the year 1785, when he found its charters violated, and his ancient colleagues, the original founders, deprived of their truft, by an act of the legiflature, and although his own name had been inferted among the new trustees, yet he declined to take his feat among them, or any concern in the management of their affairs, till the inftitution was restored by law to its original owners. He then affembled his old colleagues at his own house, and being chosen their prefident, all their future meetings were, at his request, held there, till within a few months of his death, when with reluctance, and at their defire, left he might be too much injured by his attention to their businefs, he fuffered them to meet at the college.

Franklin not only gave birth to many useful inftitutions himself, but he was also inftrumental in promoting those which had originated with other men. About the year 1752, an eminent phyfician of this city, Dr. Bond, confidering the deplorable ftate of the poor, when vifited with lifeafe, conceived the idea of establishing an hospital. Notwithstanding very great exertions on his part, he was able to intereft few people fo far in his benevolent plan, as to obtain fubfcriptions from them. Unwilling that his fcheme fhould prove abortive, he fought the aid of Franklin, who readily engaged in the bufinefs, both by uing his influence with his friends, and by ftating the advantageous influence of the propofed inftiution in his paper: Thefe efforts were attended with fuccefs. Confiderable fums were fubfcriped; but they were ftill fhort of what was neceffay Franklin now made another exertion. Applied to the affembly; and, after fome oppofiVOL. I.

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tion, obtained leave to bring in a bill, fpecifying that as foon as two thoufand pounds were fubfcribed, the fame fum fhould be drawn from the trea fury by the speaker's warrant, to be applied to the purposes of the inftitution. The oppofition, as the fum was granted upon a contingency which they fuppofed would never take place, were filent, and the bill paffed. The friends of the plan now redoubled their efforts, to obtain fubfcriptions to the amount ftated in the bill, and were foon fuccessful. This was the foundation of the Pennfyl vania Hofpital, which, with the Bettering-houfe and Difpenfary, bears ample tellimony of the hu manity of the citizens of Philadelphia.

Dr. Franklin had conducted himfelf fo well in the office of poft-mafter, and had fhown himfelf to be fo well acquainted with the bufinefs of that department that it was thought expedient to raife him to a more dignified flation. In 1753 he was appointed deputy poft-mafter-general for the British colonies. The profits arifing from the poftage of the revenue, which the crown of Great Britain derived from the colonies. In the hands of Franklin, it is faid, that the poft-office in A merica yielded annually thrice as much as that of Ireland.

The American colonics were much expofed to depredations on their frontiers, by the Indians; and more particularly whenever a war took place between France and England. The colonies individually, were either too weak to take efficient measures for their own defence, or they were un willing to take upon themselves the whole burden of erecting forts and maintaining garrifons, whil their neighbours, who partook equally with them

felves, of the advantages, contributed nothing to the expence. Sometimes alfo the difputes, which fubfifted between the governors and affemblies, prevented the adoption of means of defence

we have feen was the cafe in Pennfylvania in 1745. To devife a plan of union between the colonies, to regulate this and other matters, appeared a defirable object. To accomplish this, in the year 1754, commiffioners from New-Hampshire, Maffachufetts, Rhode-Ifland, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, met at Albany. Dr. Franklin attended here, as a commiflioner from Pennsylvania, and produced a plan, which, from the place of meeting, has been ufually termed "The Albany Plan of Union." This propofed, that application fhould be made for an act of parliament, to ettablish in the colonies a general government, to be administered by a prefident-general, appointed by the crown, and by a grand council, confifting of members chofen by the reprefentatives of the different colonies; their number to be in direct proportion to the fums paid by each colony into the general treafury, with this reftriction, that no colony fhould have more than feven, nor lefs than two reprefentatives. The whole executive authority was committed to the prefident-general The power of legiflation was lodged in the grand council and prefident-general jointly; his confent being made neceffary to paffing a bill into a law. The power vested in the prefident and council were, to declare war and peace, and to conclude treaties with the Indian nations; to regulate trade with, and to make purcha fes of vacant lands from them, either in the name of the crown, or of the union; to fettle new colonies,

to make laws for governing thefe until they fhould be erected into feparate governments, and to raise troops, build forts, fit out armed veffels and ufe other means for the general defence: and, to affect these things, a power was given to make laws, laying fuch duties, impofts, or taxes, as they 1hould find neceffary, and as would be leaft bur denfome to the people. All laws were to be fent to England for the king's approbation; and unlefs difapproved of within three years, were to remain in force. All officers in the land or fea fervice were to be nominated by the prefident-general, and approved of by the general council; civil officers were to be nominated by the council, and approved by the prefident. Such are the outlines of the plan propofed, for the confideration of the congrefs, by Dr. Franklin. After feveral days difcuffion, it was unanimously agreed to by the commiffioners, a copy tranfmitted to each a fembly, and one to the king's council. The fate of it was fingular. It was difapproved of by the miniftry of Great Britain, because it gave tool much power to the reprefentatives of the people; and it was rejected by every affembly, as giving to the prefident-general, the rep.efentative of the crown, an influence greater than appeared to them proper, in a plan of government intended fors freemen. Perhaps this rejection, on both fides, is the ftrongest proof that could be adduced of the excellence of it, as fuited to the fituation of America and Great- Britain at that time. It appears to have steered exactly in the middle, between the oppofite interests of both.

Whether the adoption of this plan would have evented the feparation of America from Great

Britain, is a queftion which might afford much room for fpeculation. It may be faid, that, by enabling the colonies to defend themfelves, it would have removed the pretext upon which the ftamp-act, tea-act, and other acts of the British parliament, were paffed which excited a fpirit of oppofition, and laid the foundation for the feparation of the two countries. But, on the other hand, it must be admitted, that the reftriction laid: by Great Britain upon our commerce, obliging us to fell our produce to her citizens only, and to take from them various articles, of which, as our manufactures were discouraged, we flood in need, at a price greater than that for which they could. have been obtained from other nations, muft inevitably produce diffatisfaction, even though no duties were impofed by the parliament: a circumftance which might ftill have taken place. fides, as the prefident-general was to be appointed by the crown, he mult, of neceflity, be devoted to its views, and would, therefore, refufe his affent to any laws, however falutary to the community, which had the moft remote tendency to injure the interests of his fovereign. Even fhould they receive his affent, the approbation of the king was to be neceffary; who would indubitably, in every inftance, prefer the advantage of his home dominions to that of his colonies. Hence would enfue perpetual difagreements between the council and the prefident-general, and thus, between the people of America and the crown of Great Britain: While the colonies continued weak, they would. be obliged to fubmit, and as soon as they acquired trength they would become more urgent in their

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