USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 55
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" JAMES HAMILTON.
" August 16, 1751."
And on the Day after a Bill was delivered to the Governor by two Members, Entituled " A Supplement to the Act entituled . An Act for imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of heinous Crimes, and to prevent poor and impotent Persons being imported into this Province,'" which was taken into Consideration and an Amend- ment proposed and returned to the House.
And this Morning the Governor received the following Message :
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor :
" We have a grateful Sense of the Governor's Care and concern
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in Indian Affairs, the prudent Management of which is of great Importance to the Peace and Safety of these Colonies; but if it should be agreeable with the Governor's Sentiments we would wish that such as may hereafter be employed on Business with the Indians might be cautioned against charging themselves with Let- ters from every inferior French Officer who shall presume to send down his Threats or pretended Claims to our Governor, in order to give himself an Air of Authority among our Indian Allies.
" The Informations of Conrad Weiser and Andrew Montour on their Arrival in Town, since the Governor's Message of the thir- teenth Instant, we suppose have given the Governor as well as the House Reason to believe that the Request inserted in George Crog- han's Journal, which the Governor was pleased to lay before the House, as made by the Indians at Ohio to this Government, to erect a strong Trading House in their Country, as well as the Dan- ger 'tis there said they apprehended from the Attempts of the French, have been misunderstood or misrepresented by the Person in whom the Governor confided for the Management of that Treaty.
" We have seriously considered the offer made by our Proprie- taries of contributing toward building such a House ; but as we have always found that sincere, upright Dealing with the Indians, a friendly Treatment of them on all occasions, and particularly in relieving their Necessities at proper Times by suitable Presents, have been the best means of securing their Friendship, we could wish our Proprietaries had rather thought fit to join with us in the Expence of those Presents, the Effects of which have at all Times so manifestly advanced their Interest with the Security of our Frontier Settlements.
" As it appears from the late notorious Disorders among the Indian Traders, as well as from the Representation of the Magis- trates of Cumberland, that some very unfit Persons are at present employed in that Business, we hope the Governor will enjoin the Justices of the County Courts to be more careful for the future when they recommend for Licences; and whatever is thought fur- ther necessary to enforce or amend the Laws now in being for regu- lating the Indian Trade and Traders, may be considered by the ensuing Assembly in the Winter Sitting, when the Members are generally most at leisure to attend closely to publick Business.
" We have paid the Accounts of our Interpreters as we hope to their full Satisfaction, and have the other Accounts mentioned by the Governor under our Consideration.
"Sign'd by Order of the House,
" ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. " August 21, 1751."
Some more Justices being wanted for the County of Chester, Joshua Pusey and Samuel Lightfoot were recommended to the Gov-
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ernor as Persons well qualified for that Office; and two Separate Commissions of the Peace were ordered to be made for them accord- ingly.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday the 24th of August, 1751.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Thomas Lawrence,
Joseph Turner,
Robert Strettell,
Richard Peters, Esquires. William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The following Letter from Governor Clinton, with Coll. Johnson's Letter to him enclosed, were laid before the Assembly, read in Council, and order'd to be enter'd :
A Letter from Governor Clinton to Governer Hamilton.
" FLAT BUSH, on Long Island, 13th August, 1751. " Sr. :
" Being at present with my Family out in the Country for the Benefit of the Air, After a very severe Fit of the Gout, and receiv- ing the enclosed Account yesterday evening, I sent this to Town to be forwarded by the very first opportunity, thinking it a Matter of Importance to your Province, which I hope will come time enough for your Honour to make use of proper Precautions.
" You may depend on the earliest Communication of what further News I may receive relating to the Schemes of the French. I am with the greatest Truth,
" Your Honour's most obedient and very humble Servant,
" G. CLINTON.
A Letter to Governor Clinton from Coll. Johnson. " MOUNT JOHNSON, July 27th, 1751. " May it please your Excellency :
" I enclose an account of what the French are about now at Cadaraghgin, given to Capt. Lindesay by Attrawaney, Cajuga Sa- chim, who begg'd of him to let me know it as soon as possible. I thought proper also to let your Excellency know that there has a Body of French to the number of twelve hundred, and two hundred Orondakees, &c., passed by Oswego about a fortnight ago, with a design to cut off (as I understand) some of the Nations of Indians
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to the Westward who are strongly attached to the British Interest; also to stop the Philadelphians building at or near Ohio or any where else thereabout. Having this Account confirmed by a French Deserter now at my House who saw this Body of Men set off from Cadaraghqui, I immediately (in your Excellency's Name) took upon me to send an Express through all the Nations (with a large Belt of Wampum), acquainting them of the French's March that way, and desiring they might be on their Guard, which has been so kindly taken by the Five Nations that it is not to be expressed. I am with all due Respect imaginable,
"Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant, "WM. JOHNSON."
