USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 45
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79
" I am your Honour's most obedient humble Servant.
"EDWD. SHIPPEN."
432
MINUTES OF THE
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 25th June, 1755.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
John Penn, Benjamin Shomaker, Esquires.
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
A Message sent to the House on the Twenty-First Instant in Answer to theirs about laying General Braddock's Letter before them was read in these words :
" Gentlemen :
"In answer to your Message of the Sixteenth Instant I think it necessary to observe to You that whoever is by the Proprietary Ap- pointment and the Royal Approbation made Governor of this Pro- vince has a Right to call the Assembly together whenever he may think it necessary for the Public Service, and from Time to Time as he shall judge proper, either by Speech or Messages, are a suffi- cient Foundation for them to proceed upon.
" As to the Letter from General Braddock, which by a verbal Message you desired might be laid before You, I informed You by your own Messengers that it contain'd several matters I thought it improper to publish to the World, and for that Reason could not trust it with the House unless they would give me some Assurance that it should not be printed. This Step I thought the more neces- sary as You had but a little Time ago printed and published the Secretary of State's Letter to me signifying his Majesty's Designs and Commands with respect to the French, notwithstanding my Desire that You would not; and when You were informed that I had directed the Printers not to publish those Letters, you were pleased by the Plentitute of your own Power to order them immedi- ately to proceed to the Publication of those Letters, which they accordingly did ; and this You claim a Right of doing as to all Pa- pers that are laid before You. After this, Gentlemen, You cannot be at a Loss for the Reason of my Caution upon the present Occa- sion-being answerable for every Secret of State that shall be con- municated to me by the King's Ministers, or those employed in his Majesty's Service, and am and from the nature of my Station must be the sole and only Judge what Letters or Paper that come to me on his Majesty's Service are proper to be made publick.
" I did not imagine You could be at any Loss as to the Assu- rance I expect on this Head; but that You may remain no longer so a Promise of the House, signified by a Message either verbal or otherwise, is what I expect, and whenever You will give it the Let-
433
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
ter You desire shall be laid before You ; but till that or something tantamount is done You must excuse me if I do not communicate it.
" As you seem to think in the Close of your Message that this is a trivial matter, You may waive it consistent with such Opin- ion, I who think far otherwise cannot do it.
"ROBT. H. MORRIS.
". June 21, 1755."
Several Letters relating to the New Road were sent to the House on the Twentieth Instant, and ordered when return'd to be en- tered in the Council Book.
A Letter to Governor Morris from Mr. James Burd.
" FROM THE ROADS LEADING TO THE OHIO, 12th June, 1755.
" Sir :
" We have the Honour of your Favours of the 4th Currant, it gives Us an infinite Pleasure that what we have done gives your Honour Satisfaction. We shall endeavour to do our Duty at all times in putting the Governor's Orders into Execution, and shall be proud to know your Mind from Time to Time as your honour's Convenience will permit.
"We have at present } of our Body laying at the Ford of Ju- niata, which is by measure 28 Miles from Anthony Thomson's, having a good deal of digging to do down to the Ford and can't employ all the Hands upon it for want of digging Tools; we expect to finish here to-morrow or early next Day, our J. B's has meas- ured up to Juniata, we suppose that the other half of our Body that's gone cutting ahead may be about 4 Miles off not being as yet measured ; our numbers have not increased since J. B's last to Mr. Peters. We hope to be at Ray's Town against the middle of next week or towards the end of the week.
" We have appointed Samuel Smith, Esq", to purchase Provi- sions for us, as we have been very much disappointed hitherto; it not being the Business of any particular man We did not know how to apply. Mr. Smith has promised Us to devote his Time to this Service, and to employ such Hands to assist him as will an- swer the End effectually of having Us regularly supplied; we have been several Times that we did not know of Dinner for the People, which is a horrid Situation, as the Consequence wou'd have been (had not We got an immediate Supply,) We must have march'd home.
" We shall make the proper Inquiry and give that Assistance to the General We can, in all Respects, agreeable to the Second Para- VOL. VI .- 28.
434
MINUTES OF THE
graph of your Honour's Letter, and shall advise You from Time to Time.
" The General and all the Army are march'd from Wills' creek.
" We are with Esteem your Honour's most obedient humble Servant,
"JAMES BURD." 9
A Letter to Mr. Richard Peters from Messrs. William Allison & Wm. Maxwell.
" CONEGOCHEGE, 12th June, 1755.
