Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/100

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72
Middle Colonies
[1703

together with the instructions, to be also given to the said governor, may contain such powers, authorities and directions, as may be necessary for the establishing there a regular constitution of government, by a governor, council, and general assembly, with other civil and military officers ; and for securing to the proprietors and inhabitants, all their properties and civil rights, in as full and ample manner, as the like are enjoyed by any plantation, under governors appointed by his majesty's immediate commission ; together with such clauses and further provisions, as may be thought reasonable, in order to prevent the interfering of that colony with the interest of his majesty's other plantations ; as the proprietary governments in America have generally done.

Samuel Smith, The History of the Colony of Nova-Cæsaria, or New-Jersey (Burlington, New Jersey, 1765), Appendix, 566-570 passim.

27. The Separation of Delaware (1703) 
BY SECRETARY JAMES LOGAN (l709)

James Logan acted as secretary and agent for William Penn during the many years in which the proprietor was absent from his colony. — Bibliography: Tyler, American Literature, II, 233-235; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 208-209; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 108. — For previous accounts of Delaware, see Contemporaries, I, ch. xxiv.

Henry Goldney,

Philadelphia, 3d Month the 12th, 1709.

Esteemed Friend,

I WAS favored last fall with thine and other Friends' answer to mine of 3d month last ; the contents of which were extremely satisfactory, and, on my part, I shall not be wanting to discharge my duty to the utmost of my power. . . .

I now design, through the greatest confidence in thy friendship both to him and me, to be very free with thee in an affair that nearly concerns him and this country in general, in which I shall request thee to exercise thy best thoughts, and, according to the result of these, heartily to employ the necessary endeavours. The case is briefly as follows ;

This government has consisted of two parts ; the Province of Pennsylvania, and the Three Lower Counties on Delaware. To the first the proprietor has a most clear and undoubted right, both for soil and government, by the King's letters patent or royal charter ; for the latter he has much less to show ; for the soil he has deeds of feofment from