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accident into my hands. It has no date, but I conjecture, from some circumstances, that it must have been about the year 1767 or 1768. (It seems, if presented, it had no effect, since the act passed.) I imagine it may not be unacceptable to your readers, and therefore transcribe it for your paper; viz.

To the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of Great Britain, in Parliament assembled. The Petition of B. F., Agent for the Province of Pennsylvania,

MOST HUMBLY SHOWETH;

That the transporting of felons from England to the plantations in America is and hath long been a great grievance to the said plantations in general.

That the said felons, being landed in America, not only continue their evil practices, to the annoyance of his majesty's good subjects there, but contribute greatly to corrupt the morals of the servants and poorer people among whom they are mixed. That many of the said felons escape from the servitude to which they were destined into other colonies, where their condition is not known; and, wandering at large from one populous town to another, commit many burglaries, robberies, and murders, to the great terror of the people, and occasioning heavy charges for apprehending, and securing such felons, and bringing them to justice.

That your petitioner humbly conceives the easing one part of the British dominions of their felons by

burthening another part with the same felons, cannot increase the common happiness of his majesty's subjects, and that therefore the trouble and expense of transporting them is upon the whole altogether useless.

That your petitioner, nevertheless, observes with extreme concern, in the votes of Friday last, that leave is given to bring in a bill for extending to Scotland the act made in the fourth year of the reign of King George the First; whereby the aforesaid grievances are, as he understands, to be greatly increased, by allowing Scotland also to transport its felons to America.

Your petitioner, therefore, humbly prays, in behalf of Pennsylvania, and the other plantations in America, that the house would take the premises into consideration, and in their great wisdom and goodness repeal all acts, and clauses of acts, for transporting of felons; or if this may not at present be done, that they would at least reject the proposed bill for extending the said acts to Scotland; or if it be thought fit to allow of such extension, that then the said extension may be carried farther, and the plantations be also, by an equitable clause in the same bill, permitted to transport their felons to Scotland.

And your petitioner, as in duty bound, shall pray, &c.

The petition, I am informed, was not received, and the act passed.

On second thoughts, I am of opinion, that besides employing our own vessels, as above proposed, every English ship arriving in our ports with goods for sale should be obliged to give bond, before she is permitted to trade, engaging that she will carry back to Britain one felon for every fifty tons of her burthen. Thus we shall not only discharge sooner our debts, but furnish our old friends with the means of better peopling, and with more expedition, their promising new colony of Botany Bay.

I am yours, &c.

A. Z.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, SPAIN, HOLLAND, SAXONY, AND AMERICA.*

Britain. Sister of Spain, I have a favour to ask of you. My subjects in America are disobedient, and I am about to chastise them; I beg you will not furnish them with any arms or ammunition.

Spain. Have you forgotten, then, that when my subjects in the Low Countries rebelled against me, you not only furnished them with military stores, but joined them with an army and a fleet? I wonder how you can have the impudence to ask such a favour of me, or the folly to expect it!

Britain. You, my dear sister France, will surely not refuse me this favour.

* A politicals squib, written by Dr. Franklin, shortly after his arrival in France as commissioner plenipotentiary from the United States of America.

France. Did you not assist my rebel Huguenots with a fleet and an army at Rochelle ? And have you not lately aided privately my rebel subjects in Corsica? And do you not at this instant keep their chief pensioned and ready to head a fresh revolt there, whenever you can find or make an opportunity? Dear sister, you must be a little silly.

Britain. Honest Holland! you see it is remembered that I was once your friend; you will therefore be mine on this occasion. I know, indeed, you are accustomed to smuggle with those rebels of mine. I will wink at that; sell them as much tea as you please to enervate the rascals, since they will not take it of me; but for God's sake don't supply them with any arms!

Holland. 'Tis true you assisted me against Philip, my tyrant of Spain; but have I not since assisted you against one of your tyrants,* and enabled you to expel him? Surely, that account, as we merchants say, is balanced, and I am nothing in your debt: I have, indeed, some complaints against you, for endeavouring to starve me by your navigation acts; but being peaceably disposed, I do not quarrel with you for that. I shall only go on quietly with my own business. Trade is my profession; 'tis all I have to subsist on. And let me tell you, I should make no scruple (on the prospect of a good market for that commodity) even to send my ships to hell, and supply the devil with brimstone; for you must

* James the Second.

know I can ensure in London against the burring of my sails.

America to Britain. Why you old blood-thirsty bully! you who have been every where vaunting your own prowess, and defaming the Americans as poltroons! you who have boasted of being able to march over all their bellies with a single regiment! you who by fraud have possessed yourself of their strongest fortress, and all the arms they had stored up in it! you who have a disciplined army in their country intrenched to the teeth, and provided with every thing! Do you run about begging all Europe not to supply these poor people with a little powder and shot? Do you mean then to fall upon them naked and unarmed, and butcher them in cold blood? Is this your courage? Is this your magnanimity?

Britain. Oh! you wicked-Whig-presbyterian -serpent! have you the impudence to appear be fore me after all your disobedience? Surrender immediately all your liberties and properties into my hands, or I will cut you to pieces. Was it for this that I planted your country at so great an expense? that I protected you in your infancy, and defended you against all your enemies?

America. I shall not surrender my liberty and property but with my life. It is not true that my country was planted at your expense: your own records* refute that falsehood to your face. Nor * See the Journals of the House of Commons, 1642, viz.

"Die Veneris, Martii 10, 1642. "Whereas the plantations in New-England have, by the blessing of Almighty God, had good and prosperous success,

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