 He was part of the anti-proprietary faction in Philadelphia and supported moves by Franklin to turn Pennsylvania into a crown colony which would have brought it under direct rule of the Crown rather than the Penn family.He held the position of Speaker of the Pennsylvania colonial assembly.In 1765 when the British government brought in a Stamp Act for its North American colonies, Hughes was recommended by Franklin — who was in London — to be appointed as the official stamp distributor for Pennsylvania, a potentially lucrative office.