169 



lost his seat in the bitter contest that followed, was a second 

 time sent to represent the colony at London. His business 

 was to present a petition to the king asking that Pennsylvania 

 be taken from the Penns and made a royal colony. But he 

 had not been there many weeks when the Stamp Act passed, 

 the contest for independence began, and, in the exciting times 

 that followed, the petition went unheeded. 



Having little to do, Franklin now passed his time in writing 

 pieces on American affairs for the English newspapers, and in 

 defending in many ways the cause of the colonies. It was 

 during these years that he republished a London edition of the 

 " Farmer's Letters," that he brought out " The Votes and Pro- 

 ceedings of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of Boston," 

 that he sent over the " Hutchinson Letters," and underwent 

 the memorable examination before the Privy Council. 



For the part he took in the Hutchinson affair he was 

 deprived of his place in the post-office and was soundly abused 

 by the English press. In the midst of this abuse parliament 

 passed the Boston Port Bill, the Massachusetts Bill, the Trans- 

 portation Bill and the Quebec Act ; the first Continental 

 Congress met and the revolution began in earnest. As the 

 news of each act of resistance came over, the position of Frank- 

 lin became daily more dangerous and unpleasant. For a time 

 his work seemed ended. He shunned the court, went no longer 

 to the houses of the ministers and kept awav from the office 



X"^ / 



of Lord Dartmouth. Indeed, he was about to come home 

 when news that Congress was to meet detained him. From 

 that Congress came the Declaration of Eights, and, having 

 presented this to Lord Dartmouth, Franklin set sail for Phila- 

 delphia, March 21, 1775, and landed on the 5th of May at 

 home. 



He had been abroad ten years and six months. During 



PROC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XXVIII. 133. V. PRINTED MAY 31, 1890. 



