USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 14
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The Board having had under Consideration what matters might be proper to be communicated to the Assembly before the House came, resum'd their consultations, & appointed Mr. Taylor & Mr. Hopkinson a Committee to prepare a Message to the Assembly against 4 o'Clock in the Afternoon, to which time the Council ad- journ'd.
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P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President, & the same Members as in the forenoon, with Mr. Hasell & Mr. Logan.
The Committee having prepar'd a Message to the Assembly, it was read & approv'd; Order'd, That it be transcrib'd fair to be sign'd to Morrow morning in Council, & it be then sent to the House.
At a Council held at Philada., 16th Oct"., 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., Presid'. Samuel Hasell, William Till,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Esqrs. Joseph Turner, William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
The Message to the Assembly being transcrib'd fair was again read & approv'd, and the President having sign'd it, the Secretary deliver'd
A Message from the President & Council to the Assembly. "Gentlemen :
" We shall ever think it a Duty incumbent on Us to lay before You such Matters wherein your Concurrence is necessary as may affect or promote the Peace or Prosperity of the People of this Pro- vince, and as when you attended on Us with Your Speaker you ex- press'd your readiness to receive anything of that kind, we have thought proper to inform You of the following Transactions :
" About the 14th July last a Party of French & Spaniards, in conjunction with some English Men, some of whom we are inform'd have formerly dwelt in this City, came up in a Pilot Boat within about eighteen Miles of the Town of Newcastle, plunder'd two Plantations. bound & abused the Owner of one of them & wounded his Wife with a Muskett Ball, carrying off Negroes & Effects to a considerable Value. On their return they met with a valuable Ship in the Bay bound to this Port from Antigua, which they likewise took & carried off. Since that, on the fourteenth of September last, we received Information by Express from Lewes that on Tuesday, the 8th of September, two Sloops went up the Bay with a Pilot Boat tending on each ; on Wednesday Evening they return'd and Anchor'd in Lewes Road, which kept the Watch at Lewes upon Duty Day and Night, and that one of the said Vessels in sight of
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the People at Lewes took a Ship outward bound with her Pilot Boat & another Ship next Morning coming in, and was at the time of sending away that Express in chase of a Third, which it was fear'd wou'd fall into the Enemy's Hands in an hour or two. It appeared afterwards that the Privateer mention'd in the said Express be- longed to Cape Francois, that she carried fourteen Carriage Guns, sixteen Swivels, & came out with about one hundred & seventy Men, that she had taken in that Cruize no less than ten Prizes. These facts, with the Circumstances attending them, will appear more particularly in the Depositions & Papers we have ordered to be laid before You.
"From the Success which attends our Enemies by Cruizing in our Bay without risque or opposition, it may reasonably be expected that they will continue their Depredations in the Spring, and in all likelyhood block up the Trade of this flourishing Colony-a Loss which we apprehend will be sensibly felt by all sorts of People. Trade supports the Merchant, the Planter, the Artificer ; every one in the Country as well as in the Town will be alike involv'd in the loss of Commerce, as they derive from thence many of the necessa- ries & conveniences of Life. A Concern then so Interesting to Men of all Degrees amongst Us well deserves your most serious Consid- eration.
" The Boldness of our Enemies and the Knowledge they have gain'd of our Bay and River, gives us great Reason to apprehend an Attack on this City unless some Provision be speedily made to dis- courage them from the Attempt or to disappoint them in it.
" As we can't doubt but you will think the Protection of this City & the Trade of it highly worth your Care, you will wisely provide for both. If a Law was wanting for these purposes, the People of Pennsylvania would be unhappy indeed, since there is no Legislative Power at present in the Government; but we appre- hend that as the Publick Money is in your disposal, no further Law is necessary.
" Some Spanish Prisoners now in the Work House, waiting for an opportunity to be Shipp'd Off, are in want of Cloaths & other Necessaries. As this Government hath always behaved with Hu- manity & Kindness to Prisoners, you will no doubt provide for the Expences necessary on this Occasion.
" ANTHONY PALMER, President. "16th Oct"., 1747."
The President having received the Examinations of John Thomas Jones & Stephen Barnes, taken before the Chief Justice on the 7th Day of October & sign' by the said Prisoners, the same was read; & as there are no Discoverys of Consequence made by the said Prisoners, the Board are unanimously of opinion that the Sentence against them shou'd be no longer respited.
