. Wm kelson in Yorktown Va, 
 It will be, I presume, no News to tell you that Genl. 
 Abercrombie with 2 Regiments are arrived at N. York. 
 When the Residue with my Ld London are to be ex- 
 pected we are at a Loss, tho' it is said very shortly. 
 
 July 1 1757. To D Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I must likewise desire you to pay to Mr Ferdinando 
 John Paris the Sum of 133. 0. 2d Sterling being the 
 Ballance of his Account of Solicitations &c. And to 
 Mrs. Anna Irish the Sum of 50 Ster. being the Legacy 
 left her by her Uncle, * * * Nathaniel Irish, dec'd. 
 
 July 30 1757. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 The Bearer of this, Mr. Ralph Ashton is a Relation of 
 Doctor Redman, and Served an apprenticeship with him. 
 He comes over with an Intention to improve himself by 
 tending the Hospitals. I am desired by the Doctor, who
 
 36 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 writes to you by this Opportunity to give Mr Ash ton a 
 Credit for one Hundred pounds Sterling. 
 
 March 28 1758. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I wrote to Mr Hamilton a few days before he left 
 jSTewyork, and desired he would get you to ship for rae 
 twelve half pieces of Cambrick & a piece of fine Lawn 
 for my Family Use. And beg you would send to my 
 Periwigmaker for a couple of Wigs to come by any 
 Opportunity that may offer. 
 
 Nov 16th 1758. To D. Barclay & Son. 
 
 I have a little Boy, who teazes me to send for the 
 Books undermentioned, which I beg you will be so kind 
 as to buy & send me together with Warner's Ecclesias- 
 tical History far myself, if published. Books viz : Sir 
 Charles Grandison ; Clarissa Harlowe. 
 
 Feby 10 1759. To D. Barclay & Son. 
 
 I have received two Letters from One John Monkton, 
 who was formerly Servant to One Mr. Charles Child of 
 Guildford in Surry, and for Sometime waited on me in 
 my Travels to France <fec. complaining of being reduced 
 to great Poverty. My Acquaintance & his was of no 
 long standing, and is now an old Story ; I well remember 
 I satisfied him to his Content for any Services he did 
 me ; But as I think he was an honest man, and is, as he 
 says, an Object of Charity, I desire if he be living, you 
 will pay him on my Account Ten Guineas. 
 
 June 20 1759. To D. Barclay & Son. 
 
 I cannot omit mentioning to you that our Assembly 
 have prevailed on the Governor to re-emit our paper 
 Money, that we had before the War, for the Term of 16
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 37 
 
 years ; which, as soon as the Army leaves us, will so fur 
 depreciate our Currency as to make Exchange rise from 
 150 (at which it is at present) to 200 or 300 p Cent 
 especially as the Paper Money, we strike to carry on our 
 Share of the "War is not likely to be sunk at the periods 
 mentioned in the Acts of Assembly. Should not this 
 Law be disallowed by the King in Council!, the British 
 Merchts, and all who have money owing to them will be 
 great Sufferers, and all property rendered very insecure, 
 and we shall be plunged into the same difficulties they 
 have been in New England. * * * I must request, 
 as soon as you are in Cash that you would buy for me 
 2000 Stg more Stock. It is true Interest is low with 
 you, but the Principal will be safer than in a Country 
 where the Currency is like to be reduced to less than 
 half its value ; I shall therefore endeavour to remit you 
 what money I shall be able to call in, to guard, as far as 
 in me lies, against the impending Ruin. I presume 
 before this reaches you Mr. Hamilton will have left 
 England ; in case he should not, please to inform him, I 
 think his sister seems now to be in a fair Way to be 
 restored to her Health. 
 
 Oct. 18 1759. To D. Barclay & Son. 
 
 Mr Hamilton does not appear. I fear he has had a 
 very blustering Voyage, as we lately have had many 
 hard Gales of Wind. His presence is much wanted ; for 
 our venal Governer,and the party here are attacking every 
 Right of Government, by the Laws they are making. 
 
 Feby 9 1760. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I need not tell you that Mr Hamilton is arrived. His 
 Affairs hitherto have a pleasing Aspect, his accepting 
 the Government being very agreeable to the best people 
 
 ^ f\ i*y 
 
 7970 j
 
 38 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 of our Province ; I hope they will continue in this way ; 
 But as we have a grumbling Hive, there is no certainty 
 that an honest, candid Administration will be satisfac- 
 tory to our politicians. We have a man of Honor to deal 
 with now; we before had a poor mercenary Creature 
 that was justly despised by all good men among us. 
 
 March 10 1760. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 Since writing my last letter, my Son John, who is now 
 of Age, having an Inclination to see a little of the World, 
 is about to take a Voyage to Leghorn, and proposes to 
 stay a few Months in Italy, and from thence to come 
 down the Streights & take his Passage from Lisbon or 
 some other Port to London. I should take it as a par- 
 ticular Favor, if you would procure Letters of Credit <fe 
 Recommendation to some Gentlemen at Leghorn, Naples, 
 Genoa, Rome & Milan. 
 
 When I travelled, I found that these letters of Cred- 
 ence were of great Use to me, as they procured me 
 acquaintance in every place I came to. 
 
 He is accompanied by a young Gentleman, a Relation 
 of mine, Mr Joseph Shippen, who has been an Officer in 
 our provincials ever since the war, was Major of Brigade 
 to General Forbes, and last year Lieut Colonel in one of 
 the Province Regiments ; he is a very sober, virtuous, 
 sensible young man, and I think my Son happy in such 
 a Companion. 
 
 My Son has hitherto proved a virtuous well inclined 
 Lad, and have not perceived the least Turn to Vice in 
 him, I have not therefore limited him as to his Expence, 
 but have earnestly recommended Frugality. I wish
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 39 
 
 when you write to your Friends, you would be pleased 
 to mention in your Letters Colonel Shippeu. 
 
 The Betty Sally * * * is a Letter of Marque and 
 carries 12 Carriage Guns & 20 Men. 
 
 Phila. 5th April 1760. 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 Your very agreeable Favor of the 26th of October by 
 Way of New York, and Copy of the same from London, 
 in wbioh you are so good as to propose a Renewal of our 
 Correspondence, gave me great pleasure. 
 
 As I have had the Honor to be Chief Justice of this 
 Prov'^o-G for near ten years past, I have, in a great 
 Measure, declined all trade ; But, agreeable to your 
 desire, I mentioned the Contents of your Letter, to some 
 of my Friends, particularly the encouraging prices of 
 Sugar at present at your Market. A dumber of us sent 
 three Ships the last year of the late War laden with 
 Sugars. The precipitate fall of the prices, at that Time, 
 made us great Sufferers ; however, upon so good a pros- 
 pect, as you mention, some of my friends here resolved 
 to make a Trial ; among the rest my Son John, whom 
 I have brought up to Business and a Relation of mine, 
 Mr. Joseph Shippeu, who had both a mind to see Italy, 
 with some other Gentlemen agreed to load the Vessel by 
 which this comes, & put her under the care of Mr. 
 Shippen & my Sou, to whom I have recommended to put 
 the Concern into your Hands, which they will undoubt- 
 edly do, in case they arrive safe. 
 
 Our Flag of Truce trade has lately met with an Inter- 
 ruption, a great part of them, near fifteen Sail being 
 taken & carried into Jamaica, Providence &c. Had they 
 arrived safe we should have had French Sugars in plenty; 
 and I could, I am persuaded, have prevailed on some of
 
 40 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 my Friends here to have sent some of their Vessels to 
 your address, of which, 1 still do not despair, should any 
 number arrive safe, which, I presume will be the Case. 
 I have a Sort of Promise from Mr. Gibson a Relation of 
 my Wife's, who has a Vessel sailed for Holland last Fall, 
 the Master of which has Orders to proceed to Monto 
 Christi, and there to take in a Cargo of white Sugars for 
 this port ; that he will, upon the Vessel's Arrival, if the 
 War continues address her to you. 
 
 Mr. Shippen & my Son propose chiefly by this Voyage 
 to have the pleasure of visiting the different parts of 
 Italy ; I must request therefore the favor of you to pro- 
 cure them Letters of Recommendation and Credit to the 
 several Towns they shall go through. I have wrote to 
 my Friends at London likewise to this purpose, who, I 
 doubt not procure such for them. I received part of my 
 Education at Clarehall in Cambridge, at which time Mr- 
 Horatio Man, the present Resident at Florence, was then 
 a Fellow Student ; upon the Strength of which I have 
 ventured depending on his Character for Humanity & 
 Kindness to his Countrymen, to write to him on Mr. 
 Shippen's & my Son's Behalf, to which, I should be much 
 obliged to you, if you would add yours & some of your 
 Friend's Weight. 
 
 Mr. Shippen has been an Officer in our provincial 
 Troops for four or five years past, was Brigade Major to 
 General Forbes at the taking of Fort Du Quesne, and 
 served as Lieut. Colonel last Campaign under General 
 Stanwix. He is a very ingenious virtuous young man 
 and I think myself happy in my Son's having such a 
 Companion. I am fearful, however, he will soon lose 
 him, except there should be a peace, as he intends to
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 41 
 
 become a Trader, to which he was in part bred, and is 
 desirous of going to Alicant & Malaga in order to load 
 the Vessel with Wine & Brandy & other things, the Pro- 
 duce of Spain. I have told him that part of the Busi- 
 ness can be as well done in his Absence, by your writing 
 to your Correspondents to get such things as are wanted 
 ready again the Vessel comes down ; however, in case he 
 should go down with the Vessel, I am in hopes he will 
 return while my Son continues at Florence. 
 
 As Sundry of the Owners will give Orders for pur- 
 chasing of some Silks & other things for their Family's 
 Use, I presume you can procure them, while the Ship 
 stays, from Genoa, as Sundry Articles cannot be pur- 
 chased so cheap, or so good in kind with you. I beg 
 you would be so kind as to let Parmesan Cheese be rich 
 & mild, as I am very fond of what is good of that kind 
 of Cheese, and that the other things that are for family 
 Consumption be well chosen. The small Gorgona 
 Anchovies, I think, are the most esteemed. 
 
 In this Vessel comes a passenger, Mr. West, a young 
 ingenious Painter of this City, who is desirous to im- 
 prove himself in that Science, by visiting Florence &- 
 Rome ; but being unacquainted how to have his Money 
 remitted has lodged with me One hundred pounds Ster- 
 ling, which I shall remitt to Messrs David Barclay & 
 Sons upon his Account: I beg therefore you would give 
 him a Credit for that Sum and take his Bills for the 
 Amount; and should be further obliged to you for any 
 kindness you show him, as he has among us the Char- 
 acter of a very deserving young man. I am in hopes 1 
 shall have more Opportunities of writing to you this 
 Summer.
 
 42 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 In the mean time conclude with assuring you that I am 
 Your most Obedt. Humble Servt. 
 
 W. Allen. 
 To 
 
 Messrs Jackson & Rutherford, 
 
 Merch.ts. in Leghorn ; per Mr. John Allen in ye 
 Ship Betty Sally, Capt. Sneed. 
 
 April 16 1760. D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 My Son sailed out of our Capes the 12th of this Inst. 
 * You have inclosed William Plumsted & David 
 Franks Bill * * * for 101 6s. 2d. Sterl. which I 
 am desired by Mr. Benjamin West to remit to you, and 
 and which you will be pleased to carry to his Credit 
 when received. * * * He is a young Painter that 
 goes Passenger in the Ship with my Son in order to 
 improve himself in the Science of painting, and lodges 
 the money with you, in order to answer his Expenses, 
 whilst in Italy. 
 
 May 19 1760. To Jackson & Rutherford at Leghorn. 
 
 I desire you would procure for me from Genoa, six 
 pieces of good black Paduasoy without any selvage, being 
 for Mourning Scarfs, much used at Buryings in this 
 Country. The Selvage of a different Colour, which is 
 often the case of Italian Silks renders them unfit for this 
 Use. * * * 
 
 Captain Rutherford who married a lady at New York, 
 has had a Wind-fall, his Wife's Mother, Mrs Alexander 
 being lately deceased, by which one Sixth part of her 
 Estate Real & Personal comes to Mrs Rutherford. 
 Various are the Accounts of the Amount of her share ; 
 in my Opinion, it will be worth between 15,000 and
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 48 
 
 20,000 Sterling ; there being a very great Estate in 
 Lauds and a considerable personal one. * * * 
 
 I have lately had the Misfortune to lose my good 
 ancient Mother, and last week, died my much loved 
 AVife, which has Shocked me to a great degree. 
 
 October 6 1760. To John Griffiths, jr. Caerleon Mills 
 Monmouthshire. 
 
 Our Iron Masters here think three Tons, a Week, may 
 be made at each Finery ; and it has been done here in 
 one Forge, have never exceeded Seven Tons in the 
 Chafery, with a Hammer to itself: It will therefore be 
 an Improvement, if your People can draw two Tons 
 more. 
 
 You may depend upon it that this is one of the best 
 poor Man's Country in the World, and agrees very well 
 with English Constitutions. 
 
 Oct 20 1760. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I have received your very agreeable Favour * * * 
 advising me of your having purchased 1500 more 
 Stock for me in the 3 p Cent consolidated Annuities @ 
 82f p Cent, for which with Brokg you debit me 1245. 
 
 I have some distant thoughts in case there should be 
 a Peace this Winter, of coming to London, & bringing 
 with me two of my Sons, whom I intend to place in the 
 Temple, and think to spend a Winter in England, & 
 return in the Spring. * * * 
 
 I must request you would be so good as to get a 
 Mourning Ring made for our Governor of iive Guineas 
 value, on Account of his Sister's Death. I had in the 
 time of my great distress, desired Mr. Turner to mention 
 this to you, but I fear he has omitted it. "Margaret 
 Allen; died the 12th May 1760, aged 51."
 
 44 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 March 25 1761. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I have not had a line from him (John Allen) since he 
 left Leghorn to go his Tour. The December Pacquet, 
 I understand is taken, and the Letter you forwarded hy 
 Bolitho miscarried. I inclose you one to him, which I 
 beg you would be so good as to deliver, and that you 
 would be pleased to afford him your favour, & Counte- 
 nance during his stay in England. 
 
 I am very much obliged to you for the kind Regards 
 you were pleased to express on my coining to England, 
 in which I was fully determined had there been a peace. 
 I have always had a sincere Friendship for your good 
 Family ; and have long experienced the Goodness and 
 Worth of your David Barclay the Elder ; and tho' we 
 have the Atlantick between us, I have & always shall 
 esteem him as one of my worthiest Friends. 
 
 March 25 1761. To John Griffiths. 
 
 Our manager, Mr. Hackett, says the new Iron we make 
 yields so well that less than 26 cwt. of Pigs will make a 
 Ton of Bar. * * * Since we have wrote you, we 
 have finished our small Blast and from the first Day of 
 September to the first of December our Furnace produced 
 332 Tons of Pig metal, which was beyond our most san- 
 guine expectations. * * * Water & Wood we never 
 can want, indeed we want nothing but good Workmen ; 
 tho' we reckon we have some of the best this Country 
 affords ; who say that Three Tons of Ankongs a week 
 may be made, * * * our Workmen have, for a 
 Trial, made more than that Quantity, but it remains a 
 Mysterj 7 to them, how Nine Tuns can be drawn at a 
 Chafery. * * * We are content that you bring with 
 you a pair of Forge Bellows, but believe those we have 
 being made of Wood, willl answer as well, if not better,
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 45 
 
 and will last twenty years. No other than Wooden 
 Bellows are now used among us either at our Furnaces 
 or Forges, and by experience we find that the Blast from 
 them is much better than those made of Leather, for 
 which reason they are universally disused. A German 
 introduced the Wooden Bellows among us ; and by con- 
 structing them at ye different Iron Works, has made a 
 pretty good Fortune ; We may call it such, for he has 
 now a Forge of his own and rents a Furnace. * * * 
 Some considerable Fortunes have been made by Iron 
 Works with us, and our present Manager, is become an 
 Owner with us in our New Works ; and, if he lives, will 
 be a rich man. 
 
 July 20 1751. To Francis J. Tysson, Esq. Upper 
 Brooke St. 
 
 Old Mr. Jonathan Dickinson had a grant from the 
 Proprietary Agents for twenty Acres of low Ground 
 upon Condition, I am told, of draining & improving the 
 same, which he did not live, or neglected to accomplish. 
 The Title therefore to that is precarious and depends I 
 presume, on the Proprietaries for Confirmation ; which 
 old Mr. Logan, nor I could obtain ; you may be informed 
 more particularly of the Circumstances of that Affair of 
 his Son, if he has not left England. 
 
 July 20 1761. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 This comes by my two Sons Andrew & James whom 
 I send to England, in order to study the Law in the 
 Temple. I had, as I wrote you thoughts of accom- 
 panying them, had peace taken place but I must delay 
 my Voyage till that Event happens, which I presume & 
 hope will be within the Compass of this year. In the 
 mean time I request you would be so good as to afford
 
 46 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 them your Countenance, Friendship, & advice. I spent 
 six years at one time, in England, and am very sensible 
 they are to go thro' a fiery Trial. The many Tempta- 
 tions youths arc exposed to in your City, and the Vice & 
 Luxury that is too predominant, make me veiy anxious 
 on their Account. I have taken the greatest care in my 
 power of their Education hitherto, and in forming their 
 Minds to Virtue. And as yet their conduct has been 
 such as rather to give me Pleasure than Pain ; but they 
 are now embarking in a new Scene : They will be, in a 
 great Measure, left to themselves, remote from me their 
 Parent, & from their very affectionate Uncle, Governor 
 Hamilton, who seems greatly interested in their Welfare, 
 and to whose kind lessons and Example they are much 
 indebted. 
 
 I must further beg you would be so good as to supply 
 them with Money for their Expenses ; which I would 
 not chuse should exceed two hundred pounds a year, 
 for each of them, exclusive of Books, and the first fitting 
 them with Clothes & a few other necessities. 
 
 Among other lessons I have taught them that of Fru- 
 gality, & Oeconomy has been much pressed upon them, 
 without which their Studies will be neglected, and there 
 will be danger of their plunging into Vice. 
 
 I think they are honest Lads, and far from being 
 deficient in a Capacity to acquire Knowledge, of rather 
 more Vivacity, & higher Spirits than their Brother John, 
 particularly Andrew, whose Temper seems rather too 
 quick, of which I have frequently cautioned him. 
 
 I would have them take Chambers in the Temple, in 
 the procuring of which their Uncle's Friends may be 
 able to advise them, he having wrote to some of them 
 for their friendly Countenance and Advice.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 47 
 
 I am very sensible of the Trouble I am like to give 
 you, and must depend upon your goodness and partic- 
 ularly on tbe long Friendship I have had the pleasure to 
 support with your Mr David Barclay the Elder, to excuse 
 the Freedom I take, in recommending the youths to 
 your care, and at the same time beg leave to return you 
 my sincere thanks, for your kindness to my eldest Son, 
 John, to whom I have wrote that I would have him 
 leave England sometime next Winter or Spring, so as to 
 be here in April, or May next ; For I think it will be 
 time to set himself down to business, tho' everything is 
 so overdone, that it is difficult now among us, how to 
 employ Money to advantage in the trading way. 
 
 I have drawn on you for twenty one pounds Sterling 
 * * * being for my two Son's passages. 
 
 Aug 10 1761. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I have not time at present to write to my Son John ; 
 But beg you would tell him that I have received his 
 Letter by the Pacquet, and that I approve of his ad- 
 vancing the 60 to Mr West ; and that his Uncle & I 
 have agreed to advance him 100 more, which addi- 
 tional Snm I desire he would remit Mr West as soon as 
 possible, which I beg you would be so kind as to pay to 
 my Son, or Mr West's Order. From all Accounts he is 
 like to turn out a very extraordinary person in the 
 Painting Way, and it is a pity such a Genius should be 
 crumped for want of a little Cash. 
 
 Sept 11 1761. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I desire you would purchase as much more Stock, as 
 will make what you have already bought for me 8000. 
 Pray be so kind as to tell my Son John, to whom I have 
 not time to write, that at his Uncle's Instance I am
 
 48 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 desirous he should buy for his Sister Nancy, as much of 
 a well fancied Brocade as will make his Sister a Suit of 
 Clothes. 
 
