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Show [P. P.] To the Freeman och ij/[vm zim &c. To the Freeman qf Palm/[71012122, 022 r/Jrfir/21w? of ,3 particular lVIilitia Bill, rcjcflc'd [2}! the Proprzctor s (@7212)! or governor. Philadelphia, Sept. 28, I764. Gentlemen, OUR defire of knowing how the militia-bill Y came to fail in the hit Ailembly, {hall 1mmediately be complied with. . . . As the Governor pi‘efléd hard for a militia law, to fecure the internal peace of the provrnce, and the people of this country had not been accuftomed to militia fervice; the houfe, to make it more generally agreeable to the freeholders, formed the bill {0 as that they might have tome {hare 1n the election ofthe oflicers; to fecure them from havmg abfolute {trangers fet over them, or pertbns gene-r rally difagreeable. This was no more, than that every company lhould choofe, and recommend to the Governor, three perfons for each office of Captain, Lieutenant, and Enlign; out g" w/Jic/J three, the Go- vernor was to commiflion (me that he thought molt proper, or which he pleated, to be the Officer.---And that the Captains, Lieutenants, and Enfigns, {o commiflioned by the Governor; thould, in their refpeé‘tive regiments, choofe and recomImend three perfons for each office of Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major; out of Wind: t are- 3 g7 three the Governor was to commiflion me, whi ch- ever he ple afed, to each of the {aid offi ces. The Gawnzor'i aflmzdmmt to the bill in this particular, was, to (hike out wholly this privilege ofthe people, and take to himfelf the jéz/e appointment of all the officers. The next amendment was to aggravate and 6721711110; {1/1 Z‘I{}L)‘/l‘llC'J‘v A fine that the Afi‘embly had made One hundred pou nds, and thought heavy enough,- the Govern or required to be Thiee hundred pounds. What they hzd made Fifty pounds, he required to be One hundred and fifty. -Thc1e were fines on the commilfioned otficers for difobcdience to his com mands; but the non com miflioncd odicers, or com mon fold iers, who, for the fame offence the Aflb rnbiy propofed to fine at Ten pounds, the Gov ernor infitted thould be fined Fifty pounds. Thefe fines, and tome oth ers to be mentioned hereafter, the Allembly thought ruinoufly high : ~But when, in a lubteq uent amendment , the Governor would, for offences amo ng the militia, take away the trial éyjmy in the common courts ; and required, that the trial {ho uld be by a court- martial, compoied of otircers of his own {ole appointing, who lhould have pow er of fenterrcing even to Deatl1;-~the Houfe could by confent thus to give up their conftitu no means ents liberty, ef'tate, and life mar, into the ablolute power of K a proprietary Governor;-and fo the bill failed. That you may he aflhred I do not n1lfr €pr€léllt this matter, I {hull give you the lad ment ioned. ' rag-am ;‘_._:. z;- [396] |