Order'd, That ye Sheriff be told this that he may do his Duty.
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The 17th Oct",, 1747.
MEMORANDUM.
Two Members of Assembly deliver'd the following Message :
A Message to the President & Council from the Assembly.
" May it please the President & Council :
" Whatever Matters you shall be pleased at any time to lay be- fore Us wherein our Concurrence is necessary, and which we shall conceive to have a tendency to promote the Peace & Prosperity of the , Province, will ever be chearfully received & deliberated on by us.
"The Transactions you are pleased to mention in the former Part of your Message we observe is only an abridged Account of what was laid before the last Assembly. These Accidents and those which after happened appear to us to be chiefly owing to like Causes, viz., the Misconduct of the Pilots residing thereaway, without whose Assistance it is not probable these Attempts would have been made; and sure it can be no great difficulty for the Gov- ernments adjoining to the Bay to oblige these Pilots to such Regu- lations as may prevent like Accidents for the future.
" As to any Enterprize intended against the City, we hope there is no Danger, and if there be, one of the best Expedients to pre- vent it will, we think, be to check every appearance of illicit Trade which, under Colour of Flags of Truce or otherwise, may be at- tempted to be carried on ; for if any Acquaintance be gained of our Bay & River it is most likely to happen by this means.
" As the Members of the present Assembly are mostly the same with the last, & their Sentiments the same as at that time, it will be unnecessary, we think, to add to what is before contained in an- swer to your present Message further than to refer to their last Address in answer to the Speech deliver'd to them by the Presid" in Council.
" The Circumstances of the Spanish Prisoners in this City, which you are pleased to recommend to Us, have been under our Consideration. We hope Care will be taken to Ship them off with as much speed as can be; & in the mean Time we concurr in opinion with the President & Council that they ought to be treated with Humanity & Kindness, & we shall make the Provision neces- sary to that End.
"Signed by Order of the House.
" JOHN KINSEY, Speaker,
" October 17th, 1747."
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Philadelphia the 19th Oct., 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Samuel Hasell,
William Till,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Joseph Turner,
Esqrs.
Thomas Hopkinson,
William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
The President having received a Letter by Express from Gover- nor Shirley & Governor Knowles, it was read & order'd to be en- ter'd, together with the Extract inclos'd in it.
BOSTON, October, 1747.
" Sir :
" The Inclos'd is an Extract from a Letter of the Duke of New- castle's to Governor Shirley, signifying His Majesty's Commands to us upon the several matters contain'd in it. In obedience to which We must desire you will be pleased to transmit to us by return of this Express, or as soon after as you can, Muster Rolls or Lists of the several Officers & Soldiers raised within your Government for His Majestie's Service in the late intended Expedition against Can- ada (which His Majesty has laid aside for the present), distinguish- ing the Companys in which they were form'd, with the respective Times of every Officer engaging in His Majestie's Service, & Days on which the Soldiers were inlisted into it (which last may be best done by attested Copys of the Inlistments themselves), also an Ac- count of the Deaths of such of Officers & Men which have happen'd since they enter'd into the Service, with the respective Times when they happen'd, as also of the dissmissions and desertions of any of the Soldiers & Times of their being discharged or deserting, together with an account of the furloughs which have been granted from time to time to the Soldiers, or any of them, & for what time, as also upon what Command or Duty the Officers & Men have been respectively employ'd since the time of their entering into the Ser- vice, together with a Muster Roll or List of the Offisers and effect- ive private Soldiers now remaining in the Service, all which Rolls, Lists, & Accounts, we desire may be duly certified by the proper Officers, under their Hands, upon Oath taken before yourself and attested by You; also, that you wou'd transmit to us an account of the Charges of the Cloathing, Arms, & Accoutrements of the Sol- diers, & of all other Expences which have been incurred on account of the Expedition and are not to be defray'd by the Colony under your Government, from the time of their being Levied to the time of your attesting the said Accounts, together with the Vouchers thereof, all duly Certified upon Oath by the proper Partys before You, and a Copy of the Proclamation issued by You for the En-
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couragement of Troops to inlist into the said Service, with Copies of the Votes for your Assembly touching the Bounty & Subsistance or Allowance of Provisions granted by them for the Troops; and We must further desire that You wou'd, in pursuance of His Ma- jesty's Orders, Communicate to Us your Sentiments & Opinion as to the manner of discharging these Officers & Soldiers, & upon what foot it may be best done, having due Regard to His Majesty's Com- mands to us for doing it in the most frugal manner & His Expecta- tions in this Affair ; and this we desire you will forthwith do, as a great Charge is running on till the Soldiers shall be dismiss'd by Us from this Service.
