ration of the Houfe, the draught of a bill, which 1706. he had prepared for that purpose, as being better, and more fuitably adapted, than the act which had been repealed. This the Affembly not only rejected, but drew up one themselves, instead of it, fo widely different, that the Governor and they were not able to agree to certain particulars contained in it; which were alledged by the Governor, as tending to "break in upon the Proprietary's powers of government, or his juft intereft;" and, after much difpute and altercation, and time spent to no purpofe, the Governor proceeded, by an ordinance, in fuch cafe provided in the royal charter, to open the courts of juftice, till further, or better provifion and regulation fhould be made by act of Affembly.

&c.

The Houfe being difappointed in not carrying D. Lloyd their point, in the manner they defired, were very heads the much chagrined. They were headed by David Affembly, Lloyd, their Speaker, as before mentioned, a perfon of good esteem and character among the people, and who had been brought up to the law; but through most of his public conduct, appears to have distinguished himself in nothing fo much, as by

was duly cleared, at this port of Philadelphia, as the acts of navigation direct, and had the Governor's Let-pafs, and upon her voyage to Barbadoes, is not warranted by the faid act of Affembly; but that thofe, who fired at the faid floop, after they had notice what she was, and how she was cleared, ought to be profecuted, as perfons committing hoftilities against the Queen's liege people.

"Thirdly, That it is the opinion of this House, that, in case the master of the said floop had been liable to pay either Powder-money, or other mulets, impofed by the said act, yet the forcing him out of the veffel, and imprisoning him, when fecurity was offered, for anfwering the fuppofed offence, is not warranted by the faid act, but is most illegal and arbitrary.

"We, having thus presented our opinion of the faid act, entreat, that thou wouldst ufe the most effectual methods to put a speedy ftop to the faid exorbitant practices, great abuses and oppreffions, mentioned in the faid petition (a copy whereof we humbly lay before thee;) and that the authors of these arbitrary actions and oppreffions complained of, may be profecuted according to law, and be no longer permitted to abuse the Queen's authority, and ftand in open defiance of her royal Uncle's grant, obstruct our lawful commerce, and invade our liberties, rights and properties, and under the pretence of fortifying the river, for the fervice of the Queen, commit hoftilities and depredations upon her liege people."

gan, &c.

1706. by his conftant oppofition to the claims of the Proprietary. Having failed in this their contest with Against the Governor, the Affembly, in the next place, James Lowere determined, if poffible, to take their revenge on the Secretary, James Logan, who was alfo one of the Council; and they accordingly pointed the force of their refentment against him; whom they regarded, in great measure, as the cause of their mifcarriage, in the bill of courts, and of much of the misunderstanding between them and the Go

gan fup.

ports

ry's intereft, &c.

vernor.

James Logan was a man of confiderable understanding and abilities, perhaps exceeded by few, James Lo- or none, in the province; he efpoufed and firmly the fupported the Proprietary's intereft, and had great Proprieta- influence in the Council; but to perfons of inferior abilities and lefs acquirements, he is reprefented by fome, not always to have conducted himself in that courteous and condefcending manner, which gains refpect, and is an ornament to fuperior parts; which rendered him fomewhat unpopular, and fometimes provoked his enemies to carry their animofity against him to unwarrantable extremes.*

The

"James Logan was defcended of a family originally from Scotland; where, in the troubles of that country, occafioned by the affair of Earl Gawrie, in the reign of James the VI. his grandfather, Robert Logan, was deprived of a confiderable estate; in confequence of which his father, Patrick Logan, being in reduced circumftances, removed into Ireland, and fixed his refidence at Lurgan, the place of his fon James's birth. Patrick Logan had the benefit of a good education, in the univerfity of Edinburgh; where he commenced matter of arts;-but afterwards joined in religious fociety with the Quakers.-This, his fon, James Logan, being endowed with a good genius, and favoured with a fuitable education, made confiderable proficiency in divers branches of learning and fcience; after which he went to England; from whence, in the year 1699, and about the 25th. of his age, he removed to Pennfylvania, in company with William Penn, in his latter voyage to America; and, in 1701, he was, by commiffion from the Proprietary, appointed Secretary of the province, and Clerk of the Council for the fame.

His life was afterwards much employed in public affairs:-The department allotted him, in the time of the Governors, Evans and Gookin, expofed him to much altercation with David Lloyd, then at the head of the Affembly, as Speaker, and a large number that joined him. He adhered to what was deemed the proprietary intereft; and exerted himself with great

The province appears to have exhibited fome- 1706. thing of the nature of party, from its early inftitution, even, in fome, who ftrongly profeffed more noble and generous motives of conduct. Party fpirit, the offspring of narrow and selfish views, is deeply interwoven in human nature; of which, perhaps, it is impoffible to be wholly divefted. Party spirit But as the human paffions are only injurious, when only injurithey are not kept under proper reftriction and go- extreme, vernment, fo it is the extreme alone of party defign, which, in reality, is so pernicious to human fociety; while its moderate exertion excites a ftricter

great fidelity to it. He held the feveral offices of Provincial Secretary, Commiflioner of property, Chief Juftice, and for near two years, governed the province, as Prefident of the Council.