 December 3rd 1761. Wm Nelson, Yorktown Va. 
 
 Your Neighbour Mr Tabb informed me that Mountain 
 Wine would sell with you. My Son John * * * 
 being concerned in a Cargo of Sugar * * * up the 
 Streights ; Upon the Return of the Vessel, the Master 
 was ordered to call at Malaga to take in a parcel of Wines; 
 part of which, being fifty Quarter Casks I take the 
 Freedom to request you would be pleased to sell, for the 
 most they will yield with you. 
 
 I have shipped them in a Shallop belonging to Mr 
 Waters, a relation of my deceased Wife's ; his Master 
 has signed a Bill of Lading, which you have herewith 
 inclosed, to deliver the Wine to you. As the Vessell is 
 a small Coaster, and has other things to deliver in Som- 
 erset County, for Mr Waters, she has not cleared out 
 from our Custom-IIousc, it not, being usual for these 
 small Coasters. I hope therefore you will prevent any 
 Trouble to the Master from our mutual Friend Mr 
 Ambler, or any other person. * * It gave me no 
 
 small Concern when I returned from the Back Country 
 where I had been trying some Criminals, to find that I 
 had missed the pleasure of paying my Regards to your 
 Son, who, it seems passed through this town in my 
 absence. 
 
 December 21st 1761. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I am apt to think a Peace, will as you formerly men- 
 tioned to me make them produce good Interest for money 
 in the end. Should that event happen, as I am still 
 inclined to see England once more, I shall take a trip
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 49 
 
 over & see my old Friends, and examine how my young 
 Templers are going on. 
 
 Feby 15. 1762. To D. Barclay & Sons, 
 
 Give me leave to acknowledge your kindness & Civil- 
 ity to my Sons, but as I have long experienced many 
 Signal Instances of your Friendship, I shall not dwell on 
 this Subject. 
 
 Andrew & James are soliciting me very hard for an 
 Increase of their Allowance ; and their Uncle is of 
 Opinion that I should do it. 
 
 I must therefore in treat you to increase the same 50 
 a year to each of them. Though I fear it will enable 
 them to have more Avocations from their real Business, 
 the Study of the Law. If it should have that effect, it 
 would be very vexatious to me. I should be much 
 obliged to you, if you would be so kind as to give me 
 any Information you may receive how they spend their 
 Time, and whether the large Expense I am at will be 
 counter-waited by their good Behaviour and Dilligence. 
 
 Your Friend, our Governor has hitherto, had an easy 
 and peaceable Administration, our late Factioneers 
 having much less weight in the Assembly than formerly; 
 what Effect their Chief, Mr Franklin's Return among 
 them may produce, must be left to time. One would 
 fain hope his almost insatiable ambition is pretty near 
 Satisfied by his parading about England &c. at the prov- 
 ince's Expense for these five years past, which now 
 appears in a different Light to our patriots than formerly 
 especially, as he has already stayed near two years longer; 
 than they expected ; a sample of which is their refusing 
 to put the Second Sum received from the Crown into his 
 Hands a matter to which I did not a little contribute.
 
 50 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 April 12 1762. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I find London is a very expensive place ; and that my 
 Sons are like to spend me a good deal of more Money 
 than I expected; however I must be content ; the more 
 they spend now, the less they will have to receive, when 
 I go off the Stage. 
 
 I shall not grudge the expense in case they make good 
 Use of their Time. I am content, as I wrote you before 
 that my Sons Andrew and James should spend 250 
 each besides their Books, and beyond that I should not 
 chuse they should go : however, in case any unforseen 
 matter should happen, I shall leave it to your Discretion 
 to supply them with what may be absolutely necessary, 
 and be quite satisfied with what you do. But I must at 
 the same time give my Opinion that more than 250 
 will do them more harm I fear, than good, and furnish 
 them only with too many Avocations from their Studies. 
 * * * Pray be so good as to tell James, I have re- 
 ceived no Letter by the Pacquet from him, which does 
 not please me, of which please to inform him. I am 
 told they keep good Company, which I much approve 
 of; But I have told them much precious Time as well as 
 Money may be spent if they are too often in even good 
 Company. I depend on your Goodness to excuse the 
 Trouble I give you about my Children ; But the Anxiety 
 of a parent, I hope, will induce you to make allowances. 
 
 June 29 1762. A. Stuart to D. Barclay & Son. 
 
 This serves to inform you that Mr. Allen * * * 
 has been for a fortnight past in Eastou attending an 
 Indian Treaty, where he is like to remain a few days 
 longer, as he is not quite recovered from a Smart Fit of 
 the Q-out he was there seized with.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 51 
 
 October 10 1762. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I have received your letter of the 20th of May, by my 
 Son John, whose long stay in Bristol made me very ap- 
 prehensive he was taken, or lost ; his safe arrival has 
 given me great pleasure, and his Uncle and I, are both 
 well pleased with him, as he seems a good deal improved. 
 He expresses a high sense of your Goodness and Civili- 
 ties to him, for which I beg leave to return you my most 
 cordial Thanks, and request the Continuance of your 
 kindness & Friendship to his Brothers. I duly note 
 what you were pleased to mention about an Increase in 
 their Allowance, upon which subject I have received a 
 couple of Letters from Jemmy, to which have given him 
 an Answer. 
 
 Upon consulting their Uncle, who is always rather too 
 indulgent to them, he joins with me in Opinion that their 
 Allowance ought not to be increased, only in respect to 
 their Chamber Rent, which I request you will give them 
 money to pay to commence from the Beginning of their 
 entering them. 
 
 Mr Hamilton & I have employed Mr West to cop} r for 
 us a Number of the best Pictures in Italy, where he has 
 been very much indisposed, and his Sickness been so 
 expensive to him that he cannot continue there without 
 Cash be remitted to him. I have already supplied him 
 with 150 Sterling. Mr Hamilton has promised to give 
 me a Bill of Exchange for the like Sum in order to put 
 the young Fellow in Cash. I must therefore desire you 
 would immediately advise Messrs Jackson & Rutherford 
 of Leghorn that you will honor their Bills for any Sum 
 not exceeding 150 on Mr West's Account, and carry 
 the same when paid to my Debit. We have such an 
 extraordinary Account of Mr West's Genius in the
 
 52 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 painting Way that we venture to afford him these Sup- 
 plies, and for hislncouragement to take it out in Copies. 
 
 October 30 1762. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 As I have lately wrote fully to my Sons, I beg only 
 you will tell them we are all well and have escaped a 
 Sickness, that for some time, was alarmiug, being 
 a Species of the Yellow Fever. The Town is at present 
 clear of that infectious Disease. 
 
 December 4 1762. To Wm Hopkins , Paul's Church 
 Yard, London. 
 
 I herewith inclose you a Bill of Lading for a Box 
 containing 104 Sorts of the Seeds of the Forest Trees and 
 Shrubs &c of this Country for my Lord Gage. 
 
 December 4 1762. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I should have chose to have made you further Remit- 
 tances in the same specie, but hear that the Quantity 
 taken in the Hermione has greatly reduced the price of 
 Silver, and the Reduction of the Havannah will, no 
 doubt, still keep it down, and perhaps lower it still more, 
 so that probably it will be no advantageous Remittance. 
 I am glad to find that the Stocks have risen, but by 
 what you write, and by other advices, a peace is not far 
 off, which makes it not adviseable to buy in any more 
 Stock ; I shall therefore decline any further thoughts of 
 increasing my Interest in that way. 
 
 Should that desirable Event of a Peace happen, I have 
 still some thoughts of taking a Trip to England, tho' it 
 begins to be late in Life for me to be travelling, having 
 now and then some Attacks of the Gout ; tho', in other 
 Respects, I retain a great Share of Health. I spent a
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 53 
 
 good part of my Youth in England, which makes me 
 have an earnest desire, once more, to revisit it, and I 
 firmly believe I shall, tho' the Governor and some other 
 of my friends laugh when I talk of it. 
 
 I wrote you so fully in relation to my Son's Allowance 
 for their Support, that I think it unnecessary to say any 
 thing further upon that Head at present. If I come 
 over, I shall regulate all that matter and prevent you 
 from any further Trouble from their Solicitations on that 
 Head. I would cheerfully let them have as much money 
 as I think will do them good ; but not so much as would 
 give them too many Avocations from their Studies. 
 
 My Son John is returned and his Behaviour gives me 
 pleasure. Tho' he has spent me some Cash, yet it seems 
 that he has had the advantage of seeing the World & 
 keeping good Company. When I mention him give me 
 leave to acquaint you that he has by this Opportunity 
 sent some of his Friends three Boxes of the Seeds of the 
 Forest Trees & Shrubs of this Country, which I beg you 
 would be so good as to take care of and deliver to John 
 Mytton, Edward Sonthwell and Thomas Wynn, Esq. 
 when they call for them. 
 
 Philadelphia 12 Dec 1762. Mr Thos Simpson. 
 
 I do not know that any thing gave me more uneasi- 
 ness than the Mishap of the Lands first Surveyed. I 
 was impowered by your Father to survey, and locate the 
 Rights of Land I purchased for him whilst I was in 
 England. Those in this Province, after the Rights were 
 located, I bought of him, and gave him twenty-five 
 pounds more than the whole cost him, viz the Third of 
 Propriety in West New Jersey and fifteen hundred Acres 
 in Pennsylvania. With regard to a Third of a propriety, 
 being upwards of 6000 Acres, I employed a person, Mr
 
 54 THE BUED PAPERS. 
 
 John Budd, who was always esteemed an honest Man, 
 and well acquainted with with the Jerseys, where he 
 lived, and employed by Mr Penn's Family to take up 
 large Quantities of Land for them, to survey the Land 
 your Father was entitled to, and gave him very partic- 
 ular Directions to chuse out the best Spots that were to 
 be had, and to have the Surveys regularly recorded in 
 the proper Offices, which he accordingly did, and I sent 
 copies of the said Surveys to your good Father. The 
 Information I had from the person employed, and from 
 many others, was, that the Lands were very good, and 
 that, in time they would come to be of great value, tho' 
 then they were remote from the Inhabitants. 
 
 About seven, or eight years since upon examining the 
 the Lines that divide East & West Jersey, by the Pro- 
 prietors of both Divisions, it was found that the Lands 
 Surveyed for Mr. Simpson were in East Jersey, whereas 
 they should have been surveyed in West Jersey. Upon 
 which those that had rights to East Jersey Lands sur- 
 veyed them for their own use. as if they had been vacant, 
 which has deprived the Estate of any Benefit from the 
 former Location, and has rendered that Interest of little 
 Value, there being now left only the Right of taking up 
 the Land in West Jersey, where there are no Vacancies 
 except miserable Barrens. 
 
 This unhappy Case was not the Lot of your Family 
 only, but also happened to a very great Number of other 
 People many of which resided at, or near the Places and 
 Tracts of Land they had taken up, and consequently 
 were less liable to be mistaken in the Bounds of the two 
 Divisions. 
 
 Some hundred thousand Acres of Land either have 
 been totally lost to the Owners of them, or they have 
 been obliged to buy Rights to East Jersey Lands, and to
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 55 
 
 survey & return them anew to the East Jersey Offices. 
 When this matter was discovered East Jersey Rights 
 rose in value treble what they were before, on account of 
 the number of people that wanted to save their Land. 
 
 The Proprietors of East Jersey were just enough by 
 proclamation to give all the unhappy Sufferers two years 
 Time to buy Eastern Rights to cover their former Sur- 
 veys. Sundry people as I said before, made use of that 
 Opportunity, whereas many others on account of the 
 high price of Eastern Rights, chose rather to lose their 
 Lands than by those Rights. 
 
 Your Father's Lands were good, and had he been 
 living, I would have apprised him of this matter, and 
 taken his directions ; But as the affairs of the Family 
 were situated, 1 did not think it advisable to lay out the 
 sum of 2000 Sterling, which would Scarce have been 
 Sufficient to save the Lands, especially as they would 
 have been liable to have been sold for the benefit of his 
 Creditors, and I perhaps puzzled to have got the money 
 again in such an intricate affair. * * * Your Father's 
 Lands there (East Jersey) are now in the possession of 
 persons who, after the two years were elapsed, had them 
 surveyed to their own use as East Jersey Lands. 
 
 March 7th 1763. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 My Sons' Expenses I think to be more than I am will- 
 ing they should continue to spend ; I am sure they are 
 more, by near one half, than I was allowed, and I lived 
 handsomely, and kept as good Company as they can do, 
 and never left any Trades Men's Bills unpaid. 
 
 As I have, by Bolitho, mentioned to you what I was 
 willing to allow them, after a Consultation with their 
 Uncle, I need not say any thing further on this Head, 
 only that in what you have hitherto exceeded my Limits
 
 56 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 with regard to their Expenses, as I am confident you 
 have done it for the best; I do cheerfully agree to it. I 
 am very sensible of the Trouble you must have from the 
 Solicitations of my Youngsters, and reckon myself much 
 obliged to you for your many Acts of kindness extended 
 to them, of which shall always retain a grateful Sense. 
 As I propose coming over in Budden, I shall, as I 
 wrote you, settle all matters with my Boys about their 
 Allowance, at the same time have an Opportunity of 
 paying my regards to you. Mr Alexander Barclay pro- 
 posed to me to send his Son & to put him under my Care 
 during the Voyage, which 1 readily agreed to, and hope 
 to deliver him safe into the Hands of you his Relations. 
 * * * I flatter myself with the Pleasure of seeing 
 vou Sometime in June. 
 
 Sept 25 1764. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 But upon examining the Same, (the Account) I find 
 my Son's Expenses exceed much any thing I could have 
 imagined ; it was full time to put an end to it ; I hope 
 they will turn their Thoughts to Business, and think of 
 getting money for their future Subsistence, and become 
 useful to themselves, and their Country. 
 
 Our People's Thoughts are employed entirely upon 
 the approaching Elections, both Sides seem confident of 
 Success ; but from what I hear, there will be a change of 
 the Members. I shall not intermeddle, nor be in the 
 Town the day of the Election ; I hope the Peace will be 
 preserved : yet, from the mutual Heats, it is to be feared 
 there will be warm work. The Serious Friends seem to 
 be dissatisfied with the Intention to change the Govern- 
 ment, and very probably, Mr Hunt's advice may have 
 weight with such ; The younger folks are, I think, too
 
 ALLEN'S LETTEKS. 57 
 
 much under the Influence of that Disturber of the Peace, 
 Franklin, & his Creatures. 
 
 Upon a motion of mine in the House, the Committee 
 of Correspondency were ordered to lay before the Mem- 
 bers, their Letter to Mr. Jackson relative to the Petition 
 to the King for a Change of Government, which being 
 produced, I had almost lost my usual patience, for it 
 contained many Scandalous Reflections upon the Judges 
 and Magistrac} 7 , as if Justice could not be obtained in 
 the Province, owing to the Proprietary Influence, and 
 their being appointed by them. I told them this was a 
 poor Return for our long & faithful Services ; that we 
 never had desired our Office, but served in them for no 
 lucrative Motives, but from a Sense of Duty ; that we 
 never had, nor ever would be under any Influence but 
 that of Justice, and I defied them to point out one In- 
 stance to the contrary ; That I had served the Public for 
 thirty-five years in Courts of Justice, and that I did not 
 remember two Proprietary Law Suits ; That their Letter 
 contained many infamous Falsehoods, which I was ready 
 to make out. I was answered that they never intended 
 to reflect on us ; That they owned we were honest men, 
 but that bad Men might come after us, and that, tho' the 
 Proprietors brought no Actions hitherto, they might 
 bring 10,000. They were told that would be owing to 
 the Injustice of those who with-held their due from 
 them ; that it was time to complain when they suffered 
 any wrong. The whole of these Clamours are owing to 
 the Malice of Franklin & Galloway, who have a great 
 deal to answer for plunging the Province into Confusion. 
 
 I hope, & believe their reign is short, and am persuaded 
 all their Efforts for further Mischief will be, in a great 
 measure prevented in time to come, whatever way the 
 next Elections are determined, for the People begin to
 
 58 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 open their Eyes daily, and they would scarce be so hardy 
 as to attempt the Same Measures again. My coming in, 
 and the News I brought, has made them much down in 
 the Mouth, and several violent measures have already, in 
 the House of Assembly, been rendered abortive ; Tho' it 
 is composed chieliy of Franklin's Creatures, and such as 
 have been hitherto deluded. So much for Politicks. 
 
 I have likewise taken the freedom to inclose 
 a Letter to that worthy Patriot, Mr. Pitt, and to send a 
 Box of Pine Buds for him, directed to your care, which 
 please to send to him. I have not the Honor of being 
 known to him, but, as I hear he is much troubled with 
 the Gout, I have taken the freedom to recommend the 
 Use of them, to him. 
 
 You mention some Proposal made to me when at 
 Portsmouth, which I do not recollect : Matters must 
 subside before a Bank can take place, which, I hope, will 
 not be long. Pray request your Mr John Barclay, to 
 inform me whether his friend, Sir John Fielding, has 
 taken any Steps to recover my Black Girl, or whether 
 there is any Account of her 
 
 My Daughters desire their Compliments to you, and 
 request you would discharge Mrs Lamar's Account with 
 them, and that you would send them a couple of Pair of 
 fashionable Paste- Buckles, and a Leather Hunting- 
 woman's Saddle, being for my Daughter Margaret, who, 
 I presume, would be in the Fashion, when she rides. 
 
 Philada 25 Septr 1764. 
 Sir; 
 
 Tho' I have not the Honor of being known to you, yet 
 I am no Stranger to your eminent & virtuous Character, 
 nor to the great Service you have rendered your Country.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 59 
 
 "We have greatly partook of your Salutary Councils in 
 this part of the World ; whilst you was in "the Ministry, 
 you revived our drooping Spirits; and to you it is in a 
 great measure owing that our Properties are Secure, and 
 an insolent Enemy that threatened to drive us into the 
 Sea, were themselves conquered. We should be the 
 most ungrateful of men did we not love & highly respect 
 so worthy a Patriot. This we all do with great Sincerity 
 of Heart, and pray God your precious Life may long he 
 preserved, and that your Health may enable you to ren- 
 der your Country still further Service. 
 
 I am one who have for fourteen years past been afflicted 
 with the Gout ; and as I perceive by the public papers 
 you are visited with that malady, I have taken the free- 
 dom to send you some of the Pine Buds, which, being 
 made into a Tea, have been of infinite Service to me & 
 many others in this part of the World. It is the Tar- 
 Water, without the heating Quality, and has many other 
 Vertues superadded to that Remedy ; it is perfectly 
 innocent, is an alterative, & must be used for a length of 
 time. I have taken it pretty constantly for my Break- 
 fast, for these Seven years past. Before I used it, I had 
 two or three fits of the Gout every year, but now have it 
 only once in eighteen Months, & the Fits but very Light. 
 It will not cure the Gout, but will render it less frequent, 
 & the fits easy. It is much esteemed by all the Physi- 
 cians in our parts, is prescribed in Gouty, Rheumatic, & 
 Asmahtic Cases, for all Disorders in the Breast : As it 
 is vastly diuretic, it is likewise very useful in the 
 Gravel. 
 
 I am lately returned to my Native Country from 
 England, where I Spent a twelve-month, and carried over
 
 60 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 with me about fifty weight, which I distributed to sun- 
 dry Physicians & other Gentlemen. The Physicians had 
 a high Opinion of it, particularly Dr Fothergil. I gave 
 some of it to the present Ld Chancellor, & to my Ld 
 Ellebauk, & to sundry Gentlemen at the Club at Saun- 
 ders, of which place I was a Member. If you will be 
 pleased to get any of your Friends to enquire of the Gen- 
 tlemen I have named, you will be informed of its Quali- 
 ties. I never knew it fail of rendering Service to such 
 persons as have used it for any time. It helps Digestion, 
 promotes an Appetite, and inclines greatly to Sleep ; It 
 is the finest preparation of Turpentine, and I do not 
 know that it can be injurious to any person, but such as 
 are afflicted with the Stone, to whom it may possibly 
 give pain by its being rather too forcing. I gave some 
 of it to Mr. Penn, the Proprietor of Pennsylvania, and 
 as he had the largest Quantity, he no doubt gave some of 
 it to others, and can inform you what Effects it had upon 
 such as made use of it. The Quantity I have sent will 
 be sufficient for a year or two. If by any means I can 
 be acquainted that you receive Benefit by the Buds, I 
 will yearly supply you with any Quantity. They are 
 gathered in this Climate between the 20th Feby & 20th 
 March. In order to receive the more immediate Benefit, 
 it would be best, for a couple of Months to take about a 
 pint of the Tea twice a day, afterwards once a day will 
 be Sufficient, indeed the Tea may be omitted now & 
 then for a week or two; But I rarely miss having it for 
 my Breakfast, as by long use it is pleasanter to me than 
 any other kind of Tea. 
 