Atterwaney's Account sent to Coll. Johnson of the French building a Ship at Cadaraghqui, sent him from Lt. Lindesay, July, 1751.
"This 10th Day July Atterwaney came here from the Messesa- gues, where he had been negotiating an Alliance with said Nation. He told all their old Sachims were dead and young ones put in their Places, who confirmed their old Alliance and promised to keep it firm and Strong, altho' they were sollicited by the French not to make an agreement with the Five Nations.
"He told he was at Cadaraghqui, where they were building a large Ship which was to have three Masts, and that some there told him when fitted was designed to come and take this Place. That he saw there six Cannon designed for said Purpose three Yards long with a wide Bore. He brought with him eight Messesagas, young Fighters, who were to go out with him against the Flatheads. Ī have done what I can to stop them, but yet cannot tell if I have prevailed or not.
"OSWEGO, July 19th, 1751.
" Dear ST. :
" As I did not know of this Battoes going off till just now, have but just time to acquaint you that there passed by here a few days ago some canoes of French Traders who say there was an army gone up the other side the Lake, with which was two hundred of the Onondack Indians under the Command of Monsieur Belletre and the Chevalier Longville, and that their Design was against a village of the Twightwees where the English are building a Trading House of Stone, and that they were to give the English warning to move off in a peaceable manner, which if they refused they were to act with Force ; And that they intend to build a Fort there and garrison it with three hundred men. The Governor's Son of Mont- real is hourly expected to pass by here with fourteen Canoes of Soldiers, which are then designed to be stationed at the above Place.
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" This is the Village where George Croghan generally trades, all the Indians of which are firmly attached to the English, for which reason the French call them Rebels, and are going to bring them in Subjection. Two of the chiefs are to have no Mercy ; the others, if they submit, are to be pardoned.
" BENJAMIN STODDERT.
Two Members of Assembly waited upon the Governor and ac- quainted him that the House having read and considered the Let- ters he was pleased to lay before them concerning Indian Affairs, and thank'd him for the early communication of such Intelligence, and requested the Governor's Care to do what may be proper in Consequence thereof. And further, that the House were inclined to adjourn this Day to the thirtieth of September, to whom the Governor was pleased to say he had no Objection to the proposed Time of Adjournment.
The House having agreed to the Amendments of the Bill Enti- tuled " A Supplement to the Act entituled ' An Act for imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of Heinous Crimes, and to prevent poor and impotent Persons being imported into this Province,' " signi- fied the same in a Message by two of their Members to the Gov- ernor ; and a Member of Council having compared the Engrossed Bill with the amended one, the Speaker at the head of the House presented it to the Governor, who enacted it into a Law, and sign'd a Warrant to affix the Great Seal thereto. After which the Speaker delivered to the Governor an Order on the Provincial Treasurer for Four Hundred Pounds.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday the 3d of October, 1751.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Thomas Lawrence, William Till, Esquires.
Mayor of the City, Robert Strettell, Joseph Turner, William Logan, Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Returns of Sheriffs and Coroners for the several Counties were read, and the following Persons were appointed and Commis- sions accordingly executed :
Sheriff.
Isaac Griffitts, Joseph Hart, John Owen,
Philadelphia County,
Bucks County, Chester County,
Coroner. Thomas James, William Smith, Joshua Thomson,
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Sheriff.
Coroner.
Robert Stuart,
Lancaster County,
Joseph Howard,
Hance Hamilton, York County,
Alexander Love,
Ezekiel Dunning,
Cumberland County,
Tobias Hendricks,
George Munro,
Newcastle County,
John Yeates,
Thomas Parke,
Kent County,
William Shankland,
Sussex County,
James Grey, John Rodeney.
The Governor laid before the Board a Letter from the Honour- able Proprietaries which came by Capt. Reeves, who arrived Yester- day from London, ordering and directing Mr. Taylor to be struck out of the Council, and to supersede any Commission he may have for the Office of Magistrate within the Province, which was read * * *
* * * and the Council * having given their Sentiments unanimously that Mr. Taylor's Treatment of the Proprietaries as set forth in the Letter, was ex- tremely unjust and indecent, his Name was ordered to be left out, and that he shou'd not hereafter be summoned to Council :
A Letter of the Proprietaries to Governor Hamilton.
