WE whoſe Names are hereunto ſubſcribed, do object and proteſt againſt the Appointment of the Perſon propoſed as an Agent of this Province, for the following reaſons.

Firſt. Becauſe we believe him to be the Chief Author of the Meaſures purſued by the late Aſſembly, which have occaſioned ſuch Uneaſineſs and Deſtraction among the good People of this Province.

Secondly. Becauſe we believe his fixed enmity to the Proprietors will preclude all Accommodations of our Diſputes with them, even on juſt and reaſonable Terms;—So that for theſe two Reaſons, we are filled with the moſt affecting Apprehenſions, that the Petitions lately tranſmitted to England, will be made uſe of to produce a Change of Government, contrary to the Intention of the Petitioners; the greateſt part of whom, we are perſuaded, only deſigned thereby to obtain a Compliance with ſome equitable Demands.—And thus, by ſuch an Appointment, we, and a vaſt Number of our moſt worthy Conſtituents, are deprived of all hopes of ever ſeeing an End put to the fatal Diſſentions of our Country; it being our firm Opinion, that any further Proſecution of the Meaſures for a Change of Government at this Time, will lay the Foundations of unceaſing Feuds, and all the Miſeries of Confuſion, among the People we repreſent, and their Poſterity.—This ſtep gives us the more lively Affliction, as it is taken at the very Moment, when we are informed by a Member of this Houſe, that the Governor has aſſured him of his having received Inſtructions from the Proprietors, on their hearing of our late Diſpute, to give his Aſſent to the Taxation of their Eſtates in the ſame manner that the Eſtates of other Perſons are to be taxed, and alſo to confirm, for the Public uſe, the ſeveral Squares, formerly claimed by the City; On which Subjects, we make no doubt, the Governor would have ſent a Meſſage to the Houſe, if this had been the uſual Time of doing Buſineſs, and he had not been neceſſarily abſent to meet the Aſſembly of the lower Counties.—And therefore we cannot but anxiouſly regret that, at a Time when the Proprietors have ſhewn ſuch a Diſpoſition, this Houſe ſhould not endeavour to cultivate the ſame, and obtain from them every reaſonable Demand that can be made on the part of the People, in vigorouſly inſiſting on which, we would moſt earneſtly unite with the reſt of the Houſe.

Thirdly. Becauſe the Gentleman propoſed, we are informed, is very unfavourably thought of by ſeveral of his Majeſty's Miniſters; and we are humbly of Opinion, that it will be diſreſpectful to our moſt Gracious Sovereign, and diſadvantageous to ourſelves and our conſtituents, to employ ſuch a Perſon as an Agent.

Fourthly. Becauſe the Propoſal of the Perſon mentioned, is ſo extremely diſagreeable to a very great Number of the moſt ſerious and reputable inhabitants of this Province of all Denominations and Societies (one Proof of which is, his having been rejected, both by this City and County at the laſt Election, though he had repreſented the former in Aſſembly for 14 Years that we are convinced no Meaſure this Houſe can adopt, will tend ſo much to inflame the Reſentments and imbitter the Diviſions of the good People of this Province, as his appointment to be our Agent—And we cannot but ſincerely lament, that the Peace and Happineſs of Pennſylvania ſhould be ſacrificed for the Promotion of a Man, who cannot be advanced but by the Convulſions of his Country.

Fifthly. Becauſe the unneceſſary haſte with which this Houſe has acted in proceeding to this Appointment (without making a ſmall Adjournment, tho' requeſted by many Members, to conſult our Conſtituents on the Matters to be decided, and) even before their Speaker has been preſented to the King's Repreſentative, tho' we are informed that the Governor will be in Town the Beginning of next Week;—may ſubject us to the Cenſures and very heavy Diſpleaſure of our moſt gracious Sovereign and his Miniſters.

Sixthly. Becauſe the Gentleman propos'd, has heretofore ventured, contrary to an Act of Aſſembly, to place the The Money here meant was a Sum granted by Parliament as an Indemnification for part of our Expences in the late War, which by Act of Aſſembly was ordered for its better Security to be placed in the Bank. public Money in the Stocks, whereby this Province ſuffered a loſs of £.6000; and that Sum, added to £.5000 granted for his Expences, makes the whole Coſt of his former Voyage to England, amount to ELEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS; which expenſive kind of Agency we do not chuſe to imitate, and burden the Public with unneceſſary loads of Debt. For theſe and other Reaſons we ſhould think ourſelves guilty of betraying the Rights of Pennſylvania, if we ſhould preſumptuouſly commit them to the Diſcretion of a Man, againſt whom ſo many and juſt Objections preſent themſelves.

Laſtly. We being extremely deſirous to avert the Miſchiefs apprehended from the intended Appointment, and as much as in us lies to promote Peace and Unanimity among us and our Conſtituents, do humbly propoſe to the Houſe, that if they will agree regularly to appoint any Dr. Fothergill was mentioned by the Subſcribers as a proper Perſon. Gentlemen of Integrity, Abilities, and Knowledge in England, to aſſiſt Mr. Jackſon as our Agent, under a Reſtriction not to preſent the Petitions for a Change of our Government, or any of them, to the King or his Miniſters, unleſs an expreſs Order for that Purpoſe be hereafter given by the Aſſembly of this Province; we will not give it any Oppoſition: But if ſuch an Appointment ſhould be made, we muſt inſiſt (as we cannot think it a neceſſary one) that our Conſtituents, already labouring under heavy Debts, be not burthened with freſh Impoſitions on that Account; and therefore, in Condeſcenſion to the Members, who think another Agent neceſſary, we will concur with them, if they approve of this Propoſal, in paying ſuch Agent at our own Expence.