FRENCH OCCUPATION.                          229
and the Protestant Succession in his family, and likewise to the English Governrn1 so far as it is consistent w'" the spirit of riot wch reigns among them, & may be call'd rather the fault of the form of their Colony Goverinn' then of the people; the most considerate of which are said to be much tir'd of it.
5. That the unfitness of these old Charter Governm" for the Colonies when they are grown up and come out of their infancy, was I suppose the reason why in the beginning of King Williani and Queen Mary's reign the Governin' at home ref us'd to the old Massachusett's Colony to renew their Charter wch had been vacated by a judgment in the Court of Chancery in Westminster Hall in a late reign, tho' their principles and loyalty to the crown at that time greatly recommended them to its favour; but instead of that it was thought good policy to put an end likewise to the Charter Colony of New Plymouth, and to erect & incorporate the old Colonies of the Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth, together wlh the Provinces of Main and Nova Scotia into one Province, which is now the present Province of the Massachusetts Bay, saving that the Crown hath disannex'd Nova Scotia from it, and to grant them a new Charter, wherein the Crown hath resum'd its prerogative; and this form of Governm'was as readily accepted by the People of the old Charter Colonies, who were in a great measure surfeited of their governm* and former popular privileges, then became disproportion'd to the state of the inhabitants.
The result of these observations, Sir, wch I would submit to your consideration is, that if the old Charter form of Government, such as that is wch is proposed in the Albany plan of Union, is unfitt for ruling a particular Colony, it seems much more improper for establishing a General Governm' and lm-perium over all the Colonies to be comprized in the Union.
The only material difference between an old Charter Governm' and the Albany Plan appears to be, that the latter it is propos'd that the Governour General shall be appointed and supported by His Majesty and have a negative in every Act of the Grand Council (as it is there called) whereas in the former the Governour is annually elected by the People, dependent upon them for his support and hath no negative in the Acts of Assembly.
This is relied upon as a most favourable circumstance on the part of the Crown in the following remarks, drawn up by a gentleman who had a principle hand in forming the Albany Plan, viz' ''That the Government or Constitution propos'd to be "form'dby the plan consists of two branc[h]es, aPresident Gen-" eral appointed by the Crown and a Council chosen by the " People or by the People's Representative wcb is the same thing