The Plain Dealer, Numb. III - 5
Many thousand pounds of the public money have been given as bribes by our Assembly to a certain Governor to obtain iniquitous laws. This I formerly affirmed and had the misfortune greatly to disoblige our Quaker statesmen, and as it might seem arrogant in me to give my sentiments alone on this subject against such eminent lawyers and philosophers, I shall make free to quote some authorities, which tho’ pretty much despised by Quakers, yet may have some weight with the rest of his Majesties subjects in this province, I mean the sentiments of his Majesty and Council.
THE acts of our Assembly are examined by the Lords of Trade and Plantations, they are also laid before his Majesty’s Council, and by them recommended to his Majesty to be approved or condemned. The Lords of Trade in their report to the Lords of Council upon some acts passed Anno 1758 and 1759 make this observation. “It is apparent by the manner in which the Assembly detained the salary of the Deputy Governor till he had given his assent to those laws; and by the manner in which they paid it when he passed them; a separate sum being received by him upon his consent to separate laws, that it was meant by the Assembly and understood by the Governor, as a consideration for his passing these exceptionable acts. And innocent as our politicians would be accounted, I apprehend my opponents were not the last in consenting to this collusion and bribery. I have seen a letter from an eminent gentleman, who was eating some of our money in London, to his friend in this city, containing the virtuous observation. “When there was so good an understanding between the Assembly and Governor (D-----y) I wonder they did not make an attack on the licenses, it would have
