the quaker colonies-第10节

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e　must　needs　return　to　England　to　fight　it。　Shortly　before　he　sailed　the　Assembly　presented　him　with　a　draft　of　a　new　constitution　or　frame　of　government　which　they　had　been　discussing　with　him　and　preparing　for　some　time。　This　he　accepted；　and　it　became　the　constitution　under　which　Pennsylvania　lived　and　prospered　for　seventy…five　years；　until　the　Revolution　of　1776。

This　new　constitution　was　quite　liberal。　The　most　noticeable　feature　of　it　was　the　absence　of　any　provision　for　the　large　elective　council　or　upper　house　of　legislation；　which　had　been　very　unpopular。　The　Assembly　thus　became　the　one　legislative　body。　There　was　incidental　reference　in　the　document　to　a　governor's　council；　although　there　was　no　formal　clause　creating　it。　Penn　and　his　heirs　after　his　death　always　appointed　a　small　council　as　an　advisory　body　for　the　deputy　governor。　The　Assembly　was　to　be　chosen　annually　by　the　freemen　and　to　be　composed　of　four　representatives　from　each　county。　It　could　originate　bills；　control　its　own　adjournments　without　interference　from　the　Governor；　choose　its　speaker　and　other　officers；　and　judge　of　the　qualifications　and　election　of　its　own　members。　These　were　standard　Anglo…Saxon　popular　parliamentary　rights　developed　by　long　struggles　in　England　and　now　established　in　Pennsylvania　never　to　be　relaxed。　Finally　a　clause　in　the　constitution　permitted　the　Lower　Counties；　or　Territories；　under　certain　conditions　to　establish　home　rule。　In　1705　the　Territories　took　advantage　of　this　concession　and　set　up　an　assembly　of　their　own。

Immediately　after　signing　the　constitution；　in　the　last　days　of　October；　1701；　Penn　sailed　for　England；　expecting　soon　to　return。　But　he　became　absorbed　in　affairs　in　England　and　never　saw　his　colony　again。　This　was　unfortunate　because　Pennsylvania　soon　became　a　torment　to　him　instead　of　a　great　pleasure　as　it　always　seems　to　have　been　when　he　lived　in　it。　He　was　a　happy　present　proprietor；　but　not　a　very　happy　absentee　one。

The　Church　of　England　people　in　Pennsylvania　entertained　great　hopes　of　this　proposal　to　turn　the　proprietary　colonies　into　royal　provinces。　Under　such　a　change；　while　the　Quakers　might　still　have　an　influence　in　the　Legislature；　the　Crown　would　probably　give　the　executive　offices　to　Churchmen。　They　therefore　labored　hard　to　discredit　the　Quakers。　They　kept　harping　on　the　absurdity　of　a　set　of　fanatics　attempting　to　govern　a　colony　without　a　militia　and　without　administering　oaths　of　office　or　using　oaths　in　judicial　proceedings。　How　could　any　one's　life　be　safe　from　foreign　enemies　without　soldiers；　and　what　safeguard　was　there　for　life；　liberty；　and　property　before　judges；　jurors；　and　witnesses；　none　of　whom　had　been　sworn？　The　Churchmen　kept　up　their　complaints　for　along　time；　but　without　effect　in　England。　　　Penn　was　able　to　thwart　all　their　plans。　The　bill　to　change　the　province　into　a　royal　one　was　never　passed　by　Parliament。　Penn　returned　to　his　court　life；　his　preaching；　and　his　theological　writing；　a　rather　curious　combination　and　yet　one　by　which　he　had　always　succeeded　in　protecting　his　people。　He　was　a　favorite　with　Queen　Anne；　who　was　now　on　the　throne；　and　he　led　an　expensive　life　which；　with　the　cost　of　his　deputy　governor's　salary　in　the　colony；　the　slowness　of　his　quitrent　collections；　and　the　dishonesty　of　the　steward　of　his　English　estates；　rapidly　brought　him　into　debt。　To　pay　the　government　expense　of　a　small　colonial　empire　and　at　the　same　time　to　lead　the　life　of　a　courtier　and　to　travel　as　a　preacher　would　have　exhausted　a　stronger　exchequer　than　Penn's。

The　contests　between　the　different　deputy　governors；　whom　Penn　or　his　descendants　sent　out；　and　the　Quaker　Legislature　fill　the　annals　of　the　province　for　the　next　seventy　years；　down　to　the　Revolution。　These　quarrels；　when　compared　with　the　larger　national　political　contests　of　history；　seem　petty　enough　and　even　tedious　in　detail。　But；　looked　at　in　another　aspect；　they　are　important　because　they　disclose　how　liberty；　self…government；　republicanism；　and　many　of　the　constitutional　principles　by　which　Americans　now　live　were　gradually　developed　as　the　colonies　grew　towards　independence。　　　　The　keynote　to　all　these　early　contests　was　what　may　be　called　the　fundamental　principle　of　colonial　constitutional　law　or；　at　any　rate；　of　constitutional　practice；　namely；　that　the　Governor；　whether　royal　or　proprietary；　must　always　be　kept　poor。　His　salary　or　income　must　never　become　a　fixed　or　certain　sum　but　must　always　be　dependent　on　the　annual　favor　and　grants　of　a　legislature　controlled　by　the　people。　This　belief　was　the　foundation　of　American　colonial　liberty。　The　Assemblies；　not　only　in　Pennsylvania　but　in　other　colonies；　would　withhold　the　Governor's　salary　until　he　consented　to　their　favorite　laws。　If　he　vetoed　their　laws；　he　received　no　salary。　One　of　the　causes　of　the　Revolution　in　1776　was　the　attempt　of　the　mother　country　to　make　the　governors　and　other　colonial　officials　dependent　for　their　salaries　on　the　Government　in　England　instead　of　on　the　legislatures　in　the　colonies。

