4^ A. D. 1 7 15. 



Upon a petition of the agent for the planters and merchants of Caro- 

 lina, and of the other inhabitants of that colony, reprefenting the op- 

 prefTion of the lords proprietors, and their negledt of defence againft the 

 Indians, &c. the houfe of commons addrefled the king to fend them 

 relief: and a bill was this year brought into the houfe of commons, for 

 the better regulation of the charter and proprietary governments in 

 America, and of his majefty's plantations there ; the principal fcope of 

 which was to reduce all the proprietary charter governments into regal 

 ones. Ever fince the proprietary colonies began to be very confiderable, 

 (i, e. fince the death of King Charles II, and more efpecially fince the 

 revolution in 1688,) the miniftry forefaw the great confequence it would 

 be of to the crown and kingdom, to buy off the proprietors of colonies, 

 before they (hould grow too powerful ; and frequent treaties were held 

 with them by the minifters of the crown for that end; particularly with 

 the truely great Mr. William Penn, for the purchafe of his fine province 

 of Permiylvania. His demand was L20,ooo and Queen Anne, in 

 council, referred that demand to the lords commiflioners of trade 

 and plantations ; whofe report was referred by the queen to the 

 lords commiflioners of the treafury ; foon after which an agreement 

 was made with Mr. Penn for L 12,000 for the province : but he being 

 foon after feized with an apoplexy, which difabled him to execute 

 the fame, a ftop was put to that bargain, till by the queen's order a bill 

 in parliament fhould be prepared for that end. While that bill was 

 depending, Mr. Jolhua Gee and others, who were mortgagees under Mr. 

 Penn, petitioned the houfe of commons for relief; wherein they repre- 

 fented, that Mr. Penn having purchafed of the Indians their title to that 

 country, he had by his induftry and at great charge improved it, and 

 edabliilied confiderable colonies therein, whereby he had very much 

 impaired his efiate in Europe ; and that, in the year 1708, to clear a 

 debt contradled for fettUng and improving the faid colonies, he had bor- 

 rowed of the faid. mortgagees L6,6oo, to whom he mortgaged the pro- 

 vince and all his powers of government. How beneficial it would have 

 been for the public to have then paid off the mortgagees, and have pur- 

 chafed that province, fince fo vaftly increafed in people and value, is 

 naw (almofl; too late) feen by every one. 



Lord Baltimore, as we have feen under the year 1661, (though at this 

 time only firfi; reprefented to the legiflature, by the young lord's guard- 

 ians) in his petition reprefented the great expenfe his great-grandfather 

 bad been at in fettling his province of Maryland; and that he and his 

 three brothers and two fiflers, (lately become protefiants, the family 

 having always been papiflis till now) had no way of providing for them- 

 felves but out of thofe feveral branches of the civil government of the 

 province, which by a bill for the better regulation of the charter and 

 proprietary governments in America, and for the encouragement of the 

 aade of this kingdom and of his majefl;y's plantations, were intended 



