USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 41
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"We hope better things of our People than that they shou'd dis- obey our Proclamation, as they know the Laws, & that the Penal- ties incur'd by breach of them cannot consistently with the Publick Safety be remitted. We shall not find it difficult effectually to re- move all these Intruders, If some of your Indians do not give them Countenance. It is not above four or five Years ago that they were all remov'd from Juniata, nor would any since that have presum'd
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to go there if they had not been favour'd by some of your People. The Interpreter can tell you what happen'd but one Year ago, viz., that some Indians objected to his turning off the white People set- tled on the Path leading to Allegheny, & he was oblig'd to desist. We must, therefore, tell you plainly that such Lycences must not be given, & that if we turn the People off you must not defend them nor invite them there again, this is a breach of your Duty, therefore do so no more; and on our part we assure that as we have required obedience by our Proclamation we will at the time Limitted therein exact it punctually, & make no doubt but when these People see the Government is determin'd to use force they will quietly leave their Settlements, especially as they may be provided with Land on the East side of Sasquehanna within the new Purchase. In confirmation hereof we give you this String.
" Brethren :
"We condole with Canassatego & You on the Murder of his Re- lation, & are sorry that it happen'd within our Doors. As soon as we heard of it (which we did by one of our Messengers who hap- pen'd to be at Mr. George Croghan's on our Business at the very time the Warrior was kill'd, & saw the Dead body) we order'd a full & impartial Enquiry to be made how he came by his Death, and it is return'd unto us by the Coroner's Inquest taken on oath that he was kill'd by the Shotts of a Gun; but who kill'd him they do not expressly say, tho' all believed, by the Evidence given, that he was kill'd by his Comrades, the Body lying in the place where they had prepar'd their Night Quarters, & the Blood lying all on the Ground under the Body, so that he cou'd not have gone a step after he re- ceiv'd the wound, which is further proved by the mark of the Bul- let now to be seen in a tree just by the Place; And some of your own Indians living at Ohio who by accident were present expressly declar'd that he must have been shot at that very place among the Indians themselves, tho' the Companions of this unfortunate War- rior said that some White People had kill'd him, & that he came to them & told them so, which you easily perceive must be false, if the above Account be true. Mr. Croghan, the Magistrate before whom the Matter was Laid, wou'd have examined these In- dians but they would not submit to it, & one of them in particular run away. The white people at whose House the Indians got Liquors are all Bound over to Court, & if it shall turn out that they or any others were concern'd in the Murder of this Warrior, they shall be brought to Publick Tryal in the same manner as if they had kill'd a white Man, & Notice shall be given you that the Friends of the deceas'd may be present at the Tryal if they please. In the mean time take these Handkerchiefs & give some to the relations of the deceas'd, & wipe off all Tears from their Eyes. We shall keep your String in case of any fresh Discovery."
Handkerchiefs.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
" Brethren :
"We return the Belt by which you requested we wou'd become Sollicitors to the Governor of Maryland for the Nantycokes, being perfectly satisfied that these Indians have misrepresented the Gov- ernor of Maryland & their Concerns with him. We shall, however, write to the Governor of Maryland as you desire, but you may de- pend upon it, from what is well known here, that it will turn out quite contrary to what you expect. Tho' we return the Belt we shall do the Service desir'd.
" Brethren :
" The late Governor was induc'd by a Regard for the general In- terest of the Indian Nations to accept the Mediation between the Catawbas & the Six Nations, & we were in hopes it wou'd have had a good Effect; but as we observe a great shyness on both sides, we will say no more than that such a Letter shall be sent to the Gov- ernor of Virginia as is desir'd, & his answer shall be transmitted when it comes to my Hands; for this purpose we keep the String you gave us.
" Brethren :
" Having finish'd our answer, we are under a Necessity to say something that may be disagreable to You; but you must take it in good part, agreable to what I said before.
" An Indian this last Summer came in a rude manner to a sub- stantial Housekeeper of Lancaster County, one Adam Furney, and demanded Rum of him; he gave him some, but because he refus'd to give him more, he withdrew a small space & having his Gun in his Hand ready loaded he shot him in the Breast, & he lay a con- siderable time ill of his Wounds, being expected to dye every Day. On this the Indian was apprehended & committed to Jayl, but the Man recovered, contrary to all expectation, & the Indian was the other Day released.
