384
BETTLE'S NOTICES OF
meeting of Philadelphia, and the folloAving minute was
made by that body, viz.: —
*• Our dear friend and governor haA*ing laid before this
meeting a concern that hath lain upon his mind for some
time, concerning the negroes and Indians, that Friends
ought to be A'ery careful in discharging a good conscience
toAvards them in all respects, but more especially for the
good of their souls, and that they might, as frequent as
may be, come to meetings on First Days; upon consider¬
ation whereof, this meeting concludes to appoint a meet¬
ing for the negroes, to be kept once a month, &c, and
that their masters giA7e notice thereof in their oavii families,
and be present Avith them at the said meetings as frequent
as may be."
These resolutions having been adopted without diffi¬
culty by his oavii immediate friends, he proceeded in his
work of beneA'olence, and endeavored to secure a proper
treatment of slaves among all descriptions of persons by
a legislative act. As a preliminary to further measures
he was anxious to improve their moral condition, and by
degrees to fit them for liberty and happiness; and accord¬
ingly introduced into the Assembly a bill " for regulating
negroes in their morals and marriages," and also a bill
'• for the regulation of their trials and punishments." To
the great astonishment and chagrin of the Avorthy governor,
the first of these bills Avas negatived, and his humane
intentions for the present defeated.*
This unexpected result is attributed by Clarkson, in
* "His latest action in the colonial legislature was in behalf of the
poor negroes." — Dixon's Life of Penn, p. 330.—Editor.
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