 As I have no other Motive for taking this Freedom, 
 but a desire to contribute all in my power towards you r 
 Health & Ease, I beg therefore you would so good as to
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 61 
 
 excuse, & make the proper Allowance for the Zeal & 
 Affection of, 
 Sir, 
 
 Your Most Obedt Humble Servant 
 
 William Allen. 
 To 
 
 The Pa Hon.ble 
 Wm. Pitt, Esq. 
 London. 
 
 Get 24 1764. To Rob. Davis, Bookseller in Piccadilly. 
 
 I have sent you two Bushels ef Timothy Grass Seed, 
 for Mr. Roaque, from whom please to receive the Cost of 
 the same being 3. 0. 6d Stg. The demand for that 
 Seed has been so great, I believe chiefly for England, 
 that it has risen to an enormous price. I should be glad 
 you would continue to send me the Magazines, at least 
 the two Sorts you lately sent, and any curious Pamph- 
 lets, or Books ; and you may depend whenever you send 
 me your Accounts, that I will give you Orders on Messrs 
 Barclay in Cheapside to pay off the same. 
 
 I have been speaking to an honest careful man here to 
 send you next Summer a large Quantity of the Pine 
 Buds ; and I tell him that you & he are to be joint 
 Sharers in what Profits may arise upon the Sale of them. 
 If this proposal is agreeable to you, it will be an encour- 
 agement to the man, whose name is James Alexander ; 
 he is one of our curious Botanists, and Supplies many of 
 the Nobility with Seeds of the Trees & Shrubs of 
 America. As the Buds cannot be gathered till March 
 next, you will have time to consider whether the Man's 
 Terras are agreeable to you ; Should you come into this 
 proposal I believe Alexander will send you a large
 
 62 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Quantity, perhaps a couple of Thousand Weight, or if he 
 cannot supply that Quantity, some others may on the 
 same Terms. 
 
 I have an account that my Ld Chancellor, and my Ld 
 Chief- Just ice Pratt have both received considerable Ben- 
 efit since I left England, by the Use of them, which has 
 emboldened me to send about three Gallons of them to 
 that worthy Patriot, Mr. Pitt, out of my own Stock 
 gathered last Spring. 
 
 Get 24 1764. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 You have Copies of my Letters to Mr. Peiiu & Mr 
 Jackson which will apprise you with the State of Aftairs 
 in the Province. 
 
 Franklin has still so great hold of the Country Mem- 
 bers that he is like to be appointed joint Agent with Mr. 
 Jackson, which, I believe, will be done this Evening. 
 
 The Serious Friends at length begin to be alarmed, 
 but unhappily for the Province they seem to have as 
 little weight with the Members of the Counties of Bucks 
 & Chester, who with a few others compose a Majority of 
 the House, as any other sober persons. 
 
 I wish your Mr David Barclay junior would inform 
 my Ld Hide what Sort of a man Franklin is; as you are 
 so well acquainted with his Character I need not men- 
 tion it. 
 
 November 20 1764. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 This comes by our worthy Friend Mr. Hamilton, who 
 is advised by our Physicians, again to visit London on 
 account of a Disorder that he has on his Nose, which, 
 they are somewhat apprehensive may turn to a Cancer, 
 as his Mother & Sister were afflicted with that Malady ; 
 all his Friends have concurred with th$ Doctors in per-.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 63 
 
 suading him to take the Voyage. lie will, with you, 
 have the Assistance of the most able Physicians & Sur- 
 geons God grant that he may meet with Relief, and 
 that he may return in good Health among his Friends 
 again. He is well acquainted with all Occurrences here, 
 so that it is needless for me to say much upon these 
 matters : Only, thus far let me tell you, that I took all 
 the pains in my power to reconcile our Differences, hut 
 had not so much Success as I could wish : I have hereby 
 drawn on me the Resentment of the contentious, partic- 
 ularly of the grand Incendiary, Franklin, who, the day 
 before he left Town, published a very abusive paper, 
 chiefly levelled against me, in which he takes Notice of 
 a Letter of yours to Abel James, insinuating that I had 
 been impowered by the Proprs. to settle ye Disputes 
 between them & the People ; and that I had neglected 
 so to do ; that I had wrote traiterous papers, and dis- 
 tributed them among the Dutch ; whereas, in truth, I 
 never wrote any paper, nor even read any of the Scurri- 
 lous Papers published on each Side, did not even go out 
 the day of Election, nor give my vote. The Occasion of 
 the base fellow's Malice at this Time against me, I pre- 
 sume, was owing to his hearing that a great many people 
 came to consult me what part they had best act in the 
 then ensuing Election, and that I had advised them 
 against a Change of Government, & consequently to vote 
 against the Authors of that attempt, which he imagines- 
 was the Occasion of his losing his Election. Indeed one 
 of his partizans told me that if I had remained in 
 England they would have carried their Election by 500 
 Votes. He has filled his papers w r ith Sundry other 
 infamous Falsehoods. He is so bad a man that I hope 
 he will not receive any Countenance from honest Men in 
 England. John Hunt, with whom I have conversed
 
 64 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 here, will, no <loubt inform his Friends of the Disposition 
 & Temper of our people here ; I am told he laboured to 
 bring them to another Mind, &, I believe prevailed on 
 sundry of the serious People, but the Bulk had suffered 
 themselves to be so far inflamed that they were not easily 
 to be reclaimed ; I am, however, not without hopes these 
 Matters will subside, as the Heads of the Faction are 
 removed out of the Assembly, and the City & County of 
 Philadelphia are, in a great Measure, rescued out of their 
 Hands, and it is expected their Creatures will probably 
 lose their Elections the next year in the other Counties, 
 as many people are daily convinced of their bad Designs, 
 and if that should happen peace would be restored among 
 us, which God grant. For which Reasons I would fain 
 hope the Proprietors would be induced to keep the Gov- 
 ernment. I know Mr Hamilton has so long experienced 
 our People's factious Dispositions, that he used to think 
 it would be best to give them up to the Crown. His 
 Friends here have requested him not to advise such a 
 measure, and I entreat you would concur with me in 
 persuading him to use his Interest with the proprietary 
 Family not to part with the Rights of Government, & 
 for their Incouragement, I can say they never had a 
 greater Number of Warm Friends than at present, for 
 the fear of losing our Charter Rights, which it is impos- 
 sible we should keep under the Crown (or at least the 
 most valuable of them) makes people here much attached 
 to them, and it seems a Sort of Madness in your Friends 
 not to be in the same Disposition ; But I hope they will 
 change their Sentiments & see their true Interest, which 
 is not so like effected by anything so soon as by the 
 wholesome advice of Friends in England. * * * 
 
 I desire if your Cooper thinks it (a pipe of Wine) very 
 good, and not otherwise, to let Colonel Barre have it, I
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 65 
 
 having promised to send a pipe to him to be divided 
 between my Ld Shellborn and him, in return for some 
 presents he made me. * * # 
 
 No doubt you will hear fully of the low Ebb of Trade, 
 which is distressed exceedingly ; even the Intercourse 
 between here & New Jersey is, in a great Measure inter- 
 rupted, which was carried on in Flats & small Boats, 
 and the Produce of the Western part of that Colony 
 shipped off from this City , But now, one of those poor 
 fellows cannot take in a few Staves, or Pig Iron, or Bar 
 Iron, or Tar &c., but they must go thirty or forty Miles, 
 or more to give Bond, the Charge of which & his trav- 
 elling, make the Burthen intollerable. 
 
 It never was the Intention of the Legislature at home 
 to destroy this little River-Trade, which is carried on in 
 a kind of Market Boats, but their Regulations were only 
 for Sea Vessels. This is a general Complaint all over 
 the Continent ; Such Measures will soon make us poor, 
 but our Creditors in England will suffer with us. We 
 must learn Frugality and make all our necessaries our- 
 selves, for we shall soon not be able to get them any 
 other way, as our Money is gone, and our Credit will 
 soon be at on end. 
 
 December 19, 1764. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I hope this will find our mutual Friend, Mr Hamilton, 
 safe arrived in good health. His Friends here are very 
 desirous that he would exert himself in detecting the 
 vile aspersions, which that artful man lately gone from 
 hence will throw up on the good people here, who 
 would soon be at peace, & be sensible of their own Hap- 
 piness under our excellent Constitution, was it riot for
 
 66 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 him, & his Adherents, who delight to fish in troubled 
 Waters. 
 
 Should the Stocks take a favorable Turn, I should be 
 pleased to have mine sold, but leave that to your better 
 Judgment, for as you are on the Spot, you can guess 
 whether they are like to rise or fall ; if there is no pros- 
 pect of their advancing, the sooner you sell them the 
 better, for I can make a better Interest of my money 
 here ; And as our Money is yearly sinking, it will, as it 
 grows less, improve in value ; But, tho' our Paper 
 Money, owing to its Scarcity, may do so, yet our Real 
 Estates will much decline, and they sensibly fall in their 
 value already, many Estates being sold, & few Buyers*.. 
 
 This, in a great measure, is owing to the Act of Par- 
 liament passed last winter, which lays so many Difficul- 
 ties upon our Trade, prohibits the Exportation of Lum- 
 ber, Iron, &c. that it will be scarce possible to make 
 Remittances, which I can, without a Gift of Prophecy, 
 say, will soon be perceived by the London Merchts,, & 
 by all the Manufacturers in England. 
 
 I have by this Opportunity sent a Box of Magnolia 
 Roots for my Lord Gage, from whom I received great 
 Civilities, and have taken the Freedom to address them 
 to your care. 
 
 March 15 1765. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 Mr. Penn writes me he never received the Pine Buds, 
 that came by Robertson, whilst I was at Portsmouth^ 
 please to enquire of Robertson, if he should be at Lon- 
 don when this comes to hand what he did with them, he 
 said when he was here that he delivered them to you, it 
 is but a Trifle, but I am not a little vexed at his Care-
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 67 
 
 lessness, as I had promised to supply My Ld Chancellor, 
 and several other great Men by that Canal of Mr. Penn. 
 
 May 12th 1765. To Farmer & Galton, Birmingham. 
 
 I have your * * kind present of the Gun, & ye 
 
 Foils, <fe Files ; every body admires the curious Work- 
 manship of the Gun. * * * 
 
 We could with the works we now have make 500 
 Tuns (of Iron) a year, which we might increase as we 
 have proper Situations for erecting more Works, and 
 the Body of Ore is so large as never to be exhausted. 
 
 May 19 1765. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I think we have a gloomy Prospect before us, as there 
 are of late some Persons failed, who were no way Sus- 
 pected, and a probability of some others, as the whisper 
 goes, but what foundation there may be, I cannot say ; 
 My Friendship for your worthy House inclines me to 
 hint this much to you, as I know you are connected with 
 a great many people here ; The Difficulty of making 
 Remittances, must, of course, distress our Merchants tho' 
 otherwise good & able to discharge their Ingagements. 
 I conceive that our Money, which is yearly decreasing 
 in Quantity, will rather rise in Value, which, as I form- 
 erly wrote, together with the Difference of Interest 
 induces me to take my Money out of the Stocks, and 
 invest it in good Security here. 
 
 Oct 14 1765. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 We are in a very anxious and critical Situation at 
 present about the Stamp Act. As I have wrote to our 
 mutual Friend, Mr Hamilton fully on that head, beg 
 leave to refer you to him for further Information. Our 
 Harvest was very plentiful, not a better being ever
 
 68 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 known, it is to be hoped our Merchants will be able to 
 make some considerable Remittances to the People they 
 are indebted to at Home, as they are like to Ship Con- 
 siderably up the Streights, where they are advised Corn 
 will be in demand. 
 
 I am now to request a favor of you in behalf of my 
 Cousin Mr. Joseph Shippen, the Secretary of this 
 Province. He remitted a twelvemonth ago * * * 
 50 Sterling to Mr. Anthony Bacon to procure him 
 thirty-Six Mediterranean Passes, but has never received 
 a Line from him. * * * I beg therefore you would 
 procure for him twenty four Mediterranean passes, and 
 that you would transmit them to him by the first Oppor- 
 tunity. In this Matter, you will not only oblige Mr 
 Shippen and me, but all the Merchants of the Place, who 
 are under the greatest Difficulties for want of them. 
 
 [Attached to this letter was the following memoran- 
 dum of furniture wanted in the handwriting of Anne 
 Allen.] 
 
 3 Curtains of a bright crimson Silk & Worsted furni- 
 ture Damask. The dimension of the "Window is as 
 follows. The Height of the Window below the Cornice 
 is ten feet six inches, & the breadth is 4 feet two Inches. 
 The Curtains to be made up in the newest fashion. 2 
 oval Looking Glasses with papier Mach'e frames. A 
 Wilton Carpet for a room of 27 feet & an half, by twenty 
 five feet. Allowance must be made for the projection of 
 the Chimney. I suppose there are Wilton Carpets of 
 various degrees of goodness, but we should require one 
 of a very moderate price. The size of it must be left to 
 Mr. Barclay. 4 low price fashionable Chandeliers.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 69 
 
 December 15 1765. To Samuel Walker & Son, Roth- 
 erham. 
 
 If your Son continues in the Mind, or has any distant 
 Thoughts of visiting America, I shall readily render him 
 all the Service in my power. Were he here at present 
 we should readily employ him as Manager of our lower 
 Works, called Union, being what I proposed to you & 
 him whilst in England. Mr Hackett removes in April 
 to Andover with his Family, and is to take care of those 
 Works only. We had agreed with one, Mr. Hick, a 
 Friend of Mr Cockshals, that lived some time with 
 Capel Handbury. Esq., from whom he had ample Rec- 
 ommendations, as a person fully qualified to manage a 
 Furnace or Forge, the former of which for these three 
 years past, he had the care of in Maryland. As Mr 
 Hacket was not for some Months to remove, we began 
 with putting the Forge into his Hands, with which, I 
 am sorry to say, he was entirely unacquainted ; And 
 should he want skill with regard to the Furnace, which 
 I believe not to be the case, as he has managed one for 
 the time I mention in Maryland, But as he is, tho' a 
 young man, weakly, and troubled with the Gout& Rheu- 
 matism, and from bodily Infirmities not able to go 
 through the active Life that Business requires I say for 
 these Reasons, I think it will not be well judged to 
 appoint him our Manager, for both, which we intended. 
 
 Besides his want of Health, he has a Wife quite unfit 
 for Iron Works, as she appears to be a fine Lady & 
 expects to live with a Delicacy not common in these 
 parts of the World, especially at Iron Works, either in 
 England or here The Mistress of such a Family as ours 
 ought not to wear Silks, nor spend much of her time in 
 decking her person, or dressing her head, but rather by 
 Care endeavour all she can to promote Oeconomy & Fru-
 
 70 .. THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 gality. We shall therefore, tho' with Reluctance, be 
 obliged to part' with Mr Hick, when his year is up, as 
 we think him a Sensible Man, and, was he not thus cir- 
 cumstanced, might be useful in Overseeing the Furnace, 
 which indeed is not very mystesioi^s only requiring 
 Assiduity & Care. 
 
 Mr Lea, whom you call the young Slitter has now the 
 care of the Slitting Mill, and has brought it into good 
 Order, making every thing much better than our former 
 Slitter. * * * If you could j^ecommend to us a sober 
 skillful man, that will undertake the care of the Forge 
 at Union, we shall willingly allow him Sixty Pounds 
 Sterling a year, and if he behaves well, will increase his 
 wages ten or fifteen pounds more, after we find he is 
 deserving of Incouragement. 
 
 December 16, 1765. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 
 I could take up your time in giving you an Account 
 of our Distresses in these parts of the World, but as from 
 your many Correspondents, you must be fully apprised 
 of these matters it appears needless ; I take the Freedom 
 however to recommend to you a Pamphlet that States 
 the Dispute between the Mother-Country & us in a mas- 
 terly manner, & clearly Shows that we are already 
 severely taxed I think it is the most likely to open the 
 Eyes of the People of England, especially the mercantile 
 part, on whose Knowledge of these matters, & on whose 
 Connections with us, Americans, we have our chief 
 Hopes and Dependance If we are undone, which will 
 be the Case inevitably if different Measures are not pur- 
 sued, they must be very great Sufferers. I have sent by 
 Captain Powell One of the Pamphlets to be delivered to 
 you ; and many others have from Maryland, (where the
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 71 
 
 Author is supposed to live) New York, & this place been 
 forwarded to Gentlemen in England. 
 
 June 20, 1766. To Robert Davis, Bookseller, Picca- 
 dilly. 
 
 I should be glad you would continue to send me 
 yearly any curious Books, or Pamphlets that may be 
 published, leaving it to your judgment, not doubting but 
 they will be of such sort as will amuse me, & not be trash, 
 or the common Catch-penny Publications. 
 
 October 12th 1767. To Robert Davis, Bookseller, 
 Piccadilly. 
 
 I received likewise the two Boxes of Books, but I beg 
 leave to inform you that the person you employed to 
 pack them up, has done it with little care, as the Annual 
 Register instead of being for the last year, was for the 
 year 1764. Many of the Magazines & Reviews were of 
 last year, I mean above a twelvemonth old. I desire in 
 any future parcels you send me that the Magazines & 
 Reviews should not be of thoae that were publised above 
 three Months before; & should be glad to have them & 
 any curious pamphlets or Books lately printed : but, 
 among the numerous publications there are, you very 
 well know, a great deal of Trash, not worth reading ; I 
 "shall therefore depend on your Judgment to send for the 
 future such only as will afford me Entertainment. 
 
 Nov 8 1767. To D. Barclay & Sons. 
 The Safe Arrival of our mutual Friend, Mr Hamilton, 
 has given all those with whom he has Connections, and
 
 72 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 indeed all the respectable part of our Inhabitants great 
 pleasure. We parted with him in great Anxiety, on 
 Account of the Disorder he was troubled with, which, 
 in two Instances, had been fatal to his Family ; But the 
 seeing him returned among us in perfect Health, espec- 
 ially as we have had very violent Gales of wind at the 
 time we were hourly expecting him has been an addi- 
 tional Satisfaction. 
 
 I have this last week had a Letter from a worthy 
 Friend of mine in New York, who bewails the critical 
 Circumstances of that province. He says there is a 
 general Disposition in the people there to recommend 
 themselves to their Sovereign & their Mother Country, 
 by a dutiful and peaceful Behaviour, and would fain 
 hope that the last Act to provide for the Military people 
 will be satisfactory ; tho' the Expence has been great & 
 May be much more so, if an additional Number of Troops 
 be quartered among them ; yet they are willing to 
 undergo it in any manner that will not cut up their Lib- 
 erties by the Roots. And I believe this is the general 
 Sentiment of all America. If we are to be subjected, 
 contrary to our own Consent, to the Impositions & 
 Caprice of every wicked Minister, or General, our Con- 
 dition will be quite miserable, especially as we have 
 heretofore thought ourselves intitled to the Rights of 
 British Subjects, and were desirous of Showing our 
 Loyalty to our gracious King, by complying, in a legal 
 way, w r ith all the Requisitions made by him: And, in 
 this, a regard to Truth makes me say no province has 
 distinguished itself more than that of New York. During 
 the last War One fifth of their Inhabitants were obliged 
 by ther Acts of Assembly to take the Field with the 
 Regulars, and indeed most of the other Provinces exerted 
 themselves beyond their Abilities. A Sufficient Evidence
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 73 
 
 of this is the large Load of Debt we still labour under. 
 We imagined that this Conduct of ours, would place us, 
 with our Superiors, in a Light of Merit, and So we were 
 told by the Secretaries of State, which we judged was 
 the Canal by which his Majesty's Pleasure was signi- 
 fied to us. 
 
