fect. A detachment marched down to Philadel phia, for the exprefs purpose of murdering fome friendly Indians who had been removed to the city for fafety. A number of the citizens armed in their defence. The Quakers, whofe principles are opposed to fighting, even in their own defence, were most active upon this occafion. The rioters came to Germantown. The governor fled for safety to the houfe of Dr. Franklin, who, with fome others, advanced to meet the Paxton boys, as they were called, and had influence enough to prevail upon them to relinquish their undertaking, and return to their homes.

The difputes between the proprietaries and the affembly, which, for a time, had fubfided, were again revived. The proprietaries were diffatisfied with the conceffions made in favour of the people, and made great ftruggles to recover the privilege of exempting their eftates from taxation, which they had been induced to give up.

In 1763 the affembly paffed a militia bill, to which the governor refused to give his affent, unlefs the affembly would agree to certain amendments which he propofed. Thefe confifted in increafing the fines, and, in fome cafes, fubftituting death for fines. He wished too that the officers fhould be appointed altogether by himself, and not be nominated by the people, as the bill had propofed. These amendments the affembly confidered as inconfiftent, with the fpirit of liberty. They would not adopt them; the governor was obftinate, and the bill was loft.

These, and various other circumstances, increas ed the uneafinefs which fubfifted between the proprietaries and the affembly to such a degree, that,

in 1764, a petition to the king was agreed to by the houle, praying an alteration from a proprietary to a regal government. Great oppofition was made to this measure, not only in the house, but in the public prints. A fpeech of Mr. Dickenfon, on the fubject, was published, with a preface by Dr. Smith, in which great pains were taken to fhew the impropriety and impolicy of this proceeding. speech of Mr. Galloway, in reply to Mr. Dickenfon, was published, accompanied with a preface by Dr. Franklin; in which he ably oppofed the principles laid down in the preface to Mr. Dickenfon's fpeech. This application to the throne produced no effect. The proprietary government was ftill

continued.

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At the election for a new affembly, in the fall of 1764, the friends of the proprietaties made great exertions to exclude thofe of the adverfe party, and obtained a fmall inajority in the city of Philadelphia. Franklin now loft his feat in the house, which he had held for fourteen years. On the meeting of the affembly, it appeared that there was ftill a decided majority of Franklin's friends. He was immediately appointed provincial agent, to the great chagrin of his enemies, who made a folemn proteft againft his appointment; which was refufed admiflion upon the minutes, as being. unprecedented. It was, however, published in papers, and produced a spirited reply from him juft before his departure for England.

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The difturbances produced in America by Mr. Grenville's ftamp-act, and the eppofition made to it, are well known. Under the marquis of Rock-ingham's adminiftration, it appeared expedient to endeavour to calm the minds of the colonifts; and!

the repeal of the odious tax was contemplated. Amongst other means of collecting information on the difpofition of the people to fubmit to it, Dr. Franklin was called to the bar of the house of commons. The examination which he here underwent was published, and contains a striking proof of the extent and accuracy of his informa tion, and the facility with which he communicated his fentiments. He reprefented facts in fo ftrong a point of view, that the inexpediency of the act must have appeared clear to every unprejudiced mind. The act, after fome oppofition, was repealed, about a year after it was enacted, and be fore it had ever been carried into execution.

In the year 1766, he made a vifit to Holland and Germany, and received the greateft marks of attention from men of fcience. In his paffage thro' Holland, he learned from the watermen the effect which a diminution of the quantity of water in canals has, in impeding the progrefs of boats Upon his return to England, he was led to make a number of experiments; all of which tended to confirm the obfervation. Thefe, with an explana tion of the phenomenon, he communicated in a let ter to his friend, Sir John Pringle, which is contain ed in the volume of his philofophical pieces.

In the following year he travelled into France; where he met with a no lefs favourable reception than he had experienced in Germany. He was introduced to a number of literary characters, and to the king, Louis XV.

Several letters written by Hutchinfon, Oliver, and others, to perfons in eminent stations in Great Britain, came into the hands of Dr. Franklin.

Thefe contained the most violent invectives a

gainst the leading characters of the state of Maf-. fachusetts, and ftrenuously advised the profecution of vigorous measures, to compel the people to obedience to the measures of the ministry. These he transmitted to the legislature, by whom they were published. Attefted copies of them were fent to Great Britain, with an addrefs, praying the king to discharge from office perfons who had rendered themselves fo obnoxious to the people, and who had fhewn themfelves fo unfriendly to their interests. The publication of these letters produced a duel between Mr. Whately and Mr. Temple; each of whom was fufpected of having been inftrumental in procuring them. To prevent any further difputes on this fubject, Dr. Franklin, in one of the public papers, declared that he had fent them to America, but would give no information concerning the manner in which he had obtained them; nor was this ever difcovered.

Shortly after, the petition of the Maffachusetts. affembly was taken up for examination, before the privy council. Dr. Franklin attended, as agent for the affembly; and here a torrent of the moft violent and unwarranted abufe was poured upon him by the folicitor-general, Wedderburne, who was engaged as council for Oliver and Huthinfon. The petition was declared to be fcandalous and vexatious, and the prayer of it refused.

Although the parliament of Great Britain had repealed the ftamp-act, it was only upon the principle of expediency. They ftill infifted upon their right to tax the colonies; and, at the fame time that the ftamp-act was repealed, an act was paffed, declaring the right of parliament to bind the colonies in all cafes whatfoever. This language

fures. In private conversations, and in letters to perfons in government, he continually expatiated upon the impolicy and injuftice of their condud towards America; and stated, that, notwithstand ing the attachment of the colonists to the mother country, a repetition of ill treatment must uld mately alienate their affections. They liftene not to his advice. They blindly perfevered i their own schemes, and left to the colonists no a ternative, but oppofition or unconditional fubmi fion. The latter accorded not with the principle of freedom, which they had been taught to rever To the former they were compelled, though luctantly, to have recourfe.

The da

CO

Dr. Franklin, finding all efforts to restore ha mony between Great Britain and her colonies lefs, returned to America in the year 1775; after the commencement of hoftilities. after his return he was elected by the legiflatu of Pennsylvania a member of congrefs. Not lo after his election a committee was appointed, fifting of Mr. Lynch, Mr. Harrison, and himle to vilit the camp at Cambridge, and, in conjun tion with the commander in chief, to endeavou to convince the troops, whofe term of enliftme was about to expire, of the neceffity of their co tinuing in the field, and perfevering in the c of their country.

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In the fall of the fame year he visited Cana to endeavour to unite them in the cominon cau of liberty; but they could not be prevailed u to oppofe the measures of the British governm M. Le Roy, in a letter annexed to Abbe Fauche eulogium of Dr. Franklin, states that the ill fucco of this negociation was occafioned, in a great