" Sir :
" Mr. Abraham Taylor, a Member of our Council, in the month of October last represented to us by Letter, that ' Among the Wri- tings belonging to a right which he had in America there were some ancient Papers relating to a certain Boundary as it was understood before the Grant of Pennsylvania; that he always thought it wou'd be of use for us to know this, and therefore resolved to commu- nicate it; that he was then treating about the sale of this right, but as it had some connection with the aforesaid Papers he had concluded to take no further Steps in the Affair till he had acquainted us with it,' alledging that 'if after those Papers were out of his Hands they should get into the possession of any Adversary, very probably some Arguments of a disagreeable Nature might be drawn from them.'
"On Receit of this Letter one of us went to Town to give him an opportunity of shewing these old Papers that related to his Right, when we found the Right was a Pretence of Ralph Fretwell, who was sent over by some Friends in Barbadoes to take up for himself and them a large Tract of Land where they intended to settle together, but his Scheme having interfered with other surveys the Purchase was not made nor the Lands surveyed; and instead of old Papers which had Connection with such a Right he read a Manuscript in his own Hand writing containing many sheets of large Paper, and to which was added one or two Maps made by himself; in it no mention was made of this or any other private Right, but it contained a long Series of Arguments to prove that the Boundary of Pennsylvania to the south should not be more Southward than the Parellel of forty Degrees of Northern Latitude
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as it is now discovered to lye, and that Virginia and Maryland had ' an undoubted Right to all to the Southward of such a Boundary; in Support of his argument he cited Proofs from the Virginia Re- cords and a number of other Papers; and this Composition, which from the Length and Variety of Matter must have taken much time to compose it, was undertaken as he himself said out of pique or resentment to us, because we had ordered our Secretary to refuse to grant him about twenty thousand Acres of Land he asked for in that Right, which Pretence was so trifling that we are informed the Heirs of Fretwell took £50 Currency for it, and which we ac- quainted him Ralph Fretwell himself, in a Letter to our Father now in our hands, relinquished all claim to at the same time de- claring he had not a foot of Land in the Province but Tennicum, purchased of Christopher Taylor.
"Upon this Declaration and finding the Paper had not the least connection with the Right, tho' he pretended it had, and he must give it to the, Purchaser, we could form no other Judgment of the matter than that by threatning to deliver these arguments to the Purchaser, which perhaps he had intended shou'd be Lord Baltimore had he arrived in time, he expected to force us to grant him the Land.
"This attempt we looked on to be very Dishonorable, and a man that is in Possession of Places of Honour and Trust by our appoint- ment, and an Alderman of the City by the choice of the Corpora- tion, that can cooly sit down for many days together to injure his Country and the Persons he accepted his Places from, in particu- lar the City of Philadelphia, which, could his argument take Place, must be thrown into Maryland and depend on that Government for such Powers of a Corporation as the Governor shall think proper, as well as subject his Fellow Citizens to Disputes about Lots which by their own Industry they had rendered of very great value, very unfit to execute any office in a Government ; for these Reasons we do hereby order and direct that at the first Council after you receive this Letter you cause it to be read at the Board and entered on the Council Books, that you strike the said Abraham Taylor out of the List of our Council, that you supersede every Commission now granted to him, and that you do not during the rest of your Gov- ernment insert his Name in any other Commission without our order for the same, and that you acquaint the Mayor of the City of Phila- delphia with the contents of this Letter. We are
" Your affectionate Friends. " THO. PENN, " RICHD. PENN,
" London, July 27th 1751."
A Letter from Governor Clinton enclosing a copy of his Letter to be sent to the Governor General of Canada upon Infractions of
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some Persons under Pretence of his Commission, with the Governor of Canada's answer were read and ordered to be entered :
A Letter from Governor Clinton to Governor Hamilton.
" As the greater Part of Ohio belongs to your Government, and the Indian Traders who are taken Prisoners in Canada are Inhabi- tants of your Province, I thought proper to send the enclosed for your information. A Multiplicity of Business in dispatching two London Ships I hope will excuse my writing no more on the sub- ject at Present. I have sent copies to the Ministry upon this open Infraction of the Treaty of. Utrecht. I am with great Respect,
" Your Honours most obedient and very humble Servant.
"G. CLINTON.
" FLAT BUSH, Septr. 2d 1751."
Copy of Governor Clinton's Letter to the Governor General of Canada.