"Several bad Skirmishes do frequently happen, occasion'd by the rude behaviour of Indians, but none more nor of a worse nature than those which arise from mischiefs done by your People to Farm- ers & their Cattle in their Journeys to & from this City; this is the more provoking as You cannot but be sensible of the kind re- ception You always meet with from us. The Assembly, who are troubled with Petitions from the People injured, & from a Prin- ciple of Justice & Compassion make good the Damages, have recommended it to me to remonstrate against this usage in the warmest manner, & particularly against the behaviour of your young People in their coming here this Summer, & to insist that there be no more such doings. Take this String then & Chastise your unruly Indians, and admonish them to behave better for the future, or they will certainly draw on them the resentment of the
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Country People, who will not be restrain'd from taking vengeance for such unfounded & mischievous treatment."
A String.
Several conferences were held with the Chiefs of the Indians concerning the new Purchase of Lands, & at length the limits were unanimously agreed to & the Consideration Money paid, whereupon the Indians executed a Deed to the Proprietaries, which was order'd to be put upon Record.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 11th September, 1749. PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell, -
William Logan, Richard Peters, Esqrs.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
The Governor having order'd Doctor Græme & Doctor Thomas Bond to visit the Ship Francis & Elizabeth, arriv'd in the Cove below the City with Palatines on board from Rotterdam, & they having reported that she was an unhealthy Vessel, several of the Passengers labouring under an eruptive fever which they were of opinion was infectious, he had order'd the Trustees of the Province Island to attend the Council to be inform'd of the Condition of the Pest House & what conveniences there were or might soon be made for the reception & care of the Sick ; & the Trustees accordingly attending, together with the Doctors, it appear'd on examination that the Place was in great Disorder, & that for want of room, Household Furniture, & suitable Apartments, the Sick cou'd be but indifferently taken care of, yet there being a necessity of im- mediately landing the infected the Trustees promis'd to put the Rooms into the best order they cou'd & to build some slight out Houses that might serve the present Occasion ; whereupon the Captain of the Ship Francis & Elizabeth was serv'd with an order from the Governor to remove his Vessel to the Mouth of Schuyl- kill, as near to the Pest House as he cou'd conveniently lye, to send there all the Sick & to keep the well on board, and not to suffer any Persons to go near them except the Doctors, Necessary Nurses, & Servants.
-
8th October, 1749.
MEMORANDUM.
The Returns of the several Sheriffs & Coroners for the Province & Counties having been deliver'd to the Governor, a Council was
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
call'd to consider to whom Commissions shou'd be granted, but no Members appearing, the Governor Commissionated the following Persons, viz. :
Richard Sewell, Sheriff, - George Heap, Coroner,
Philadª. County.
John Hart, Sheriff, Bucks County.
William Smith, Coroner,
Hance Hamilton, Sheriff,
Nicholas Ryland, Coroner,
York County.
Thomas Parke, Sheriff,
William Blakiston, Coroner, Kent County.
John Owen, Sheriff, Chester County.
Isaac Lee, Coroner,
Andrew Worrick, Sheriff,
Lanc'. County.
Robert Stewart, Coroner,
John Vandyke, Sheriff,
New Castle Co.
Peter Clowes, Sheriff,
Sussex County.
William Shankland, Coro".,
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 16th October, 1749.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Joseph Turner,
Richard Peters,
William Logan,
Esquires.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor informed the Board that he had received a Message from the House by Five Members, that a Quorum of the Represen- tatives was met and had proceeded to chuse their Speaker, and de- sired to know when they might present him, and that he had ap- pointed them to wait on him to-day at eleven o'Clock in the Council Chamber. The Time of appointment being elapsed, his Honour sent a verbal Message by the Secretary to inform the house that he was ready to receive them; whereupon the House came and pre- sented John Kinsey, Esquire, as their Speaker, who was approved, and having prayed the usual Priviliges and received a favourable Answer, the House withdrew.
Then the Governor order'd the following Letter from the Duke of Bedford to be read and enter'd, and having prepared a Message to the Assembly on the Contents thereof, and on the late Indian
Samuel Silsby, Coroner,
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Treaty which was not finish'd during the Sitting of the last As- sembly, the same was read and approv'd.