 To our great Mortification & Surprize we find that our 
 Trade is unusually Shackled, and Slavery has been 
 intended to be our Lot. A poor Reward, we conceive, 
 for doing what we with so much Cheerfulness have done. 
 If the late Measures are again adopted we shall probably 
 be ruined, but our Mother Country must be also greatly 
 injured, the truth of which time will, if this dreaded 
 Event happen, make manifest. 
 
 Our Assembly are very Sensible of the kind patronage 
 and friendship shown us by the Committee of Merchants, 
 and have ordered their Agents to return them their 
 warmest Thanks. Some Expressions in the Committee's 
 Letter to our Merchants recommending Submission in 
 points that they construed would be destructive of their 
 Libertys, and the fiar of disobliging them by any 
 Reasonings on these heads, prevented them from answer- 
 ing their Letters, and expressing their Gratitude for 
 their benevolent & kind Assistance afforded them in 
 their then distress. But I then thought, & now think, 
 that they did not Judge that matter well, as it must 
 appear in the Light of Ingratitude, when the Reasons < f 
 their not doing it would not be known. I beg pardon 
 for Saying so much on a Subject that has been so much 
 canvassed of late. 
 
 Our late Manager * * * had * * * mis- 
 managed our Concerns ; which together with the making
 
 74 THE BTJRD PAPERS. 
 
 Iron an enumerated Commodity, has made us not pleased 
 that we have imbarked so deeply in that way. 
 
 May 1st 1768. To Colin Drurnmond, Quebec. 
 
 I had the Honor to be known to your worthy Brother, 
 formerly in this part of the World, and had the pleasure 
 of his Acquaintance about 4 years Since in London, we 
 being next door Neighbours in Golden Square. 
 
 October 29 1768. To Dav id & John Barclay. 
 
 Give me leave to acknowledge your Sundry Favors, to 
 which I should have wrote Answers ; But, as I had 
 nothing material to trouble you with, I have been silent 
 for some time : But, as at present there seems to be a 
 black Cloud hanging over America, I crave your patience 
 in hearing my Sentiments of the present posture of 
 Affairs, and, give me leave to say, I am allowed to be 
 one of the most moderate of my Country men. 
 
 The gross Misrepresentations of Governor Bernard 
 (who, was his true Character as well known with you as 
 it is in America, would be little regarded) have very 
 undeservedly inflamed the Nation. I think, if the Indis- 
 cretion of the Mob be treasonable & rebellious, our fellow 
 Subjects in Britain may more justly be chargeable with 
 these Crimes than any Americans ; and they are more 
 excusable, when designing men, in order to curry favor 
 with the Ministry, are working up the Dregs of the 
 people to these follys; which has certainly been the Case. 
 The American Assemblies have done no Act, but that of 
 petitioning for Redress of Grievances, in which they are 
 unanimous in all the Colonies ; And as you may be 
 assured, that it is the determined Resolution of all
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 75 
 
 America not to take up Arms against their Mother 
 Country, and the only War they will wage with her, is 
 to curtail their Superfluities, & supply themselves with 
 Necessaries, which the unconstitutional Taxes & Duties, 
 as they conceive them to be, disable them from importing 
 from England ; and, upon the whole, to have as little 
 Intercourse as possible, in the Trading Ways, with their 
 unkind Mother, who, at present, they say, treats them as 
 Slaves, and not as Children. We have in this Province, 
 been willing to wait with patience till the Nation was 
 better informed, & doubted not the Interest of the Mother 
 Country, so closely connected with ours, would at length 
 cause our Hardships to be taken off'. But we stand 
 amazed at the sending over Men of War & Soldiers at a 
 great expense to the Nation to tight Windmills. When- 
 ever they come, or in what Numbers, they will find the 
 Americans as peaceable, I might say, much more so than 
 the people of England, & might add, much more vir-" 
 tuous, consequently very tenacious of their Liberties, but 
 that only in a Constitutional Way. We are assured that 
 things, if we continue in a State of Moderation, will 
 shortly be seen in their true light, and every thing be 
 put upon a just footing ; And that in the End we shall 
 be allowed to give our own Money, without which the 
 Wounds, ?iow open, will not heal for an Age to come. 
 
 The Distress on every body's mind, and on Mine 
 among others, makes me take the freedom to say thus 
 much, which I trust to your Goodness to excuse. * * * 
 Upon examining my Books, I found I had over run the 
 Constable. The fitting out my Children in the Matri- 
 monial way has been an expensive Job to me, tho' 
 attended with a high pleasure to see them well settled. 
 
 * * * Our Mutual Friend, Mr. Coleman, is arrived
 
 76 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 in as good health as could be expected, and thinks him- 
 self quite relieved from his Cancerous Complaint. 
 
 My Daughter, Margaret, desires her Compliments to 
 Mrs. John Barclay, and begs she would choose her a 
 fashionable Silk for a Negligee, about the price of that 
 sent to Miss Oswald. * * * I have placed yonr 
 Ancestor's Book in my Library, and return my hearty 
 Thanks to your worthy Father for the present of so 
 valuable an Edition of that excellent Performance. 
 
 November 7. 1769. To David & John Barclay. 
 
 My long Silence has not, in any manner, proceeded 
 from a want of an unfeigned Friendship, & a grateful 
 Sense of your many Kindnesses to me & my Family, 
 which have, and always will make a lasting Impression 
 on my Mind ; But that nothing occurred worthy of your 
 Notice. 
 
 I now beg leave to condole with you for the Loss of 
 your worthy Father. Instances of so great Merit, & 
 truly Christian Virtues are much too rare in this world, 
 lie died full of years, and those spent faithfully; and, 
 no doubt, receives the Reward of his Doings. I knew 
 him forty-six years, great part of which I had dealings 
 with him, during which time I always highly esteemed 
 him, & shall ever revere his Memory. 
 
 I know that you do not choose to have any Detail of 
 our internal Politics, for which reason have not, espec- 
 ially since my return from England, given you any 
 trouble that way ; I may, however, go so far as to tell 
 you, all our Contentions, which, you very well know, are 
 incident to free Countries, are quite subsided, at least for 
 a time.
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 77 
 
 The wrong-headed Schemes of your Side of the Water 
 have fully taken up our Attention, for so I may call 
 them, as they are very injurious to Britain, & ruinous to 
 us. Since I left England, the many Restrictions ou 
 Trade have greatly affected us. Our Debtors prove often 
 insolvent ; and if we sell the Estates of such as have any, 
 there appear to be few pr no Buyers ; and, if they are 
 sold, it is often at a third of what used to be thought the 
 value. Indeed I can assure you that property is lowered 
 near half its value in most of, if not all North America; 
 particularly Iron Works, in which Concern many people, 
 by the Incouragement from England, in taking off' the 
 Duties, had of late imbarked, have their Works in a 
 manner knocked up. The enumerating of that Commo- 
 dity has put most of our Works to a stand, and Mr 
 Turner & I intend to let ours, which is one of the most 
 considerable in America, lie still till better times. 
 
 I had a good deal of Conversation with Col. Scott, a 
 Member of Parliament, who last year travelled through 
 the Colonies, who agreed with me that most of the late 
 Commercial Regulations were absurd, & injurious to both 
 Countries ; and he with great Confidence assured me that 
 they would be repealed, and Matters put upon the old 
 System. The Ministry write our Governors that the 
 Duty on Paint & Glass will be repealed : But' such a 
 palliative will do little good, as they are Commodities 
 - which we can either procure among ourselves, or do 
 without. The Whole, late Commercial Regulations 
 must be done away, & things put iivtheir former Chan- 
 nel, or our Grievances will be redressed only in name. 
 However, many judicious people among us are Sanguine 
 in their hopes that" their present Oppressions & Distresses 
 will, in the end, be useful to us, & will teach us the 
 necessity of more Industry & Frugality. They,, say the
 
 78 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Work is already begun; and that it things remain 
 in their present State for a very few years, good will risi- 
 out. of evil; That it, is likely to be excellent Physic to 
 the Body Politic. Our people have left oft' going to the 
 Stores to buy what they usually took up, which they 
 now make in their own Families. The Storekeeper* 
 universally complain that they do not vend one half of 
 tn~e Goods the}- used to do. Even the lawyers alledge 
 their business is in a manner at an end, as there are very 
 few Contracts, of course few Lawsuits. 
 
 Upon the whole I believe it would be for the Interest 
 of these Colonies that these things should be continued 
 on us for some time. Tho' for want of Trade, we could 
 not grow rich ; yet, I believe we should be soon out of 
 Debt to Britain, as well as to our Merchants; And, I 
 think, more cautious for the future in plunging in to the 
 Luxury too common among us within these fifteen years 
 past. 
 
 Jany 4 1770. To Rob. Davis. 
 
 I some time since, received a small Package of Books? 
 Pamphlets, Magazines, &c. which I presume came from 
 you. * * * I have perused the several Tracts of 
 Husbandry, & some Letters from Mr Baldwin, which 
 gave me pleasure ; he describes some Instruments, or 
 Ploughs, in the Drillway and directs where they may be 
 had. I beg you would procure for me his Drill, Horse- 
 hoe, & Horse-ploughs and send them to the care of 
 Messrs Barclay to be forwarded to me, with some 
 directions how to use them if that should be uecessar}-. 
 * * * I must depend on your goodness to excuse me 
 for giving you this trouble, which I hope you will be so 
 kind as to do, as I am sure it would give you pleasure to
 
 ALLEN'S LETTERS. 79 
 
 have the useful hints in your Re Rustica put into 
 practice, even in this part of the World. Very few 
 persons in this Country have made more experiments in 
 the farming way than I have, and, in this latter Stage of 
 Life, my Books, & my little Farm are great part of my 
 Amusement. 
 
 Jany 4th 1770. To David & John Barclay. 
 
 My Daughter Margaret wants a couple of dozen of 
 white Silk Stockings ; please, therefore, to send them by 
 one of the first Spring Ships, and let them be Strong, 
 and somewhat larger than the middle Size. I presume 
 ere that time the Revenue Acts will be repealed, or I can 
 prevail on the Committee of Merchants to have them 
 delivered to her, or, at least part of them.
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 . A PROTEST 
 
 Presented to the 
 
 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, 
 
 By the Subscribers, at the Close of the late Debate there, 
 concerning the sending 
 
 MR. FRANKLIN 
 
 As an Assistant to our AGENT, at the Court of 
 Great-Britain. 
 
 We whose Names are hereunto subscribed, do object 
 and protest against the Appointment of the Person pro-
 
 82 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 posed as an Agent of this Province, for the following 
 reasons. 
 
 First. Because we believe him to be the Chief Author 
 of the Measures pursued by the late Assembly, which 
 have occasioned such Uneasiness and Destraction among 
 the good People of this Province. 
 
 Secondly. Because we believe his fixed enmity to the 
 Proprietors will preclude all Accommodations of our 
 Disputes with them, even on just and reasonable Terms; 
 So that for these two Reasons, we are filled with the 
 most affecting Apprehensions, that the Petitions lately 
 transmitted to England, will be made use of to produce 
 a Change of Government, contrary to the Intention of 
 the Petitioners ; the greatest part of whom, we are per- 
 suaded, only designed thereby to obtain a Compliance 
 with some equitable Demand. And thus, by such an 
 Appointment, we, and a vast Xumber of our most worthy 
 Constituents, are deprived of all hopes of ever seeing an 
 End put to the fatal Dissentions of ourCountrj' ; it being 
 our firm Opinion, that any further Prosecution of the 
 Measures for a Change of Government at this Time, will 
 la} T the Foundations of Unceasing Feuds, and all the 
 Miseries of Confusion, among the People we represent, 
 and their Posterity. This step gives us the more lively 
 Affliction, as it is taken at the very Moment, when we 
 are informed by a Member of this House, that the Gov- 
 ernor has assured Him of his having received Instructions 
 Irom the Proprietors, on their hearing of our late Dis- 
 pute, to give his Assent to the Taxation of their Estates 
 in the same manner that the Estates of other Persons are 
 to be taxed, and also to confirm, for the Public use, the
 
 PROTEST. 83 
 
 several Squares, formerly claimed by the City ; On which 
 Subjects, we make no doubt, the Governor would have 
 sent a Message to the House, if this had been the usual 
 Time of doing Business, and he had not been necessarily 
 absent to meet the Assembly of the lower Counties. 
 And therefore we cannot but anxiously regret that, at a 
 Time when the Proprietors have shown such a Dis- 
 position, this House should not endeavor to cultivate the 
 same, and obtain from them every reasonable Demand 
 that can be made on the part of the People ; in vigor- 
 ously insisting on which, we would most earnestly unite 
 with the rest of the House. 
 
 Thirdly. Because the Gentleman proposed, we are 
 informed, is very unfavorably thought of by several of 
 his Majesty's Ministers ; and we are humbly of Opinion, 
 that it will be disrespectful to our most Gracious Sov- 
 ereign, and disadvantageous to ourselves and our con- 
 stituents, to employ such a Person as Agent. 
 
 Fourthly. Because the Proposal of the Person men- 
 tioned, is so extremely disagreeable to a very great 
 X umber of the most serious and reputable Inhabitants of 
 this Province of all Denominations and Societies (one 
 Proof of which is, his having been rejected, both by this 
 City and County at the last Election, though he had 
 represented the former in Assembly for 14 Year) that we 
 are convinced no Measure this House can adopt, will 
 tend so much to inflame the Resentments and imbitter 
 the Divisions of the good People of this Province, as his 
 appointment to be our Agent And we cannot but sin- 
 cerely lament, that the Peace and Happiness of Pennsyl- 
 vania should be sacrificed for the Promotion of a Man,
 
 84 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 who cannot be advanced but by the Convulsion* of his 
 Country. 
 
 Fiftldy. Because the unnecessary haste with which 
 this House has acted in proceeding to this Appointment 
 (without making a small Adjournment, tlio' requested 
 by many Members, to consult our Constituents on the 
 Matters to be decided, and) even before their Speaker ban 
 been presented to the King's Representative, tho' we are 
 informed that the Governor will be in Town the Begin- 
 ning of next Week : may subject us to the Censures and 
 very heavy Displeasure of our most gracious Sovereign 
 and his Ministers. 
 
 Sixthly. Because the Gentleman propos'd has hereto, 
 fore ventured, contrary to an Act of Assembly, to place 
 the * public Money in the Stocks, whereby this Province 
 suttered a loss of .6000; and that Sum, added to .5000 
 granted for his Expense, makes the whole Cost of his 
 former Voyage to England, amount to ELEVEN THOUSAND 
 POUNDS; which expensive kind of Agency we do not 
 chuse to imitate, and burden the Public with unneces- 
 sary loads of Debt. For these and other Reasons we 
 should think ourselves guilty of betraying the Rights of 
 Pennsylvania, if we should presumptuously commit them 
 to the Discretion of a Man, against whom so many and 
 just Objections present themselves. 
 
 La&lly. We being extremely desirous to avert the 
 Mischiefs apprehended from the intended Appointment, 
 and as much as in us lies to promote Peace and Unan- 
 
 The Money here meant was a Sum granted by Parliament a* an Indemnification 
 to r pan of our Kxpences in the late War, which by Act of Assembly was ordered for ): 
 better security to be placed Lu the Bank.
 
 PROTEST. 85 
 
 imity among us and our Constituents, do humbly pro- 
 pose to the House, that if they will agree regularly to 
 appoint any Gentleman of Integrity, Abilities, and 
 Knowledge iu England, to assist Mr. Jackson as our 
 Agent, under a Restriction not to present the Petitions 
 for a Change of our Government, or any of them, to the 
 King or his Ministers, unless an express Order for that 
 Purpose be hereafter given by the Assembly of this 
 Pi evince; we will not give it any Opposition: But if 
 such an Appointment should be made, we must insist 
 (as we cannot think it a necessary one) that our Constit- 
 uents, already labouring under heavy Debts, be not 
 burthened with fresh Impositions on that Account ; and 
 therefore, in Condescension to the Members, who think 
 another Agent necessary, we will concur with them, if 
 they approve of this Proposal, in paying such Agent at 
 our own Ezpeuce. 
 
 October 26, 1764. 
 
 JOHN DICKINSON, 
 DAVID Mc.CANAtTGHY, 
 JOHN MONTGOMERY, 
 ISAAC SAUNDERS, 
 GEORGE TAYLOR, 
 WILLIAM ALLEN, 
 THOMAS WILLING, 
 GEORGE BRYAN, 
 AMOS STRETTELL, 
 HENRY KEPPELE. 
 
 Tre. Potherftll was mentioned by the Subscriber* s a proper Person.
 
 REMARKS 
 
 ON A LATE 
 
 PROTEST 
 
 Against the Appointment of MR. FRANKLIN an Agent 
 for this Province. 
 
 I have generally passed over, with a silent Disregard, 
 the nameless abusive Pieces that have been written 
 against me ; and tho' this Paper, called a PROTEST, is 
 signed by some respectable Names, I was, nevertheless, 
 inclined to treat it with the same Indifference ; but as 
 the Assembly is therein reflected on upon my Account, 
 it is thought more my Duty to make some Remarks 
 upon it. 
 
 I would first observe then, that this Mode of Protest- 
 ing by the Minority, with a string of Reasons against the 
 Proceedings of the Majority of the House of Assembly, 
 is quite new among us ; the present is the second we 
 have had of the kind, and both within a few Months. 
 It is unknown to the Practice of the House of Commons, 
 or of any House of Representatives in America, that I 
 have heard of ; and seems an affected Imitation of the 
 Lords in Parliament, which can by no Means become 
 Assembly-men of America. Hence appears the Absurdity 
 of the Complaint, that the House refused the Protest an
 
 88 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Entry on their Minutes. The Protestors know that they 
 are not, by any Custom or Usage, intitled to such an En- 
 try, and that the Practice here is not only useless in itself, 
 but would be highly inconvenient to the House, since it 
 would probably be thought necessary for the Majority 
 also to enter their Reasons, to justify themselves to their 
 Constituents, whereby the Minute* would be incunibered, 
 and the Public Business obstructed. More especially 
 will it be found inconvenient, if such Protests are made 
 use of as a new form of Libelling, as the Vehicles or 
 personal Malice, and as Means of giving to private Abuse 
 the Appearance of a Sanction, as public Acts. Your 
 Protest, Gentlemen, was therefore properly refused ; and 
 since it is no Part of the Proceedings of Assembly, one 
 may with more Freedom examine it. 
 
 Your first Reason against my Appointment is, that 
 you "believe me to be the chief Author of the Measures 
 "pursued by the last Assembly, which have occasioned 
 "such Uneasiness and Distraction among the good People 
 "of this Province. I shall not dispute my Share in those 
 Measures ; I hope they are such as will in time do 
 Honour to all that were concerned in them. But you 
 seem mistaken in the Order of Time : It was the Uneasi- 
 ness and Distraction among the good People of the 
 Province that occasioned the Measures; the Province 
 was in Confusion before they were taken, and they were 
 pursued in order to prevent such Uneasiness and Dis- 
 traction for the future. Make one step farther back, and 
 you will find Proprietary Injustice supported by Propri- 
 etary Minions and Creatures, the original Cause of all 
 our Uneasiness and Distractions. 
 