Many years before his death he retired pretty much from the hurry and incumbrance of public affairs, and spent the latter part of his time, principally at Stanton, his country feat, near Germantown, about five or fix miles from Philadelphia; where he enjoyed, among his books, that leisure in which men of letters take delight, and corresponded with the literati in different parts of Europe. He was well verfed in both ancient and modern learning, acquainted with the oriental tongues, a master of the Latin, Greek, French and Italian languages; deeply killed in the Mathematics, and in natural and moral philofophy; as feveral pieces of his own writing, in Latin, &c. demonftrate; some of which have gone through divers impreffions, in different parts of Europe, and are highly esteemed: Among his productions of this nature, his Experimenta Meletemata de plantarum generatione, or his Experiments on the Indian corn, or Maize of America, with his obfervations arifing therefrom, on the generation of plants, published in Latin, at Leyden, in 1739, and afterwards, in 1747, republished in London, with an English verfion on the oppofite page, by Dr. J. Fothergill, are both curious and ingenious.-Along with this piece was likewife printed, in Latin, at Leyden, another treatise, by the fame author, entitled, " Canonum pro inveniendis refractionum, tum fimplicium, tum in lentibus duplicium focis, demonftrationes geometrice."-" Autore Jacobo Logan, Judice fupremo et Præfide provincia Pensilvanienfis, in America."And, in his old age, he tranflated Cicero's excellent treatise, De fene&ute; which, with his explanatory notes, was printed in Philadelphia, with a preface or encomium, by Benjamin Franklin, afterwards Dr. Franklin, of that city, in 1744.-He was one of the people called Quakers, and died on the 31ft. of October, 1751, aged about 77 years;-leaving, as a monument of his public spirit and benevolence to the people of Peanfylvania, a library; which he had been fifty years in colleding; (fince called the Loganian Library) intending it for the common use and benefit of all lovers of learning. It was faid to contain the best editions of the best books, in various languages, arts and fciences, and to be the largest, and by far the most valuable, collection of the kind, at that time, in this part of the world.

He had several children, who fur vived him; of whom his eldest fon William, lately deceased, was mauy years a member of the Governor's Council.

ous in the

1706. ftricter attention to men's real interefts, and under W proper management and direction, becomes fubfervient to the more effectual fecurity of the public

good.

The nature and length of this, and other disputes, with the diflike and odium, which fome parts of The Affem- the Governor's private conduct, are said to have ed with the created, in the more fober part of the inhabitants, Governor's by his frequently defcending below the dignity of

bly difguft

conduct,

&c.

his ftation, in midnight revels, and low frolicks of youthful folly, very much leffened his authority, and raised the fpirit of party to a higher degree, than had been known before. The confequence of which was, what is generally that of all extremes, the product of things more or lefs indefenfible, on both fides: a detail of which proceedings, as they are published in the journals, or votes of the houfe of Affembly of thofe times, would be too tedious here to be minutely ftated.-They produced a They im- number of accufations against the Secretary; which peach the the Affembly ftiled articles of impeachment. Upon these the Affembly took measures to impeach him in form, before the Governor, as an evil counfellor, and guilty of high misdemeanors;-But through the Governor's management and protection, they But are dif- were not able for the prefent, to effect any thing appointed, further against him; and there is on record his petition to the Governor and Council, requesting that Votes of proper measures fhould be taken to clear his chaAffembly, racter from the falfe representations, and grofs abuses of the Affembly, by a fair trial.

Secretary;

&c.

&c.

The Affem

The Affembly, being thus repulfed, in respect bly intend to Jamas Logan, were ftill more exafperated; and to get the fo much were they difpleafed with the Governor's removed. conduct, that they were determined to endeavour

Governor

to have him removed. His public administration was not only disagreeable to them, in his manner of acting for his principal's intereft, but also the example of his private conduct was much complain

ed

易

ed of, as having a bad influence and effect on the 1707. morals of many of the people.

ftrance to

For this purpose, therefore, in the fummer of They draw the year 1707, the Affembly drew up a remon- upa remonftrance to the Proprietary, containing a catalogue the Propri of the particulars of his mal-administration, or etary. which they esteemed to be fuch, with a complaint against James Logan; the principal of which have already been mentioned:-In this remonftrance, after having reminded the Proprietary of their former complaints, in the year 1704, they further reprefent:

Heads of

The Lieutenant Governor's abominable and unwarrantable conduct with the Indians, on a vifit to ftrance.

them, at Conestogoe.

His refufing to pafs the bill of courts, without their agreeing to his amendments; though they only left two of his objections unremoved; and his fetting up courts by his ordinance.

His refufal to try the Secretary, upon their impeachment, by queftioning his own authority to judge, and their's to impeach, in the method they propofed.

His impofition on the trade of the province, by means of the law paffed at Newcastle; whereby he unjustly exacted large fums of the people; with the abuses and confequences of the said law.

Certain unjustifiable and oppreffive proceedings, refpecting the militia, which he had formed, according to his proclamation before mentioned.

His refufing to pafs a bill, in the year 1704, to explain and confirm the charter of the city of Philadelphia;-The multiplying of taverns and alehouses, in the city, as nurseries of vice, by his means; and his impofing licences on the keepers of thofe houses, without law, or precedent.

His

the remon