" Sir :
" We were at the Camp and return'd by the new Road the 6th Instant ; We left them within two Miles and a half of Juniata Creek, the Road from there to Anthony Thomson's is better than could possibly be expected considering the mountainous Country it is taken through. Sideling Hill is cut very Artificially, nay more so than We ever saw any ; the first waggon that carried a Load up it took fifteen Hundred without ever stopping. We think it would be no Hardship for any reasonable Team and Waggon to carry over it twenty hundred, so exceeding well contrived is the Road over this bad Mountain ; for four Days the Labourers had not one Glass of Liquor, which caused a very great murmuring amongst them ; We can assure You that Mr. Burd had his own Difficulties to keep them. John Smith, Esqr., was to furnish them with Waggons, Liquor, and Provisions ; he sent one Waggon with some small Quantity of Flower, but none since. In my stay at the Camp there came an Express to my House from the Road, intimating their Necessity for Want of Liquor and Provisions ; my Son next Day put out for the Road with my Waggon, a little Way from home the Horses broke away with the Waggon and all except the Boys, and in their Race they struck against a Tree and overset the Waggon, wherewith one of my Horse's Legs was broke and another Horse sorely Hurt ; the Waggon was pretty much damnified. We are at a Loss to know how to do upon the Account of John Smith's Proposals. We can't get Waggons nor Liquor at his Prices, so the People assures Mr. Burd that when they fall scarce by neglect of their Providers, as they did before, that they will leave off working. Meat has got very scarce in this County ; the Waggons with the last of the Bacon left John McDowell's the 9th Instant, the 10th Instant We got one Waggon Load which is all We know of; if the Labourers want Pro- visions You have no Ground to blame Us, for We neither were em- powered to buy nor get Moneys, but have done so for to serve the Public. The Waggoners generally refuse to go back on the Terms, and there is now a fresh call for a Number of more Waggons to go to the Camp upon the former Terms of the Camp, which the People
435
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
rather chuses to do, therefore Measures must directly be fallen into to procure Waggons and Beef Cattle for the Labourers. Salt meat is entirely done in this Country; there are a considerable Quantity of Provisions daily expended now at the Road, so beg that You may concert Measures to provide for them and the two Companies of Men which are to be sent to cover the Labourers directly, which of Consequence will destroy a considerable Quantity more. We rest, "Sir, Your Honour's humble Servant, "WM. ALLISON, "WILLM. MAXWELL."
-
A Letter to Mr. Richard Peters from Mr. William Buchannan. "CARLISLE, 15th June, 1755.
" Sir :
"Last night I received a Letter from Samuel Smith, Esqr-, in- forming me that at the Request of the other Commissioners he has purchased a considerable Number of Beef Cattle and a great Quantity of Whiskey for the Use of the People at the Roads, for which he promised ready Money, and requested I'd send him up the Cash. I sent him ninety Pounds this morning @ Mr. Potter, which is all that remained in my Hands of the Money that was sent up for that Purpose, which will not be sufficient to discharge one- half of what he has already purchased, therefore I think there ought to be more Cash sent up # first Opportunity, at least what will be sufficient for purchasing necessary Provisions, otherwise the Business will be retarded and they bought at a much greater Expence.
"By Mr. Swaine, who came from Shippensburg this morning, We have Account that the Road Cutters have got to Ray's Town.
" I am, Sir, Your humble Servant, "W BUCANNAN."
-
A Letter to Mr. Richard Peters from Mr. James Burd.
" ALLOGUEEPY'S TOWN, 17th June, 1755. " 34} Miles from Anthony Thompson's. $ " Sir :
" I have your agrecable Favours of the 5th Currant, acknowledg- ing the Receit of mine of the 31st Ult. I observe the Assembly does not chuse to be concerned in furnishing Us with Arms, &cª, for which there's no Help. I received a Letter two Days ago from Mr. George Croghan from the little Meadows by order of Sir John St. Clair, desiring me to send an Express letting him know when I shou'd want an Escort, and Yesterday I received Advice by a Mes-
436
MINUTES OF THE
senger that was on his Way to Col. Johnson at Albany, that Capt. Hogg with a hundred Men were on their March to Us to escort Us, and would be with Us this Night or to-morrow ; it gives me some Concern in our present Situation, as We have not 3 Days' Provisions for our own Company, which is about 200 Men, and We shall be badly off if We are not better supplied when Capt Hogg arrives.
