IV
THE EXAMINATION OF DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
IN THE BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS
RELATIVE TO THE
REPEAL OF THE AMERICAN STAMP ACT, IN I766%
From the journal of the House of Commons, as given by
Mr. Vaughan.
““ February 3, 1766. Benjamin Franklin and a number of
other persons ordered to attend the committee of the whole
House, to whom it was referred to consider farther the several
papers, which were presented to the House by Mr. Secretary
Conway.
“ February 13th. Benjamin Franklin, having passed through
his examination, was excepted from farther attendance.
I As soon as the Stamp Act was promulgated in the colonies, a
cloud of petitions from their various assemblies was showered upon
the Parliament for its repeal. The stamped paper was rejected as if
it were poisoned; vessels were forbidden to land it; the distributors
were compelled to resign their commissions; Hughes dared not show
himself on the streets, nor did Franklin entirely escape. A caricature
of the period represents the Devil whispering in his ear: “Ben, you
shall be my agent throughout my dominions.” His house and family
even were supposed at one time to be in peril from the mob, as appears
 by the following extract from a letter written him by his wife
on the 22d September:
“You will see by the papers what work has happened in other
places, and something has been said relative to raising a mob in this
place. I was for nine days kept in a continual hurry by people to
remove; and Sally was persuaded to go to Burlington [the residence
of her brother, the governor] for safety; but, on Monday last, we had
very great rejoicing on account of the change in the ministry, and a

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