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The Plain Dealer, Numb. III - 18

he has ever received. I conceive it may be prov’d, for reasons well known, that the Proprietor has never received £5000 quit rents from all the Lower counties. And the half of 5 is not quite 18.-----But to oblige the Philosopher, I shall grant that it is 20. Yet I am certain the Philosopher knows very well that the Government will never be purchased for twice that sum. But this man seems willing to say any thing, that may be like to persuade us that we may get a change of Government without coming through the hands of Parliament, tho’ he knows very well that the thing is impracticable, for he has made enquiry and found it so, but he dishonestly conceals that story. He brings many instances to prove that our Government ought to be changed, and may be changed without the loss of any of our privileges. But I conceive his arguments rather prove against him. For instance, The Government of Carolina was changed because there was a natural Infirmity in the Policy of their Charter. But the philosopher has not discovered any such infirmity in our charter, and yet he says the cases are similar.-----When the New-Jersey Government was changed, Queen Ann favoured Dissenters and allowed them to hold places of trust in the Government. But she did this because there were not other people enough to fill those places, which is not the present case with Pennsylvania. There his simily again fails the Philosopher.-----In Massachusetts province the people lost their charter. Why? Because all charters were then taken away, and they obtained a new one of course; and for our great comfort we are informed that in their new charter no advantages were taken, nor tests imposed on them. Is this not drol enough? How in the name of sense, could tests have been imposed on a people who were every one Dissenters? But whatever precedents the Philosopher has quoted, and whatever evasive answers he has given to some small objections, yet his is most firmly assured that

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