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The Plain Dealer, Numb. III - 9

The Proprietor acquiesced in this regulation tho’ thereby he gave up at least £4000; of this the Assembly was then very well persuaded. But perhaps that was one of the former weak, impolitic Quaker Assemblies of which our writers speak. The late Assembly were much wiser for they purposed without making any compensations to re-emitt the money upon terms which would have forced the Proprietors to loose three times £4000. It was a little unfortunate that the law was condemned by the King as unjust, and our Assemblies wisdom and honesty cost the province about £4000.----While I am speaking of the Proprietors conduct I need not tell any Pennsylvanian how many thousand poor families live quietly on their lands in this province without any Title. But our Quakers seem determined by their iniquitous laws and abusive treatment to exasperate the Proprietors against the province. And as the Quakers live in the old counties, are generally rich and have patents for their land, the severity must necessarily be exercised towards the poor frontier counties, by which means the people would leave the province, and the Quakers could purchase their lands cheap and live without rivals. This is also in the spirit of Quaker politicks.

I SHALL not tire the reader with observations on the rest of the laws which we bought, they are much of a stamp, I find that our Lawyer can say pretty things of them all; but any person would be surprised, that laws which cost so much, and had so specious an appearance, should on a critical enquiry be found calculated for such cruel or dishonest purposes. But I would observe in general to the honor of the Quaker Faction, that they have not confined their views to the narrow limits of ruining this Province, or defrauding the Proprietaries: For wisely considering that publick calamities are the gain of a few, they have discovered themselves posses’d of the virtue of self love in great perfection. They

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