The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-11-02 00:00:00, page 1

B. I took feme pains to inquire into it—and was credibly
informed, by some that were present, that on Monday there
was about fix hundred, some fay about one thousand people
met—and part of them marine officers and feamen—officers
cf the German battalion and soldiers, and that many of the
people, when they heard what was going forward, went home,
and would have nothing to do with it. However they passed
four resolves that afternoon, with a small majority. Next
day, though they sent a bellman round the town, there met
only about three hundred, and not above one hundred Rayed
to do the business.
A. Why, can it be?
B. So I am informed.
A. And do they think they have a right to overturn the
proceedings of the whole Rate in this manner? Why it is in
tolerable! Farewel liberty, if this succeeds.
B. Farewel indeed to liberty, and peace, and order, and
every thing, if a few people in town may throw the Rate
about thus—Another town meeting may overturn them, and
we may be overturned—and overturned, till Howe, or some
body else, may give us a Constitution at the point of the
sword at last.
A. But who did you underßand were at the head of all
this?
jamm, two countrymen.
WELL neighbour, what's the news—l under-
Rand you have been to market?
B. Some good news, they fay.
A. What is it ?
B. Why our people at head quarters have given a party of
the regulars a flogging.
A. It's only a Skirmilh then—did you hear the particulars ?
B. Indeed i could not obtain them so as to be depended on,
and expecting we shall have them in the next papers, I was
the lets inquisitive.
a A. What in the world is all this noise in town about the
Convention and New Conflitution—What do they mean by it
all—they seem to go on with a high hand—l dread the conse
quences cf such movements —and think they ought toe
1 am sure, if they had at heart the peace and good order of the
Rate at this juncture, as they ought to have, they would not
run the risk of throwing all into confufion for the reasons they
mention, even if they were true.
B. Indeed I think it is a mad piece of work—And, how they
abuse and vilify the Convention ! I am sure the men we
chose in our county were honest worthy members of civil society
—had long approved themselves Ranch friends to the liberties
of the people—and, I think, they were as sensible men as
we have amongst us—and I Should think the other counties
have done the fame, in matters of such importance.
A. I think as you do in that—but did you underhand what
fort of a town meeting they had ? The papers fay there was
a refpe&able number of people—but then it lets us know
there was but a part of them agreed to the resolves. Did you
underhand how that was ?
An evening's discourse between Andrew and Ben-
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENfNG POST-
Vol. lI.J
Price Three Coffers. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Evenings.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1776.
549
A. Pray who were they?/
B. A gentleman that married alate Councillors daughter
in New-Jerley—Some lawyers—One a late member of Con
gress, who was against independance, and one of the Dela
ware Rate Convention men, &c.
A. Why, what business had he there? Does he want to
transform our Frame of Government into a four headed mon
fier for us, as he has done for the Delaware Rate?
B. All this confirms my suspicions—persuaded I am our
Convention aimed at the general happiness of all the peo
ple of this Rate, and endeavored to secure the liberties of
the people— And you fee the Delaware Convention adopted it
with some alterations, such as making four legislative bodies
for three counties, &c. And it seems by this that the Dela
ware Convention man would put up with our Constitutions
provided it had some more legislative bodies.
A. Then you have had some suspicions like this?
B. Indeed I have.
A. Well, to tell you my opinion—ever Since I read them
scribbles in the Evening Post, Packet, &c. I expected some
thing would turn up by and by—And then comes Peter and
Puff with their nonsense, and other things very high charged
against the Convention, refpe&ing the creed, &c. ail, you fee,
calculated to work upon the prejudices of some good people,
and the weakness of others, and exasperate their minds against
the Convention and Frame of Government—to carry some
point which they kept concealed from the publics—for
you fee they found fault with generals, but did not enter
much into particulars, and when they expected they had
prepared the way, they called the town meeting. And the
main fault, you observe, is the single legislature.
B. That is the very thing they are at —they want to feather
a nest for themselves—Birds of a feather Rock together, as
the faying is. I'll tell you a circumflance that is to our pur
pose too —Some of those gentlemen heretofore, to my know
ledge, have disavowed the propriety of religious creeds and
tells, in order to qualify men for public offices—And yet you
fee how they can work up this point to serve a turn. Other
things handled with the fame view.
A. It is strange that men will conduct thus. In such cases,
I must cenfefs, a single legislature seemed new to me, when
I saw in the newspapers, not very long after Convention
had been fitting, that they had concluded upon it. But the
more I considered it, the more I liked it—and I think the
more it is reasoned upon, the clearer it will appear to be the
belt for us—for we are not circumstanced as England was
when they male their Form of Government; there was the
House of Commons, to represent the common people, and be
the guardians of their liberties ; the House of Lords to re
present the nobility, and prefeive their privileges; and the
King claiming Sovereignty ; here were three forts of people
of different interests, and it was natural to constitute three
branches of legislature in their circumstances, to guard the
rights and privileges of each. But we have but one people.
B. I heard some gentlemen of higli life were very active in
it.
[Num. 279.