operation in Pennsylvania was probably not this delicate balancing of months, but, as the note in Dallas suggests, because to ma nipulate its various provisions "required greater expertness than the practitioners of those days generally possessed." The chro nology in this same note, by the way, is in correct, or at least inconsistent with the caption of the Duke of York's Laws. Another curious case, decided during Wil liam Allen's time, turns on questions of a similar nature : The Lessee of Albertson v. Robeson, i Dal. 11. The defendant sup ported his title under a decree of the Court of Chancery, established by Act of Assembly. The royal assent was refused to this law in England, and it so happened that the repeal preceded the decree of the court above two months; but the repeal was not known here when the decree was made. The Court deter mined, upon full argument, that the unknown repeal could not affect the right of the de fendant under the decree, and the jury found accordingly. Judge Yeates, who was a young law student at the time, gives the above account of this case, and adds that he re members the decision's giving general satis faction to the profession. To us the case is mainly of interest as evidence of the effects produced by the re peated and invariably baffled attempts of the Colonial Legislature to establish a Court of Equity. Whatever William Allen's occupation may have been in 1720-25 in London, he en gaged in trade upon his return to America, his birthplace. In the language of a con temporary writing of him, he was " a consid erable merchant, and a very worthy honest Gentleman in Philadelphia." The family of Aliens were well-to-do, and the place Allentown, in the anthracite coal region, was named from them. They owned large es tates in that part of Pennsylvania. Before he was Chief-Justice, William Allen had be come very prominent in public life, holding several important public offices. In 1735 he was mayor of Philadelphia. He, too, was
largely mixed in the politics that have been already mentioned in connection with Isaac Norris and James Logan. He opposed the Quakers. He seems to have been a culti vated person; patron of Benjamin West the painter; interested in the search for the Northwest Passage; and being able, also willing, to give the salary of his office to charities. What chief remembrance he de serves is for buying with his own money, on October 15, 1730, the site of Indepen dence Hall " for a State House," where, in 1736, he gave a house-warming in the ban quet-hall, — " the most grand, the most ele gant entertainment that has been made in these parts of America." The Aliens supported the Crown, and thought highly of their social position; and the Justice's son resigned his command in the army, " not because he was totally unfit for it, but because the Continental Congress presumed to declare the American States free and independent without fiist asking the consent and obtaining the approbation of himself and wise family," — which reveals that the Aliens had their enemies. They returned to England, and the Chief-Justice died in London in 1780. Benjamin Chew was commissioned April 9, 1774. He was the last Chief-Justice before the Revolution, and so he ends the history of the Provincial Court, — a body which existed for ninety-two years, as has been said, and over which seventeen ChiefJustices had been commissioned to preside. It has been seen that more than half of these were laymen; and yet that they should, for the most part, have found themselves able to give general satisfaction, — and they un doubtedly did, — is not so surprising as it seems on first sight. For the raw quality of life in a young colony at the edge of a wil derness cannot often start up questions to stagger a man of native firmness and judg ment. . While forests are to be cleared and Indians watched against, the testator will not find time to bedevil his codicils very much; and the " Peacemakers " will be
