In  the  session  of  Parliament  in  1756,  that  body
attempted  to  extend  its  authority  in  a  signal
manner  over  the  colonies.  They  passed  laws
to  regulate  the  internal  policy  of  the  colonies,
as  well  as  their  acts  for  the  common  good.  The
law  in  Pennsylvania,  nnder  which  Franklin's
militia  (which  see)  were  raised,  was  repealed
by  the  king  in  couucil ;  the  commissions  of  all
officers  elected  under  it  were  cancelled^  and  the
companies  were  dispersed.  Volunteers  were  for-
bidden to  organize  for  their  defence ;  and  the  ar-
rangements made  by  the  Quakers  (see  Fiiendly


Aeeociaiion)  with  the  Delawares,  to  secure  peace
and  friendship  with  the  Indians,  were  censured
by  Lord  Halifax  at  the  head  of  the  Board  of
Trade  and  Plantations,  as  "  the  most  daring  vi-
olation of  the  royal  prerogative."  Each  north-
ern province  was  also  forbidden  to  negotiate
with  the  Indians.  But  the  spirit  of  the  colo-
nists could  not  be  brought  into  subjection  to
arbitrary  royal  authority.  A  person  who  had
long  resided  in  America,  and  had  just  returned
to  England,  declared  prophetically,  "In  a  few
years  the  colonies  in  America  will  be  indepen-
dent of  Great  Britain ;"  and  it  was  actually  pro-
posed to  send  over  William,  Duke  of  Cumber-
land, to  be  their  sovereign,  and  to  emancipate
them  at  once.
Arbuthnot,  Marriott,  a  British  admiral,  was
bom  about  1711 ;  died  in  London,  Jan.  31,  1794.
He  became  a  post-captain  in  1747.     From  1775


MAKRIOTT  ABBUTHKOT.