" To JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Deputy Governor of his Magistie's Province of Pennsylvania in America, and in his Absence to the Commander-in-Chief of the said Province for the time being.
" Sir :
"Upon the thirtieth of May last the House of Commons pre- sented an humble Address to the King, desiring that His Majesty would be graciously pleased to give Directions that there be laid before that House, in the next Session of Parliament, an Account of the Tenor and Amount of all the Bills of Credit which have been created and issued in the several British Colonies and Plan- tations in America, as well those under Proprietors and Charters as under his Majesty's immediate Commission and Government, that shall be then outstanding, distinguishing the Amount of the same in each Colony or Plantations, and the respective Times when such Bills so outstanding were issued, with the Amount of the said Bills in Money of Great Britain, both at the Times when such Bills were issued and at the Time of preparing the said Account, and also the Times fixed for the calling in, sinking, and discharging such Bills, and the Funds appropriated for that Purpose. And I am now in Consequence thereof commanded by his Majesty to signify his Pleasure to you that You should order all such Accounts, so far as they relate to your Government, to be prepared and transmitted forthwith to me, that I may lay the same before his Majesty and receive his farther Pleasure thereupon with Regard to their being laid before the Parliament.
"I am, Sir, your most obedient humble Servant,
Whitehall, July 19th, 1749."
"BEDFORD.
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly, viz. : " Gentlemen :
" By the Letter herewith delivered you, which I have lately had the Honour to receive from His Grace the Duke of Bedford, One of his Majestie's Principal Secretaries of State, you will perceive that the Paper Money of the several Plantations in America is again like to come under the Consideration of the Parliament at their next Sessions, which will probably be in the Month of December or January; And as 1 esteem it a Principal Part of my Duty to have a watchful Cure for the true Interest of the People under my Government, I have made Use of the earliest Opportunity to com- municate to you, their Representatives, His Majesty's Orders to me upon that Head, thereby putting it in your Power to obviate any Prejudice, or mistaken Notions that may have been conceived with
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Regard to the Currency of this Province before they can be carried into Execution.
" I take it for granted we are all sensible of the mischievous Ten- dency of the Bill that was brought into Parliament the last Year to regulate and restrain Paper Bills of Credit in the Plantations; and as it is not, improbable that something of the same Kind may be again offered in the ensuing Session, I perswade myself you will think it convenient to give your Agent full Instructions upon this Subject in case it should become necessary for him to oppose it. The honourable Proprietaries at that time labour'd indefatigably and with Success to avert the Mischiefs that threatened this Pro- vince from the Passing of the said Bill; and I have it in Com- mand from them to assure you of their Assistance upon all future Occasions wherein the Welfare and Happiness of the People of this Province may be concerned.
" Altho' this be not the usual time of your Sitting to do Busi- ness, yet I hope in Consideration of the Importance of this Matter you will, before your Adjournment, furnish me with a clear and exact State of our Paper Currency, to be transmitted forthwith, pursuant to the Directions contained in the Letter before mentioned.
" The last Assembly having adjourned before I finish'd with the Indians, I could only acquaint them with a Part of their Business ; what passed afterwards between me and them you will see in the Minutes of Council, which the Secretary has my Orders to lay be- fore you.
" The Committee of Assembly appointed to take Care of the Indians conceiving that they had no authority to make any further Provision for them than during their stay in the City, the Inter- preter, at my request, defrayed the Expenses in their Return, which you will please to order to be repaid to him.
"JAMES HAMILTON.
"October 16th, 1749."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday the 19th October, 1749.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Thomas Lawrence,
Samuel Hassell,
Robert Strettell,
Joseph Turner, Esquires.
Richard Peters.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Record of the Conviction and Condemnation of James Johnson and Thomas Fielding for a Robbery committed on the
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Highway in the Northern Liberties, on Thomas Green of this City, Carpenter, was read, and in regard that the Judges have said noth- ing in their favour nor any of the Members of Council, and that this is the first Crime of this Nature perpetrated within the Pro- vince, it is unanimously agreed that the Sentence be put in Execu- tion on Saturday at the usual Time; whereupon a Writ was pre- pared and signed by the Governor. 1
The Assembly's Answer to the Governor's Message, together with the State of the Paper Currency were read :
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor :
" We gratefully acknowledge 'the watchful Care the Governor hath been pleased to take for the true Interest of the People under his Government whom we represent, in having made use of this early Opportunity to put it in our Power to obviate any Prejudices or mistaken Notions that may have been conceived with Regard to the Currency of this Province before they are carried into Execu- tion.'
