USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 7
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" And that the said Day may be observed with a Solemnity be- coming our Christain Profession, and not as has been too often the practice with Drunkenness and other kinds of Licentiousness, to the dishonor of God & to the Reproach of the Christian Name, I do hereby order that the Majestrates and other Officers of Justice be especially careful to prevent all Immoralities or riotous disorders whatsoever. And further I do recommend to the People of the several Religious perswasions within the Province and Counties aforesaid, that they do abstain from all servile Labour on that Day.
" Given under my Hand & the Great Seal of the Province of Penn- sylvania, at Philadelphia, this Fourteenth day of July, in the Twentieth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Second, King of Great Britain, France, & Ireland, &c., and in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & forty-six.
" GEO. THOMAS.
" GOD SAVE THE KING."
51
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Philadelphia the 4th of August, 1746.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Samuel Hassell, Abraham Taylor, - Esqrs. Robert Strethil, James Hamilton. -
The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor propos'd to the Council to send a congratulatory Address to the King on the Defeat of the Rebels in Scotland, & they being unanimously of Opinion that it would be highly proper, His Honour, having prepar'd the Draught of an Address, the same was read and approv'd & order'd to be engross'd in order to send by Captain Budden, who was to Sail the Next Day, and a Duplicate to go by Capt". Arthur, via Maryland.
" To the King's most Excellent Majesty.
" The Humble Address of the Lieutenant Governor and Council of the Province of Pennsylvania. 1 " Most Gracious Sovereign :
" We, your Majesty's Dutiful & Loyal Subjects, the Lieutenant Governor and Council of the Province of Pennsylvania, being truly sensible of the Blessings we enjoy under your Majestie's mild & Gracious Government, humbly beg leave, with Hearts full of Joy & Gratitude, to present our most sincere Congratulations on the Success of your Majesty's Arms under His Royal Highness the Duke, in defeating the Rebels in Scotland, and thereby extin- guishing the hopes of a Popish Pretender and his detestable Con- federates.
" If Mercy, Justice, & the strictest Regard & attention to the Liberties and Interests of your Subjects could have secured to Your Majesty a Reign of Peace, Your Annals would not have been Clouded by a black & most unnatural Rebellion; but it is no new thing for Arbitrary Princes to contrive & promote Schemes for the subversion of a Government which is a standing Reproach upon their own, or for wicked Subjects to hate virtues in a King which are Restraints upon their base & Savage Natures.
" May the Almighty preserve Your Majestie's precious Life for the general Good of Mankind, direct your Councils, and confound the Devices of your enemies, and may there never be wanting One of Your Royal Blood, form'd upon Your Majestie's Example, to Sway the British Scepter, or one to command the British Armies,.
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MINUTES OF THE
in Valour & Conduct equal to the Glorious Instrument of the late signal Victory.
" GEO. THOMAS, GovT.
" Philadelphia 4th August, 1746."
The above Address being Transcrib'd fair, was signed by the Governor & Council in the order as they here stand :
"GEO. THOMAS, GovTi
" ANTHONY PALMER,
"THOMAS LAWRENCE,
"SAMUEL HASSEL,
" WILLIAM TILL,
" ABRAHAM TAYLOR,
"ROBERT STRETHIL,
" JAMES HAMILTON,
" BENJAMIN SHOEMAKER."
-
18th August, 1746.
MEMORANDUM.
Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to acquaint him that the House was met according to their adjournment, & ready to receive any thing he might have to lay before them ; the Governor said he had nothing to lay before them at present.
At a Council held at Philadadelphia, 22d August, 1746.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor. Abraham Taylor, Robert Strethill, Esqrs.
Benjamin Shoemaker,
The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor laid before the Board the Draught of a Message to the Assembly, which was read & approved, & is as follows, viz':
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. " Gentlemen :
" The Money granted at your last Meeting for the King's Use has & will be applied by me agreable to His Majesty's Intentions & the Directions of General Gooch, in raising four Companies of Men for an Expedition against Canada, and in providing Tents, Provisions, & other Necessaries for them, as you will see by a Sketch of the Accounts which I have ordered to be laid before
53
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
You. After the Bounty, Freight of the Provisions, Carriages for the Soldiers, Baggage, and the Expence of their Transportation from Brunswick to Albany are discharged, the Account shall be closed & submitted, with Vouchers for every Article, to the Examination of your House.
