USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 6
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"That in consequence of these Dispositions, His Majesty has been pleased to authorize me to appoint such Officers as I shall thing fit to Command the Troops to be raised within this Government, for which purpose a number of Blank Commissions will be sent me. And I am commanded to assure all such as shall engage in this Ser- vice, as well Officers as Soldiers, that they will immediately enter into his Majestie's pay-The Officers from the time they shall engage in His Majestie's Service, and the Soldiers from the respective Days on which they shall enlist. And they shall come in for a share of any Booty to be taken from the Enemy, and be sent back to their re- spective Habitations when this Service shall be over, unless any of them shall desire to settle Elsewhere ; which unquestionable they will be encourag'd to do by Grants of the Conquor'd Lands in pre- ference to all other persons.
" That as to the Article of Arms and Clothing for the Men to be raised, His Majesty has commanded me to take care That the Sol- diers may be provided with them, and has empowered Lieutenant General St. Clair to make a reasonable allowance for defraying that Expence.
" And that if any Persons can be found who are acquainted with the Navigation of the River St. Lawrence, I do engage them by suit- able Rewards to serve on board His Majestie's Fleet, and send them as soon as possible to Louisbourgh for that purpose.
"Now that these His Majestie's Gracious Intentions may be made publick, I do, with the advice of the Council, Issue this Proclama- tion, Inviting His Majestie's Subjects within this Government to exert themselves as becomes a Dutiful & Grateful people to the best of Kings, upon an occasion the most interesting to them as well as to all the rest of the British Colonies in North America ; An occa-
41.
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
sion in which the Quiet and Happiness of them and their Posterity are so immediately concerned that it would be an affront to their understandings to make use of Arguments to prove it, An occasion that has been so long and earnestly wish't for, that it would not be unreasonable to expect the whole Body of the People should rise up as one Man to secure, under the Blessing of God, the Success of the Undertaking, and it may justly be hoped as his Majesty has been forced into the War for the Defence of his Crown and the Civil and Religious Rights of his People, that the Almighty will grant a Blessing to his Arms. His Majestie's Subjects in Europe have given proofs of their Loyalty & Affection to his Person and Government beyond the Examples of former Ages to the best of their Kings. An Opportunity is now offer'd to those in North America to shew that a Change of Climate has made no Change in their's. L, for my part, am determin'd to Act with the Duty and Zeal becoming a faithful Servant to a most Gracious Master, and with a Vigour becoming the Trust deposited with me for the In- terest & Security of the People under my Government.
"Given under my Hand and the Great Seal of the Province of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, this ninth Day of June, in the Nineteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Second, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, &ca-, and in the Year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and forty-six.
"GEORGE THOMAS. " GOD SAVE THE KING.
" By His Honours Command.
"RICHARD PETERS, Secretary."
The Governor likewise laid beford the Board a Draught of a Message to the Assembly, which was approved, and is as follows :
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" My calling you together so suddenly was occasion'd by a Letter I have received from His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, by the Hinchinbrook Sloop of War arrived Express at Boston, signifying to me That His Majesty has been pleased to order a considerable Body of his Troops from England, under convoy of a sufficient Squadron of Men of War to Louisbourgh, to be employ'd in the immediate Reduction of Canada, with Troops to be raised in the Northern Colonies.
" You will observe from his Grace's Letter which I have order'd to be laid before You, that I am directed to recommend to You the providing a sufficient quantity of Provisions for the subsistence of the Troops which shall be raised here.
" As it is recommended to me likewise to take care that the Sol-
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diers may be provided with Arms and Cloathing, I must apply to You for an Advance of so much of the Publick Money as may be necessary for these purposes, which Expence Lieutenant General St. Clair is authorized and empowered to defray.
" The shortness of the Time requiring the utmost Dispatch, a Bounty for the Encouragement of able-bodied Men to engage in this Service will very much expedite the Levies.
"Until I see what number of Men can be raised it is not pos- sible for me to make an Estimate of the Sum necessary for this Service; but if I may be allow'd to form a Judgment from the Im- portance of the undertaking to this and the rest of the Northern Colonies, the number will be very considerable; for Success in it will not only deliver them from their present apprehensions of a vigilant and enterprizing Enemy, but in all humane probability en- sure quiet and Security to them and their Posterity-and this shews what Returns of Duty & Gratitude are due to a King who has meditated such Blessings to his North American Subjects.
