ployed, to the advantage of his country, the extraordinary powers of elocution, with which he was endowed. The imperfection of the militia laws was compensated by his eloquence. He made a circuit through the lower counties, and, at different places, publicly addressed the militia on the crisis in the affairs of their country, and through his animating exhortations, the state furnished the quota required. He was succeeded in the office of governor by Mr. M'Kean, at the close of the year 1799. He died at Lancaster, January 20, 1800, in the fiftyseventh year of his age. He was an active and zealous patriot, who had devoted much of his life to the public service.

M'KEAN, THOMAS, one of the signers of the declaration of independence, afterwards chief justice and governor of the state of Pennsylvania, was born on the 19th day of March, 1734, in Chester county, in the then province of Pennsylvania. His father, William M'Kean, was a native of Ireland, but married. in this country. The subject of this notice, was at an early age placed under the tuition of the Rev. Francis Allison, D. D. a man of distinguished learning, and who conducted the most celebrated academy in the province. In that institution, Thomas M'Kean acquired a sound knowledge of the languages, and was instructed in the practical branches of the mathematics and moral philosophy. He proceeded to Newcastle, Delaware, and read law in the office of David Kinney, Esq. Having been admitted to the bar, he continued to reside at Newcastle, where he soon acquired a solid reputation, and obtained full business. Extending his practice into Pennsylvania, he was, in the year 1757, admitted to the bar of the supreme court of that province. During the early part of his career, he was particularly remarkable for his attentive habits of business, and for his devotion to the acquisition of knowledge, and thus laid the foundation of his subsequent usefulness and distinction. In the year 1762, he was

elected a member of assembly for Newcastle county, and was annually returned for eleven successive years, until his removal to Philadelphia, as a place of residence; and even after that removal, so great was the confidence reposed in him by the freeholders in Newcastle county, that they elected him annually for six years more, though he frequently communicated to them through the newspapers, his desire to decline the honour. At the end of this period, after he had represented Delaware in congress, and become chief justice of Pennsylvania, an occurrence took place of so interesting a character, that we think it worthy of being related to our readers. On the day of the general election in Delaware, in October, 1779, he waited on his constituents at Newcastle, and after a long address on the situation and prospects of the United States, in which he displayed the wisdom of the statesman, and the energy of the patriot, he desired to be no longer considered one of the candidates for the state legislature, assigning reasons which were received as satisfactory. Soon after he had retired, a committee of the electors present waited on him, informed him that they would excuse him from serving in the assembly, but requested, in the name of the electors, that as the times were critical, and they could fully rely on his judgment, he would recommend seven persons in whom they might confide, as representatives. So singular a method of exhibiting their confidence in him, could not but excite his surprise; however, he instantly acknowledged the compliment, and desired the committee to acquaint his fellow citizens, that he thanked them for the honour intended him, but as he knew not only seven, but seventy of the gentlemen then attending the election, whom he believed to be worthy of their votes, he felt assured, they would not, on further reflection, subject him to the hazard of giving offence, by the preference he must show, if he complied with their request, and hoped to be excused. The committee having left him, soon returned, and stated, that the electors after hearing his reply, had unanimously reiterated their request, and déclared, that a compliance by him would offend no one. He, thereupon, instantly, though reluctantly, wrote down seven names, and handed them to the committee, with the

observation, that his conduct would at least evidence a reciprocity of confidence between them. The election proceeded harmoniously, and resulted in the choice of the seven gentlemen whom he had thus named. He was afterwards accustomed to speak of this transaction as one of the most gratifying circumstances of his life.

Upon the adoption of the first act of the British parliament, imposing "stamp duties" on the colonies, a congress of committees from different legislative assemblies, was, upon the suggestion of the assembly of Massachusetts Bay, convened at New York, in October, 1765. Of this congress, Mr. M'Kean was a representative from Delaware, and was the surviving member. He was one of the committee appointed to draft an address to the house of commons of Great Britain. At this early period, he displayed, in support of the rights of his country, that unbending firmness and energy, which illustrated his subsequent public conduct. On his return to Newcastle, he, with his colleague, Mr. Rodney, received the unanimous thanks of the assembly of Delaware. He continued to be engaged in various public employments, and, in 1765, was appointed a justice of the court of common pleas and quarter sessions, and of the orphans' court, for the county of Newcastle. In November term, 1765, and in February term, 1766, he sat on the bench which ordered all the officers of the court to proceed in their several vocations, as usual, on unstamped paper. This was done accordingly, and it is believed this was the first court that made such an order in any of the colonies.

In relation to all the public events which soon after followed, his opinions were firm and decided. He was uniform and energetic in resisting the usurpations of the British crown. Immediately after the second attempt of the mother country to raise a revenue from the colo nies, without their consent, which was made by an act, imposing a duty on tea, &c., a correspondence took place among leading and influential characters, in most of the colonies, who concerted measures of opposition to this proceeding, and procured a meeting of delegates from their respective houses of assembly, at Philadel phia, in September, 1774. Mr. M'Kean took an active part in this affair, as he had done in 1765, and was

appointed a representative of Delaware, though he had, a short time before, removed his residence to Philadel phia. At the opening of this congress, whose conduct proved it the most glorious assemblage which the world ever knew, Mr. M'Kean appeared as a representative from Delaware. He was annually returned as a member, until the independence of his country was formally acknowledged by the treaty of peace, in 1783.

Two circumstances are peculiar in his history, as connected with this period. He was the only man who was, without intermission of time, a member of the revolutionary congress, from the day of its opening, in 1774, till the preliminaries of the peace of 1783 were signed The various public duties of different members, with other circumstances, concurred to produce this fact. Though he was also engaged in other important public affairs, yet his residence at Philadelphia induced his constituents to continue to return him. The other circumstance to which we refer, is, that while he represented` the state of Delaware in this congress, until 1783, and was in 1781, president of congress, as will be presently stated, yet from July, 1777, he held the appointment and executed the duties of chief justice of Pennsylvania. Each of these states claimed him as her own; and for each were his talents faithfully exerted.

He was particularly active and useful in procuring the declaration of independence, in 1776. Delaware was represented in congress by Cæsar Rodney, George Read, and Thomas M'Kean. Mr. Rodney was absent when the question was discussed in committee of the whole, and Mr. Read in committee had voted against the declaration. Delaware was thus divided. All the other states, except Pennsylvania, had voted in favour of the measure, and it therefore became important to the friends of the declaration, that the votes of these two states should be secured. Mr. M'Kean immediately, at his own expense, sent an express for Mr. Rodney, who, in consequence of it, arrived in Philadelphia just as congress was assembling on the morning of the 4th of July. He was met at the state house door by Mr. M'Kean. After a friendly salutation, and without a word being spoken on the subject, they entered the hall together, and took their seats.