" The Cloathing, Arms, and Accoutrements have been procured upon my own Credit, in expectation of being speedily enabled to pay for them by Remittances from Lieutenant General St. Clair ; but as we have yet no account of his Arrival at Louisbourg, & some of the Persons who supplied me with them grow Importunate for their Money, I am obliged to renew my Application to you for a Loan to His Majesty of so much as will be necessary for this Ser- vice.
" But the Difficulty I labour under with Regard to the Subsist- ance of the Men is still greater, as they have received no Pay, and are run into an arrear to the Publick House Keepers for their Quarters from the time of their Inlistment; and if they have not some supply soon it is to be feared they will Mutiny or Desert, so that the greatest part of what has been granted by the Assembly, and provided by the King's Orders, will be lost. In some other Provinces the Soldiers have been allowed Nine Pence # Diem, or their Victuals, besides the Pay they are to receive from the King, which has preserved the Governors there, and the Officers of those Troops, from the Embarrasments we find ourselves under here from the Delay of General St. Clair's arrival. The subsistance of the Private Men, exclusive of Officers, amounts to One hundred & forty Pounds per Week, which is too large a Sum to be furnished out of my own private Stock.
" After this plain state of the Case, I hope I need not be at much Pains to convince you of the necessity of supplying me with the Sums requisite, as well for discharging the Arrears due for the sub- sistence of the Troops as for supporting them until the Fleet shall arrive or proper Directions be given by the King for paying them. And I promise myself the more ready complyance from You as it will not be laying any additional Burthen upon the Province, His Majesty having engaged both to defray the Expence of Cloathing & Arms and to allow the Men Pay from the time of their Inlistment. And you may assuredly depend that when Remittances shall be made to me for these purposes, they shall be punctually paid into such hands as your House shall appoint to receive them.
"The Exactions of the Publick House Keepers for the Soldiers' Quarters oblige me to recommend the preparing a Bill, either to impower the Justices to Billet them at such a Price as they shall think reasonable, or to settle it yourselves in the Bill. Twelve pence per Day, which is now demanded, is more than is allowed by the King for a Soldier's subsistence, that being but Six Pence Ster- ling, and is twice as much as is paid in England, tho' Provisions
54
MINUTES OF THE
are said to be much cheaper here. This I am sensible is a matter quite new to you ; but the Circumstances of the Times will neces- sarily require many Things which the wisest forecast cannot pro- vide for.
"GEO. THOMAS.
" August 22d, 1746."
On the 23d August.
MEMORANDUM.
Two Members of Assembly deliver'd the following written Mess- age to the Governor & at the same time presented him with the Order of the House for Five hundred Pounds, the Remainder of His Support for the Current Year, & inform'd him that the House was inclined to adjourn on the 30th September; to which he made no objection.
A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
" May it please the Governor :
" We entertained no doubts but that the Five Thousand Pounds given for the King's Use the last Session would be applied agreeable to such Instructions as the Governor should receive to that purpose; and therefore we neither expected nor desired any account thereof to be laid before us. Since that Donation the Public Accounts of the Province have been settled, by which it appears our Treasury is Low; that there remains a Sum too small to pay to the usual and necessary Charges of Government; and that the Trustees of the General Loan Office are near Eight hundred Pounds in advance, So that we have no Fund from whence we are enabled to lend to the Crown the Money requested, were we ever so desirous of doing it. Besides, we observe from the state of the Account the Governor was pleased to direct to be laid before us, that part of the aforesaid Five Thousand Pounds as yet remains unexpended ; and altho' this is intended for other uses, we must submit it to the Governor's Judgment whether that Money may not be applied to the present Exigences, and a like Sum replaced out of what General St Clair is to pay on his Arrival.
"The Season of the Year is so far advanced, and a new Election for the Choice of Representatives to serve in Assembly so near, that we think it too late to enter into the Consideration of a Bill of such Importance as that for Billeting for Soldiers in any shape must be.
"JOHN KINSEY, Speaker."
1
55
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Oct". 4th, 1746.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gover- nor.
Thomas Laurence, William Till,
Robert Strethil,
Benjamin Shoemaker, Esqrs.
