and His Ministers) to help and obviate these Absurdities and Inconveniencies, and apply a Remedy to them, is, That All the Colonies appertaining to the Crown of GREAT BRITAIN on the Northern Continent of America, be United under a Legal, Regular, and firm Establishment; Over which, its propos'd, a Lieutenant, or Supreme Governour, may be constituted, and appointed to Preside on the Spot, to whom the Governours of each Colony shall be Subordinate.

It is further humbly propos'd, That two Deputies shall be annually Elected by the Council and Assembly of each Province, who are to be in the Nature of a Great Council, or General Convention of the Estates of the Colonies; and by the Order, Consent, or Approbation of the Lieutenant or Governour General, shall meet together, Consult and Advise for the Good of the whole, Settle and Appoint particular Quota's or Proportions of Money, Men, Provisions, &c. that each respective Government is to raise, for their mutual Defence and Safety, as well, as, if necessary, for Offence and Invasion of their Enemies; in all which Cases the Governour General or Lieutenant is to have a Negative; but not to Enact any Thing without their Concurrence, or that of the Majority of them.

THE Quota or Proportion, as above allotted and charg'd on each Colony, may, nevertheless, be levy'd and rais'd by its own Assembly, in such Manner, as They shall judge most Easy and Convenient, and the Circumstances of their Affairs will permit.

OTHER Jurisdictions, Powers and Authorities respecting the Honour of His MAJESTY, the Interest of the Plantations, and the Liberty and Property of the Proprietors, Traders, Planters, and Inhabitants in them, may be Vested in and Cognizable by the abovesaid Governour General or Lieutenant, and Grand Convention of the Estates, according to the Laws of England, but are not thought fit to be touch'd on or inserted here; This Proposal being General, and withall humility submitted to the Consideration of our Superiours, who may Improve, Model, or Reject it, as they in their Wisdom shall judge proper.-Coxe's Carolana, Preface.

1754. PLAN PROPOSED BY THE REV. MR.

PETERS.

A Plan for a General Union of the British Colonies of North America.

That the Legislature of Each Colony appoint a Committee of Union, whose Business it shall be to correspond with all the other Committees, particularly with those of the Division of the Provinces to which it belongs, to appoint the times & Places of Meeting in each Division, and to propose to their Respective Governments the Heads of such matters as shall be judg'd necessary to be imediately done, &c., as there may be more branches of Business assigned them.

That Delegates of the Committees of Each division shall have one annual Stated time of Meeting, and others occasionally, as in their Correspondencies they shall find it necessary. The place to be previously agreed upon by them.

That there shall be four Divisions of the Provinces, viz: 1st Division.-Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina. 2d Division.-Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania. 3d Division.-Jersey, New York.

4th Division.-Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire.

That one Company consisting of one hundred Men complete, exclusive of Officers, shall be raised by every Province & a Regiment formed of ye 13 Companies to be called the Union regiment, to be commanded by one Colonel, Lieutenant Coll. & Major to be appointed by the King.

The General Officers to be paid by the King or Country, as shall be thought proper & called the Union Regiment.

That these companies shall subsist 'till the French desist from their Encroachments, and there be establish'd on the Lakes a free Navigation for English Vessels and proper Forts built at the Head of every great River where Cities or Trading towns are situated at the Mouth in the Atlantick Ocean, and likewise other Forts be built to bridle the present Forts built by the French, and till a Fort be built on the Straits of Niagara in particular, to secure the Navigation of the Lakes.

Printed by permission of Mr. Carson and of the J. B. Lippincott Co.

That for the pay of these Companies, a Duty shall be laid on such things as are in most general use, yt all may pay alike Excise on Rum, Shoes, Leather, &c., & in each Division if one Company be too much to be supported by any one Colony, that it be eased by other in its Division.

That the Governors of each Colony shall have a power to draw on this Fund on the Application of the Commanding Officer or the Union Committee of each Province.

That this little standing Army shall assist in making Roads, building Forts or any other necessary work; all men whilst in Work to receive double Pay. Directors of ye Work & Tools to be found at the Expense of the Fund, by the Respective Provinces where the work is doing.

That out of this Fund shall be built by said Division, one Vessel for the Navigation of the Lakes.

That a certain Quantity of Indian Trade, to ye amount of shall be carried on by the Committees of each Division, (but not an exclusive Trade,) and that the Prices of Goods shall be fixed, as well as the Prices of Beaver & Skins, and the Profits go into the Union Fund.

The Capital Sum used in the Indian Trade to be advanced by the Assemblys and repaid once a year.

That Maps of each Province be immediately prepared by the Committee, and all of them join'd together by some Person in America, or if hard to be got, by Mr Jeffery's the King's Geographer, and a Copy of this General Map to be given to the Board of Trade & Privy Council.

That a certain sum of money, not to exceed

sum,

shall be struck in every Colony; to be emitted on loan on good Securities. Money arising from ye Interest, to go to ye Union Fund.

That for ye present there be built 8 Forts, viz: two Forts in Virginia, one on the Ohio, one on Lake Erie, Two in New York or Pennsylvania, as it may happen, one in the lower County, on or near the Straits of Niagara, and another on Onondaga Lake, Two in the Massachusetts, and two in New Hampshire.

Out of a Fund to be raised for this p'ticular purpose by every Province, called the Fort Fund, and to be put unto one general Direction, viz., of the Delegates of ye Division

Commissioners. In the building of each Fort, I would have one at least of every Division in ye Direction, to prevent embezzlements or Jobbing.

All to be submitted to his Majesty, & such reasonable alterations to, or additions made, as he in Council shall direct. Carson's Hundredth Anniversary, Vol. II. App. pp. 472-474.

1754. FRANKLIN'S SHORT HINTS.

Short Hints towards a Scheme for Uniting the
Northern Colonies.

A GOVERNOR-GENERAL

To be appointed by the King.

To be a military man.

To have a salary from the crown.

To have a negation on all acts of the Grand Council, and carry into execution whatever is agreed on by him and that Council.

GRAND COUNCIL.

One member to be chosen by the Assembly of each of the smaller colonies, and two or more by each of the larger, in proportion to the sums they pay yearly into the general treasury.

MEMBERS' PAY.

shillings sterling per diem, during their sitting, and milage for travelling expenses.

PLACE AND TIME OF MEETING.

To meet times in every year, at the capital of each colony, in course, unless particular circumstances and emergencies require more frequent meetings and alteration in the course of places. The governor-general to judge of those circumstances, &c., and call by his writs.

GENERAL TREASURY.

Its fund, an excise on strong liquors, pretty equally drunk in the colonies, or duty on liquor imported, or shillings

on each license of a public house, or excise on superfluities, &c., &c. All which would pay in some proportion to the present wealth of each colony, and increase as that wealth increases, and prevent disputes about the inequality of quotas. To be collected in each colony and lodged in their treasury, to be ready for the payment of orders issuing from the governor-general and Grand Council jointly.

DUTY AND POWER OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND GRAND COUNCIL.

To order all Indian treaties. Make all Indian purchases not within proprietary grants. Make and support new settlements by building forts, raising and paying soldiers to garrison the forts, defend the frontiers, and annoy the enemy. Equip guard-vessels to scour the coasts from privateers in time of war, and protect the trade, and every thing that shall be found necessary for the defence and support of the colonies in general, and increasing and extending their settlements, &c.

For the expense, they may draw on the fund in the treasury of any colony.

MANNER OF FORMING THIS UNION.

The scheme being first well-considered, corrected and improved by the commissioners at Albany, to be sent home, and an act of Parliament obtained for establishing it.Sparks, Works of Benjamin Franklin, III. 26.