 Another of your Reasons is, "that I am, as you are 
 'informed, very unfavourably thought of by several of 
 "his Majesty's Ministers." I apprehend, Gentlemen, that
 
 FRANKLIN'S REMARKS, 89 
 
 your Informer is mistaken. He indeed has taken great 
 Pains to give unfavourable Impressions of me, and 
 perhaps may flatter himself, that it is impossible so much 
 true Industry should be totally without Effect. His long 
 Success in maiming or murdering all the Reputations 
 that stand in las Way, which has been the dear Delight 
 and constant Employment of his Lite, may likewise have 
 given him some just Ground for Confidence that he has, 
 as they call it, done for me, among the rest. But, as I 
 said before, I believe he is mistaken. For what have I 
 done that they should think unfavourably of me ? It 
 cannot be my constantly and uniformly promoting the 
 Measures of the Crown, ever since I had any Influence in 
 the Province. It cannot, surely, be my promoting the 
 Change from a Proprietary to a Royal Government. If 
 indeed I had, by Speeches and Writings endeavoured to 
 make his Majesty's Government universally odious in the 
 Province. If I had harangued by the Week, to all 
 Comers and Goers, on the pretended Injustice and 
 Oppressions of Royal Government, and the Slavery of 
 the People under it. If I had written traiterous Papers 
 to this Purpose, and got them translated into other Lan- 
 guages, to give his Majesty's foreign Subjects here those 
 horrible Ideas of it. If I had declared, written and 
 printed, that "the King's little Finger we should find 
 heavier than the Proprietors whole Loins," with regard 
 to our Liberties ; ll>en indeed might the Ministers be 
 supposed to think unfavorably of mo. But these are no 
 Exploits for a Man who hold* a profitable Office under 
 the Crown, and can expect to hold it no longer than he 
 behaves with the Fidelity and Duty that becomes every 
 good Subject. They are only for Officers of Proprietary 
 Appointment, who hold their Commissions during hie, 
 and not the King's Pleasure ; and who, by dividing
 
 90 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 among themselves, and their Relations, Offices of many 
 Thousands a Year, enjoyed by Proprietary Favour, /<?<? 
 where to place their Loyalty. I wish they were as good 
 Subjects to his Majesty j and perhaps they may be so, 
 when the Proprietary interferes no longer. 
 
 Another of your Reasons is, "that the Proposal of me 
 "for an Agent is extremely disagreeable to a very great 
 "Xumber of the most serious and reputable Inhabitants 
 "of the Province ; and the Proof is, my having been 
 "rejected at the last Election, tho' I had represented the 
 "City in Assembly for 14 Years." 
 
 And do those of you, Gentlemen, reproach me 
 with this, who among near Four Thousand Votes, 
 hud scarcely a Score more than I had? It seems then, 
 that your Elections were very near being Rejections, and 
 thereby furnishing the same Proof in your Case that you 
 produce in mine, of your being likewise extremely dis- 
 agreeable to a very great Number of the most serious 
 and reputable People. Do you honourable Sir, reproach 
 me with this, who for almost twice 14 Years have been 
 rejected (if not being chosen is to be rejected) by the same 
 People, and unable with all your Wealth arid Connections, 
 and the Influence they give you, to obtain an Election in 
 the County where you reside, and the City where you 
 were born, and are best known, have been obliged to 
 accept a seat from one of the out Counties, the remotest 
 of the Province ! It is known, Sir, to the Persons who 
 proposed me, that I was first chosen against my own 
 Inclination, and against my Entreaties that I might be 
 suffered to remain a private Man. In none of the 14 
 Elections you mention did I ever appear as a Candidate. 
 I never did, directly or indirectly solicit any Man's Vote. 
 For six of the Years in which I was annually chosen, I 
 was absent, residing in England ; during all which Time,
 
 FKANKLIN'S REMAKES. 91 
 
 your secret and open Attacks upon my Character and 
 Reputation were incessant ; and yet you gained no 
 Ground. And can you really, Gentlemen, find Matter 
 of Triumph in this Rejection as you call it ? A Moments 
 Reflection on the Means by which it was obtained, must 
 make you ashamed of it. 
 
 Not only my duty to the Crown, in carrying the Post- 
 Office Act more duly into Execution, was made use of to 
 exasperate the Ignorant, as if I was encreasing my own 
 Profits, by picking their Pockets ; but my very Zeal in 
 opposing the Murderers, and supporting the Authority 
 of Government, and even my Humanity, with regard to 
 the innocent Indians under our Protection, were mustered 
 among my Offences, to stir up against me those religious 
 Bigots, who are of all Savages the most brutish. Add 
 to this the numberless Falsehoods propogated as Truths, 
 and the many Perjuries procured among the wretched 
 Rabble brought to swear themselves intitled to a Vote ; 
 and yet so poor a Superiority obtained at all this 
 Expence of Honour and Conscience ! Can this, Gentle- 
 men, be Matter of Triumph ! Enjoy it then. Your 
 Exultation, however, was short. Your Artifices did 
 not prevail every where ; nor your double Tickets, and 
 whole Boxes of forge i Votes. A great Majority of the 
 new chosen Assembly were of the old Members, and 
 remain uncorrupted. They still stand firm for the 
 People, and will obtain Justice from the Proprietaries. 
 But what does that avail to you who are in the Propri- 
 etary Interest ? And what Comfort can it afford you, 
 when by the Assembly's choice of an Agent, it appears 
 that the same, to you obnoxious, Man, (notwithstanding 
 all your venomous Invectives against him) still retains 
 so great a Share of the public Confidence ? 
 But "this Step, you say, gives you the more lively
 
 92 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 ''Affliction, as it is taken at the very Moment when you 
 "were in formed by a Member of the House, that the 
 "Governor had assured him of his having 1 received In- 
 structions from the Proprietaries, to give his Assent, to 
 "the Taxation of their Estates, in the same Manner that 
 "the Estates of other Persons are to be taxed ; and also 
 '/o conjir/i), for the public Use, the several Squares form- 
 "eily claimed by the City." the Force of Friendship ! 
 the Power of Interest! What Politeness they infuse 
 into a Writer, and what delicate Expressions they pro- 
 duce! The Dispute between the Proprietaries and us 
 was about the Quantum, the Mate of their Taxation, and 
 not about the Mumyr; but now, when all the World, 
 condemns them for requiring a partial Exemption of their 
 Estates, and they are forced to submit to an honest 
 Equality, 'tis called "assenting to be taxed in the same 
 "Manner with the People:" Their Restitution of five 
 public Squares in the Plan of the City, which they had 
 mar forty Years unjustly and dishonourably seized and 
 detained from us, directing their Surveyor to map Streets 
 over them (in order to turn them into Lots) and their 
 Officers to sell a Part of them ; this their Disgorging is 
 softly called confirming them for the public Use ; and 
 instead of the plain Words formerly given to the City, by 
 the first Proprietary their Father, we have the cautious 
 pretty P^xpression of "formerly claimed by the City." 
 Yes, not only formerly but always claimed, ever since 
 they were JWomtifffi and given to encourage the Settlers, 
 and ever will be claimed till we are put in actual Pos- 
 session of them. 'Tie pleasant, however to see how 
 lightly and tenderly you trip over these Matters, as if 
 you trod upon Eggs. But that "VERY MOMENT," that 
 precious Moment ! why was it so long delayed V Why 
 were- those healing Instructions so Ions withheld and
 
 FRANKIJN'S REMARKS. 93 
 
 concealed from the People ? They were, it seems, 
 brought over by Mr. Allen. Intelligence was received 
 by various Hands from London, that Orders were sent 
 by the Proprietaries, from which great Hopes were 
 entertained of an Accommodation. Why was the 
 Bringing and Delivery of such Orders so long denied? 
 The Reason is easily understood. Messieurs Barclays, 
 Friends to both Proprietaries and People, wished for 
 that Gentleman's happy Arrival, hoping his Influence, 
 added to the Power and Commissions the Proprietaries 
 had vested him with, might prove effectual in restoring 
 Harmony and Tranquility among us; but he, it seems, 
 hoped his Influence might do the Business, without those 
 Additions. There appeared on his Arrival from Pros- 
 pect, from sundry Circumstances, of a Change to be made 
 in the House by the approaching Election. The Propri- 
 etary Friends and Creatures knew the Heart of their 
 Master, and how extremely disagreeable to him that 
 equal Taxation, the Restitution, and the other Concessions 
 to be made for the Sake of a Reconciliation, must neces- 
 sarily be. They boped therefore to spare him all those 
 Mortifications, and thereby secure a greater Portion of 
 his Favour. Hence the Instructions were not produced 
 to the last Assembly, though they arrived before the 
 September Sitting, when the Governor was in Town, and 
 actually did Business with the House. Nor to the new 
 Assembly were they mentioned, till the "very Moment" 
 the fatal Moment, when the House were on the Point of 
 chusing that wicked Adversary of the Proprietary to be 
 an Agent for the Province in England, 
 
 But I have, you say, a "fixed Enmity to the proprie- 
 "taries," and you believe it will preclude all Accomiuo- 
 "dation of our disputes with them, even on just and 
 "reasonable Terms." And why do you think I hare a
 
 94 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 fixed Enmity to the Proprietaries ? I have never had 
 any personal difference with them. I am no Land- 
 Jobber, and therefore have never had any Thing to do 
 with their Land-Office or officers; if I had, probably, 
 like others, I might have been obliged to truckle to their 
 Measures, or have had like Causes of Complaint. But 
 our private Interests never clashed, and all their Resent- 
 ment against me, and mine to them, has been on the 
 public Account. Let them do Justice to the People of 
 Pennsylvania, act honourably by the Citizens of Phila- 
 delphia, and become honest Men ; my Enmity, if that's 
 of any Consequence, ceases from the "very Moment;" and, 
 as soon as I possibly can, I promise to love, honour and 
 respect them. In the mean Time, why do you "believe 
 "it will preclude all Accommodation with them on just 
 "and reasonable Terms ?" Do you not boast that their 
 gracious Condescensions are in the Hands of the Gov- 
 ernor, and that, "if this had been the usual Time for 
 "Business, his Honour would have sent them down in a 
 "Message to the House." How then can my going to 
 England prevent this Accommodation ? The Governor 
 can call the House when he pleases, and, one would 
 think, that, at least in your Opinion my being out of the 
 Way, would be a favourable Circumstance. For then, 
 by, "cultivating the Disposition shown by the Proprie- 
 taries, every reasonable Demand that can be made on 
 "the Part of the People might be obtained ; in vigorously 
 "insisting on which, you promise to unite most earnestly 
 "with the rest of the House." It seems then we have 
 "reasonable Demands" to make, and as you call them a 
 little higher, equitable Demands. This is much for Pro- 
 prietary Minions to own ; but you are all growing 
 better, in Imitation of your Master, which is indeed very 
 commendable. And if the Accommodation there should
 
 FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 95 
 
 fail, I hope that though you dislike the person a Majority 
 of two to one in the House having thought fit to appoint 
 an Agent, you will nevertheless, in Duty to your Coun- 
 try, continue the noble Resolution of uniting with the 
 rest of the House, in vigorously insisting on that Equity 
 and Justice, which such an Union will undoubtedly 
 obtain for us. 
 
 I pass over the trivial Charge against the Assembly, 
 that they, "acted with unnecessary Haste in proceeding 
 "to this Appointment, without making a small Actjourn- 
 "ment,'' &c. and your affected Apprehensions of Danger 
 from that Haste. The Necessity of Expedition on this 
 Occasion is as obvious to every one out of Doors as it 
 was to those within ; and the Fears you mention are not, 
 I fancy, considerable enough to break your Rest. I come 
 then to your high Charge against me, "That I heretofore 
 'ventured, contrary to an Act of Assembly, to place the 
 "Public Money in the Stocks, whereby this Province 
 "suffered a Loss of 6000 and that Sum added to the 
 "5000X granted for my Expences, makes the whole Cost 
 "of my former Voyage to England amount to ELEVEN 
 "TiiousAND POUNDS!" How wisely was that Form in our 
 Laws contrived, which when a Man is arraigned for his 
 Life, requires the Evidence to speak the Truth, the whole 
 Truth, and nothing but the Truth! The Reason is mani- 
 fest. A Falsehood may destroy the Innocent ; so may 
 Part of the Truth without the Whole; and a Mixture of 
 Truth and Falsehood ma} 7 be full as pernicious. You, 
 Mr. Chief Justice, and the other Justices among the 
 Protestors, and you, Sir, who are a Counsellor at Law, 
 must all of you be well acquainted with this excellent 
 Form ; and when you arraign'd my Reputation (dearer 
 to me than Life) before the Assembly, and now at the 
 respectable Tribunal of the Public, would it not have
 
 96 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 well become your Honours to have had some small 
 Regard at least to the Spirit of that Form ; You might 
 have mentioned, that the Direction of the Act to lodge 
 the Money in the Bank, subject to the Drafts of the 
 Trustees of the Loan Office here, was impracticable ; that 
 the Bank refused to receive it on those Terms, it being 
 contrary to their settled Rules to take Charge of Money 
 subject to the Orders of unknown People, living in 
 distant Countries. You might have mentioned, that the 
 House being informed of this, and having no immediate 
 Call for the Money, did themselves adopt the Measure 
 of placing it in the Stocks, which then were low ; where 
 it might on a Peace produce a considerable profit, and in 
 the mean time accumulate an Interest : That they even 
 passed a Bill, directing the subsequent Sums granted by 
 the Parliament, to be placed with the former ; That the 
 Measure was prudent and safe ; and that the Loss arose, 
 not from placing the Money IN the Stocks, but from the 
 imprudent and unnecessary DRAWING IT OUT at the very 
 time when they were lowest, on some slight uncertain 
 Rumours of a Peace concluded ; That if the Assembly 
 had let it remain another Year, instead of loosing they 
 would have gained Six Thousand Pounds; and that after 
 all, since the Exchange, at which they sold their Bills, 
 was near Twenty per Cent, higher when they drew, than 
 when the Stocks were purchased, the Loss was far from 
 being so great as you represent it. All these Things 
 you might have said, for they are, and you know them 
 to be, Part of the whole Truth; but they would have 
 spoiled your Accusation. The late Speaker of your 
 honourable House, Mr. Norris, who has, I suppose, all 
 my letters to him, and Copies of his own to me, relating 
 to that Transaction, can testify with how much Integrity 
 and Clearness I managed the whole Affair. All the
 
 FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 97 
 
 House were sensible of it, being from time (o time fully 
 acquainted with the Facts. If I had gone to Gaming in 
 the Stocks with the Public Money, and through my 
 fault a Sum was lost, as your Protest would Insinuate, 
 why was I not censured and punished for it when I 
 returned ? You, honourable Sir (my Enern y of seven 
 Years standing) was then in the House. You were 
 appointed on the Committee for examining my Accounts; 
 you reported that you found them just, and signtd that 
 Report*. I never solicited the employ of Agent: I 
 made no Bargain for my future Service, whi-n I was 
 ordered to England by the Assembly ; n<>r did they vote 
 me any Salary. I lived there near six Years at my own 
 expence and I made no Charge or Demand when I came 
 home. You, Sir, of all others, was the very Member 
 that proposed (for the Honor and Justice of the House) 
 a Compensation to be made me of the Five Thousand 
 Pounds you mention. Was it with an intent to reproach 
 me thus publicly for accepting it? I '.hanked the House 
 
 Report of the Committee on Benjamin Franklin's Accounta 
 
 In Obedience to the Order of the House, we have examined the. Accounts of Benjamin 
 Franklin, Esq, ivUh the Vouchers to us produced in Support thereof, and do flnd the same 
 Account to be just, and that he hag expended in the immediate Service of this frwiitee, the 
 .s'u// of seven Hundred and Fourteen Pounds, Ten Shillings and Seven-pence, out of the 
 Nnui of Fifteen Hundred Pounds Sterling, to him remitted ami paid, rxclusiiv of any Allow- 
 ance or Charge for his Support and Sendee far the Province. 
 
 JOHN MORTON, JOSEPH FOX, 
 
 WILLIAM ALLEN, JOHN HUGHES, 
 
 February 19, 1763. JOHN RO^S, SAMUEL KHOAOS, 
 
 JOHNMOOK, JOHN WILKINSON, 
 
 ISAAC PEARSON. 
 
 The House taking the foregoing Report of the. Committee, of Accounts into Consideration, 
 and having spent some time thr.rrin. 
 
 Resolved, 
 
 That the Sum of Five Hundred Pounds Ster. per Annum be allowed and given to Ben- 
 jamin Franklin, Esq; late Agent for the. Province nf Pennsylvania at the Court of Great- 
 liritain, durinahi.i Absence of six yearn from hix Kusiness anil Connections, in the Se.rrir.e 
 of the Public; and that the Thanks of this House be. also given to the said GeiUlemttn by Mr. 
 Speaker, from the Chair, as weUfor the faithful discharge of his Duty to this Province, in 
 particular, as for the many and important Service* tlone America -in geiural, during lus 
 Residence in Great- Britain. 
 
 Thursday, March 31, 1763. 
 
 Pursuant to a Resolve of the Nineteenth of last Month, that the Thanks of this House, be 
 fliven to Benjamin Franklin, Esq; for his mutit/ Service* not unit/ to the Province of Penn- 
 sylvania, but to America in general, during his late Agency at. the Court of Great- Britain, 
 //)/ same were this Day accordingly git>enin Frrrmfrom the Chair. To which Mr. Frank- 
 lin, respectfully addressing hiiMflf tft the Speaker, made. Answer, That he. was thankful to 
 the House, for the very handsome and generous Allowance they had been pleased to make 
 him for his Services; but that the Approbation of this House was, in his Estimation, fur 
 above every other kind of Becornpence." 
 
 Votes, 1763.
 
 98 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 for it then, ;m<l I thank you now for proposing it: Tho' 
 you, who have lived in England, unu easily conceive, that 
 besides the Prejudice to my private Affairs by mj 
 Absence, a Thousand Pounds more would not have 
 reimbursed me. The Money voted was immediately 
 paid me. But, if I had occasioned the loss of Six Thous- 
 and Pounds to the Province, here was a fair opportunity 
 of securing easily the greatest Part of it ; why was not 
 the Five, Thousand. Pounds deducted, and the Remainder 
 called for? The Reason is, This Accusation was not 
 then invented. Permit me to add, that supposing the 
 whole Eleven Thousand Pounds an experice occasioned 
 by my Voyage to England, yet the Taxation of the 
 Proprietary estate now established, will, when valued 
 by Years Purchase, be found in time an Advantage to 
 the Public, far exceeding that Expence. And if the 
 Expenee is at present a Burthen, the Odium ought to lie 
 on those who, by their Injustice, made the Voyage neces- 
 sary, and not on me, who only submitted to the Orders 
 of the House, in undertaking it. 
 
 I am now to take Leave (perhaps a last Leave) of the 
 Country I love, and in which I have spent the greatest 
 Part of my Life. ESTO PERPETUA. I wish every kind 
 of Prosperity to my Friends, and I forgive my 
 Enemies. 
 
 Philadelphia, Nv. f>, 1704. B. FRANKLIN.
 
 AN ANSWER TO 
 
 MR. FRANKLIN'S REMARKS 
 
 ON A LATE PROTEST. 
 
 A clay or two after Mr. Franklin's departure for 
 England, having seen his remarks in the hands of a 
 gentleman, I gave them a cursory perusal ; but found 
 them so replete with bitter calumnies and gross evasio:.s, 
 that I judged them unworthy of any further notice. 
 
 But being since told that his deluded partizans have 
 begun to consider this neglect of his performance, as an 
 argument of its unanswerable nature ; I shall bestow a 
 few hours (since no abler hand has thought it wor;h 
 while) in order to convince them, if possible, that the 
 real design of this their redoubted champion was not to 
 elucidate, but to disguise and conceal the truth ; which, 
 it must be allowed, according to his usual custom, he has 
 very artfully, but not honestly done. 
 
 He sets out with telling us, that he has generally passed 
 over with a silent disregard, the nameless pieces that 
 have been written against him. The publick knows 
 what sort of disregard he has shown to the pieces 
 written against him, and to their supposed authors. At 
 present I pass on to the more material parts of his per- 
 formance, which for my own sake T could have wished 
 a little more methodical, and that the calumny-part had
 
 100 THE BURD PAPER?. 
 
 not been so indiscriminately blended with wluit he would 
 have to pass as the firginiinif<ili<; part. I mutt, however, 
 try to separate tliem as well as I can, for the greater 
 clearness in writing; and shall begin with his remarks 
 on the Protest, before I proceed to his shameful abuse of 
 the Protestors. 
 
 His first remark is that "the mode of protesting by 
 "the minority, against, the proceedings of the majority 
 "of the house of assembly, is quite new among us; is 
 "unknown to the practice of the house of commons, or 
 "of any house of representative? in America, and seems 
 "an affected imitation of the lords in parliament, &c." 
 
