1770.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 275 



though lie did not advertise. lie gave security in o£3,000, un- 

 der a recently enacted law, the security previously to this time 

 havin<i; been much smaller. 



After the rejjcal of the stamp act, the British Parliament 

 passed, almost unanimously, an act imposing duties on certain 

 articles imported into the colonies. This act involving the same 

 principle as that just repealed — taxation without representation 

 — met with the same opposition. Under a belief that it was 

 the amount of the tax, rather than the principle involved in im- 

 posing it, to which the colonists objected, assurances were given 

 in 17(J0, that five-sixths of the taxes should be repealed. In the 

 following year the whole was abolished, except 3d. per pound 

 on tea.' 



This produced only a temporary lull in the great political 

 storm that for some time had been gathering; for the right of 

 taxation by the mother country was still maintained. 



The road from the Schuylkill at Province Island, through Tini- 

 cum, was probably laid out this year; persons, upon petition, 

 having been appointed for that purpose by the Governor and 

 Council, though their report does not appear on record. 



A road from the "Middle ferry" to Strasburg, passing the 

 Boot tavern, and the Ship tavern, was laid out in 1770. The 

 route adopted for this road through Delaware County, was nearly 

 on the same ground that is occupied at present by the West 

 Chester road. The Commissioners for laying out this road 

 were John Morton, John Sellers, James Webb, Joseph Fox, 

 Jacob Lewis and Danl. Williams. 



The Commission of the Governor having been renewed, a new- 

 Commission for Justices was required. The following is the list 

 for Ciiester County, viz.: William Moore, Thomas Worth, John 

 Morton, Isaac Davis, Alexander Johnson, William Clingham, 

 William Parker, John Ilannum, John Price, Henry Hale Graham, 

 Richard Riley, Charles Cruikshanks, Richard Baker, James 

 Gibbons, James Moore, William Swaffer, Evan Evans, Thomas 

 Hockley, Joseph Pyle, Thomas Temple, and Warwick Miller. 

 Members of Council were ex-ofiicio Justices of the Peace. 



As early as 1734 some small quantities of silk had been made 

 in Pennsylvania, probably from our native mulberry. About 

 this period the subject was revived, and great eflforts were made 

 to introduce the culture on a large scale. Premiums were offer- 

 ed to the persons who should bring the greatest weight of 

 cocoons to a public filature established in Philadelphia. In 

 1771 the quantity brought to this establishment from Pennsyl- 

 vania, New Jersey and Delaware, chiefly by ladies, was 1754 lbs. 4 



1 Gordon's Hist. Penn. 457. 