Abraham Taylor,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor laid before the Board a Letter from Governor Shirley, Dated at Boston the 22d of September last, with some Depositions inclos'd, importing that as a large Fleet of French Men- of-War had been seen on Cape Sable Shore he desir'd & expected that this Province wou'd have as good a Force as they can spare, with a number of Vessels ready to Sail to Rhode Island upon the first advice of the Approach of the Enemy.
The following Persons being legally chosen & return'd were ap- pointed Sheriffs & Coroners for the several Counties for the ensuing Year:
Nicholas Scull, Sheriff, of Philada. City & County.
Henry Pratt, Coroner,
Benjamin Davis, Sheriff,
of Chester County.
Isaac Lea, Coroner,
Amos Strickland, Sheriff,
John Chapman, Coroner,
James Sterrat, Sheriff,
of Lancaster County.
Robert Wallace, Coroner,
Gidean Griffith, Sheriff,
of Newcastle County.
James McMullin, Coroner,
John Hunter, Sheriff,
George Goforth, Coroner, S
William Shankland, Sheriff,
John Molliston, Coroner,
of Sussex County.
-
14th October, 1746.
MEMORANDUM.
Five Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to acquaint him the House was met and had proceeded to the Choice of a Speaker, and desir'd to know when they might present him.
-
of Bucks County.
of Kent County,
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MINUTES OF THE
15th October.
A Council was summon'd, but no Members appeared. The whole House waited on the Governor at the time by him appointed, and presented their Speaker, John Kinsey, Esq"., who requested the usual Priviledges, which were granted. The Governor having pre- pared the following Message, the Secretary was order'd to write it fair & deliver it to the House in the Morning.
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" Had General St. Clair, with the Troops from England, arrived in the time we had reason to expect from His Grace the Duke of Newcastle's Letter, the Money granted by the last Assembly, and applied by me to the Service directed by His Majesty, would have been more than sufficient for the number of Men raised here, but as they received no subsistence from the King, I have been obliged, agreeable to the Assembly's Answer to my last Message on this Subject, first, to furnish each Captain with one hundred and fifty Pounds towards the discharge of this Company's Quarters, and after- wards with the like Sum for their subsistence in their March to Albany, so that I am now £413 11 7 in advance, as will appear by the Accounts which I have ordered to be laid before You; for every Article of which I am ready to produce Vouchers to such of the Members of your House as you shall think fit to appoint for the Examination of them. I need not be at any pains to convince you that without this Advance the Troops could not have Marched out of the Province, & consequently would have been a Burden upon the Publick, or have subsisted by Plundering the Inhabitants. You will observe by Governor Gooch's and Governor Shirley's Let- ters in answer to my Applications to them for the Pay of the Sol- diers to discharge their Quarters, that as Those raised in the other Colonies were subsisted by them respectively, I can have no expect- ation of being re-imbursed by the Crown, nor will be in my power to make any stoppages out of their pay, since it is now all together improbable that it will ever come into my Hands, so that my only resource is to You; and I assure myself that as I have nothing but my trouble for my Pains in this Business, and have acted for the general Ease and Advantage of the Province, you will not allow me to be a sufferer.
" You will observe likewise from a Letter which I received last Week from Governor Clinton, that the Troops from hence had threatned a general Desertion if they were not supply'd with Blankets as those from the other Governments had been; and that he had already secured one hundred and fifty for them upon the Credit of this Government, but could get no more. I wrote to him in Answer, That the Money granted was all Expended, and as
57
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Blanketts were not allowed by the King as part of a Soldier's Cloathing, I knew not how to act in it, but would recommend it to the Consideration of the Assembly. The Season sufficiently speaks the Necessity of such a Provision, without any Arguments of mine to perswade You to it.
"GEO. THOMAS.
" October 15th, 1746."
October 17th, 1746.
MEMORANDUM.
Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to inform him that the House inclin'd to adjourn to the 5th Day of January next, if he had nothing to offer to ye contrary. The Governor said it was equal to him when they adjourn'd, since they were not dis- pos'd to take His Message into their Consideration.
