56 



HISTOIir OP 



tivG and the legislators, owing to the quarrels between 

 tliem, had done nothing in their respective capacities, 

 that resulted in a benefit to the country. Besides this 

 family feud and Indian perplexities, the trade of the pro- 

 vince had been greatly interrupted by the privateers of the 

 enemies cruizing and capturing vessels. There was no 

 remedy for all this, as long as Evans was Governor.— 

 He was re-called. Col. Charles Gookin was appointed, 

 and arrived in JMarch, 1708 



Penn's pecuniary' embarrassments were intricate and 

 perplexmg, owing to various causes. The expenditure 

 of his government was great, and he was defrauded by 

 his Stewart of his Irish estates, and confined within the 

 rules of the Fleet prison. "He was relieved from this 

 humiliating state, by mortgaging the province, and his 

 political rights therein, to Henry Gouldney, Joshua Gee, 

 Sylvanus Grove, John Woods and John Field, of Lon- 

 don, Tiiomas Callowhill, Thomas Cade and Jeffrey 

 Pennell, of Bristol, and Thomas Cuppage, of Ireland. 



The mortgagees did not assume the government, but 

 appointed Edward Shippen, Samuel Carpenter, Richard 

 Hill, and James Logan, commissioners to superintend 

 tlieir iuterj3st in the province, who repaid the loan with 

 funds obtained from the sale of lands, and from his 

 quit-rents."* 



* Quit-rents.— It appears from the writings of Sparks, Belk- 

 nap and Franklin, that when Penn reserved quit-rents, they 

 were not agreed to without difficulty. The purchasers rcmon-. 

 strated against tiieni as a burden, unprecedented in any other 

 American Colony ; but it is said, Penn artfully distinguished 

 between the character of Proprietor and of Governor, and 

 insinuated strongly that government must be supported with 

 dignify, and that by complying with this expedient, they 

 would be freed from other taxes. Such distinctions are very 