" The two Gentlemen, Mr. Smith and Mr. Byers, that You ap- pointed to come here desire that no more Men might be sent here, as they are of Opinion We have enough, and indeed if we are not better supplied with Provisions I must join in Sentiments. I can't tell what is the Meaning of it that We are always run so close that when Supplies arrive We have but a Day or Two's Provision in Store. This makes the People uneasy, and as We are now in Dan- ger, there is some of our People would be glad of a Handle.
"By the above Messenger I have Advice verbally that there was another Regiment arrived at Bethhaven from England, and that 60 Men of said Regiment he saw march into the Camp at Wills' Creek. He says further, that there was certain Intelligence at the English Camp when he left it that 150 French and French Indians were on their March towards the English Army with Intention to destroy their Horses if possible.
"Our Company upon the Roads are in two Divisions, the fore- most Division this Night will be about five Miles ahead of Us, and to-morrow morning We shall finish here and march up to them to Ray's Town. I am, Sir,
" Your most obedient Servant, "JAMES BURD."
Another Letter to Mr. Peters from Mr. Burd. "RAY's TOWN, 19th June, 1755.
" Sir :
" I wrote You a few Days ago advising You that I was informed that Capt Hogg was on his March towards Us, and on Monday Evening he arrived with Us here with one hundred Men under his Command and two Lieutenants. He immediately applied to Us to know our Orders regarding him, and told Us that he was sent by his Excellency General Braddock to cover Us; that he had brought with him only two Days' Provisions, and that the General expected he should be supplied by Us; but if We did not agree to it he would dispatch an Express immediately for a Regular Supply. We told him We had no Instructions concerning this Affair, but that We apprehended our Province intended to supply him, and We would take it upon Us till further Orders. We should be glad by the first Opportunity to know our Governor's Pleasure respecting this Affair, as likewise if any particular Provision should be made for the Entertainment of Capt. Hogg and his Officers.
437
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
" We are all in good Spirits and our Road seems to give a general Satisfaction, but We just now received a Letter from Mr. William Maxwell, dated the 11th Currt-, letting Us know that the Waggoners are all determined not to come to Us any more except We allow them the same Wages General Braddock does, viz', 15s. # Day, and for his Part he will not allow his to come any more, and desires Us not to be disappointed. If the People who have their Waggons entered in our Service should draw back it will throw Us into great confusion. I am, Sir,
" Your most obedient Servant, "JAMES BURD."
A Message from the House with a Bill entituled " An Act for striking the Sum of Fifteen Thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit, and giving the same to the King's Use, and for providing a Fund for sinking the Bills so to be emitted ;" and another Bill entituled " An Act for striking the Sum of Ten Thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit, to exchange such of those now by Law current within this Province as are torn and defaced," were read.
-
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor :
" As all the Purposes of the Bill for granting Twenty Five Thou- sand Pounds to the King's Use, to which the Governor refused his Assent, could not be answered by our subsequent actual Gift of Fifteen Thousand Pounds out of the Monies in the Disposition of this House, but the Sum intended for the general Fund subject to the Orders of General Braddock, and the Sum for defraying Indian Expences, cutting of new Roads for the better supplying the King's Troops, Hiring of Carriages, Payment of Expresses, and other con- tingent Charges for the King's Service remained unprovided, and our Treasury by that Gift is almost exhausted. We now send up a new Bill, to give the additional Sam of Fifteen Thousand Pounds for those Purposes, Ten Thousand Pounds whereof is for the said general Fund, in which Bill We have carefully followed the Act passed by Governor Thomas in 1746, for granting Five Thousand Pounds for the King's Usc, and the other Acts relating to our Bills of Credit confirmed by the Crown on the Twenty-ninth of October, 1748, from which Acts so confirmed the enacting Clauses, so far as they could be made agreeable to our present Circumstances, have been inserted in this Bill, that every Objection arising from the Royal Instruction to Colonel Thomas in 1740 might be obviated by a direct decision of the highest Authority ; And as that Confirma- tion of our Acts, which We presume will have its due Weight with our Governor, may be more certainly known to him than it appears
438
MINUTES OF THE
to have hitherto been, We take the liberty of sending him the original Confirmation.
"We have only to entreat the Governor would be pleased to give this Bill all the Dispatch in his Power, as our long Sitting at this Time is in every Respect inseasonable, and the Presence of many of our Members is now absolutely necessary at their Homes for the better Security of their Harvests under their present calamitous Circumstances.
"Sign'd by Order of the House, " ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. "21st June, 1755."
