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DEATH OF WILLIAM PENN.

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governor it reserved a negative on the acts of the assembly, the right of appointing his own council, and the executive power. Although this charter gave general satisfaction in the province of Pennsylvania, yet the " Three Lower Counties" refused to accept it; and, in the following year, they established a separate assembly at New Castle, acknowledging, however, the same governor.

After this fourth charter was accepted, Penn returned to England, assigning as a reason his having learnt that the ministry intended to abolish the proprietary governments in North America, which made it absolutely necessary for him to appear there in order to oppose a measure so derogatory to his interests.

While in England, he was pursued by complaints from America, against Governor Evans. This governor exerted himself to establish a militia system, which though popular in Delaware, was odious in Pennsylvania; and he also announced the approach of a hostile invasion, which caused many individuals, and among these four Quakers, to take up arms. This report proving false, the assembly impeached Evans, and his secretary Logan.

Penn therefore removed Evans, and appointed in his stead, Charles Gookin, whose age, experience, and mild character, seemed well suited to satisfy the people over whom he was to preside. But having complained once, they seemed to have acquired a love of complaint, and not only were more hostile to Gookin than they had been to Evans, but began to scan very narrowly the conduct of Penn himself. Finding that the provincial affairs still went wrong, Penn, now in his sixty-sixth year, addressed the assembly in a letter replete with calm solemnity and dignified concern. Had all other knowledge of Penn and his deeds been lost, this letter alone would have enabled us to write the character of its author. Its effect was apparent at the next election, when the enemies of Penn were rejected by the voters. But before this change could have been known to him, he was attacked by a succession of apoplectic fits which ultimately terminated his useful and eventful life.

VOL. I. 39

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INCREASE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

By pursuing the course commenced by Penn, the colony gradually increased in wealth and population, without any of those fearful Indian invasions which so much retarded the increase of the other colonies. The only subject of disquiet

was a dispute between the

in the colony, for many years, governors and the assembly, on the subject of exempting the lands of the proprietary from general taxation-a claim which the inhabitants resisted as unjust. After much altercation on this subject, the assembly deputed the celebrated Benjamin Franklin to London, as their agent to petition the king for redress. In the discussion before the privy council, Franklin acceded to an arrangement making the assessments fair and equitable; and a bill, signed by the governor, for levying these taxes, received the royal approbation.

About the commencement of the revolutionary war, a new constitution was adopted, excluding the proprietary from all share in the government. His claim for quit-rents was afterwards purchased for 570,000 dollars.

Pennsylvania was the last colony settled, excepting Georgia, and her increase in wealth and population was more rapid than that of any of the others. In 1775, she possessed a population of 372,208 inhabitants, collected and raised in less than a century.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

The Treaty Monument, erected by the Penn Society on the spot, in Kensington, where the Elm Tree

stood, under which the Treaty was made.

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COLONIZATION OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.

O HE colonization of Carolina appeared to have been destined to form another link in the chain of religious persecutions which caused vast numbers of the inhabitants of the old world to seek an asylum in the new.

Had Coligny been able to maintain his establishment, Carolina would have been peopled by Huguenots flying from the troubles and persecutions to which they were subjected, in the beginning of the sixteenth century, in their native land.

In 1630, Sir Robert Heath, attorney general of Charles I., obtained a patent for the region south of Virginia, bounded on the north by the 36th degree of north latitude, and extending to Louisiana, which territory he named Carolina. Not making any settle

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CHARTER OF CAROLINA.

ments, Heath did not fulfil the terms of the contract, and his patent was declared void.

Sometime between 1640 and 1650, the religious intolerance in Virginia, caused many of the inhabitants of that colony to flee beyond her limits. These settled on that portion of North Carolina which lies north of Albemarle Sound. Their cattle and swine procured subsistence in the woods, and multiplied rapidly, and the climate being mild and the soil fertile, they lived in ease and abundance. Happily they had the protecting tyranny of no sovereign to aid them in their attempt to colonize, nor any legislatures three thousand miles off, to make laws for them. They prospered and were happy. Several families from Massachusetts settled soon after near Cape Fear, but their lands and fisheries proved unproductive, and they were obliged to apply to the parent colony for assistance, which was cordially extended to them.

After so many unsuccessful attempts to colonize, a final settlement was effected through the exertions of the earl of Clarendon, and other courtiers of Charles II. The king granted them all the lands lying between the 31st and 36th degrees of north latitude, and extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The territory was bestowed on these personages, their heirs and assigns, for ever, saving the sovereign allegiance due to the crown; and the charter also invested them with as ample rights and jurisdictions within their American palatinate, as the Pope enjoyed within his own dominions. This charter appears to have been drawn up by the parties to whom it was granted; and it seems to have been substantially copied from the earlier charter of Maryland, which was the most liberal in the communication of privileges and powers that had ever yet been granted. It gave the proprietaries the ownership of the lands, and jurisdiction over all who had settled on them. Those persons who had settled in Albemarle, were placed by the proprietaries under the government of Sir William Berkeley, governor of Virginia.

Berkeley visited the colony, and, having confirmed and granted lands to the settlers, he appointed Drummond, a man

SETTLEMENT OF CHARLESTON.

309

of superior prudence and abilities, their first governor, and then returned to Virginia, leaving them peacefully following their various pursuits For a while the inhabitants were satisfied; but when the day on which the quit-rents were due, approached, they manifested great dissatisfaction with the tenure by which they held their lands.

In 1666, they elected the first assembly ever constituted in Carolina; and from this body a petition was sent to the proprietaries, begging that they might hold their lands on the same terms with their Virginian neighbours. This request was readily granted, and Stephens, the governor, was ordered to carry this regulation into effect. A new constitution was made, providing for an annual election of an assembly by the colonists, the appointment of the governor and half the council being reserved to the proprietaries, whilst all taxation was regulated by the assembly. The first assembly under the constitution met in 1669.

In this year, the celebrated John Locke prepared a constitution for Carolina, at the request of the Earl of Shaftesbury; but that distinguished man was not sufficiently acquainted with the circumstances of those persons for whom he legislated, and his system was found to be inapplicable to the wants of the colonists.

Several gentlemen of Barbadoes, dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, determined to remove to America; and they accordingly established a new colony to the southward of Cape Fear, along the banks of the river Charles, in the district called the county of Clarendon. John Yeamans, a respectable planter of Barbadoes, was made governor, and, with his appointment, received the rank of baronet. In 1670, William Sayle, who, some years before, had made a survey of the coast, was sent out with a colony; and, after moving about for some time, he settled at the confluence of Cooper and Ashley rivers, which settlement he named Charleston. In this year, also, John Locke was created a landgrave of the new colony, and Yeamans received the same dignity. Many of the settlers at Clarendon removed to Charleston, and this

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