"GEO. THOMAS.
"June 10th, 1746."
The Governor likewise laid before the Board a Letter from Gov- ernor Clinton, informing him that he had laid an Embargo on all Provisions for four Months, & desiring the same might be done in this Government, which was propos'd to the Council, and they were unanimously of Opinion that it was not necessary to lay an Em- bargo on any Provisions here, as there was a vast Quantity of all sorts in the Country, and as such Embargo might disappoint his Majestie's Ships of the Supplies contracted to be deliver'd them from this port, besides that such a stop must at this time be pecu- liarly prejudicial to all the Islands.
MEMORANDUM.
Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor & acquainted him that the House was met pursuant to his Summons & ready to receive what he might have to lay before them, & desir'd a Copy of the Writts by virtue of which the House was Summon'd. The Governor, in Answer, told them he wou'd send a Message to the House with the Writts to-morrow morning.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 23d June, 1746.
PRESENT :
1
The Honobl. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor.
Thomas Laurence, Samuel Hassel,
William Till,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettel,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
1 Esqrs.
James Hamilton,
The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor inform'd the Board that sundry Messages had passs'd between him & the Assembly on the Subject of his last Message, & that having received Letters from the Governors of New England & New York, pressing him to appoint Commissioners for securing the Indians of the Six Nations in their fidelity to his Majesty, he had likewise sent a Message to the House on this Subject, all which were read and are as follows, viz:
A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
"May it please the Governor :
" We are deeply sensible of the many and great Blessings we enjoy under the Crown and present Government, and in Duty and Gratitude hold ourselves obliged to yeild chearful obedience to the King's Commands so far as our Religious Persuasions permit; Yet as the Governor well knows, many of us labour under great Diffi- culties when called upon to be concern'd in Warlike Enterprises, such as appear to us inconsistent with the Peaceable Principles we profess. The only expedient hitherto found to remove these diffi- culties hath been to demonstrate our Loyalty and hearty Affection to the Crown by giving a Sum of Money to the King's Use. This we are now willing to do, but upon Enquiry are informed that neither the Treasury or Loan-Office are furnish'd with such a Quantity be- yond what other Exigencies of Government will require as we are willing to give, Nor do we see any other way by which such a Sum can be speedily raised unless it can be by striking a further Quantity of Paper Money ; And this we hope the Governor will be of Opinion with us may be done, as that the Sum given may be repaid by the Interest to arise by the residue placed out in like manner, as are the Bills of Credit current by the Act sometime since past in this Province, & which, having had the Royal Approbation, will, we presume, be liable to few if any Exceptions, and the Money thus raised least Inconvenient to the Inhabitants of the Province.
"Signed by Order of the House, " JOHN KINSEY, Speaker.
" 4th Mon. 12th, 1746."
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A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
"Gentlemen :
"I am very much pleased with your Intention to grant a Sum of Money to His Majesty upon this Important Occasion, and I wish it was as much in my Power as it is in my Inclination to agree with you in the Method proposed for raising it; but you must be sensi- ble, from the Royal Instruction communicated to a former Assem- bly, and I suppose enter'd in the Minutes, that I am forbid, under pain of His Majestie's highest displeasure, from passing any Act for striking Bills of Credit, without a Clause restrain'g its operation until the King's pleasure shall be known. Besides, an addition to your Bills of Credit at this time, I apprehend, would very much lessen the value of those already Current, as Exchange to London is already higher than has ever been known in this Province. I grant, where I at liberty to pass such a Bill as you expect, it might be a present Convenience, but the future Inconveniences would abundantly outweigh it. The Legislature of this Province has hith- erto maintain'd its Reputation this Point, whilst others are sinking under the Load of their numerous Emissions. You may unques- tionably procure any Sum upon Loan which you shall be willing to grant to His Majesty, upon Security to repay it out of the Excise or the Interest of the Bills of Credit already issued.
"Whatever you do, Gentleman, let it be done with Dispatch, for the time presses, and your Example will have a considerable influ- ence upon the Spirits of the People.
·
"GEO. THOMAS.
"June 13th, 1746."
