Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
This was a peculiar situation. Bucks and Chester were laid out with
specified boundaries adjoining Philadelphia, and, as a consequence, the
County of Philadelphia embraced the whole province between Chester and
Bucks and north-northwest and northeast to an indefinite extent. This,
of course, meant as far as Penn had purchased the land from the Indians.
During his absence from the province all was not well with William Penn
in England or with his followers in the beloved Pennsylvania.
Dissensions sprang up between the Legislature and the Executive, and
between the members from the territories and those from the province
proper, which threatened the loss of all his possessions. Troubles of
Penn in America were not all confined to civil affairs, for his
religious society was torn with dissension.
In 1685, the Proprietary appointed Nicholas More, a London lawyer,
president of the “Free Traders” and a member of the Assembly, to the
office of Chief Justice. The Assembly was jealous of its prerogatives
and disregarded the fundamental laws of the province in enacting
statutes without previously publishing them as required to do by the
constitution.
Chief Justice More opposed some of the laws of the Assembly, and
particularly those which attempted to alter the organization of the
courts, and he incurred the enmity of the House, which proceeded to
impeach him. He was charged with violence, partiality and negligence, in
a cause in which the society of Free Traders was interested. Ten
articles were preferred against him, which he refused to answer, though
frequently summoned by the Council.
More was saved from conviction by a technicality, but was not protected
from punishment. He was expelled from the Assembly, and was interdicted
all places of trust by the Council until he should be tried upon the
articles of impeachment or give satisfaction to the board. His
punishment was not severe because he retained the confidence of the
Proprietary.
The anger of the House was extended to Patrick Robinson, clerk of the
Provincial Court, who refused to produce the minutes of that court. They
voted him to be a public enemy and ordered him into the custody of the
Sheriff.
When brought before the House Robinson refused to answer questions and
threw himself at full length upon the floor. He was disqualified from
holding any office in the province or territories, but this sentence
does not seem to have been enforced, for he afterward held the clerkship
in the Council and other offices.
Neither More nor Robinson were Quakers. They were charged with enmity to
that sect, or, in the language of Penn, “were esteemed the most unquiet
and cross to Friends.”
There were other disturbances at this time in the province. John Curtis
was charged with “uttering troublesome and dangerous words against the
King.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account