"We must also desire You, in obedience to His Majesty's Com- mands, to recommend it to your Assembly to furnish such sums of Money or Credit as may be wanted to pay off the Soldiers, which You will perceive by the Extract of the Duke of Newcastle's Letter is to be provided for by Parliament as soon as the Accounts of the whole Charge incurred by raising the Levies shall be transmitted to His Grace by Us, and forthwith to let us know your opinion of the Success of such an Application, as also to let Us know whether You have advanced any & what Sums of Money to the Officers and Sol- diers, or any of them, on account of their Pay, & after what Rate and to what time they are paid in full.
" And as You perceive, We are Commanded by His Majesty to retain such a number of the American Levies in His Pay as we shall judge sufficient for the securing of Nova Scotia against the Enemy's Attempts until a reinforcement can be sent thither from Great Britain, the Preservation of which Colony is of the greatest Importance to the Safety & Welfare of all His Majestie's Northern Colonies ; and also that Mr. Shirley is order'd by His Majesty to compleat his own as well as Sir William Pepperell's, as likewise Lieutenant General's Phillips' Regiment, out of those. We hope You will assist the Officers who shall be sent to raise Recruits for those purposes in Your Government with your influence and Au- thority, & contribute every thing in your Power to their Success & the promoting of His Majesty's Service.
" We think it clear that the Arms & Accoutrements of the Sol- diers are to be return'd, and where the Men have lost them their value must be stopt out of their Pay ; or rather, the several Cap- tains are to be called upon for the Arms of their respective Com- pany's and are chargeable therewith, which you will be pleased to consider; and we must desire you will forthwith let Us know your opinion of what Pay it will be reasonable to allow the Officers as , well as Men for their Service.
" We are Your Honour's most obed" hum. Servants, " WILLIAM SHIRLEY,
" CHAS. KNOWLES.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Extracts of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of New Castle to Governor Shirley, dated White Hall, May 30th, 1747.
" His Majesty has been pleased to direct me to Signify to You His Pleasure that You shou'd immediately appoint a Meeting with Commodore Knowles at such place as shall be agreed upon, and con- sider with him the present State of Nova Scotia & Louisbourg, & take the proper measures for the defence of those Places.
" It is His Majesty's pleasure You shou'd endeavor to compleat from out of the Americans which are now raised for his Majesty's Service, Sir William Pepperell's Regiment and Your own.
"Lieutenant General Phillip's Regiment is, I am afraid, very weak. I will, however, send him his Majesty's Orders to send what Recruits can be got from hence, and you will also endeaver to have his Regiment compleated out of the Americans.
" As it is His Majesty's Intention that the Americans shou'd be immediately discharged, except only such few as are mention'd above, the manner of discharging them, the satisfaction for their time, &ca., must be left to Commodore Knowles and Yourself; the King, however, is persuaded You will do it as Cheap as possible.
" And as these American Troops have done little or no Service hitherto, It is to be hoped they will not expect to be paid in the manner they wou'd have been had they actually been employ'd on Service ; and as it seems highly reasonable that such of these Troops as have remain'd in the Provinces where they were inlisted shou'd be contented with less Pay than such of them as may have Marched into other Provinces. When You and Mr. Knowles shall have met and fully consider'd the Service to be undertaken in the manner above directed, and shall have agreed what number of Americans it will be necessary to keep in Pay for that purpose, it is His Majes- ty's Pleasure that you shou'd procure an Account of the whole Ex- pence incurred on account of the American Troops from the time of their being Levied to the time of their Discharge; & when the same shall be fully adjusted & Liquidated, you will transmit it to me with the proper Vouchers from the several Governors, that it may be laid before Parliament, to the End that Provision may be made for the Payment; and in the mean time, in order to prevent any Complaint amongst the Men that have been inlisted (as well those that shall be discharged as those that shall continue in Ser- vice) for want of immediate Pay, You will recommend it to the Governors of the Provinces when these Levies have been made to procure Credit from the respective Assemblies for that purpose, which His Majesty hopes may be done without Difficulty.