A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
" May it please the Governor :
" It is very agreeable to us to find our Intentions of giving Money to the King approved of by the Governor; And we are equally pleased with the kind Inclinations he is pleased to express towards raising the Money in the Method we propose; And we are willing to hope that the Governor, on reconsidering the Royal Instruction he is pleased to mention, may think himself at Liberty to give his Assent to a Bill for striking a further sum of Money in Bills of Credit when any extraordinary Emergency requires it.
" It must be confess'd Exchange hath of late risen amongst us, & is at present high; but we think it clear this rise is not owing to the quantity of our Paper Money but the Exigences of Trade, since for some time after the Emission by the last Eighty Thousand Pound Act, which is the greatest Sum in Bills of Credit that were ever Current at one time amongst us, Exchange was lower than at any time before. As, therefore, the Sum proposed to be Emitted
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
is not so great as can either affect the Credit of former Bills or raise Exchange, will not only be a present Convenience, but of future Benefit to the Province, we hope the Governor will think it consist- ent with the Trust reposed in him to assent to the Method pro- posed, especially as the Sums of Money which have lately been given to the King's use, & the contingent Charges of Government, have amounted so high as neither the Money raised by the Excise Act nor the Interest of Bills of Credit paid into the Loan Office have been sufficient to defray, nor does any Method appear to us by which the Money now intended to be given to the King's Use can be raised but what will be more chargeable as well as Inconvenient.
"Sign'd by Order of the House.
"JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. "4th Mon. 14th, 1746."
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
"I really do not want Inclination to oblige you in every thing you can reasonably desire, and therefore the Mortification to me is greater to be pressed down upon a Point which I am not at liberty to Comply with. The King's Instruction, founded upon the Addresses of the Houses of Lords & Commons, is so positive that I cannot bring myself to such a pitch of Boldness as to contravene it. Argu- ments are not wanting to shew the Mischiefs like to accrue from an Addition to your Paper Currency, but I would give up my own Reason to You upon this pressing occasion, were that only in the way. Upon a due Consideration of my being thus circumstanced, I promise myself that you will proceed to some less exceptionable Method of raising the Sum designed to be granted for the King's Use.
" GEO. THOMAS. "June 14th, 1746."
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" As the Necessity of securing the Indians of the Six Nations in their Fidelity to His Majesty becomes every Day more pressing and apparent, and I am again sollicited by the Governors of New Eng- land and New York, whose Letters I have ordered to be laid before you, to appoint Commissioners for that purpose, I must renew my Application to you to enable me to co-operate with the four Northern Governments at the Treaty to be held with those Nations on the Twentieth of the next month, at Albany. And since this is a mea- sure immediately recommended by his Majesty to the Governor of New York, to facilitate the Reduction of Canada, it is not to be doubted but the two Southern Governments will readily accede to it.
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MINUTES OF THE
"Since I heard of the Resolve of your House to grant Five thou- sand pounds for the King's Use, we have been informed from the Public News Papers of the Bounty given in some other Colonies to encourage able body'd Men to engage in the Service. As the like Bounty will be expected here, the Sum voted will not be sufficient to raise and victual above three Companies, which will fall very short of the general Expectation from a Colony of so much Importance. Let me, therefore, recommend such an addition as may very well comport with the Circumstances of the Province, and be a proof of your at least equalling your Neighbours in Duty to his Majesty and Zeal for the common Interest.
"GEO. THOMAS. "June 19th, 1746."
A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
" May it please the Governor :
"The funds by which this Government is supported, and the Con- tingent Charges defrayed, are the Interest which arises from the Bills of Credit lent out and the Money paid into the Treasury by the Excise Act; both these the last Year proved deficient, so that the Ballance against the Province exclusive of Outstandings was upwards of Two Thousand Pounds, besides the like Sum due from the Province on Account of the State House. And as the Gov- ernor seems to be under Difficulties with Respect to further Emis- sions of Bills of Credit, and as an additional Tax would we conceive be attended with many Inconveniences, we therefore resolved on the Payment of Five thousand Pounds only to the King's Use. If the Sum to be given must arise from the present Funds we do not think it will be fit to add much, if any Thing, to the Sum resolved on. But if the Governor can think himself at Liberty to add a fitting quantity in Bills of Credit to be emitted amongst us as usual, in like manner as we are informed & believe our Neighbours must do, we think it will redound greatly to the Advantage of the Province, be attended with no Inconveniences, and will enable us on the pre- sent & future occasions to give the proof the Governor is pleased to mention of having at least equal 'Duty to His Majesty,' tho' we may have different Modes of expressing it from our Neighbours. We wait the Governor's Result on this head before we proceed on the Bill before us, and in the mean time shall take into Considera- tion the residue of his last Message.
