Excerpt from Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1836, Vol. 5

But whatever unanimity there was in the convention, the Plan of Un ion met with very little favor abroad. It was rejected by all the Colonial. Assemblies before which it was brought. In England it was so unac ceptable to the Board of Trade, that they did not even recommend it to the notice of the King. Franklin says, The Assemblies all thought there was too much prerogative in it, _and in England it was thought to have too much of the democratic. Considering this rejection by the two parties for Opposite reasons, 'it was his opinion thirty years afterwards, that his plan was near the true medium. The British Government had another scheme, by which the governors of the Provinces, and certain members of the councils, were to assemble at stated times and transact affairs relating to war and to general defence. This was carried into partial effect in the case of General Braddock, and on one or two other occasions.

The governor of Virginia did not send delegates to the Albany Con vention. He was so much occupied with the French on the frontiers of that Province, and with projects for Indian alliances, that he had no leis me for other undertakings In a letter to lieutenant-governor Delan cey, dated March lt, he says As to the concerting of measures with the other governments, the time will not admit of it, as what is to be done must be done immediately. I hepe to see at least two of the Ch1efs of the Six Nations at Winchester in May, as the design of that meeting is to make a peace between the Northern and Southern Indians; after which to make a strict alliance between them and all the British sub jects on this continent. Dinwiddie's ms. Letter-books. The governor failed, however, in this vast project. The meeting at Winchester was attended by a few Indians only, of subordinate rank, who came chiefly to receive his presents, and nothing was done. In truth he had a scheme of his own, which stood in the Way of his joining in a general union. The year before he had recommended to the Board of Trade, that the colonies should be divided into two parts, constituting a northern and southern district, in each of which some kind of supervising power was to be established. Similar views were entertained by other persons, and were discussed in the Albany Convention.

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