" It is also His Majesty's Pleasure that Mr. Knowles and You shou'd consider what number of Americans will be really wanted for the Service above mention'd, and the King wou'd have you re- VOL. V .- 9.
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tain as many as may be absolutely necessary for that Service & no more ; and the King hopes that a small Number of the Ameri- cans with His Majestie's Forces which you have may be sufficient for that purpose, as the Expence is very great. And as to the Americans in general, except only such as may be wanted for the Service above mentioned, it is His Majesty's Pleasure that You in conjunction with Commodore Knowles shou'd thank them in such manner as You think proper, and immediately discharge them upon the best & cheapest foot You can, and in order thereto You will con- sult with the respective Governors upon the manner of doing it, and you will transmit to His Majesty an immediate account of what You shall do therein.
"N. B .- This Paragraph shou'd have been inserted between the fourth & fifth Paragraphs.
"W. SHIRLEY, " CHARLES KNOWLES."
The forces rais'd in this Province having been under the Com- mand of Governor Clinton, the Board judg'd it necessary to receive from him an Account of what he had paid to those Forces, & what there remains due to them, before they can call the Assembly ; and as the President is oblig'd to go to-morrow to Newcastle to meet the Council & Assembly there, Mr. Taylor & Mr. Hopkinson are appointed a Committee to write an Answer to the above Letter, & likewise to write a proper Letter to Governor Clinton.
The Return of that part of the Road from Philadelphia to New Castle which runs thro' the County of Philadelphia, was read and confirmed, and ordered to be opened 60 foot wide.
"Pursuant to the Order of the Honourable the President and Coun- cil of the 8th of Septr., 1747, referring it to us the Subscribers to view and lay out by Course & Distance that part of the King's High Road leading from the City of Philadelphia to the Town of New Castle, which runs thro' the County of Philadelphia, We do humbly Certify & Report to the Honourable the President & Council, that we have viewed, and with the Assistance of William Parsons, the Surveyor General, Resurveyed that part of the King's High Road aforesaid which runs thro' the County of Philadelphia; Beginning at a Corner of the Lands of John Kinsey, Esqr., & Abraham Clay- pole, at the South Boundary of the City of Philadelphia, where the Road now runs, and from thence extending betw'n the Lands of sd. John Kinsey & Abraham Claypole South fifty-six Degrees and an half, West about one hundred and eleven perches, and continuing the same Course one hundred and four perches more to a Gum Tree marked, thence North eighty-five degrees and an half West one hundred and thirty-seven perches to a marked black oak in the Line dividing the Lands of George Gray and Peter Cox, thence sixty-nine Degrees & an half West one hundred and fifty-three perches to the low Water Mark at the end of the Causway of the Lower Ferry on
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. 1
the East side of the River Schuylkill, then beginning at the Land- ing Place of the said Ferry on the West side of the said River, and from thence extending North eighty-six Degrees West eighty-six perches to the Mill Road, thence South fifty-two Degrees & an half West seven hundred and eighty-eight perches to a corner opposite to the Sign of the Bell, and from thence South sixty-three Degrees West fifteen perches to the middle of a Bridge over Cobb's Creek, being the Boundary between Philadelphia & Chester Countys; And We do humbly recommend to the Honourable Board that they will please to order the said Road to be open'd not less than sixty foot wide.
" SEPT. ROBINSON, "HUGH ROBERTS, "JAMES COULTAS, "JOHN BARTRAM, "NATHAN GIBSON, his "CHARLES C JUSTICE."
mark.
The Spanish Prisoners having consented to go to Leogane in the French Flag of Truce, Captain Cosnay & the Secretary having put their Names in a List, the same was sign'd by the President, to- gether with a Let Pass & likewise a Letter to Monsieur Chastonoye, which was ordered to be enter'd :
"Sir-
" I have the Honour of your Excellency's, dated at Petit Goave the 17th September last, by Capt" Cosnay, who delivered me your Dispatches & a List of 15 Prisoners, two of which he said Dyed at Sea.
"Had it been in my power to return you man for man I wou'd have done it, but there are very few French Prisoners brought here, and in defect of these Captain Cosnay has consented to take 12 Spanish Prisoners, whose Names are in a List sign'd by myself and countersign'd by the Secretary, and are to be deliver'd to You or your Order, and you are desir'd to extend your Compassion so far to these miserable People as to assist them to get to the Havannah or any other Spanish Port they desire to go to with all possible Dis- patch, they having continued here a long while for want of a con- venient opportunity of sending them away.