On the 5th January Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to acquaint him that the House was met & desir'd to know if he had any Business to lay before them. On the 6th Day of January the Governor being too indisposed to call a Council, sent his Secretary to the House with the following written Mes- sage :
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
"The troops raised in this Government, and now in Winter Quarters at Albany, having been furnished with provisions for four months by the direction of Brigadier Gooch, commencing from the Day of their Arrival there, and that time being near expired, it has been recommended by Governor Clinton, and application has been made to me by the Captains of the four Companys, that a timely supply be forthwith sent them. As the season of the Year render'd this impracticable, I thought I might save You the Trouble of a Meeting for this purpose only, and left it to the Commanding Offi- cer to make a reasonable Provision for them in that Country until Your house and a return of favourable Weather should enable me to supply their Wants.
"I have not received any Orders from His Majesty relating to the Pay or subsistence of these Troops since Your last Meeting, nor do I hear that any are come to the other Governors upon the Con- tinent, so the care of the four Pennsylvania Companys must still lye upon You.
"GEO. THOMAS.
"January 6th, 1746."
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MINUTES OF THE
On the 12th January Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor with the following Message :
A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
"May it please the Governor :
" As the Time proposed for the Expedition against Canada is elapsed, and neither Ships of War nor Troops sent to America, nor any continuance of the Orders to the several Governors in this Affair, it seems not unreasonable to conjecture the Enterprize is laid aside. And if this be, as probably it is the Case, we see not why so great a number of Men, especially at the Charge of the Colonies, should be kept together when the Service originally proposed by raising them is at an end.
But if the Governor of New York, who, as we are informed, com- mands in Chief the Troops at Albany, from any Instructions he hath received may think he shall be justified in keeping them to- gether, there is as little Reason to doubt he will also be justified in the necessary means of doing it, viz": by continuing to draw Bills for their Support and Pay. So great a Burden we persuade our- selves it is not the King's Intention his Subjects of these Northern Colonies should be loaded with.
"Signed by Order of the House, "JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. "11th Mon. 12th, 1746."
On the 14th January, 1746, Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to inform him the House was dispos'd to adjourn to the 4th of May, if that time shou'd not be disagreeable to the Governor. He said it was not.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, April 6th, 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esq., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Thomas Lawrence, William Till,
Samuel Hassell, Abraham Taylor. & Esqrs.
Robert Strettel,
The Governor laid before the Board the several Messages that had pass'd between him & the Assembly since the last Meeting of Council, viz: his of the 15th of October and of the 6th January last, & that from the Assembly of the 12th January ; which were read, and are enter'd before according to the Dates & the times when they were delivered.
59
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Hassel, Mr. Strettel, & Mr. Shoemaker, hav- ing now delivered in to the Board their Report and Return made pursuant to the Order of Council of the 25th of January last, for viewing & (if they found it necessary) laying out the Road leading from Philadelphia, thro' Frankford, towards Bristol; the same was read, & after due and full Consideration had of it by the Board the same was approved of, Confirmed, and Allowed, & ordered to be laid out accordingly, & to be Recorded in the Council Book as a King's Highway or Publick Road, as the Act of Assembly in such Case directs; And the Secretary is ordered forthwith to prepare Warrants or Orders to the respective Overseers of the Highways of the several Precincts & Townships thro' which any part of the said Road leads, that the same be forthwith cleared and opened in such parts as require it, & that the whole be with all convenient Speed laid out, cleared, and opened, according to the said Survey and Re- turn.
