xxvi A TRIUMVIRATE AT HARPUR STREET 327 



firmness." He repeats this in a letter to Logan on 

 November 5. 1 



As Barclay was in touch with Lord Hyde, so was 

 Fothergill with Lord Dartmouth, the colonial secretary, 

 whom he was seeing daily at this time in his medical 

 capacity. He entered at once into Barclay's plan, 

 invited Franklin to his house without delay, and the 

 triumvirate met in Fothergill's study in Harpur Street on 

 December 4. 



The doctor laid the issues weightily before Franklin, 

 and urged the power of his influence. They conversed 

 long and earnestly, and in the end Franklin agreed to set 

 down a series of articles which might at least afford a 

 basis for discussion. The conference was resumed on a 

 second evening, when Franklin produced a paper, entitled 

 " Hints for Conversation, upon the Subject of Terms 

 that may probably produce a durable Union between 

 Britain and the Colonies." 2 The original drafts, in 

 Barclay's handwriting, of the documents which were 

 drawn up lie before the present writer. The paper is 

 worn and brown with age ; the writing is full of inter- 

 lineations and corrections ; but it is eloquent of anxious 

 thought and patient labour, for these men, actuated by a 

 pure patriotism, were essaying to stay the rift of an 

 empire. 



The articles were drawn up under seventeen heads. The 

 old grievances of the colonies against the oppressive action of 

 the mother country in curtailment of their liberties, were of 

 course embodied in the paper. The tea duty must be repealed, 

 and all sums received upon it were to be repaid to the several 

 provinces ; the latter clause was strenuously objected to by 

 the two Englishmen, and as strenuously upheld by Franklin, 

 but he probably gave way in the end. The Navigation Acts 

 were to be re-enacted by the colonies themselves, a British 

 naval officer residing in each colony to ensure their observance. 

 All duties from Trade Acts were to be paid into the colonial 



1 J. F. to J. Pemberton, 23.8.1774, quoted by A. M. Gummere in An 

 International Chess Party, Bulletin Frds. Hist. Soc., Phila., I. i. p. 12 ; J. F. 

 to W. Logan, 5.11.1774, J. M. Fox MSS. 



z See Appendix A for the text of this and the other documents relating 

 to the negotiation. 



