[Letter enclosed in the foregoing.]

“Porter's Lodge, Jan. 2d, 1775.

"I have received your packet; and it

is with much concern that I collect, from sentiments of such authority as those of our worthy friend, that the desired accommodation threatens to be attended with much greater difficulty than I had flattered myself, in the progress of our intercourse, there would be reason to apprehend.

"I shall forward the propositions as intended, not desirous of trespassing further on our friend's indulgence; but returning sentiments of regard, which his candid and obliging attention to my troublesome inquiries, will render ever permanent in the memory of your affectionate, &c. HowE.

"I ought to make excuses likewise to you. "Hon. Mrs. Howe, Grafton Street."

His lordship had, in his last conversation with me, acknowledged a communication between him and the ministry, to whom he wished to make my sentiments known. In this letter from the country he owns the receipt of them, and mentions his intention of forwarding them, that is, as I understood it, to the ministers; but expresses his apprehensions that such propositions were not likely to produce any good effect. Some time after, perhaps a week, I received a note from Mrs. Howe, desiring to see me. I waited upon her immediately, when she showed me a letter from her brother, of

which having no copy, I can only give from the best of my recollection the purport of it, which I think was this: That he desired to know from their friend, meaning me, through her means, whether it might not be expected, that if that friend would engage for their payment of the tea as a preliminary, relying on a promised redress of their grievances on future petitions from their assembly, they would ap prove of his making such engagement; and whether the proposition in the former paper, (the HINTS,) relating to aids, was still in contemplation of the author. As Mrs. Howe proposed sending to her brother that evening, I wrote immediately the following answer, which she transcribed and forwarded.

"The proposition in the former paper relating to aids, is still in contemplation of the author, and, as he thinks, is included in the last article of the present paper.

The people of America, conceiving that par liament has no right to tax them, and that therefore all that has been extorted from them by the operation of the duty acts, with the assistance of an armed force, preceding the destruction of the tea, is so much injury, which ought in order of time to be first repaired, before a demand on the tea ac count can be justly made of them; are not, he thinks, likely to approve of the measure proposed, and pay in the first place the value demanded,

éspecially as twenty times as much injury has since been done them by blocking up their port; and their castle also, seized before by the crown, has not been restored, nor any satisfaction offered them for the same."

At the meeting of parliament after the holidays, which was on the of January, 1775, Lord Howe returned to town, when we had another meeting, at which he lamented that my propositions were not such as probably could be accepted; intimated, that it was thought I had powers or instructions from the congress to make concessions on occasion that would be more satisfactory. I disclaimed the having any of any kind but what related to the presenting of their petition. We talked over all the particulars in my paper, which I supported with reasons; and finally said, that if what I had proposed would not do, I should be glad to hear what would do: I wished to see some propositions from the ministers themselves. His lordship was not, he said, as yet fully acquainted with their sentiments, but should learn more in a few days. It was, however, some weeks before I heard any thing further from him.

In the mean while, Mr. Barclay and I were frequently together on the affair of preparing the merchants' petition, which took up so much of his time that he could not conveniently see Lord Hyde; so he had no information to give me concerning the

HINTS, and I wondered I heard nothing of them from Dr. Fothergill. At length, however, but I cannot recollect about what time, the Doctor called on me, and told me he had communicated them, and with them had verbally given my arguments in support of them, to Lord Dartmouth, who, after consideration, had told him, some of them appeared reasonable, but others were inadmissible or impracticable. That having occasion to see frequently the speaker,' he had also communicated them to him, as he found him very anxious for a reconciliation. That the speaker had said it would be very humiliating to Britain to be obliged to submit to such terms: but the Doctor told him she had been unjust, and ought to bear the consequences, and alter her conduct; that the pill might be bitter, but it would be salutary, and must be swallowed. That these were the sentiments of impartial men, after thorough consideration and full information of all circumstances, and that sooner or later these or similar measures must be followed, or the empire would be divided and ruined. The Doctor on the whole hoped some good would be effected by our endeavors,

On the 19th of Jan. I received a card from Lord Stanhope, acquainting me, that Lord Chatham having a motion to make on the morrow in the house of lords, concerning America, greatly desired that

1 Sir Fletcher Norton.

I might be in the house, into which Lord Stanhope would endeavor to procure me admittance. At this time it was a rule of the house that no person could introduce more than one friend. The next morn¬ ing his lordship let me know by another card, that if I attended at two o'clock in the lobby, Lord Chatham would be there about that time, and would himself introduce me. I attended, and met him there accordingly. On my mentioning to him what Lord Stanhope had written to me, he said, "Certainly; and I shall do it with the more pleasure, as I am sure your being present at this day's debate will be of more service to America than mine;" and so taking me by the arm, was leading me along the passage to the door that enters near the throne, when one of the door-keepers followed, and acquainted him that, by the order, none were to be carried in at that door, but the eldest sons or brothers of peers; on which he limped back with me to the door near the bar, where were standing a number of gentlemen, waiting for the peers who were to introduce them, and some peers waiting for friends they expected to introduce; among whom he delivered me to the door-keepers, saying aloud, "this is Dr. Franklin, whom I would have admitted into the house;" when they readily opened the door for me accordingly. As it had not been publicly known that there was any communication between his lordship and me, this I found occasioned some speculation. His appearance in the house, I observed, caused a