" Signed by Order of the House.
"JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. "4th Mon. 20th, 1746."
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" If I cou'd think myself at Liberty to consent to an Act for
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· PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
striking Bills of Credit in the manner you propose, the occasion as well as my Inclination to render a Grant to His Majesty as little burthensome as possible to the people, wou'd soon determine me in favour of it, tho' I cannot but think the present Convenience wou'd be bought too dear, for it is plain to me that an addition to your Currency to be lent out for a Term of Years upon Interest, would lessen the value of the Bills already issued, & consequently affect all Contracts now subsisting, as any the most self Evident proposi- tion. I have not been well informed of what is done or intended to be done in other Colonies as to this point, neither wou'd it be- come me to Censure the Conduct of their Governors should they act a part different from me. The Circumstances of these Colonies and their Method of sinking their Bills of Credit may be different from this. If I am rightly inform'd it has been done at New York by Taxes, and that in Jersey so great a part of their Currency has been sunk that a new Emission would be no advance upon what has been usually Current there; whereas your's is entire, & to be re- emitted upon Loan for several Years to come. If you will agree to sink any addition you shall make to the Five Thousand Pound already voted, by a Tax to be levied in any reasonable time, I will give my Assent to an Act for striking Bills of Credit for that Sum, and surely a People who have not paid a Provincial Tax for above Twenty Years past cannot be uneasy under it in a Case which so immediately concerns their own Happiness and that of their Pos- terity. Should you resolve notwithstanding to confine yourselves to Five Thousand Pounds, which, as I before told You, will not raise & victual above Three Companies, even supposing the Men are to subsist upon the King's Pay during their stay in this Province, I must be obliged to call upon you for an advance of so much Money as will be necessary to Cloath & Arm them in Case General St. Clair should not arrive in time to furnish me with Bills for that purpose. My own stock has been already advanced for the King's Service in Purchasing Cloathing for the Troops in Garrison at Cape Breton, and for raising the Regiment under the Command of Governor Shir- ley. Considering how the time presses, abundantly too much of it has been already spent. I beseech you, therefore, to give all the Dispatch possible to this Important Business, that I may be enabled so far to answer the King's Expectation as relates to myself.
" GEO. THOMAS.
"June 26th, 1746."
The Governor further informed the Board that he had, in Conse- quence of these several Messages, receiv'd from the House a Bill Entitled "an Act for Granting Five thousand Pounds to the King's Use out of the Bills of Credit now remaining in the hands of the General Loan Office, for exchanging torn & ragged Bills, & for striking the like Sum to replace in their hands," which was read, & some Amendments being propos'd, the Secretary was order'd
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MINUTES OF THE
to transcribe them fair & deliver them with the Bill in the After- noon.
At a Council held at Philada., 24th of June, 1746.
PRESENT :
The Honble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor. Thomas Laurence, Samuel Hassell,
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strethil,
Esqrs.
The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd.
Two Members of Assembly having deliver'd a Bill from the House Entitled "A Supplement to the Act Entitled 'an Act for Imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of Henious Crimes, &ca."' the same was read and approv'd.
MEMORANDUM.
Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor this Morning with the Bill for Granting Five Thousands Pounds &ca., & desir'd his concurrence thereto ; & withal acquainted him that it was engross'd with his first Amendment; and desir'd him to appoint some Mem- ber of Council to join with a Committee of the House in comparing it with the Original. The Governor was pleas'd to say he wou'd send his Secretary to some of the Members of Council to be at the State House at Three O'Clock in the Afternoon, to join with the Members at the House in comparing the Five thousand Pound Bill, & hop'd that by Five O'clock he shou'd be ready to pass it, together with the Bill for appointing Joseph Prichard the Officer for executing the Act for imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of henious Crimes ; and accordingly Mr. Strethill & the Secretary examin'd the Bills and found them to agree with the Copies laid be- fore the Governor.