 It is acknowledged that protesting may not bean usual 
 method in American assemblies, nor of late } 7 ears prac- 
 ticed in the house of commot s 'n England, which is a 
 very numerous body. But, in a constitution like ours, 
 where there is no legislative council, it may not always 
 be improper; and if the Remarker lias nothing to urge 
 against the reason or necessity of a thing, but its novelty, 
 it will have but little weight. When cases and emer- 
 gencies arise which are new and unprecedented in their 
 nature, a new and unprecedented mode of proceeding 
 against them, may become indispensably necessary. 
 
 If, for instance, contrary to the uses of the Commons 
 in England, whose votes and transactions are regularly 
 laid before rheir constituents from day to day, a house 
 of assembly in America should keep their proceedings 
 private lor a whole year, and are, during that time, pur- 
 suing me. sures which are conceived fundamentally sub- 
 versive of tin- constitution ; and if those Members, who 
 conscientiously oppose these measures, cannot even have 
 so much as their yeas and nays made knoi\n to their 
 constituents, to rescue them from odium whieh the}- have 
 not merited I say if such a case .as this could possibly
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 101 
 
 happen, then surely it becomes both a publick and pri- 
 vate duty in those who are against such measures, not 
 only to oppose them by every means in their power (by 
 reasons both spoken and written) but likewise immedi- 
 ately, openly, and avowedly, to lay the whole before their 
 constituents, from whom they derive their power, and 
 to whom they are accountable for their conduct. 
 
 Had it not been for a publication of this kind made 
 by three Members, (it matters not whether it wus called 
 a Protest or reasons of dissent offered in writing) I say, 
 had it not been for a seasonable publication of this kind 
 some time ago, and the papers that soon afterwards fol- 
 lowed it, the late Assembly might have made their 
 measures for a change of government pass silently home 
 to England as the sense of the People, without their con- 
 stituents having any opportunity, upon their own certain 
 knowledge of these measures, to represent dutifully to 
 our most gracious sovereign, that they were unauthorized 
 by the people, contrary to our Charter, and therefore, by 
 the very tenor of it, "void and of no effect." Such a 
 silence as this would, no doubt, have very well suited 
 the ambitious and destructive schemes of the Remarker, 
 and would have saved him from some share, perhaps, of 
 the general odium which he has the mortification to 
 bear from the good people of this province, for his most 
 wicked attempt to deprive them of their present excellent 
 constitution, in the very face of their charter, and with- 
 out their consent or authority. 
 
 It is no wonder then that this mode, of protesting should 
 not be agreeable to him, and that he should pour forth 
 such abundance of abuse against all who think proper to 
 follow that mode ; tho', in fact, the Protest he has re- 
 marked on, was never offered by more than one of the 
 signers to be entered on the Minutes, but was only read
 
 102 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 as the sum of the reasons that had been offered in the 
 dohate, and which, the House were told, would be laid 
 before the publick. As the speaker of the House had 
 not been presented to the governor, nor taken the usual 
 qualifications to his majesty's person and government, 
 most of the Members who signed the paper, printed in 
 the nature of a Protect, did not think it necessary to 
 press it on the House, which they judged, under these 
 circumstances, could not regularly proceed to any 
 business. 
 
 But the Remarker objectsagainstthisw<K/e for another 
 reason. He says "The Minutes would thereby be inoum- 
 bered, &c." This may be of some weight with those 
 who pay for the Minutes ; but surely, you Mr. PRINTER* 
 who print these Minutes and are paid for them, cou'd 
 not make this a serious objection. It is a pity, you had 
 not learn 'd this saving wisdom some years ago, when you 
 encumbered the Minutes with such loads of scurrilous 
 messages of your own drawing, and such long reports 
 put together from law books, old histories and journals, 
 that for printing, copying, and other services, you and 
 your son shared between you near two thousand pounds 
 of the publick money. But you had not then got your- 
 self saddled upon this province, with a large annual 
 salnry as cur ambassador extraordinar}' to England. 
 
 I shall now drop you, Sir, as Mr. Printer, and follow 
 you in your higher characters of Mr. Ambassador, Mr. 
 Post-master, (or by whatever other name you would be 
 pleased to be called) while you go on modestly arguing 
 your own cause, and proclaiming your own merits against 
 the Protestors. 
 
 The first reason offered against you by these respect- 
 
 *The calling gentlemen by their professions and offices I flnd to be a favorite method 
 of the Hemarker, and I hope he will not be angry with me for adopting it as occasion 
 offers. See page 95 "You, Mr. Chief Justice and other Justices among the Protesters, 
 and you, Sir, who are a Counsellor at Law.
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 103 
 
 able gentlemen, is a very strong and clear one. They 
 "believe you to be the chief author of the measures pur- 
 "sued by the late Assembly, which have occasioned such 
 "uneasiness and distraction among the good people of 
 "this province" With what a poor quibble do you pre- 
 tend to answer this most grievous charge? Can any 
 person but yourself, doubt what measures the Protestors 
 mean ? Do they not expressly specify them to be those 
 identical "measures which occasioned such distractions 
 among the people" "measures likewise pursued by the 
 late assembly" Now, is it not universally known that 
 there was no uneasiness or distraction among the people 
 on account of any measures pursued by the late Assem- 
 bly, but their attempt to change the constitution of this 
 province, of their own mere authority, and contrary to 
 the very tenor of our charter. 
 
 The Protestors believed that you was "the chief 
 "author of these measures" and you yourself do "not 
 dispute your share in them." The argument of the Pro- 
 testors, then, against giving you any discretionary 
 powers over the liberties of the people, which they had 
 reason to think you would make a willing sacrifice of to 
 your own ambition, was a strong and conclusive one. 
 And do you think to answer it by a ridiculous play upon 
 words "saying that the distraction and uneasiness of 
 "the people were not occasioned by the measuses, but the 
 "measures by the distraction, <fcc?" Such a subterfuge 
 as this will not answer the charge brought against you 
 by the Protestors. No, it will stick to you, and continue 
 your name as odious to the next generation, perhaps, as 
 it is to this. 
 
 You object to another reason of the Protestors against 
 yon, viz. "that you are, as they are informed, very 
 "unfavourably thought of by several of his majesty's
 
 104 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 "ministers" You puzzle yourself to account for this 
 dislike of some of the king's ministers to you, abuse 
 your accusers, and proclaim your own services to the 
 crown, which will yield you but little cause of boasting 
 when they are fairly stated to you. But be that as it 
 will, the fact is certain that 3^our former anarchical 
 schemes and virulent conduct, had rendered you very 
 exceptionable to some of the king's ministers. You 
 have met with severe rebukes from them, and therefore 
 were a very unfit person for this province to employ, 
 even if another agent had been necessary. 
 
 Before I proceed to the next paragraph, I must beg 
 leave to remind the reader, that you contend greatly for 
 the justice of that form in our laws which requires "the 
 "-truth, the whole (ruth, and nothing but the truth, to be 
 "spoken"; because, you pay,"a falshood may destroy the 
 "innocent, and so may part of the truth without the 
 "whole." Will you now run contrary to a rule laid 
 down by yourself? One would think not ; but yet the 
 next paragraph is one continued violation of it. 
 
 The Protestors had said, that, "the proposal of you as 
 "an agent was extrnmely disagreeable to a very great 
 "number of the most serious and reputable inhabitants 
 "of this province, of all denominations and societies (ONE 
 "proof of which is, your having been rejected both by 
 "this city and county at the last election, &c.)" Here 
 the Protestors plainly mention this rejection, and that 
 too in a parenthesis, only as ONE proof But you hon- 
 estly alter the sentence as follows viz. "And THE Proof 
 is my having been rejected, <fec." making what they had 
 suggested as only one proof to be the whole proof; 
 whereas they had their own personal knowledge of your 
 being disagreeable to the people, and petitions were then
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 105 
 
 coming fast into the House to put the matter beyond all 
 dispute, if there were any who doubted it. 
 
 Our Reinarker goes on in the same manner transgress- 
 ing his form laid down, and boasts, that in the county- 
 election some who were chosen had scarce a score more 
 votes than he ; but does not say a word of the election 
 for the city, where he was rejected by a great majority, 
 though he had "represented it in Assembly for fourteen 
 years," which was the very argument, of the Protestors ; 
 so that if what he says of the county election were the 
 truth, it is only part of the truth, and not the whole truth. 
 
 In like manner when he says, "do you, honourable sir, 
 "reproach me with this, who for almost twice fourteen 
 "years have been rejected (if not being chosen is to be re- 
 jected) by the same people, and unable with all your 
 "wealth and connections to obtain an election in the 
 "county where you reside, and the city where you were 
 "born ?" Would not one think from this, that the gen- 
 tleman here meant, had for nearly twenty-eight years 
 been set up at every election, and pushed as a candidate 
 for the city and county of Philadelphia, with all the 
 interest of his friends, as the Remarker was at the last 
 election ; and that old decrepit men had been carried out 
 of their beds to vote for him ; that his party had offered 
 to the opposition to give up any, or all of the other nine 
 Members to keep but this one man in; and that, after 
 all, the gentleman had never once been chosen in the 
 county where he was born ? It would have required all 
 this to make the cnse similar, and all this the Remarker 
 no doubt would have to be understood. And yet the 
 truth is, that the gentleman who he says has been thus 
 rejected '*m the county where he was born" was annually 
 chosen to represent it for nine or ten years, by the almost 
 unanimous voice of the people ; that he then voluntarily
 
 106 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 resigned his seat, and never was a candidate for that 
 county since, but once during the late war, when his 
 friends proposed him, as a person whose presence in the 
 House they then thought necessaiy for the king's ser- 
 vice, and the defence of their much distressed country. 
 Another remarkable difference is, that when the gentle- 
 man consented at last to come a second time into the 
 House, he was chosen at once by two counties ot their 
 own free motion ; whereas the Remarker has been re- 
 jected in two places at once, viz. both in this populous 
 county and city, which pay half the taxes of the prov- 
 ince. Nw-y farther; since the general election, when a 
 resignation ot some of his adherents was talked of, in 
 order to give him a chance in two other counties, they 
 were given to understand, that the principal inhabitants 
 of these counties would oppose him to the utmost of 
 their power ; that they had good men within their own 
 counties to represent them, and would not bear the 
 reproach of taking in a man thrown out by the city and 
 principal county of the province ; and indeed so justly 
 obnoxious is this man's name, that there is no place in 
 Pennsylvania, where at this day he could have the least 
 chance of any election. 
 
 But to proceed, the Protestors have said further, that 
 his proposed appointment as an assistant agent "gave 
 "them the more lively affliction as taken at the very 
 'moment when they were informed by a member of the 
 "House, that the governor had assured him, he had 
 "received instructions from the proprietaries, on their 
 "hearing of the late dispute (about the meaning of the 
 "royal dccrte) to give his assent to the taxation of their 
 "estates in the seme manner as the estates of other per- 
 "sons are to be taxed, and to confirm for the public use, 
 "the several squares claimed by the city." Well ! and if
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 107 
 
 this was the ground of the dispute, was it not high time 
 to drop it, and to rescue the province from the vast 
 expence and uneasiness attending it? Our ambassador 
 does not presume to saj 1 the contrary ; but then his 
 embassy would have been spoiled. He observes aleo that 
 the Protestors used too delicate expressions on this sub- 
 ject. They should have made use of his choice language, 
 and said, that "this step was taken at the moment, the 
 "precious moment, when the proprietaries (by virtue of 
 "some strong dose) were disgorging five public squares, 
 "which they had near forty years unjustly and dishon- 
 "ourably seized and detained, (swallowed and eat up it 
 "should be) from the city." 
 
 This language he would have liked better, but unhap- 
 pily it could not be used on the occasion. The words 
 inserted in the Protest were a report from the governor's 
 mouth, and unless the Member who communicated the 
 matter, had been possessed of the same dextrous turn for 
 misrepresentation and falsehood for which the Remarker 
 is so distinguished, he could not report what the governor 
 said in any other manner than that in which it was 
 committed to him. Hence appears the absurdity of 
 charging the terms of that paragraph, whatever their 
 nature may be, either to \h$ politeness or unpoliteness of 
 the Protesters, who only stated a matter of fact as they 
 had received it. 
 
 The truth is, as I have been credibly informed, that in 
 the first draught of the Protest, the words "given to the 
 "city" etood instead of the words "claimed by the city." 
 But in reading it over afterwards, the gentleman who 
 brought the report, desired the expression might be 
 altered and put in the terms he had it from the gov- 
 ernor ; who said that he had instructions relative to the 
 confirmation of the squares "claimed by the city." For
 
 108 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 if they had been sufficiently granted before, nothing 
 more would have been now necessary. The whole mat- 
 ter stands as follows. The founder of this province, fond 
 of the regular and beautiful plan of his city, and looking 
 forward to its future extent and improvement, may no 
 doubt have intended (and mentioned his intention) to 
 have five public squares in it, two on the Delaware side, 
 two on the Schuylkill side, and one in the centre. His 
 suffering his Surveyor Gene-al to publish a plan of the 
 city, and all its proposed streets from river to river, 
 leaving these squares open, is a sufficient presumption of 
 this ; and though they were never made a part of the 
 original concessions to the people, nor formally granted 
 to them, nor even publickly promised, by any evidence 
 that appears, but seem only to be intended of his own 
 free motion, both for ornament and use ; nevertheless 
 from the circumstances above mentioned, it is not denied 
 but the city might have a right to claim and expect 
 them. But still this amounted only to a claim, and the 
 present proprietors have not disputed it. Far from seiz- 
 ing and detaining them for forty years ; the city has all 
 that time had the uee of them, and now has it. One of 
 them has long ago been applied by the city itself to the 
 public use, as a Potter's field, and ne.groe burying ground. 
 The other four (*except some part of one of them) 
 remain open for the city ; and the Proprietors, in pursu- 
 ance of what appears to have been their father's inten- 
 tion, have now given certain orders relative to the con- 
 firmation of them ; which it seems must not be received 
 as a matter of favor, nor even the ratification of a just. 
 cl'tim^ but a disgorging and spewing up. With what a 
 
 Even this part Is granted to a publick and pious use, as a burying ground to a (Jer- 
 man congregation in this city. The warrant and survey are of an old date; and it may 
 be fairly presumed that if the part so granted had been deemed at the tinie to be 
 within any of the proposed squares, this congregation would neither have petitioned for 
 it, nor accepted of it, unless burying grounds were understood to be one of the public k 
 uses for which these squares were originally designed.
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 109 
 
 wicked and virulent spirit is this remarker posses'd ? 
 What calumny and misrepresentation will he stick at, 
 in order to inflame and divide? If here on the spot, he 
 will shamefully assert what every person who will walk 
 a few hundred yards may see with his own eyes to he 
 false, what wicked calumny may it not be expected he 
 will propogate of the good people of this province as 
 well as the proprietors, to carry his points in England, 
 where he may not expect an immediate detection? 
 
 Much in the like manner docs he argue about the tax- 
 ation of the proprietors. He has, for many years, poured 
 forth volumes of abuse against them for not consenting 
 to have their estates taxed as other people's wore : and 
 now he abuses them as much for consenting to it. The 
 truth is, that the proprietors had proposed, among the 
 first land-tax bills we had, that their estates should be 
 taxed in the same manner as those of the people by 
 persons named in the body of the bill, (as they had no 
 voice in the choice of assessors and commissioners) which 
 is strictly agreeable to the parliamentary mode of the 
 land-tax, and was judged to be just and reasonable by 
 the subsequent decree of the king in council. But when 
 the Assembly would not even submit to this decree, but 
 insisted on explaining one particular article in their own 
 sense, the proprietors still willing to cultivate harmony, 
 as soon as the} r heard of this new dispute, gave orders to 
 admit the Assembly's own sense of the matter. Yet 
 sifter all these concessions, and whether they do right or 
 wrong, they are alike to incur the obloquy of this inflam- 
 matory and virulent man, whose views are not those of 
 peace and reconciliation. It is therefore a good reason, 
 which the Protestors offered, against employing him as 
 an agent in our affairs viz. "That they believed his 
 "fixed enmity to the proprietaries will preclude all
 
 110 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 "accommodation of our disputes with them, even on 
 "equitable and reasonable terras." lie does not deny 
 this enmity, (tho' he asks the Protestors the reason of 
 their belief ;) for he proposes the terms on which his 
 enmity is to cease. I never doubted but his mouth, foul 
 as it is, might b^ stopped ; but I believe, (and if he asks 
 the reasons, I will tell them) that it cannot be done on 
 quite so disinterested terms as he mentions. But, be that 
 as it may, certainly there was room to think that a pro- 
 fessed enemy to the proprietors, was very unlike to 
 accommodate disputes, which he hath long and indus- 
 triously worked up with unexampled calumny, unless 
 we believe he designedly worked (hem up, to have the 
 merit of appeasing them again : and if this be the case, 
 we have been too long deluded by this crafty ambitious 
 man. 
 
 I come then, as he does, in the next place, to what he 
 calls the high charge of the Protestors, viz. "That he 
 "heretofore ventured, contrary to an act of Assembly to 
 "place the publick money in the Stocks, whereby this 
 "province suffered a loss of 6000 ; and that sum added 
 "to the 5000 granted for his expenccs, makes the whole 
 "cost ot his former voyage to England, amount to eleven 
 "thousand pounds." 
 
 This is a very high charge indeed, and if the Pro- 
 testors had been fond of magnifying, they might with 
 truth have added to the account, commissions paid him 
 for receiving the money at the treasury, and sundry 
 other articles, which would have swelled the account of 
 his expenses to upward of twelve thousand pounds. This 
 charge deserved something more like an answer than 
 
 o * 
 
 what he has been given. 
 
 It is a mean evasion to say, the Bank could not receive 
 the money on the terms of the Act. And pray could it
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. Ill 
 
 be placed in the Stocks on the terras of the act ? He 
 knows it could not. If then it had been kept in the 
 Bank, the spirit and design of the act would have been 
 complied with, though the terms had not been strictly 
 fulfilled. Bat by placing it in the Stocks, the terms of 
 the act were n t only violated, but the spirit of it like- 
 wise, added to a vast loss occasioned thereby to the 
 province. 
 
 The partizans of the Remarker may pretend they do 
 not see this clearly. I will therefore endeavour to 
 explain a little further. We all know that by the usage 
 of the Bank, whoever deposits money there must sub- 
 scribe their name, or write what is called their Firm at 
 the Bank, for the greater security in drawing the money 
 out ; and we do not pretend that the trustees of the loan- 
 office were to be transported to England to sign the 
 bookn. No more did the trustees of the loan -office go to 
 'Change- Alley to receive a transfer of stock for the public 
 money. All this was to be done by agents or reputable 
 merchants living in London, who were to answer the 
 draughts of the trustees, which they could have done as 
 well by placing the money in the Bank as m the Stocks. 
 When money is placed in the Bank no loss can happen : 
 and if it possibly could, the persons who placed it there 
 are not accountable for it ; and then-fore the Bank is the 
 place where all persons entrusted with the custody of 
 any public cash, chuse to deposit it ; but if such persons, 
 without authority, place it in the stocks, it is at their 
 own risque, and as they may claim the profit of any rise 
 of the Stocks, they are accountable for any loss that 
 may happen by their falling. 
 