" FORT GEORGE in New York, 12th June, 1751. " Sr :
" I am sorry that I'am laid under the necessity to send Cornelius Cuyler, Esqr-, the Bearer of this, to your Excellency to complain of the Encroachments made on the Territory subject to the King my Master, and of the Violences and Injuries done to his subjects by the subjects of France under your Government, in open Violation of the Amity and Treaties subsisting between the Kings our Masters.
"I have repeated Information that some Persons, pretending to act by Commission from your Excellency, are erecting a fortified House on the River of Oniagara, between Lake Erie and Cadarchin Lake on the Territory of the Five Nations (called Iroquois by the French), which they long since solemnly submitted to the Crown of Great Britain, and who by the Treaty of Utrecht, confirmed by the late Treaty at Aix-la-Chapelle, are allowed by the King your Master to be Subjects of Great Britain; and likewise that six English Men, Subjects of the King my Master, who were peace- ably pursuing a Lawful Trade with the Indians in Amity with the King my Master's Subjects, have had their Persons and Goods seized by Persons pretending to act by like Commission, and their Persons detained in Prison in Irons near Oniagara, with such severe Treatment as seldom is used to Prisoners of Civilized Nations in time of actual War.
"Notwithstanding of the Pretensions of these Persons, guilty of the Injuries and Violences which I complain of, I am perswaded from your Excellencie's Candour and Justice, and the professions
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you formerly made of your desire to cultivate the Amity and Friend- ship re-established between the two Crowns and their Subjects, that these things must be done without your being truly informed of the Situation of the Place where the Subjects of Canada are building this House, and that the other Acts of violence and Injustice are entirely without Your Knowledge.
"I therefore assuredly expect that on Your Excellencie's re- ceiving this you will immediately cause strict Enquiry to be made into the Truth of these Facts; That you will order the building of that House immediately to cease ; That you will issue your Orders not only to set these Men at Liberty, who are detained Prisoners near Oniagara, but likewise that full Reparation be made them for the Injuries and Losses they have suffered; and lastly, that the Persons who have been guilty of these Violences and Injuries to the Subjects of Great Britain be exemplarily punished so as to de- ter all others from attempting the like at any time hereafter, and of your having given the necessary Orders for these Purposes. I hope to be well assured at the Return of the Gentleman who carries this Letter. Your Excellency may be assured that nothing shall be wanting on my part to cultivate Mutual Amity and Friendship be- tween the King's Subjects in my Government and those of France under yours.
"I am, with the greatest Respect, "G. CLINTON."
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The Governor of Canada's Letter to Governor Clinton.
" A MONTREAL, le 10 Aoust, 1751.
" Monsieur :
" La Lettre que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'ecrire par Mr. Cornelius Cuyler, le 12 Juin dernier, ne m'est parvenue que le 3 de ce mois.
" Vous ne pouvez pas vous plaindre Monsieur, de l'etablissement que j'ay fais faire au bas du portage de Niagara, moins encore pou- vez vous pretendre que c'est une usurpation sur les terres de Sujets du Roy Votre Maitre.
" Autant auroit-il valu que votre Excellence eut dit qui j'ay an- ticipe sur les terres du Roy de la Grande Bretagne, car s'il etoit vray que les Iroquois des Cinq Nations fussent ses Sujets, leurs terres appurtien droient incontestablement a S. M. B.
" Voila cependant, Monsieur, le fondement que vous avez voulu donner a votre plainte, m'a reponse va vous convaincre qu'il n'est pas Solide.
"C'est tres mal a propos et contre vos propres lumieres que vous qualifiez les Cinq Nations des Sujets du Roy votre Maitre, ils ne
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l'ont jamais ete et vous n'auriez garde de former une semblable pretention vis-a-vis d'Eux, vous les traittez avec beaucoup plus de menagement, et il est a naitre qu'ils ayent regarde les Anglois, au- trement que comme leurs freres, ce qui est une preuve Sensible que bien loing de les reconnoitre pour leurs Maitres, ils s'en declarent au Contraire a tous egards independants, et meme ne dissimulent, ils pas que les Anglois dependant directement d'Eux, pour les establis- sements qu'ils ont sur leurs terres et qu'ils les en fairont deguer par lors qu'ils trouver ont a propos.
" Si les Cinq Nations devoient s'assujetir a quelque couronne, ils ne pouroient point se dispenser de reconnoitre la domination du Roy mon Maitre, et leur Inclination naturelle les y porteroit.
" En Effet Monsieur, vous n'ignorez pas et les Histoires Ancien- nes et modernes en font foy, que les Francois sont les premiers Blancs qui ayent paru sur les terres des Cinq Nations cest avec eux qu'ils se sont d'abord liez d'amitie c'est deux qu'ils ont recu leurs premiers Secours ! aussi des ce moment ont ils nomme les Francois leurs Peres.