Then the Minutes containing the Settlement of last Year's Ac- counts were examin'd carefully, and the Governor at his own Instance was informed of the true State of the Publick Money, and finding at the Close of the last Year's Minutes that £3,302 6 8 of the Money struck for Exchange was in the Trustees Hands, he sent the following Message to the House :
" Gentlemen-
" I am informed that many of the Bills of Credit now Current are in a bad Condition and require to be exchanged, but I observe by the Settlement of Accounts at the Close of your last Year's printed Minutes that the Trustees of the Loan Office then had in their Hands the Sum of Three Thousand Three Hundred and Two Pounds Six Shillings and Eight Pence of the Money formerly struck for exchanging ragged and defaced Bills; therefore before I give my Assent to the Bill now under my Consideration I desire to know what Part of the said Sum has been exchanged since the last Settlement, and how much is now remaining in the Hands of the Trustees.
"ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" Philadelphia, June 25, 1755."
The Bill for granting Fifteen Thousand Pounds was read a second Time Paragraph by Paragraph, and several Amendments made to it and then sent to the House.
At a Council held at Philadelphia on Friday the 27th June, 1755.
PRESENT :
The Honble. ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor.
John Penn, Richard Peters,
Lyndford Lardner, - Esquires.
The Governor laid before the Council a Letter from Governor
439
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Shirley of the 23d Instant with his Message, which he sent to the House along with it Yesterday :
A Letter to Governor Morris from Governor Shirley.
" BOSTON, June 23d, 1755. " Sir :
" I am to inform your Honour that on the 21st Instant the Gene- ral Assembly of this Province ordered a Bill to be brought in to lay an Embargo upon all Vessels laden with Provisions (Fish only excepted) or with Warlike Stores, unless what are necessary for the Voyage, for the space of One Month ; provided, Nevertheless, that the Governor or Commander-in-Chief for the Time being with the Advice of the Council may permit a Supply to be sent to the Army and Navy with necessary Provisions within that Time.
" They have likewise desired me to write forthwith to the other Governments informing them of this Determination of this Govern- ment, and to desire that they wou'd immediately come into the same Resolution for 3 Months, in which Case this Government will con- tinue the like Embargo here for 3 Months also.
" As there is certain advice of a French Fleet being seen the 5th Instant about 40 Leagues from Louisbourgh, and there is great Reason to think that the French there as well as at Canada are but scantily supplied with Provisions, I doubt not but your Govern- ment will act in concert with us in this matter. Being much straitned in Time and the Post just going, I must pray your Honour to send Copies of this to Governor Dinwiddie and Governor Sharpe.
"I am, with great Respect, " Sir, Your Honour's most obedient humb. Servt.,
"W. SHIRLEY.
" The Honble. ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esqr."
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" Governor Shirley has represented to Me that Notwithstanding the Measures taken in the several Colonies to prevent the supplying the French with Provisions, a Trade of that kind is carried on under the Pretence of going to Newfoundland, for preventing which within his Government the Legislature have passed a Law which I have ordered to be laid before You, together with Governor Shirley's Letter to Me upon that Head, and agreable to his Request recom- mend it to You to fall upon Methods effectually to prevent such a Trade from this Province.
" ROBT. HUNTER MORRIS."
440
MINUTES OF THE
The Assembly by Two Members deliver'd the following Message to the Governor on Wednesday Night :
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor:
" By the Report of a Committee of our House we find that it appears by the last Year's Accounts the Remainder of the Exchange Money was then Three Thousand Three Hundred and Two Pounds Six Shillings and Eight Pence, about Two Thousand Pounds whereof by the best Judgment the Trustees can make is now in their Hands in order to be sunk by our present Committee, but as this is not the usual Time of settling the Account of the Year the Sum cannot be exactly ascertained without much Trouble, as it consists for the most part of Bills of the smallest Denominations which are much torn and defaced. This Sum when sunk wou'd leave about Thirteen Hundred Pounds in their Hands for exchanging torn and Ragged Bills, which may probably be brought in by the Time our accounts are settled, and by that means those Acts may be finally compleated.
" Signed by Order of the House. "ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.
" Philadelphia, June 25th, 1755, P. M."
The Bill for granting Fifteen Thousand Pounds to the King's use was Yesterday returned to the Governor, with a Message "That the House adhered to the Bill and desired to know if he was willing to pass it into a Law as it then stood."