So　the　squabbles；　as　we　of　today　are　inclined　to　call　them；　went　on　in　Pennsylvaniaprovincial　and　petty　enough；　but　often　very　large　and　important　so　far　as　the　principle　which　they　involved　was　concerned。　The　Legislature　of　Pennsylvania　in　those　days　was　a　small　body　composed　of　only　about　twenty…five　or　thirty　members；　most　of　them　sturdy；　thrifty　Quakers。　They　could　meet　very　easily　anywhereat　the　Governor's　house；　if　in　conference　with　him；　or　at　the　treasurer's　office　or　at　the　loan　office；　if　investigating　accounts。　Beneath　their　broad　brim　hats　and　grave　demeanor　they　were　as　Anglo…Saxon　at　heart　as　Robin　Hood　and　his　merry　men；　and　in　their　ninety　years　of　political　control　they　built　up　as　goodly　a　fabric　of　civil　liberty　as　can　be　found　in　any　community　in　the　world。

The　dignified；　confident　message　from　a　deputy　governor；　full　of　lofty　admonitions　of　their　duty　to　the　Crown；　the　province；　and　the　proprietor；　is　often　met　by　a　sarcastic；　stinging　reply　of　the　Assembly。　David　Lloyd；　the　Welsh　leader　of　the　anti…proprietary　party；　and　Joseph　Wilcox；　another　leader；　became　very　skillful　in　drafting　these　profoundly　respectful　but　deeply　cutting　replies。　In　after　years；　Benjamin　Franklin　attained　even　greater　skill。　In　fact；　it　is　not　unlikely　that　he　developed　a　large　measure　of　his　world　famous　aptness　in　the　use　of　language　in　the　process　of　drafting　these　replies。　The　composing　of　these　official　communications　was　important　work；　for　a　reply　had　to　be　telling　and　effective　not　only　with　the　Governor　but　with　the　people　who　learned　of　its　contents　at　the　coffeehouse　and　spread　the　report　of　it　among　all　classes。　There　was　not　a　little　good…fellowship　in　their　contests；　and　Franklin；　for　instance；　tells　us　how　he　used　to　abuse　a　certain　deputy　governor　all　day　in　the　Assembly　and　then　dine　with　him　in　jovial　intercourse　in　the　evening。

The　Assembly　had　a　very　convenient　way　of　accomplishing　its　purposes　in　legislation　in　spite　of　the　opposition　of　the　British　Government。　Laws　when　passed　and　approved　by　the　deputy　governor　had　to　be　sent　to　England　for　approval　by　the　Crown　within　five　years。　But　meanwhile　the　people　would　live　under　the　law　for　five　years；　and；　if　at　the　end　of　that　time　it　was　disallowed；　the　Assembly　would　reenact　the　measure　and　live　under　it　again　for　another　period。


The　ten　years　after　Penn's　return　to　England　in　1701　were　full　of　trouble　for　him。　Money　returns　from　the　province　were　slow；　partly　because　England　was　involved　in　war　and　trade　depressed；　and　partly　because　the　Assembly；　exasperated　by　the　deputy　governors　he　appointed；　often　refused　to　vote　the　deputy　a　salary　and　left　Penn　to　bear　all　the　expense　of　government。　He　was　being　rapidly　overwhelmed　with　debt。　One　of　his　sons　was　turning　out　badly。　The　manager　of　his　estates　in　England　and　Ireland；　Philip　Ford；　was　enriching　himself　by　the　trust；　charging　compound　interest　at　eight　per　cent　every　six　months；　and　finally　claiming　that　Penn　owed　him　14；000　pounds。　Ford　had　rendered　accounts　from　time　to　time；　but　Penn　in　his　careless　way　had　tossed　them　aside　without　examination。　When　Ford　pressed　for　payment；　Penn；　still　without　making　any　investigation；　foolishly　gave　Ford　a　deed　in　fee　simple　of　Pennsylvania　as　security。　Afterwards　he　accepted　from　Ford　a　lease　of　the　province；　which　was　another　piece　of　folly；　for　the　lease　could；　of　course；　be　used　as　evidence　to　show　that　the　deed　was　an　absolute　conveyance　and　not　intended　as　a　mortgage。

This　unfortunate　business　Ford　kept　quiet　during　his　lifetime。　But　on　his　death　his　widow　and　son　made　everything　public；　professed　to　be　the　proprietors　of　Pennsylvania；　and　sued　Penn　for　2000　pounds　rent　in　arrears。　They　obtained　a　judgment　for　the　amount　claimed　and；　as　Penn　could　not　pay；　they　had　him　arrested　and　imprisoned　for　debt。　For　nine　months　he　was　locked　up　in　the　debtors'　prison；　the　〃Old　Bailey；〃　and　there　he　might　have　remained　indefinitely　if　some　of　his　friends　had　not　raised　enough　money　to　compromise　with　the　Fords。　Isaac　Norris；　a　prominent　Quaker　from　Pennsylvania；　happened　at　that　time　to　be　in　England　and　exerted　himself　to　set　Penn　free　and　save　the　province　from　fu