At a Council held at Philad", the 26th November, 1755, A. M. PRESENT: The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca. Benjamin Shoemaker, Richard Peters, Joseph Turner, Lyndford Lardner, Esqrs. A Bill entituled "An Act for granting £60,000 to the King's use and for striking Fifty-five thousand pounds thereof in Bills of Credit and to provide a fund for sinking the same" (wherein the Proprietary Estate is exempted from Taxation towards raising the same sum in consideration of their granting Five thousand pounds in lieu thereof) was presented to the Governor and read, but it growing late the Council adjourned till the afternoon. The two following Letters with several others of the same Import were laid before the House: A Letter from Timothy Horsefield, Esquire, to William Parsons, Esquire. "Sir: "I have now to inform you that David Zeisberger is this minute returned from Gnadenhutten, who was sent Yesterday with the Letter informing we would convoy the Indians that wanted to go to the Governor. He came to Gnadenhutten about 5 or 6 o'clock last night; when he came within sight of the Town he heard the firing of Guns, which he thought to be at y Mahoney, the place where our Brethren's Farm is, and when he came to the first House he heard more firing, where somebody hallowed to be fetched over the Water, whome they fetched over; it was one of our Brethren that escaped from the Mahoney, who told David that the Enemy was at the Mahoney and had killed the most part of our poor White Brethren; he knew of only two that escaped; upon hearing this David came immediately away to inform the people in Arms, whom he found encamped about 6 Miles this side Gnadenhutten; The first Company, being some of the Irish Settlement people and some Dutch, when they heard of the Mischief, directly got to arms and march'd in good spirits; 2 miles further this way, he came to Colonel Anderson's Company who encamped at the Gap without any Fire; So soon as he heard of it, immediately called his Men to Arms, and sent one Man with David to the Settlement with orders for the Men then in the Settlement, & some of Bucks County Men who loged there last night, to march directly to their assis tance. "When David was got a few miles from Gnadenhutten, he saw a very great Fire, he supposed it to be the buildings at the Maho ny- in Flames. The Brethren in Bethlehem intend, as soon as possible, to send a Waggon load Mead and such other Provisions they can get ready, to Gnadenhutten or &c., for the use of the Troops, and I suppose to get some of the Saucon people to go as a Guard to the Waggon, least it fall into the Enemy's hands; pray excuse these confused Lines, being in great hast. "I am, Sir, your very affectionate humble Servant, "Colonel Anderson desires that word be sent to the Jersey, to order more of his Men to come directly. You will please to do it." "Sir: A Letter to the Secretary from Mr. William Parsons. "By the Letters herewith sent to his Honour the Governor, you will see that the Enemy have attacked and burnt the Moravian Settlement at Mahoney, and killed all their White People except two, who escaped. As soon as I received this account I dispatched John Weaver express with it to the Governor, and as the Enemy is so near us, I shall be obliged to send continually Expresses, which will occasion an Expence which neither myself nor the Towns people will not be able to bear. Pray Sir, help us for we are in great distress. The powder and lead came to hand, but no Letter, and I don't know what we shall do for want of Arms. If I can get a Waggon to bring my Daughter to Philadelphia, I will send her off immediately, by which Waggon may be sent Arms, &. if any are to be had. "I am, Sir, In great distress, "Your obedient humble Servant, "WILLIAM PARSONS. "I imagine that my plantation and every thing there is destroyed, by which I am totally ruined. "RICHARD PETERS, Esquire." At a Council held at Philadelphia, the 26th November, 1755, P. M. Present as in the forenoon. The Bill entituled "An Act for granting the sum of £60,000 to the Kings use, and for striking Fifty-five thousand pounds VOL. VI-47. thereof in Bills of Credit & to provide a Fund for Sinking the same," (wherein the Proprietary Estate is exempted from Taxation towards raising the said sum, in consideration of their granting Five thousand pounds in lieu thereof) was read, but Mr. Shoemaker dissented and protested against its passing, for that the Act appropropriates and limits great part of the Money for particular purposes, and the whole to be paid into the hands of certain persons therein nominated to apply the same; whereas, it should in his opinion, have ordered the Money into the hands of the Governor, to be by him apply'd under a general appropriation for the use of his Majesty, and the rest of the Council thought it very exceptionable, and that it ought to be amended in several parts, but taking into Consideration the distressed state of the Province, and the imminent Danger it is in, if money and a proper Force are not immediately raised for its defence, & to stop the Invaders and Ravages of the Enemy, they advised the Governor to pass it without Amendment, and accordingly the Bill was returned to the House by the Secretary with a verbal Message that the Governor was ready to pass it. The Governor laid before the Council two Letters he had thought proper to write to Mr. Penn, which follow in these words: A Letter to the Honorable Thomas Penn, Esq from Governor Morris. "Sir: "PHILADELPHIA, November 22nd, 1755. "I wrote you a few days ago by way of Dublin, and now send you a Duplicate of that Letter, and the Intelligence I have since received of the mischiefs committed by the Indians, who you will observe, have fallen upon the Inhabitants at Tulpehoccon, killed several of them and destroyed many Plantations. The little Resis tance that is given to these People will not only encourage them to go on in their Cruel Trade but may tempt the French to come down upon us, as they know we have no Militia nor any other means of defending ourselves. Should that be the case, this once happy and flourishing Province will be in a miserable Condition by the Spring, but