GALLOWAY, JOSEPH (1731-1803), American lawyer and politician, was born in West River, Md., in He early re moved to Philadelphia, where he acquired a high standing as a law yer. From 1756 until 1774 (except in 1764) he was one of the most influential members of the Pennsylvania assembly, over which he presided in 1766-73. With the approach of the crisis in the relations between Great Britain and the American colonies he adopted a conservative course, and, while recognizing the justice of many of the colonial complaints, discouraged radical action and advocated a compromise. As a member of the first Continental Congress, he introduced (Sept. 28, 1774) a "Plan of a Proposed Union between Great Britain and the Colonies," and it is for this chiefly that he is remembered. The measure was debated at length, was advocated by such influential members as John Jay and James Duane of New York and Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, and was eventually defeated only by the vote of six colonies to five. Galloway declined a second election to Congress in joined the British army at New Brunswick, N.J., in December, 1776, ad vised the British to attack Philadelphia by the Delaware, and dur ing the British occupation of Philadelphia (1777-78) was superin tendent of the port. In Oct. 1778 he went to England, where he remained until his death on Aug. 29, 1803. After he left America his property, valued at £40,000, was confiscated by the Pennsyl vania assembly, a loss for which he received a partial recompense in the form of a small parliamentary pension. He was one of the clearest thinkers and ablest political writers among the American Loyalists.
Among his pamphlets are A Candid Examination of the Mutual Claims of Great Britain and the Colonies (1775) ; Cool Thoughts on the Consequences to Great Britain of American Independence (178o) ; and The Claim of the American Loyalists Reviewed and Maintained upon Incontrovertible Principles of Law and Justice (1788) .