" Sensible of the mischievous Tendency of the Bill that was brought into Parliament the last Year to 'regulate and restrain Pa- per Bills of Credit in the Plantations,' And apprehensive 'that something of the same kind may again be offered in the ensuing Session,' we are fully of opinion with the Governor 'to give our Agent full Instructions on the Subject,' that ' in case it should be- come necessary he may oppose it.'
" We also gratefully acknowledge the Obligations we are under to our Proprietaries both for the Assistance they have already been pleased to afford Us in Relation to our Bills of Credit, as also for such as they promise Us in future.
"Tho' it be not the usual Time of our sitting to do business, yet the Importance of the Matter recommended to Us is such that pursuant to the Governor's Recommendation we have thought it necessary ' to furnish the Governor with a clear and exact State of our Paper Currency, to be transmitted forthwith,' pursuant to the Directions He hath received. To this End a Committee were ap- pointed, whose Report, which hath been approved of by the House, we send herewith, from whence we think it will evidently appear that due Care hath been taken to support its Credit, and that the Sum total in Preportion to our Commerce is very small, And yet small as it is were We depriv'd of it would have a Tendency to disable Us from paying the Ballance of Trade against Us to our Mother Country, and consequently put us under the Necessity of engaging in divers Manufactures here, which at present We are supplied with at cheaper Rates from thence.
" We shall take the necessary Care to discharge the Remainder
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
of the Money due for the Maintenance of the Indians in their re- turn homewards; we observe their frequent Visits put the Province to considerable Charge, whereas Part of their Business often is either for the Sale of Land to the Proprietaries or other Matters relative thereunto. We therefore hope the Governor will take an op- portunity of recommending it to the Proprietaries that they may bear a Share of the Expence, who receive so great a Part of the Benefit by the Coming of the Indians.
"Signed by Order of the House.
" JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. "October 18th, 1749."
The Report of the Committee of Assembly of the Province of the State of the Paper Currency.
" That in the Year 1739 an Account was settled by the Assem- bly of all the Bills of Credit issued by several Acts from their first Emission in the Year 1723 to that time, by which it appears that the Sum of £80,000 and no more was then current in this Province, which being reduced to Sterling Money of Great Britain amounted to £50,196. At which Time, also, the same Assembly upon an exact and careful Enquiry, settled the Rates of Gold and Silver Coin by ascertaining the Prices at which they were received and paid, or bought and sold from the Year 1700 to that Year, Since which our Bills of Credit have continued nearly the same both in the Total Sum and the Value when reduced to Gold and Silver or Sterling Money; But such Alterations and Addition as have been since made we have comprized in the following Account :
" In the Year 1745, an Act of Assembly was past for continuing the Currency of the aforesaid £80,000 for sixteen Years; during the first ten years whereof the whole sum is to be kept up by lend- ing out or Re-emitting the yearly Quotas or payments as they become due upon the same real Securities, and under the same Pen- alties and Restrictions as directed by former Acts ; In which, besides obliging the Borrowers to give Land, Plate, or Houses in Security of double the value of the sum borrowed; it is further provided that no one Person shall borrow more than £100. And after the expiration of ten years as aforesaid, the Act provides, That one- sixth Part of all the Bills of Credit shall be paid in yearly in order to be sunk and destroyed, by which means the whole £80,000 is to be paid in and destroyed in sixteen years from the time of issuing those .Bills, which was the 15th of October, 1746.
" In the Year 1746, an Act was past giving £5,000 to the King's use, to be sunk in ten yearly Payments of £500 each by the Trea- surer, out of Money arising from the Excise, yearly payable into his Hands, Which Bills of Credit were accordingly made and issued in Pursuance of the said Act, and applied by Colonel Thomas, then
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Lieutenant Governor, to an Expedition at that Time on Foot against Canada, So that the whole amount of Bills of Credit current in the Province at this Time is £85,000 and no more, which reduced to Sterling money of Great Britain is ££53,333 6 8.