Two Members of Assembly deliver'd to the Governor in Council the following Message :
A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
" May it please the Governor :
" Since our last Message we have taken into our Consideration that part of the Governor's which relates to the Indians of the Six Nations; and also the Letters which the Governor was pleased to direct to be laid before us. And by what we gather from thence the Treaty proposed to be held at Albany on the Twentieth of next Month, in pursuance of some Instructions the Governor of New York hath received from the Crown which concerns himself only, and not the Governor of any other of the Colonies.
"It is not improbable that the purport of these Instructions is to engage the Indians of the Six Nations in the War against the
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
French, and to join in the Expedition against Canada. If so, our uniting with the other Governments in the Congress proposed will be of little use, since it cannot be doubted but that provision is made to defray the Expence which shall arise thereby; and that these Indians will pay greater Regard to the directions of the Crown than to the joint Request of all the Colonies. Besides, the Gov- ernor must be sensible that Men of our peaceable Principles cannot consistently therewith join in persuading the Indians to engage in the War. If it be thought there be any real Danger of the Indians deserting the British Interest & going over to the French, and that to preserve them steady in their Friendship further Presents are necessary to secure them in their Fidelity to the Crown of Great Britain, and Amity with the Inhabitants of this and the neighbor- ing Colonies, and the Governor can think his Health and Business will permit his negotiating this Affair in person, we shall be willing to pay the Expence to arise by it.
"JOHN KINSEY, Speaker.
"4th Mon. 24th, 1746."
And at the same time told his Honour the House desir'd to know when they, with their Speaker, might wait on him in order to pass the Bills, & his Honour saying immediately, the Speaker at the head of the House presented the Bill entitled "An Act for granting Five Thousand Pounds to the King's Use out of the Bills of Credit now remaining in the hands of the Trustees of the Gene- ral Loan Office for exchanging torn & ragged Bills, & for striking the like Sum to replace in their Hands," And likewise the other Bill Entitled " A Supplement to the Act entitled an ' Act for imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of Heinous Crimes, &ca.,'"' & pray'd the Governor's assent to them, and accordingly his Honour Enacted them into Laws; then the Speaker Inform'd him that the House was inclin'd to adjourn to the 18th of August, being the same Day to which they had before adjourned. The Governor said he had no objection.
Mr. Laurence was desir'd to go along with a Committee of As- sembly to see the Seals affix'd to the Acts.
At a Council held at Philadelphia 14th July, 1746.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr-, Lieutenant Governor. Thomas Laurence, Samuel Hassell,
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strethil, Esqrs.
James Hamilton, Benjamin Shoemaker,
The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor laid before the Board the Draught of a Proclama- VOL. V .- 4.
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1
tion appointing a Day of General Thanksgiving for the Success of His Majestie's Arms under the Command of His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cumberland, over the Rebels in Scotland, which was approv'd, and is as follows : 1
"By the Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylva- nia, and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware.
"A PROCLAMATION.
" Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God, for the Punishment of our Sins & for awakening Us to a juster Sense of His peculiar & distinguishing Blessings to the British Nation above all the Na- tions upon Earth, to permit an unnatural and Bloody Rebellion to be begun & carried on in Scotland by the Son of a Popish 1 Pretender, encouraged and supported by our antient and inveterate Enemies the French & Spaniards, and by that Monster of Iniquity the Court of Rome. And Whereas God of His Great Mercy after a Chastisement far short of our Deserts, hath at length been pleased to give a blessing to the Forces of our Rightful and Lawful Sov- reign King George, under the Command of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, by a compleat Victory over his ungrateful and rebellious Subjects, and thereby to preserve to the British Nation their Civil and Religious Rights, with their independancy of any foreign Power, I do with the advice of the Council hereby Order That Thursday, the Twenty-Fourth Day of this instant July, be observed throughout the Province and Counties under my Government, as a Day of Public Thanksgiving to Almighty God for this and all other His great Mercies, And that the several Ministers of the Gospel do compose Prayers and Sermons suitable to the Occasion, & perform Divine Service on that day in their respective Churches or Houses of Religious Worship.
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