The Bill " for Striking the Sum of Ten Thousand Pounds for Exchanging of torn and defaced Bills, &ca., was read, considered, & amended, and sent to the House with the Amendments, which are in these Words, to wit :
" Amendments to the Bill entituled ' An Act for striking Ten Thousand Pounds for exchanging ragged and Torn Bills, &ca'
" Page 13. Dele from the Word [and] in the 10th Line to the word [aforesaid] in the sixth Line of Page 14, both inclusive, and in place thereof insert the Words following : And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Trustees of the Loan Office for the Time being, and each of them before they issue in Exchange any of the Bills by this Act ordered to be struck, shall respectively take an Oath or Affirmation in the Form and Words following, that is to say :
"'I, A B, do swear (or I, A B, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm) that I will not directly or indirectly issue or dispose of, or knowingly suffer to be issued or disposed of, any Bill or Bills of Credit Struck by Virtue of An Act of General Assem- bly passed in the Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Ninth Years of the Reign of King George the Second, entituled " An Act for striking
441
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
the Sum of Ten Thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit to exchange such of those now by Law Current within this Province as are torn and defaced." But only in exchange for Ragged, torn, or defaced Bills of Credit now by Law current, or that shall hereafter be by Law current within this Province, unless I am au- thorized so to do by Act of General Assembly.'
" Which Oath or Affirmation any one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace within this Province is impowered and required to ad- minister, who shall certify the same under His Hand and Seal into the Secretary's Office of this Province within Ten Days after ad- ministering the said Oath or Affirmation.
" ROBT. H. MORRIS."
A Message from the House by Two Members who desire to know if the Governor had come to any Result on the Bill for granting Fifteen Thousand Pounds to the King's Use, the Message was read in these Words :
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor :
" The power of calling the Assembly together whenever the pub- lic Service requires it, in the intermediate Time of their Adjourn- ments, we presume is and ought to be lodged in the Governor of this Province, and we do not recollect any Instance in which it has been either disputed or disobeyed; So long as that Power is duly exercised the sudden and unforseen Exigences of Government are provided for, the Assemblies empowered to act at all Times for the public Good, and the People themselves obliged, and accordingly we find the Representatives when thus summoned repeatedly ac- knowledging the Governor's Care in calling them together by his Writs, in which the Reasons have generally been inserted, and a proper Regard has been shewn to the Convenience of the Members in their Harvests and at the other unseasonable Times of the Year, or when the public affairs were pressing a suitable Dispatch has been given on the Part of our Governors without studied Delays or introducing Matters of small Importance directly tending to frus- trate the Ends for which they were called together; and under this Oeconomy the Members have chearfully attended whenever the public Business has unavoidably interfered with their private In- terest. But should our Governor consider this Power as a Power of bringing us together at a great expence to the Country merely to shew their abilities in contriving new Modes or making new De- mands upon the People to obstruct the Ends of their Meeting, we apprehend it will answer no valuable Purposes.
" The Governor is pleased to inform us that as he has a Power to sumon Us by his Writs he has also a Right by Speech or Message to lay before Us the Business he has to recommend, and that his
442
MINUTES OF THE
Speeches or Messages are a sufficient Foundation for the Assembly to proceed upon ; And it may occasionally be true. But when His Writs are issued upon Letters or Advices referred to in his Speeches and Messages, we conceive the original Papers ought to be laid be- fore Us as has ever been the Practice in this Province, And a differ- ent Conduct at this Time can Tend only to create a Misunderstanding between the several Branches of the Legislature, and obstruct the Ends for which he has called us together.
" By the Governor's Message of the 24th of December last we are told That ' the Conduct of his Predecessor is no Rule to him, nor will his be for any one that may succeed him." But however Governors may be changed, or with whatever Views they may suc- ceed one another, it will become the People to make their own Actions consistent, which we conceive can only be done by making such original Papers as the Governor shall think fit to lay before Us the Rule of our Proceedings. It is true the Governor has told us Repeatedly that upon Our printing the Secretary of State's Let- ter we cou'd not be at a Loss for the Reason of his Caution in lay- ing General Braddock's Letter before the House ; but when we consider the full Answer already given to that objection we are really at a Loss to conceive why He shou'd think it of any Weight, unless he can show that the Printing it disclosed any of His Majesty's Designs and Commands with respect to the French not more generally known before by his own Messages, the Publick Prints, and the Speeches of other Governors, than they could be by our publishing them in our Votes, especially as it was commu- nicated to us without the least Caution, and was actually printed before we had any Knowledge of the Governor's objection to it.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.