" Permit us to add, that our Paper Bills being found by Experi- ence much below the Sum necessary to carry on our Trade, which of late Years has been very much increased, especially to Great Britain, and yet should we be deprived of those Paper Bills, small as the sum is it would in a great Measure disable Us from paying the yearly Balance of Trade against Us to our Mother Country, and consequently oblige Us to engage in sundry manufactures here, which we have from thence. Tho' our Payments at this Time are chiefly in Gold and Silver, which for several Years have passed cur- rent among Us at Eight Shillings and Six Pence per Ounce for Sil- ver and Six Pounds Five Shillings per Ounce for Gold, and at those Rates are continually remitted home but must be detained here if we are deprived of our other Currency. .
" Submitted to the Correction of the House by
1
" ISRAEL PEMBERTON, "THOMAS LEECH, " EDWARD WARNER, " JAMES MORRIS.
"18th October 1749." 1
The Governor was acquainted by the Members who delivered the Assembly's Answer that the House inclin'd to adjourn to the 20th of November next, to which he agreed.
MEMORANDUM.
The Secretary, by the Governor's Order, made a State of the Paper Currency agreeable to the above Report; and the Governor wrote the following Letter to His Grace the Duke of Bedford : " May it Please Your Grace :
" In obedience to His Majestie's Commands, signified to me by your Grace's Letter of the 19th of July last, I have caused to be prepared by the Secretary of His Majestie's Province of Pennsyl- vania, and Government of the Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, Accounts of the Tenor and Amount of all the Bills of Credit which have been emitted and are at this Time outstanding within the aforesaid Government; and as upon Exami- nation I believe them to be exact and true, I do myself the Hon- our to transmit them as such to your Grace; being with all possi- ble Regard,
" Your Grace's most obedient and most humble Servant,
JAMES HAMILTON.
" Pennsylvania, 26th October, 1749."
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
MEMORANDUM.
The Governor sent the like Message to the Assembly at New Castle, and received from them the following Report, which was alter'd by the Secretary in the Form tho' not in the Substance ; and the Governor transmitted the Secretarie's State of the Paper Cur- rency of the Lower Counties at the same time to his Grace the Duke of Bedford.
Report of the Committee of Assembly of the Lower Counties of the State of the Paper Currency.
" Pursuant to the Order of the House we have consider'd the present State of the Bills of Credit now circulating in this Govern- ment, as also the State of a Paper Currency in general from the time of its first Emission among us. We have likewise inspected the several Laws by which the said Bills of Credit have been issued; and we do report :
"That in the Year of our Lord 1723 there was £5,000 struck to pass current, according to the Statute made in the Sixth Year of the late Queen Ann for ascertaining the Rates of Foreign Coins in the American Plantations, And in 1726 a further Sum was struck of £6,000, both which Sums have been duly paid in to the Publick Loan Offices and sunk according to the Directions of the Acts where- by they were emitted. In the Year 1729 there was an Emission of £12,000, and in 1734 a farther Emission of £12,000, equal in Value to the Rates of Foreign Coins as ascertained in the afore- mentioned Act. And in the Year 1740 One Thousand Pounds more was emitted and appropriated to His Majestie's Use for victu- alling and transporting of the Troops raised in this Government to the West Indies. And in the Year 1746, upon stating the Accounts of the General Loan Offices, it appeared that &5,000 had been paid in and sunk according to the Directions of the said Acts ; and that but £20,000 then remained circulating among Us, which Sum and no more is made current by an Act for Re-Emitting the same and exchanging such Bills of the former Emissions as are directed to be sunk and destroyed.
" And the said Act doth farther direct and ordain that from and after the 28th Day of May, 1747, the said £20,000 shall be the only Sum in Bills of Credit current in this Government; and that all Bills of Credit made and emitted by Virtue of any former Act or Acts of Assembly of this Government from the said 28th Day of May, shall cease to be current, and from thenceforth become null and void. And we do farther report :
"That the said £20,000 is but an Equivalent to £12,549 Sterling, and barely sufficient to carry on our Trade and Commerce.
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