The remainder of these unfortunate Indiarts, who, by absence, had escaped the massacre, were conducted to Lancaster, and lodged in the gaol, as a place of fecurity. The governor iffued a proclamation expreffing the ftrongest difapprobation of the action, offering a reward for the difcovery of the perpetrators of the deed, and prohibiting all injuries to the peaceable Indians in future. But, notwithstanding this, a party of the fame men shortly after marched to Lancaster, broke open the gaol, and inhumanly butchered the innocent Indians who had been placed there for fecurity. Another proclamation was issued, but had no effect. A detachment marched down to Philadelphia, 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 oppofed to fighting, even in their own defence, were most active upon this occafion. The rioters came to Germantown. The governor fled for fafety to the house 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, unless the affembly would agree to certain amendments which he proposed. 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 himfelf, and not be nominated by the people, as the bill had propofed. These amendments the affembly confidered as inconsistent with the spirit of liberty. They would not adopt them; the governor was obftinate and the bill was lost.

These, and various other circumstances, increased 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 house, 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 speech of Mr. Dickenfon, on the subject, was published, with a preface by Dr. Smith, in which great pains were taken to fhew the impropriety and impolicy of this proceeding. A speech of Mr. Galloway, in reply to Mr. Dickenfon, was publifhed, accompanied with a preface by Dr. Franklin; in which he ably opposed 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.

At the election for a new assembly, in the fall of 1764, the friends of the proprietaries made great exertions to exclude thofe of the adverle

party, and obtained a small majority 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 against his appointment; which was refused admission upon the minutes, as being unprecedented. It was, however, published in the papers, and produced a fpirited reply from him, just before his departure for England.

The disturbances produced in America by Mr. Grenvill's ftamp-act, and the opposition made to it are well known. Under the Marquis of Rockingham's adminiftration, it appeared expedient to endeavour to calm the minds of the colonists; 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 ftriking proof of the extent and accuracy of his information, 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 before it had ever been carried into execution.

In the year 1766, he made a vifit to Holland and Germany, and received the greatest marks of attention from men of science. In his paffage through 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 observation. These, with an explanation of the phenomenon, he communicated in a letter to his friend, Sir John Pringle, which is contained in the volume of his philos fophical pieces.

In the following year he travelled into France, where he met with no less 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 ftations in Great Britain, came into the hands of Dr. Franklin.

These contained the most violent invectives against the leading characters of the ftate of Malfachusetts, and strenuoufly advised the profecution of vigorous measures, to compel the people to obedience to the measures of the miniftry. These he tranfmitted to the legislature, by whom they were published. Attefted copies of thei were fent to Great Britain, with an addrefs, praying the king to discharge from office perfons who had rendered themfelves fo obnoxious to the people, and who had fhewn themfelves fo unfriendly to their interefts. The publication of

thefe 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 disputes 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 Maffachufetts affembly was taken up for examination, before the privy council. Dr. Franklin attended, as agent for the affembly; and here a torrent of the most violent and unwarranted abuse was poured upon him by the folicitor-general, Wedderburne, who was engaged as council for Oliver and Hutchinfon. 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 whatsoever. This language was used even by the most strenuous oppolers of the ftamp-act; and, amongst others, by Mr. Pitt. This right was never recognized by the colonists; but, as they flattered themselves that it would not be exercised, they were not very active in remonftrating against it. Had this pretended right been fuffered to remain dormant, the colonists would cheerfully have furnished their quota of fupplies, in the mode to which