even without their aid, the Indians themselves do more Mischief this Winter than twenty years will repair, as they lay waste every thing before them. may "You will judge by the Messages that have passed between me and the Assembly of the temper they are in much better than from any thing I can say. I thought it right while the Province was invaded and a prodigious clamour raised by the Assembly against you on account of your refusing to contribute any thing towards the common expence to make the offer in my Message of the 15th Instant, which they have refused to agree to, insisting on their new Claim of not having their Money Bill Amended. This offer has had some good effect here, & I hope will enable you to set the matter in a proper light at home. If you are to be taxed, I wish for your sake that it may be by Act of Parliament, where you may meet with Justice; but if that power is ever given into the hands of the people here they will use it without Mercy. One Very good argument against your being Taxed at all is the great Expence you are at in administering the Government, especially since the Assembly have refused the Governor's salary, which you will be obliged to pay. "Since Mr. Franklin has put himself at the head of the Assembly they have gone greater lengths than ever, and have not only discovered the Warmth of their Resentment against your Family but are using every means in their Power, even while their Country is invaded, to wrest the Government out of your hands, and to take the whole powers of it into their own. To which end Mr. Franklin and others have sent Arms and Ammunition into the several countys and distributed them to such People as they thought proper without my knowledge or consent. This I esteem a very extraordinary measure, as the people will be thereby taught to depend upon an Assembly for what they should only receive from the Government, and if it is not criminal I am sure it ought to be so. "They have also given presents to the Indians without my privity or Consent, and by a Bill they have sent me this Session, under pretence of regulating the Indian Trade, they propose not only to take that whole Trade into their own hands and manage it by a Committee, but to take the Indians entirely out of the hands of the Government, and least the trade itself should not give them all the Influence they may have occasion for, the profits of it are to be given by the Assembly in presents to the Indians. "I sent you by way of Ireland Copies of the Quakers' address and the Representations of the Inhabitants of Philadelphia to the Assembly, upon which I need not make many observations. I think that of the Quakers a very rash thing and a dangerous use of their Influence at such a time as this, when it becomes every good subject and true lover of his Country to further his Majesty's measures rather than obstruct them. But this their address will shew whatever their pretences and professions have been that they never intended to do any thing in defence of their Country, and that the Bill they now propose and insist on, is intended only to savə appearances, as they have put it in such a shape that it is not possible for me to consent to it, & have refused to agree to the method proposed by me for taxing your Estate upon the Idle pretence of not suffering a Money Bill to be amended. "Upon my word, Sir, I am much at a Loss what to do in the present situation of Affairs, or what to advise you to do. It is very apparent to me that if some measures be not soon taken at home for regulating matters here, that this Province will be either overrun by the Indians & French, or thrown into Internal and Civil Commotions, the end of which no one can venture to foretell. The people have lost all sense of Obedience to Government and are countenanced by the Assembly who have their own Scheme in view & make use of the people to gain their points. "The Quakers indeed do not wish you to part with the Government because they will have much less power under the Crown, but would willingly throw as much weight as possible into the Assembly. Franklin has views that they know nothing of, and tho' they submit to him in the Assembly, the more sensible part of them are not heartily satisfied with his attachment to them. The truth, I believe, is that he is courting them in order to distress you, and at the same time leading them into measures that will in the end deprive them of any share in the administration. "If, therefore, the Quakers in England have any Influence upon their Friends here, and have a mind to save this Country where they enjoy so many advantages, they should use it at this time to induce their Brethren to put money into the hands of the Government for the King's use that the Country may be defended, or give up their seat to those that will do the Dutys of the Station. "Yesterday and to-day three Vessels are arrived from Nova Scotia, and a fourth is coming with Neutral French that Governor Lawrence has sent to remain in this Province. You have one of his Letters to me relating to them herewith, and also Copy of what I wrote to General Shirley upon that Subject, who I hope by this time is at New York. "I own that had we a regular Militia these people might be an advantage by adding to the number of useful Inhabitants, but under our present Circumstances I am fearful they may prove more injurious here than they could possibly have done at Nova Scotia; however, when I have General Shirley's thoughts upon the head I shall endeavour to dispose of them in the manner most consistent with the security of the Province. "You will observe by one of the Assembly's Messages herewith, they mean to throw the odium of the present Indian War upon you, by insinuating that you have not paid the Indians for their Lands, and tho' nothing can be more false and wicked yet such is the present temper of the people that it will be too generally believed. However, to prevent as much as may be any such Impressions, I have referred that Message to a Committee of Council, who will report to me the several Treatys and Transactions with the Shawonese Indians, which I shall send to the Assembly and have published in the next Paper. |