 Our Remarker tries to impose on the publick by 
 saying "the House adopted the measure of placing the 
 "money in the Stocks, and even passed a bill directing
 
 112 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 "the subsequent sums granted by Parliament to be placed 
 "with the former." Now who would not think by this 
 that he had been indemnified by law for placing the 
 first money in the Stocks, and had by law placed the 
 subsequent sums with it? Every person who reads 
 what he has written, and entertains any opinion of his 
 veracity, would believe this to be the case. And yet all 
 he says is a wilful imposition. Had he chosen to tell the 
 truth , and the whole truth, he would have added, that 
 though the House did frame such a bill, it was never 
 passed into a Law ; that none of the subsequent sums 
 granted by Parliament were ever placed in the Stocks, 
 but in the hands of some reputable merchants in Lon- 
 don, the legislature of this province not chusing to 
 entrust him with those sums, after having abused his 
 trust with regard to the money he had already received ; 
 which last sums were accordingly drawn out of the 
 hands of these merchants, when the public service 
 required, without the least loss to the province. He 
 therefore remains alone accountable for the heavy loss 
 on the first sums, which never would have happened if 
 the law had been regarded ; and no authority of any 
 committee of the House, or even the whole Body, could 
 dispense with a positive Law. And though I will not 
 say, that he ought to disgorge a loss, as he makes the 
 proprietors disgorge jive publick squares, yet he ought to 
 be made to refund this loss to the good people of this 
 province, labouring under heavy debts on account of this 
 and other parts of his conduct; it being of no conse- 
 quence to them whether he brought this loss upon them 
 by the spirit of gaming, or the spirit of pride, in figuring 
 with the reputation of so much money placed by him in 
 the publick funds. 
 If the exchange was higher at the tima of drawing out
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 113 
 
 the money than at the time of purchasing the Stock, it 
 was an accident ; and it might have happened to be 
 lower, and so the loss would have been encreased. There 
 was a necessity of drawing it out in aid of the supplies 
 of this province. The money was granted by parliament 
 for this very purpose, to ease us of part of our heavy 
 burthens, and not to go a jobbing with, for the uncertain 
 prospect of profit, which might never arise. The draw- 
 ing the money out, which he seems very angry at, was 
 not so imprudent a step as he is pleased to call it. It was 
 a very prudent and necessary one. The people of this 
 province could not very patiently bear the burthen of 
 new taxes, to humour him in an illegal measure, nor 
 remain easy while so much of their money lay in the 
 name of any private man, however great their opinion of 
 his integrity might be, when in case of death, they could 
 not have received the money, without the delay and 
 expence of an act of parliament. 
 
 Having already shown that he has violated the form 
 he laid down, in concealing part of the truth ; I would 
 next observe that he has again transgressed it, by saying 
 more than the truth. In hopes to alleviate this charge 
 against him, on account of the heavy loss to the prov- 
 ince, he says to the chief justice, "you, honourable Sir, 
 "(my enemy of seven years standing) were appointed on 
 "the committee for examining my ACCOUNTS ; you reported 
 "that that you found THEM just, and signed the report." 
 
 Now what can any one understand from this, but that 
 the Chief Justice signed a report, approving all the 
 accounts of this man's Agency, even including the money 
 placed in the Stocks, &c., <fec. And yet in the report 
 there is no such word as ACCOUNTS in the plural number, 
 or ACCOUNT in general. It mentions only one account of 
 particular expeuce compared with vouchers amounting
 
 114 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 to 714, 10s, 7d ; which was the only account submitted 
 to the committee : "In obedience to the order of the 
 "House we have examined the ACCOUNT of Benjamin 
 "Franklin, Esq; with the vouchers to us produced, and 
 "find that he has expended &c." These are the words of 
 the report ; and it requires a very uncommon force of 
 logic to construe the signing of this report upon a par- 
 ticular account into a justification of all bis conduct in 
 his agency. 
 
 With the like truth a little afterwards, speaking of the 
 gentleman above referred to, he says "you, Sir, of all 
 "others was the very Member that proposed, for the 
 "honor and justice of the House, a compensation to be 
 "made of the Jive thousand pounds you mention." If 
 this were true, he has made the gentleman a very un- 
 grateful return for this, as well as many former favours. 
 But it happens to be a gross falshood. The gentleman 
 has publickly declared, that when the matter was first 
 mentioned, it was only by some of the Members in 
 occasional conversation at the committee, before whom 
 it could not come as a matter of business ; that those 
 Members spoke of the reasonableness of making the 
 Remarker some compensation for what they called his 
 services in England, and mentioned an agent that had 
 been allowed at the rate of .five hundred pounds sterling 
 per annum, by the colony of Virginia ; which agent 
 resided in England and could attend to his other busi- 
 ness, whereas Mr. Franklin was forced to leave his 
 family, and quit valuable business here. To which the 
 said gentleman, viz. the chief justice replied, that he 
 thought it a very great allowance, but at length, acqui- 
 esced with what appeared to be the sentiments of a 
 great majority of the committee, the matter not being 
 then before them, as hath been observed. And when
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 115 
 
 this business came into the House, it is notoriously 
 known, that the motion was made, not by the chief 
 justice, but by several of the Remarker's friends, and by 
 a member of Chester county in particular, who further 
 proposed that every expeuce of the Remarker during his 
 whole absence, should be defrayed by the House. This 
 was strenuously opposed by the chief justice, who said 
 he had no fellowship with him nor his politicks, that he 
 never had approved of sending the Member to England, 
 nor saw any benefit the Province had received by it, that 
 he had spent a great deal of time and money in parading 
 about to different parts of England, and even into Scot- 
 land, and must necessarily be at a large expence in main- 
 taining his son, which were matters this province had 
 nothing to do with. But that notwithstanding, since 
 the House had thought fit to employ him on an idle 
 errand, he thought they were now obliged in honour and 
 justice to make him a reasonable allowance ; and five hun- 
 dred pounds sterling, per annu>n, being the least sum 
 mentioned by any body, he said that he would not object 
 to it, tho' he thought the allowance rather too large. 
 
 This is a candid and circumstantial account of this 
 matter, in which the Member acted as became an honest 
 man ; and the reader may j udge how base a part the 
 Remarker acts, in the false invidious turn he gives to 
 the affair. 
 
 Equally malicious and groundless is the accusation he 
 brings against the gentleman for "concealing instructions 
 "which he was said to bring from the proprietors" for 
 healing our differences ; of which accusation a great 
 handle has been made for party views. 
 
 Whoever will suffer himself to reflect for a moment, 
 will see the absurdity of thinking that ever instructions 
 of this kind could be given to be communicated to the
 
 116 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 province, by a private gentleman, while the proprietors 
 had a governor (one of their own family) on the spot. 
 These instructions were not a moment concealed, nor was 
 it necessary to communicate them in any other manner 
 than they were. 
 
 If the words of the royal decree (which were inserted 
 verbatim in the latter act) were so clear, as the Assembly 
 contest, that they could not be understood in any other 
 sense but that which they contended for, there was 
 nothing to hinder the act from being executed in that 
 sense, if the proprietors had never given any instructions 
 at all on that head. But to put the matter out of doubt, 
 and to remove all cause of uneasiness, they were pleased 
 to give instructions to the governor to acquaint the 
 proper officers, that the law might be executed accord- 
 ingly. This was all that was wanted ; no new law was 
 necessary. Nothing remain'd but to let the Assembly 
 know that such instructions were given, and this was 
 done by a Member, from the governors own mouth. 
 Had the Assembly been willing or desirous to receive 
 any further information, they might have obtained it by 
 sending a very short message ; for messages have often 
 passed on matters of as little importance. 
 
 The chief justice, it is true, was in London when the 
 instructions were sent. He was there made acquainted 
 with them, and approved of them as just and tending to 
 peace. It is not improbable but on his coming over he 
 might be charged by the proprietors with letters to the 
 governor on the subject, but he is known to have sol- 
 emnly declared that he never was invested with any 
 powers or commissions from the proprietors, to commu- 
 nicate their intentions to the House, or to settle any 
 difference between them. But every Member, nay every 
 private man who conversed with him, can testify, that
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 117 
 
 he did not keep the proprietors' intentions secret. What 
 is asserted in the extract of Mr. Barclay's letter, quoted 
 by the Remarker, must therefore have been founded on 
 some mistake. 
 
 Thus have I followed the Remarker through every 
 thing that bears the least appearance of argument in his 
 performance ; and if the Protesters meet with no more 
 formidable attack than this, their arguments will remain 
 fully convincing to cool and deliberate minds. And 
 though he exults in carrying with him the sanction of 
 two to one in the House, which is a misrepresentation 
 also ; yet let him take into the account, that he carries 
 with him the bitter reproaches and indignation of at 
 least fi ve to one of an injured people. 
 
 Before I leave the Protest, let me observe that there is 
 one part of it, which it did not suit him to mention. 
 
 The Protesters (after using their utmost endeavours 
 against burtheuing this province with any more agents 
 than one, and particularly against employing this man, 
 who seems too ready to traffick our singular privileges 
 away for gratifying his own ambition and resentment) 
 frankly proposed in condescension to their Brethren, 
 who thought another agent necessary, to concur with them 
 in the appointment of any person of weight and integ- 
 rity in London ; and in order to save the expence to the 
 province, already burden'd with heavy taxes, they 
 further proposed that it should be by subscription, to 
 which they generously offered to contribute their quotas, 
 if the other members would do the same. 
 
 I now proceed to a more disagreeable part of my Task ; 
 viz, to take some notice of the gross slander and scur- 
 rility of this Remarker. 
 
 And first then, because he himself (the most unpopular 
 arid odious name in the province) lost his election,
 
 118 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 wherever it was attempted to set him, he therefore 
 abuses almost the whole body of the people. 
 
 "The superiority " he says, "was obtained over him at 
 "the expence of honour and conscience, by exasperating 
 "the ignorant, by falsehoods, by prejudices, &c." One 
 set of men who opposed him meaning his majesty's 
 faithful subjects the Presbyterians, (who have ever been 
 among the foremost in defending their country, and pro- 
 moting their sovereign's measures ; while this virulent 
 calumniator, and many of his present adherents, thought 
 they did us a great favor in permitting us to spill our 
 own blood, and spend our own money, in the publick 
 cause) this numerous and loyal people are called "relig- 
 "ious bigots, of alt savages the most bruitish." 
 
 The industrious GERMANS, to whom this province is so 
 much indebted for its flourishing state, and who have 
 suffered so much from this man's ill-timed disputes, that 
 they thought him unworthy of further trust they too 
 are called by him "a wretched rabble, brought to swear 
 "themselves intituled to a vote." Much in the same manner 
 he had treated them on a former occasion ; calling them 
 "a set of boors herding together," as if he was speaking of 
 swine. Yet this valuable body of men are true subjects 
 to his majesty ; have cultivated a great extent of our 
 country under the faith of our charter, are possessed of 
 large property, and entitled to the privileges of English- 
 men and a vote by our laws ; and have exercised these 
 their rights, without interruption, for many years. 
 
 The members of the church of England have at 
 present escaped his calumny. He considered, perhaps, 
 the country to which he was going, and may hope to 
 carry some future points by his complaisance. But he 
 will probably be mistaken. For as he belongs to no 
 religious society, and regards none, so he is alike detested
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 119 
 
 by all, except one, and by many serious good men among 
 that society also. 
 
 These are some specimens of his shameful and scan- 
 dalous manner of treating the People of this province in 
 general. To bestow any answer on such scurrility, 
 would be ridiculous. None but a very bad man, or one 
 delirious with rage, disappointment and malice, would 
 utter such language, even against a single antagonist, 
 much less against whole bodies of people ; unsupported, 
 as it is, with any shadow of reason. In the same man- 
 ner, he treats the respectable names, who, in execution 
 of what they judged their duty in their place, opposed 
 his appointment. They are called "proprietary 
 "minions, making use of a new form of libelling, as the 
 "vehicle of personal malice, &c." Yet the ten gentlemen 
 who signed the Protest are known to be persons of the 
 fairest character and men of fortune, absolutely inde- 
 pendent of the proprietary family, holding no places 
 under them, soliciting none, nor ever likely to accept of 
 any. Out of this number, I should have excepted the 
 Chief Justice, who has the trifling salary of about 120 
 sterling per annum, and that not depending on the 
 proprietors, but on the yearly vote of the Assembly 
 alone ; which salary too, it is well known, he has con- 
 stantly applied to publick or charitable uses. This office 
 he accepted only thro' the earnest entreaties and per. 
 suasions of many good men, and after repeated refusals 
 to serve in it. He has since often desired leave of the 
 several governors to resign it, on account of his advanced 
 age and bodily infirmities, and still wishes to do it as 
 soon as his superiors can be prevailed on to fill it up 
 with another. 
 
 As the chief force of the Remarker's virulence seems 
 directed against this gentleman. I shall take the liberty
 
 120 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 to state the account between them, a little more par- 
 ticularly. 
 
 The gentleman, I presume, does not pretend an 
 exemption from human failings. His open and candid 
 temper may have led him more than once, to rely too 
 easily on the professions of false and insidious men ; 
 and he is, In no instance, more chargeable with this, than 
 in what he has done for this ungrateful incendiary, who, 
 probably, had never been of consideration enough to 
 give the least disturbance to this province, but for the 
 numerous favours so ill bestowed on him, by this gen- 
 tleman and his friends. They were the persons who 
 first raised him from his original obscurity, and got him 
 appointed Printer to the province, and Clerk to the house 
 of assembly. Not resting here, the gentleman whom 
 he has so grossly vilified, did likewise procure him the 
 office of joint-postmaster of America, by means of his 
 name- sake, the worthy RALPH ALLEN, Esq ; of Bath, to 
 whom this Remarker was utterly unknown. 
 
 He seemed for a time to carry some appearance of 
 gratitude for these favors ; and this gentleman and his 
 friends continued their regard; to him, till, at length, 
 upon some slight which he supposed the proprietors had 
 put upon him, in not answering one of his letters, and 
 on some personal difference with GOVERNOR MORRIS, they 
 found him all at once renouncing every principle he had 
 formerly professed ; openly attacking government, 
 fomenting division, and joining himself avowedly to 
 those, whom before he had often spoke of with the 
 greatest contempt and disapprobation. 
 
 Then, indeed, the gentlemen dropped him ; but they 
 did it with a silent disregard ; and he has not been 
 without his moments of repentance for his conduct. He 
 has made frequent overtures towards a reconciliation ;
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 121 
 
 and, within these two years, has passed the most lavish 
 encomiums on the gentleman who is the present object of 
 his resentment ; declaring that "he even revered the ashes 
 "of their former friendship." 
 
 But how strangely he must have forgot himself, when 
 he says in his Remarks, that "the dear delight and con- 
 "stant employment of the gentleman's life (the ashes of 
 "whose former friendship he reveres) has been the maim- 
 "ing or murdering all the reputations that stand in his 
 "way ?" A poor compliment this, which the Remarker 
 pays to his own choice of friends ! Is it possible that 
 he could have had so many years close friendship with a 
 person, the dear delight and constant employment of whose 
 whole life has been of so infernal a nature ? Into what 
 monstrous absurdities and contradicticns will the frantic 
 rage of virulent men transport them ? 
 
 To take further notice of this infamous slander, would 
 be perfectly needless. It stands self-refuted ; and there 
 is not a character perhaps, in this province, to which it 
 could less justly be applied. With regard to the chief 
 justice of this province, his virtues are well known, and 
 his character extended so greatly to his advantage 
 through all parts of America, that it cannot receive the 
 least injury from this vain and wicked attempt. The 
 world is apt enough to fix blemishes and stains where 
 there ought not to be any ; nor will it suffer even a 
 man's foibles to pass into oblivion ; and surely, if the 
 gentleman had been obnoxious to this heavy charge (and 
 that through his whole life too) we could not but have 
 heard of it before now. But the truth is, that "it was 
 "not invented before," as the Remarker says on another 
 occasion ; and therefore the gentleman's character, re- 
 mained untouched, till, in the rage of disappointment, 
 this furious attack was made upon it, by venturing to
 
 122 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 spread the most glaring falshoods ; falshoods which have 
 made the Remarker's friends blush for him, and his 
 enemies triumph He, no doubt, felt the weight of this 
 gentleman's reputation against him, and therefore 
 thought ir. necessary to attempt a breach in it; but the 
 blow has recoiled upon himself, and has wounded the 
 credit of every other part of his performance. Thus, 
 like the hunted beast, while he bites the spear of his 
 pursuer, he breaks his own fangs. 
 
 With the like slander he insinuates, that endeavours 
 have been used in this province, "to render his majesty's 
 "government odious; that traiterous papers, to this 
 "purpose, had been written and translated into other 
 "languages; and that it had been declared, written and 
 "printed, that the king's little finger we should find 
 "heavier than the proprietors' whole loins, with regard to 
 "our liberties;" and, by the whole reading of the para- 
 graph, he seems to charge these "exploits" chiefly, if 
 not solely, to the gentleman above-mentioned, as another 
 mark of the "reverence he pays to the ashes of their 
 "former friendship." 
 
 But it is happy for the gentleman reflected upon, that 
 wherever his character is known, this charge will meet 
 with as little regard as the former. Thro' his whole 
 life, he has been a constant friend to government and 
 order ; an enemy to every factious and anarchical 
 scheme, and a strenuous promoter of the king's service. 
 Every one of his majesty's officers, from the commanders 
 in chief, to the lowest subaltern, will be ready to 
 acknowledge the particular encouragement and assist, 
 ance they have on all occasions received from him, in 
 every part of their duty ; while the public service has 
 been almost constantly obstructed by the licentious spirit 
 of this turbulent Remarker.
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 123 
 
 The two Characters afford a most striking contrast. 
 The Chief Justice, while in America, does his utmost to 
 support government, and promote the king's service ; 
 and, when in England, he was equally zealous to support 
 the Rights of America ; with a firm and independent 
 spirit, maintaining in behalf of the people here, that 
 they considered it to be their essential right as British 
 subjects, to assess their own taxes; and that any law to 
 subject them to internal taxations, otherwise than by 
 their own representatives, would be disfranchising them 
 of the rights of englishmen : in which opinion, he has 
 the concurring sentiments of, I believe, every represen- 
 tative body on this continent. 
 
 But very different is the conduct of our ambitious and 
 time-serving remarker. Here in America, his delight is 
 in contention, anarchy and opposition to government. 
 And then, when he has created an embassy for himself, 
 and gets on the other side of the Atlantic, he shifts with 
 the scene ; puts off the noisy demagogue, forgets the 
 cause of his employers, truckles for preferment for 
 himself and family, and boasts services he never 
 performed. 
 
 As to any papers published at the late election, that 
 could give the least, colour to the charge he has brought, 
 he or his adherents are called upon to shew them, and 
 expressly to mention the passages, else to take the shame 
 to themselves. I, for my part, have neither seen, or 
 before heard of, any such ; and as to the chief justice, 
 who neither gave any vote, nor even stirr'd out of his 
 house during the whole election, he has declared, that 
 far from writing or publishing, he has not even read any 
 thing written or published by either side, since his 
 return from England, except the Supplement to the Penn- 
 sylvania Journal, which he never saw, till a printed copy
 
 124 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 was put into his hands by a friend, desiring him to 
 peruse it, as he was mentioned in it. There is but one 
 paragraph in that paper that makes any comparison 
 between the privileges enjoyed here, and those in royal 
 governments ; and that paragraph, far from making 
 such governments odious, has these express words, viz. 
 "That no government under his sacred Majesty can be 
 "an unhappy one ; but that there are degrees of happi- 
 "ness as well as privileges." This surely does not convey 
 the least reflection against such governments. 
 
 The great founder of this province had the noble res- 
 i-lution, many years ago, to tell his superiors, in behalf 
 of his people, that "they had not followed him so far, to 
 "lose a single tittle of the charter granted to them, or 
 "of the great charter to which all Englishmen were 
 "born." This he did without giving offence: and, I 
 doubt not, if ever this Remarker should venture to push 
 his daring attempts farther against the liberties of 
 Pennsylvania, there will be those found who will be 
 ready to plead with unshaken firmness, and without 
 giving the least offence to the wise, equitable and august 
 judicature before whom only this matter can come 
 ''That when English colonies were first planted, and 
 "men were to quit their native country, and, for the 
 "extension of its commerce, to enter into what was then 
 "considered as a kind of voluntary banishment ; it was 
 "thought proper to indulge and encourage them with 
 "particular grants and privileges, suitable to their 
 "circumstances. 
 
 "The first settlers of Pennsylvania, were highly 
 "favoured in this respect by their humane founder, who 
 "(under the ample authority of a royal charter) granted 
 "them many singular privileges and immunities; to
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 125 
 
 "which the rapid growth of this province is to be prin- 
 "cipally ascribed. By the very name of these privileges 
 "multitudes of people have been drawn from almost all 
 'quarters of the world ; who have encreased the number 
 "of British subjects, cultivated a wilderness, and made 
 "it one of the fairest and most valuable parts of his 
 "Majesty's American dominions. Having thus amply 
 "fulfilled the considerations for which these privileges 
 "were granted, they now think themselves entituled to 
 "the perpetual enjoyment of them. They have not 
 "forfeited them by any act of disloyalty to their most 
 "gracious sovereign ; nor are they pretended to be incon- 
 "sistent with the nature of government, or such as could 
 "not have been legally conveyed to them. They do now, 
 "therefore, claim these previleges entire; and a majority 
 "of at least five to one of them have publickly avowed 
 "that claim, and say that their charter, which is their 
 "birth right, has expressly put it out of the power of 
 "their Representatives, by themselves, to do any matter, 
 "or thing, whereby their privileges may be affected. 
 "Under such circumstances as these, when they see a 
 "change (unsought for by our indulgent Sovereign, 
 "unwished for by the people, and even notoriously 
 "repugnant to their general sentiments) I say, when 
 "under such circumstances, they see a measure of such 
 "immense importance, hurried wickedly and vehemently 
 "on, by the ambition of a single man, it is impossible 
 "but indignation and resentment must rise to their 
 "utmost heighth." 
 
