1805.] 
his bill of reform, in the year 1782, abolith- 
ed this office. Mr. Thomas Pownall (the 
fubjeét of this fketch) conftantly paid a par- 
ticular and fedulous attention to the affairs 
of the colonies. At the beginning of the 
feven years’. war with France, which com- 
menced in America, in 1754 (two years be- 
fore it broke out in Europe), a number of 
perfons, who were ftyled commiffioners, be- 
ing deputed from each colony, aflembled at 
Albany, to confider of the beft methed they 
could devife to defend themfelves againft the 
French, who were making great and alarm- 
ing encroachments on their back fettlements. 
This afiembly was called the Albany Con- 
grefs, and was the firft Congrefs held in 
America. The precedent of this Congrefs 
Gave rife to the fubfequent plan of a Congrefs 
Government, eftablifhed at the revolution in 
1775. As foon as the intention of the colo- 
nies to hold a Congrefs at Albany was known 
in England, Mr, Pownall immediately fore- 
faw the danger to the mother country that 
this proje&t of a general union would draw 
after it, if once permitted; and he prefented 
a ftrong and impreflive memorial to Lord 
Halifax on the fubje&t. This was in the 
year 1754. ‘The plan which the Congrefs 
had in view was, to forma great council of 
deputies from all the colonies; with a Go- 
vernor-General to be appointed by the crown, 
and empowered to take meatfures for the com- 
men fafety; and to raife money for the ex- 
ecution of their defigns. The miniftry did 
not approve of this plan: but, feeing that 
they could not prevent the commiffioners 
meeting, they refolved to take advantage of 
this diftrefs of the colonies, to turn the fub-~ 
jet of deliberation to their own account, 
For this purpofe they fent over a propofal, 
that the Congrefs fhould be aflifted in their 
confiderations by two of the King’s council 
from each colony, be empowered to erect 
forts, to levy troops, and to draw on the trea- 
fury in London for the monies wanted ; and 
the treafury to be reimburfed by a tax on the 
colonies, to be laid by the Britifh Parlia- 
ment. This propofal was peremptorily re- 
je€ted becaufe it gave to the Britith Parlia- 
ment a power to tax the colonies. This 
was the firft idea of taxing the colonies 
by the authority of Parliament. Thefe 
faéts are but little known. Although Mr. 
Pownall did not agree with the miniftry 
in the whole extent of their propofal, yet 
they thought hima gentleman fo well ac- 
guainted with the affairs uf the colonies, that, 
in the year 1757, they appointed him Go- 
vernor of Maflachufett’s Bay, in the room 
of Mr. Shirley, removed. He did not 
give his confidence to Mr. Hutchinfon, Mr, 
Oliver, nor to any of their party; which 
they refented, by propagating a variety of 
flanders againft him amongft the people, parti- 
cularly amongft the clergy, with a view of 
making his fituation uncomfortable to him. 
He was a friend to liberty, and to the con- 
_ Rtitution ; and therefore he countenanced no 
_ Montuty Mac, No. 127. 
« Somerfetfire, - $01 
plots againft either. Being exceedingly 
averfe to difputation, after two years refi- 
dence, he folicited to be recalled. In the 
year 1759, Mr. Bernard (afterwards Sir 
Francis) was removed from New Jerfey to 
Maflachufett’s Bay, and Governor Pownall 
went to New Jerfey inhisroom. He ftaid in 
New Jerfey buta very fhort time, being al- 
moft immediately appointed Governor, Cap- 
tain-General, and Vice-Admiral, of South 
Carolina, in the room of Mr. Lyttleton, 
now Lord Lyttleton. He ftaid in Carolina 
until the year 1761, when, at his own de- 
fire, he was recalled. Upon his arrival in 
London, he was appointed direftor-general of 
the office of controul, with the rank of co- 
lonel in the army, under the command of 
Prince Ferdinand in Germany. While. in 
this fituation, having permitted fome oats to 
pafs from Bremen for the ufe of the army, 
Mr. John Gueit, who had been appointed ine 
fpectur of the magazines in Germany, de- ) 
clared they were damaged, and unfit for ule: 
and he fent a memorial. to the lords of the 
treafury in London, charging Governor Pow- 
nall with mifcondué& in this matter. After 
fome examination, the charge appeared to be 
unfounded, and. in confequence, Mr. Gueft ~ 
was difmiffed from his employment. Guett 
came to London, and, in the {pirit of revenge, 
fent a copy of his memorialto Mr Wilkes, 
who caufed it to be printed in the fortieth 
number of the North Briton. Atthe end of 
the war Governor Pownall returned to Eng- 
land. His accounts were examined, and 
pafled with honour. At the general 
eleétion, in 1768, he was chofen re- 
@refentative in Parliament, for Tregony, in 
Cornwall. At this time the hoftile defigns 
of the Britith cabinet, againft America, were 
become perfectly obvious. All America faw 
them, and every colony was feized witha 
general alarm. Thefe defigns, and the mea- 
fures which were founded upon them, Goe 
vernor Pownall Arenuoufly and uniformly op- 
pofed in Parliament. His firft effay was 
againft the bill for fufpending the legiflature 
of New York. In the debate on that bill he 
declared, witha. warm and ftrong emphafis, 
6¢ That it was a faét, which the houfe ouglit 
to be apprifed of in all its extent, that the 
people of America, univerfaliy, unitedly, 
andunalterably, are refolved not to fubmit 
to any internal tax impofed upon them by 
any legiflature, in which they have not a 
fhare by reprefentatives of their own elec- 
tion.*”? At this time very few people in 
England believed that America would make 
any ferious refiftance; but, in a few years, - 
Governor Pownall’s words were found to be 
ftri&tly true. His other fpeeches in Parlias 
ment, which are many in number, and very 
interefting, were all printed by Mir Almon, 
in his Parliamentary Kegifer, from Gover- 
nor Pownall’s own manufcripts. The Goe 
. ™ Prior documents, p. 163. 
Qq vernor 