" Il est donc constant que les Francois ayant les premiers pene- · tre dans les Terres des Iroquois, ils en ont des ce moment pris pos- session, et cette possession n'a point ete interrompue or si ces terres etoient succeptibles de contestation entre les Rois nos maitres et que la question eut ete agitee lors des traites d'Utrect, et d'Aix-la- Chapelle, elle n'auroit pu en bonne justice qu'etre decidee en faveur de la France.
" Mais les Iroquois veulent Seuls etre les Maitres de leurs terres, ils necessent de dire que c'est Dieu qui les leur a donne et qu'ils ne recennoissent que lui seul pour Maitre et Souverain c'est ce qu'ils ont signifie par des actes Authentiques aux Anglois et aux Francois.
"J'ajoute que dans les guerres que les Francois ont eu avec eux, a pres avoir conquis leurs terres ils les leur ont rendu et les ont remis dans leurs droits par destraittes Solemnels.
" De tout ce la il faut conclure que rien na pu authoriser votre Excellence a se recrier de l'etablissement que j'ai fait faire; il a ete fait au vu et scu des Iroquois des Cinq Nations seuls competants pour s'enplaindre. Ils ne s'y sont point oppose, ils yont consenty, et on reconnu qu'il contribuoit autant a leur bien qu'a celui des Francois, ce n'est qu'un hospice, un entreport de vivres et un refuge pour les Voyageurs Francois des pays d'Enhaut.
"Je n'aurois jamais pense que vous eussiez reclame les quatre Anglois qui ont ete arretes, attendu qu'ils ont dit avoir une permis- sion du Gouverneur de Philadelphie, et qu'aucun d'Eux ne me l'ayant exibee ils sont censes gens sans aveu et coureurs de bois.
" Mais comme votre Excellence prend leur fait et cause et qu'il ne faut rien moins que cela pour me persuader qu'elle authorize et approuve leur conduitte Je veux bien entrer dans les raisons qui
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ont donne lieu a leur capture. Vous n'ignoriez pas Monsieur, la Compagne que Mr. de Celeron fit en l'annee 1749, a la belle Riviere par Ordre de Mr. le Marquis de la Galissonniere qu'il renouvella pour et au nom du Roy mon Maitre, la Possession ou Sa Majeste a toujours ete des ces terres, qu'il somma tous lestraitteurs Anglois qui y etoient de se retirer ; qu'il ecrivit a Mr le Gouverneur de Phila- delphie, pour l'informer qu'il avoit rempli La Missionet le prevenir que si dans les Suittes il reparoissoit des traiteurs Anglois dans les Belle Rivieres, ils seroient traittes sans aucun menagement.
" J'eus l'honneur de vous ecrire moy meme le 7 Mars, 1750, a cette occasion, et de prier votre Excellence de rendre une ordon- nance pour defendre a tous les Sujets de lay nouvelle Angleterre d'aller traitter Sur les terres du Roy mon Maitre.
"Par la meme Lettre j'eus aussi l'honneur de vous temoigner ma juste Sensibilite a tous les mouvements Secrets que les Anglois faisoient pour induire les Sauvages, qui de tout tems nous ont ete les plus etroitement attackes, a la destruction des Francois.
" Quoique vous ne m'ayer honore d'aucune Reponse n'eantmoins je me flattois que vous prendries des justes mesures pour arreter le Cours de toutes ces Seductions et maintenir de votre cote l'union qui doit regner-entre nous. Mais les Suittes m'ont detrompe, les Anglois bien loin de se renfermer dans lesbornes des Possessions due Roy de la grande. Bretagne, non contents de se multiplier de plusen plus dans la Riviere a la Roche d'y avoir des maisons et magazins ouverts, ils ont encore porte leurs pas j'usqu'a la vue du Detroit, meme dans le fort des Miamis.
" Ce procede succedant a tant de mauvais pro pos dont nous n'eprouvons que trop, les Suittes facheuses ont mis Mr. de Celoron Commandant au Detroit dans la Necessite de faire arretter ces Anglois.
" Il en a dabord ete arrette trois a ayonoutout tien que Nicolas chef huron rebele avoit choisi pour s'y fortifier en 1747, pres du lac d'orsanderket c'est a dire a dix lieues de la villes du Detroit ces trois Anglois se nomment Lui Arrowin Irlandois de Nation habitant de Pelselvany Joseph fortiner habitant de la ville de Gerge, et Tho- mas Borke habitant de Linquester.
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