 All this, I say, may be asserted without the least 
 offence. There is not a private corporation that would 
 not steadfastly say as much as this, in behalf of their most 
 inconsiderable immunities. And yet this is the amount 
 of all that is to be found in the papers which, for the
 
 126 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 credit of his country, the Remarker has been pleased to 
 call treasonable. 
 
 There is no such expression to be found in them, as 
 that "the king's little finger we shall find heavier than 
 "the proprietor' whole loins, in regard to our liberties." 
 The Remarker, with his usual candor, has added words 
 of his own to the sentence ; for what is there said, is not 
 spoken, with regard to our liberties, but with regard to 
 instructions. The Remarker has made it a charge, 
 against proprietary instructions, that our judges were 
 thereby prevented from having their commissions during 
 good behavior. It is answered, that "we should find the 
 "king's little finger thicker than the proprietor's whole 
 "loins," with regard to the authority of instructions of 
 this kind ; and an instance is given of Mr. Hardy's case, 
 who lost the government of New Jersey for appointing 
 one judge during good behaviour. 
 
 It is true, many papers have been publish'd in this 
 province, which, by comparison, have a tendency to 
 "render royal governments odious," as well with respect 
 to the tenor of Judges' commissions, as the tenor of 
 militia-laws, the right of disposing the public money, 
 and the appointment of the officers of the revenue, &c. 
 But it is the Remarker's misfortune, that these publi- 
 cations have had him for their author, and are striking 
 specimens of his boasted loyalty, and "constant en- 
 "deavours to promote the measures of the crown, ever 
 "since he had any influence in the province." Nothing 
 but his own matchless assurance could make him hope 
 that this assertion could obtain any more credit in 
 England, than it can in America; when it IB incontest- 
 ably known, that, for many years past, he has taken 
 every advantage of the distresses of his country, to 
 retard the public supplies, to wrest the prerogatives of
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 127 
 
 the crown out of the hands of the King's representative^ 
 to strip the executive part of government of its consti- 
 tutional authority, and to affect even royalty himself. 
 
 I shall not, in imitation of his example, advance such 
 charges, without proof. 
 
 During the last war, he drew up with his own hand, 
 and afterwards defended in his news-paper, a militia bill 
 (which the governor in the distress of the country, was 
 obliged to pass into a law) by which the nomination of 
 the officers, and consequently the command of the militia, 
 were wrested out of the hands of the king's represent- 
 ative ; by which, the Remarker himself got elected to 
 the office of colonel, paraded his regiment about the 
 streets to intimidate his opponents ; and on setting out 
 and returning from journeys, was escorted with drawn 
 swords, and received with rested arms, and other affecta- 
 tions of royal state; while the king's representative had 
 nothing, left, but to walk about, and look silently on. 
 
 This law being repealed by his majesty, our Remarker, 
 in the profusion of his loyalty, had the assurance last 
 spring, to get another presented to the governor, worse 
 in many respects, than the former ; still depriving the 
 king's representative of the nomination of the officers, 
 and even giving the provincial commissioners a negative 
 on the direction of the operations of the militia. The 
 governor having refused to pass this bill, he was charged 
 (in a paper published under the Remarker's patronage 
 at the last election) with being a tyrant, and being led 
 by wicked proprietary* instructions, to subject the peo- 
 ple to grievous fines and death by military courts ; to 
 refuse them the choice of their own officers, and the 
 benefit of being tried for military offences in the civil 
 
 See a paper call'd Reasons why the late Militia Bill miscarried. See also the 
 resolves of March the 24th last.
 
 128 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 courts, by a jury nominated by a sheriff of their own 
 election ; notwithstanding the governor, by his amend- 
 ments, only desired the bill to be rendered conformable 
 to the militia laws in all the governments around us, 
 declaring that he would not pass it otherwise, as contrary 
 to a known and positive determination of the king in 
 council. 
 
 Surely "these exploits of our Remarker, are not for a 
 "man that holds a profitable office under the crown ; 
 "and as he says, can expect to hold it no longer than he 
 "behaves with the fidelity and duty that becomes every 
 "good subject." But >et these are not half of his loyal 
 "exploits." 
 
 His majesty has repealed a law (pas'd by our infamous 
 Governor Denny) appointing our judges during good 
 behaviour. The Remarker was then our agent and plen- 
 ipotentiary at London, and either could not, or did not 
 think it safe for him there to oppose that repeal ; yet 
 still this "faithful and dutiful subject," (as he calls him- 
 self) resolves it to be among the list of our grievances, 
 and unjust, that the proprietors, in obedience to the 
 king's determination, should "appoint judges during 
 "their pleasure." Again, though it be expressly sub- 
 versive of the royal prerogative and unconstitutional, 
 for an assembly to claim the appointment of officers in 
 the civil and executive part of the government, or the sole 
 disposition of the public money, accountable, as they are, 
 only to themselves ; nay tho' his majesty has repealed a 
 law, on this very account ; yet this man has constantly 
 taken advantage of his country's distress, violently to 
 repeat all these claims. By these means he has often 
 endeavoured to deny the Governor even a voice in the 
 disposition of the public money : and has got the nom- 
 
 {See remarks, page 89.
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 129 
 
 ination of the officers of the revenue, and even military 
 officers, such as barrick-masters, &c. taken out of the 
 hands of the King's representative. 
 
 These are some of the dutiful exploits which our Re- 
 marker has performed ; and tho' he thought it his In- 
 terest to boast great loyalty, when he was setting out for 
 England : yet his superiors there, to whom these things 
 are well known, will be at no loss to form a right judg- 
 ment concerning him. I could now proceed to give 
 some striking Instances of his loyalty, extracted from hia 
 writing as a private man ; in which he has treated his 
 Majesty's publick Boards, and royal Instructions, much in 
 the same bitter and licentious manner, as he treats the 
 powers of government here. "It is not, says he, $ to be 
 presumed that such as have been long accustomed to 
 "consider the colonies in general, as only so many 
 "dependencies on the Council- Board, the Board of Trade 
 "and the Board of Customs; or as a hot-bed for causes, 
 "jobbs and other pecuniary emoluments, and bound as 
 "effectually by instructions as by laws, can be prevailed 
 "on to consider these patriot-rustics (of Pennsylvania) 
 "with any degree of respect." 
 
 But having already exceeded the length 1 intended, I 
 shall not take further notice of this man as a writer. It 
 is however to be hoped that some person of more leisure 
 may, for the sake of an abused Province, give a compleat 
 account of his conduct ever since it was the misfortune 
 of this country that he had any influence in it. There is 
 ample room to shew how diametrically opposite his 
 principles have been at different times ; how he has paid 
 servile court to all sides, deceived all, calumniated all ! 
 How he has been endeavouring, first with one party, then 
 with another, to pave the way to his present attempt ! 
 
 ^Historical review of Pennsylvania.
 
 130 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 what misrepresentations he has spread, and what fer- 
 ments he has worked up for this purpose ! 
 
 It might likewise be shewn, by what means, after his 
 schemes had rendered him odious to every other society 
 in the Drovince, he has formed a party in one, by sowing 
 divisions among them ; and tho' they have heretofore 
 been thought remarkable for their sagacity and prudence, 
 yet he has craftily drawn their young men into his 
 measures ; lessening the influence of the serious and 
 considerate part of their body ; and, under the mark of 
 friendship, hurrying them on to that ruin, which he had 
 before endeavoured to bring upon them, in open enmity. 
 
 This would furnish a character, not such as is given in 
 the lapidary way, to which he has of late been accus- 
 tomed ; but sucb as will be preserved in the more lasting 
 strokes of faithful history. 
 
 At present I shall conclude only with a sketch; and 
 that he may not call it either "maiming or murdering" 
 I shall give part of it in his own drawing; and part of 
 it in the drawing of a celebrated english poet. The 
 reader may make the application where he pleases ; for 
 I cannot tell for whom the latter part was designed. 
 
 "Tho* foiled and disgraced, this Anti- Penn, this under- 
 taker to subvert the building Penn had raised, is far 
 ''from quiting the lists. On the contrary, he lies in wait 
 "with impatience for the verification of his own pre- 
 dictions Factions he has found means to form, 
 
 "both in the city and in several counties. Tools and 
 
 "implements of all kinds he has The prostitute 
 
 "writer, the whispering incendiary, the avowed des- 
 perado, surround him. The press he has made an 
 "outrageous use of; a cry he has raised ; and, in minia- 
 
 See the Remarker's historical review, page 274-5.
 
 ANSWER TO FRANKLIN'S REMARKS. 131 
 
 "ture, the whole game of faction has been here played 
 "by him, &c." 
 
 "Paleness, f not such as on his wings 
 
 "The messenger of sickness brings, 
 
 "But such as takes its coward rise, 
 
 "From conscious baseness, conscious vice, 
 
 "O'erspread his cheeks ; disdain and pride, 
 
 "To upstart fortunes ever tied, 
 
 "ScowPd on his brow ; within his eye, 
 
 "Insidious, lurking like a spy 
 
 "To caution principled by fear, 
 
 "Not daring open to appear, 
 
 "Lodged covert mischief; passion hung 
 
 "On his lips quivering ; on his tongue 
 
 " Fraud dwelt at large ; within his breast 
 
 "All that makes villain found a nest. 
 
 tC'HUECHILL.
 
 IND 
 
 Abercombie, General . 35 
 Alarm after Brad- 
 dock's defeat . 28, 30, 
 31,33 
 
 Alexander, James . 61 
 
 Alexander, James Mrs. 42 
 
 Allen, Andrew . 3, 45, 
 
 49, 50, 56, 56 
 
 Allen, Anne . 3, 48, 68 
 
 Allen, James . 3,45,49, 
 
 50,55,56 
 
 Allen, John . 3, 38, 39, 
 
 42, 44, 46, 47, 48, 51, 53 
 
 Allen, Margaret 58, 76, 79 
 
 Allen, Ralph . . 120 
 
 Allen, William . 3, 40, 
 
 48, 50, 52, 55, 57, 59, 
 
 74, 79, 85, 93, 97, 102, 
 
 113,116, 119,120,122, 
 
 123 Salary of . 119 
 
 Allen, "William Mrs. . 3, 
 
 37,43 
 
 Ambler, Mrs. . . 48 
 
 Arms ordered . . 25 
 Arthur, Joseph . . 14 
 Ashton, Ralph . . 35 
 Assembly . 36, 37, 57, 
 64, 73, 74, 82, 109, 116 
 Bacon, Anthony . 68 
 Baldwin, Mr. ... 78 
 Bank, proposed . . 58 
 Barclay, Alexander . 56 
 Barclay, David 15, 41, 44, 
 47,61,62, 76,117 
 Barclay, John . . 58 
 Barre, Colonel . . 64 
 Baynton, Mr. ... 9 
 Bellair's Lands . 6, 14, 17 
 Bernard, Governor . 74 
 
 Bolitho 55 
 
 Books and Pamphlets 
 
 12, 24, 36, 71, 78 
 Borrowing Money . 16 
 Braddock's Defeat . 22 
 Bricks imported . . 20 
 Bryan, George . . 85
 
 134 
 
 THE BURD PAPERS. 
 
 Budd, John ... 54 
 Budd, Mary . . . 
 
 Budd, Susanna . . 3 
 
 Budd, Thomas . . 3 
 
 Burd, Edward . . 4 
 
 Burd, Sarah ... 4 
 
 Butler and Matthews 10 
 
 Cambric, imported . 36 
 Campbell, Mr. Hume 24 
 Carey, I. & P. ... 11 
 Carpets, imported . 68 
 Change from Proprie- 
 tary to Royal Gov- 
 ernment proposed 
 
 64, 82, 124, 125 
 Child, Charles . . 36 
 Churchill quoted . 131 
 Coach . . . 11, 13, 16 
 Cockshals, Mr, . . 69 
 Coleman, William . 9, 75 
 Copper Mine . 18, 19, 
 20, 21, 29 
 Curtains imported . 68 
 
 De-Lancey, James . 3 
 Denny, Governor . . 128 
 Dickinson, John . . 85 
 Dickinson, Jonathan 45 
 Drummoud, Mr. . . 74 
 Dun, Capt 34 
 
 Election . 56, 63, 83, 90, 
 104, 106, 118, 123 
 Ellebank, Lord . . 60 
 England, Disputes 
 
 with . 70, 72, 73, 74 
 England, Oppressions 
 
 by . 65,66,67,75,77 
 
 English Stock . 43, 47, 
 
 48, 52, 66 
 
 Exports 17 
 
 Ferguson, Robert . 10 
 
 Fielding, Sir John . 58 
 
 Fisher, Governor . . 20 
 
 Forbes, General . 38, 40 
 
 Forester, Mr. . . . 24 
 
 Fothergill, Dr. . 60, 85 
 
 Fox, Joseph ... 97 
 
 Franklin, Benjamin . 4, 
 
 10,49,57,62,63,81,82, 
 
 83,84,87,88,91,97,98, 
 
 99, 103, 114, 117, 123, 
 
 130 
 
 Franks, David . . 42 
 French, Aggressions 
 
 of .... 7,17,28 
 French Vessels cap- 
 tured 29 
 
 Gage, Lord . . 53, 66 
 Galloway .... 57 
 Germans . 25, 27, 118 
 Gibson, John . 15, 34, 40 
 Gordon, William . 31 
 Gun, new .... 67 
 
 Racket . . . . 44, 69 
 
 Hamilton, Andrew . 3 
 
 Hamilton, Governor 
 
 James . . 34, 37, 38, 
 
 49,51,62,64,65,67,71 
 
 Hamilton, Margaret . 3 
 
 Handbury, Capel . 69, 70 
 
 Hardy, Mr. ... 126 
 
 Henry, William . . 18 
 
 Hick, Mr 69 
 
 Hubley, Misses . . 4 
 Hughes, John . . 97 
 Hunt, John . . 56, 63 
 Hunter . . . . 10, 11 
 Hyde, Lord ... 62
 
 INDEX. 
 
 135 
 
 Importations . 12, 20, 
 24,36,41,42,48,58,59, 
 61, 68, 71, 78, 79 
 Indians, Murders by 
 
 24, 28, 33, 91 
 Indians, Purchase 
 
 from . . 6,7,14,17 
 Instructions 115, 126, 127 
 Irish, Anna ... 35 
 Irish, Nathaniel . . 35 
 Ironworks . 43, 44, 69 
 Jackson, Mr. . 57,62, 85 
 Jackson & Rutherford 51 
 James, Abel ... 63 
 Jersey Lands 7, 8, 9, 53 
 Jesuits Bark ... 20 
 Judges Commissioned 
 
 during pleasure . 128 
 Keppele, Henry . . 85 
 King, Petition to the 
 
 24, 26, 32 
 
 Lamar, Mrs. ... 58 
 
 Lands . . 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 
 
 15, 17, 53 
 
 Lawn, imported . . 36 
 
 Lea, Mr 70 
 
 Letters to 
 
 Arrecharreta, Don 
 
 Juan .... 17 
 Barclay, D . 5, 9, 12, 
 15, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 
 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 
 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 
 49, 50, 51, 52, 55, 56, 
 62, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 
 74, 76, 79 
 
 Barclay, John . 18, 29 
 Beckford, William 31 
 Butler, Edmund . 14 
 Carey, I. & P. . . 9 
 
 Chiswell, Col. John 16 
 Davis, Robert 61,71, 78 
 Drummond, Colin 74 
 Farmer & Galton . 67 
 Griffiths, John 43, 44 
 Hopkins, William 52 
 Hume, B. . . . 5 
 Jackson & Ruther- 
 ford ... 39, 42 
 Nelson, Wm. . 35, 48 
 Paris, Ferdinand 24, 30 
 Patterson, Evan . 6, 
 14,17 
 
 Pitt, William . . 58 
 
 Ruiz, Don Bernardo 11, 
 
 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 29 
 
 Simpson, Thos. . 7, 53 
 
 Tysson, Francis . 45 
 
 Wade, John . . 34 
 
 Walker, Samuel . 69 
 
 Lisbon, Letter to . 17 
 
 Logan, James . . 45 
 
 Lottery Tickets 5, 10, 15 
 
 Loudon, Lord ... 35 
 
 McCall, Samuel . . 14 
 
 McCanaughy, D. . 85 
 
 Maddox, Mr 9 
 
 Magnolia Roots . . 66 
 Mann, Sir Horace . 40 
 Medicine .... 17 
 Militia Law . . 30, 32, 
 33 127 
 
 Mine . 18, 19, 20, 21, 29 
 Money borrowed on in- 
 terest 16 
 
 Money, public invested 
 vested in stock . 84, 
 95,110,111 
 
 Monkton,John . . 36 
 Montgomery, John . 85
 
 136 
 
 THE BCRD PAPERS. 
 
 Moore, John ... 97 
 Morris, Governor . 120 
 Morton, John . . 97 
 Mytton, John . . . 53 
 Nelson, Mr. ... 48 
 Norris, Mr. ... 96 
 
 Ore 20, 21 
 
 Oswald, Miss ... 76 
 Paper Money ... 37 
 Paris, Ferdinand . . 35 
 Pearson, Isaac . . 97 
 Penn family . . 25, 54, 
 
 57, 60, 62, 64, 66, 82, 
 
 92, 109, 116 
 
 Pewter Plates ... 20 
 Philadelphia, Squares 
 
 in . 83, 92, 107, 108 
 
 Pine Buds for Gout 58, 
 
 59, 61, 66 
 
 Pitt, William . 58, 59, 62 
 Plumley, Sarah . . 3 
 Plumsted, William . 42 
 Possant, Captain . . 14 
 Postmastership, Frank- 
 lin's appointment 
 
 10, 120 
 
 Powell, Captain . . 70 
 Pratt, Chief Justice . 62 
 Presents ... 11, 15 
 Protest . . 81, 88, 102 
 Quakers . 25, 27, 32, 33 
 Redman, Dr. ... 35 
 Remarks by Franklin 87 
 Rhoads, Samuel . . 97 
 Ring, Mourning . . 43 
 Roaque, Mr. ... 61 
 Robertson .... 66 
 Robinson, Captain . 30 
 Ross, Dr. .... 20 
 Ross, John .... 97 
 
 Rum ...... 9 
 
 Rutherford, Captain 42 
 Saunders, Isaac . . 85 
 Scotch -Irish People . 25 
 
 Scott, Col 77 
 
 Seeds . . . . 52, 53 
 Shelborn, Lord . . 65 
 Shippen, Edward . 3, 4 
 Shippen, Joseph 38, 39, 68 
 
 Shirley 14 
 
 Silver, Value of Falls 52 
 Simpson . . . 5, 8, 54 
 Slave, a fugitive . . 58 
 Sloop Watts captured 14 
 Smith, William . . 4 
 Southwell, Edward . 53 
 Stamp Act .... 67 
 Stanwix, General . 40 
 Strettell, Amos . . 85 
 Stuart, Alexander. 11, 50 
 Sydenham, Mr. . . 20 
 
 Tabb, Mr 48 
 
 Taylor, George . . 85 
 Thinn, Captain . . 18 
 Trade, in America, 
 
 poor 65 
 
 Turner, Mr. . . 43, 77 
 Vegetables . 12, 22, 34 
 Wages . . . . 30, 70 
 Walker, L. L. . . 4 
 Waters, Mr. ... 48 
 West, Benjamin . 3, 41, 
 42, 47, 51 
 
 Wigs 5,36 
 
 Wilkinson, John . . 97 
 Willing, Thos. . . 85 
 
 Wine 48 
 
 Wynn, Thomas . . 53 
 Yellow Fever ... 52 
 York, Mr 24
 
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