Pursuant to the Order of the Honourable the Governor & Coun- cil of the Twenty-fifth Day of January last, referring it to Us the Subscribers to view the Road leading from the City of Philadelphia through Frankford towards Bristol, and in case we 'shou'd judge it necessary to be Surveyed and Laid out De Novo to take to our As- sistance the Surveyor General, and to cause it to be done and make Return thereof to the Council in order for Confirmation, We do humbly Certify and Report to the Honourable the Governor and Council that we have viewed and with the Assistance of William Parsons, the Surveyor General, Re-surveyed the said Road, and finding that the same as now laid out and used is neither agreable to the Survey and Return made pursuant to the Order of Council of the seventh of May, 1725, nor so commodiously laid out as it might be, but in many Places very inconvenient & injurious to the Plantations & Settlements thereabouts; We have, therefore, to the best of our Skill & Judgment, now Surveyed and Laid out the said Road so as to render the same more direct and commodious for the Publick, and more convenient for the adjacent Settlements according to the following Return, Viz: Beginning at the Place of Intersec- tion of the North side of Vine Street & the East side of Front Street near Penny Pott Landing, and from thence extending the Course of Front Street North eighteen Degrees ten minutes East sixty four perches opposite to the Bridge near Poole's Point, thence the same Course one hundred and fifty-one perches more to a stake, thence South seventy-five Degrees East along the Causey of Long Bridge fifty-two perches to a Corner, thence North five Degrees East one hundred and sixty-nine perches opposite to Captain Palmer's old Road, thence North thirty-nine Degrees and a-half East sixty perches to Hanover street, & thence the same Course sixty-six perches to Adam Klemper's Land, thence North forty-two degrees twenty Minutes East two hundred and ninety-six perches opposite to John Moland's Corner, thence North sixty-seven Degrees and a-half East
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MINUTES OF THE
one hundred and fifty-six perches to a Corner between John Dil- wyn's and Rawle's Land, thence North sixty-two and an half De- grees East eighty-two perches to Gunner's Run, and the same Course seventy-three perches to a corner seven perches beyond Robert Worthington's Fence, thence North fifty-four degrees East one hun- dred and fifty-four perches to a stone, thence North-East one hun- dred and thirty-five perches to Frankford Creek Bridge, thence North twenty-seven Degrees and a-half East twenty perches to a marked Sassafras on the North side of Frankford Creek, thence along the Ground late of Enoch Coats, deceas'd, North forty-six Degrees East thirty-one perches to a marked Cherry Tree, and the same Course crossing the said Creek six perches to the Bridge over the Mill Race, thence North thirty-one Degrees East over an old Field of Henry Paul one hundred and twenty-one perches to a marked black oak tree in the old Road five Miles from the Begin- ging, thence North forty degrees East two hundred and fifty-one perches to a marked black oak, thence North fifty-four Degrees East one hundred and thirty perches to the Road from Tackony to Oxford Church, thence over the Personage Land North seventy-nine de- grees East one hundred and twenty-four perches to the Middle of the old Road, North eighty-six Degrees East one hundred and twelve perches to a stump of the old seven Mile tree, then leaving the old Road North sixty degrees East over John Shallcross's Land one hundred and twelve perches to a post in John Kene's Field, thence along Kene's Land North sixty-seven Degrees East sixty- four perches to a marked cherry Tree near Kene's House, thence the same Course eighty-five perches to a marked spanish oak Tree in the old Road, North sixty-one Degrees East thirty-two perches to the old marked eight Mile black oak Tree, thence the same Course about Sixty-four perches more to Lower Dublin Township, and thence the same Course one hundred and twenty-eight perches to a marked spanish oak, thence North seventy-eight Degrees twenty minutes East one hundred and thirty-two perches, one perch short of a spanish oak marked nine Miles from the Beginning, thence North seventy-two Degrees East eighty-two perches to a stump, thence along the Causey and Bridge over Pemmepeck Creek South eighty-two Degrees East forty-three perches, thence North forty- eight Degrees forty minutes East two hundred perches to the Ten Mile hickery tree marked in Joseph Boor's Lane, thence the same Course one hundred and twelve perches to a marked black oak, thence North fifty-three Degrees East one hundred perches, thence over the Land late of Evan Thomas, deceased, North seventy-seven Degrees East one hundred and seventy-two perches to a marked white oak in Septimus Robinson's Lane, and thence over the said Septimus Robinson's Land North sixty-three Degrees East one hundred and ninety perches to the Ford over Poquessing Creek near the Widow Amos', being in all Eleven Miles and three Quar- ters.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Witness our Hands and Seals the Fifth Day of April, Anno Domini, 1747.
Benja. Shoemaker [L. s.], Robt Strettell [L. s.], Sam1. Hasell [L. s. ], Tho. Lawrence [L. S. ]
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 4th May, 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor.
Anthony Palmer,
Thomas Lawrence, )
Samuel Hasell, William Till,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Esqrs.
Benjamin Shoemaker,
The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and ap- proved.
A Petition was presented to the Governor by Nicholas Craft & Peter Widowfield, of the Northern Liberties of the City of Phila- delphia, purporting that the Road lately laid out from the City of Philadelphia through Frankfort towards Bristol would prove inju- rious to the Petitioners, as it would take in part of the Front of two Lots whereon they were building ; and praying that the said Road might either be continued on its former Course, or some other Re- lief afforded them.
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