" I am, with perfect Esteem, "Your Excellency's most Obedient Servant, "ANTHONY PALMER. " Philadelphia, 19th Octr., 1747.
"To His Excellency MONST. CHASTENOY, Governor of the French Leeward Islands, at Petit Goave."
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The Secretary having received a Letter from Mr. Weiser, Dated the 19th Instant, wherein he relates his Intelligence received at Shamokin, the same was read & the Consideration thereof postpon'd to another time.
In the Council Chamber 22d October, 1747.
PRESENT :
William Till, Abraham Taylor,
Joseph Turner, Esqrs.
Thomas Hopkinson, William Logan,
Mr. Hopkinson produced a rough Draught of a Letter to Gover- nor Clinton, and another to Governor Shirley & Admiral Knowles, which were read in these words, Viz":
" PHILADA., 20th October, 1747. " Gentlemen :
" Your Excellency's joint Letter arriving when our President was oblig'd to go to Newcastle to meet the Assembly on some ne- cessary Affairs of Government there, it falls on me as the next Eldest Counsellor to acknowledge the Receipt of your Excellency's Letter, & to assure You that the Council will use the utmost Expe- dition possible to collect the materials necessary for answering the several Things expected from them. Governor Thomas being in England, and Mr. Andrew Hamilton, the Agent employ'd for His Majesty, being dead, they are in a manner Strangers to the Trans- actions ; but this is known, that four Companies were raised in this Province in obedience to His Majestie's Commands, signified to the late Governor by the Duke of New Castle, for an Expedition against Canada, consisting of one hundred Men each, including four Ser- geants, four Corporals, & two Drummers ; that the late Governor supply'd them out of his own Pocket with Clothing, Arms, & Amu- nition, and his Secretary says that by his Letter Book it appears that the Expence amounted to £3,821 16 11, Pennsylvania Cur- rency, which at 70 $ Cent. Exchange is £2,248 2 11 Sterling. That Collo. Thomas drew Bills for the said Sum on the Pay Master General of His Majestie's Forces, Dated 16th Septr., 1746, & these Bills are paid.
" Mr. Thomas having received Directions from General Gooch , to March the Troops raised in this Government to Albany, the Place of general rendezvous, the four Companys accordingly Marched from hence on Thursday the 4th Day of September, 1746, & as they have since that time been under the Command of Gover- nor Clinton, & an action at or near Albany, I have wrote to Mr.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Clinton fully on the Subject, for I consider it as impossible for the Council to give any Account of Expences, or answer any of the Things requested in your Letter, after the Departure of the said Forces from this Government. I have been informed that the Companies are paid off to May last, but however this is, on receiv- ing an Answer from Mr. Clinton what Sum may be necessary to be paid them on their discharge, the Council will Summon the Assem- bly to make the Provision for that purpose.
" The other parts of your Letter requiring more deliberation and an application to sundry Offices, tho' the Council will make no de- lay, yet it will necessarily take up.a good deal of time. Their Zeal for His Majestie's Service will lead them to use their utmost en- deavours to give you all imaginable Satisfaction in what You ask, but I cannot help saying that such of them as were posted at Al- bany during the Winter, have, in the opinion of the Council, contributed to the Preservation of Albany & the parts adjacent, & that from all Accounts the forces there have done very severe Duty.
"I am, with the greatest Esteem,
"Your Excellency's most obed. Servt. "THOMAS LAWRENCE.
" Their Excellency's Gov". SHIRLEY & ADMIRAL KNOWLES."
" PHILADELPHIA, October 20th, 1747. " Sir :
" Our President being obliged to meet the Assembly at New- castle on some Affairs of Government there, it falls on me as the next Eldest Counsellor to acquaint Your Excellency with the re- ceipt of the Dispatches from Governor Shirley and Admiral Knowles, of which Copies are inclosed.
" As it is not possible to give the answers desir'd without your Excellencie's Assistance, I beg your Excellency would be pleased to inform this Government of the several particulars there mentioned so far as relates to the Troops raised in this Colony for the Expedi- tion against Canada from the time they came under your Command, with proper and authentic Certificates of each particular, and in this we doubt not but Your Excellency will use all possible Dis- patch, since the service of His Majesty so much requires it.
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