1Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report, 6 March 1764 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1763–1764 (Philadelphia, 1764), pp. 57–8. On Feb. 25, 1764, a petition was read before the Assembly from a “Number” of inhabitants of Philadelphia, praying that debates in the House be henceforth open to the public and asking the House to adopt “a standing Order, that the Freemen of the Province shall have free Access, at all...
2Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report, 21 February 1764 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1763–1764 (Philadelphia, 1764), pp. 50–1. When several clergymen and others went from Philadelphia to German-town on Monday, February 6, to talk with the Paxton Boys, they were given a “Declaration” of the frontiersmen’s grievances, which they brought back to the city and delivered to Governor Penn. Most of this paper is taken...
3Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Dock, [9 February 1763] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1762–1763 (Philadelphia, 1763), p. 23. “A Remonstrance and Petition from divers Inhabitants” of Philadelphia was presented to the Assembly, Jan. 24, 1763, complaining, among other things, that the public dock or creek in the southern part of the city was “in a great Measure useless, and in its present Condition a Recepticle for...
4Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Laws, [19 January 1763] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1762–1763 (Philadelphia, 1763), p. 13. Throughout Franklin’s absence in England he had been re-elected to the Assembly from the city of Philadelphia every October. When the House met on Jan. 10, 1763, he appeared to take his place for the first time in about five and three-quarters years, and at once resumed an active part in...
5Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on Grievances, 22 February 1757 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 94–6. On Feb. 17, 1758, fourteen days after Franklin’s appointment as agent to England, the Assembly named a committee “to draw up the Heads of the several Grievances necessary to be represented Home to England for Redress.” Its report, submitted the 22d, was adopted and entered in the...
6Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Governor’s Message, [17 February 1757] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 86–90. The supply bill passed by the Assembly and sent to Governor Denny on Feb. 3, 1757, differed in important respects from the rejected bill about which the House had remonstrated on January 26. It was framed as a supplement to the £60,000 act of Nov. 27, 1755, and thus did exempt the...
7Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Easton Conference, 29 January 1757 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 75–6. The serious charges of land fraud made at the Easton Indian Conference, November 1756, made certain that its minutes would receive careful attention. The Assembly asked for a copy, Nov. 24, 1756, and Governor Denny transmitted it a week later. On December 14, he appointed a Council...
8Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Governors’ Message, 24 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 58–9. When the Assembly met on December 21, the day after the acrimonious conference with Governor Denny, it considered the conference minutes and the written message Denny had presented at that time. After some debate, the Assembly expressed its displeasure with Denny’s conduct in a message...
9Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on a Conference about Quartering, 20 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 53–5. Joseph Fox, John Hughes, Franklin, William Masters, and William Allen were appointed a committee to confer with Governor Denny on the quartering impasse. Before they were admitted to the chamber, Denny told the Council “he chose not to enter into any Altercation, nor to refute the many...
10Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on Precedents in the House of Commons, 3 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 36–7. In its zeal to present strong candidates for the October 1756 Assembly election, the proprietary party nominated and elected Chief Justice William Allen in both Cumberland and Northampton Counties. When Allen chose to represent Cumberland, a new election was ordered for October 25 to...