USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VIII > Part 46
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" It is his Majesty's pleasure that you do with particular Dili- gence, immediately collect and put into the best condition, all the arms issued last campaign, which can be anywise rendered service- able, or that can be found within your Government, in order that the same may be employed as far as they will go in this Exigency. I am at the same time to acquaint you that a reasonable supply of Arms will be sent from England, to replace such as may have been lost or have become unfit for future service.
" I am further to inform you that similar Orders are sent by this Conveyance to Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"The Northern Governments are also directed to raise men in the same manner, to be employed in such offensive Operations as the Circumstance and situation of the Enemy's possessions in those parts may point out, which, it is hoped, will oblige them so to di- vide their attention and Forces, as will render the several attempts more easy & Successful.
" It is unnecessary to add anything to animate your zeal in the Execution of his majesty's orders on this great Occasion, where the future safety and Welfare of America, and of your own province in particular, are so nearly concerned ; and the King doubts not, from your known Fidelity & attachment, that you will employ yourself with the utmost Application & Dispatch in this promising and de- cisive Crisis.
" I am, Sir, Your most Obedient humble Servant, "W. PITT."
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A Letter to the Governor from His Excellency General Amherst.
"NEW YORK, 21st February, 1760.
" Sir :
" With his Majestie's Commands for the Reduction of all Canada, received last night, I likewise had the copy of Mr. Secretary Pitt's
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circular Letter to the Northern and Southern Governors, of the seventh of January last, the original of which goes inclosed, and whereby you will see that his Majesty having nothing so much at heart as to improve the great and important advantages gained the last Campaign in North America, and not doubting that all his faithfull and brave subjects there will continue most chearfully to co-operate with and second to the utmost the large expence and extraordinary succors supplied by the Kingdom of Great Britain for their preservation and future security ; and his Ma- jesty considering that the several Provinces, from Pennsylvania inclusive to the Southward, are well able, with proper Encour- agement to furnish a body of several Thousand men to join the King's forces in those parts for some offensive operations against the Enemy, and his majesty not judging it expedient to limit the zeal and ardour of any of his provinces by making a re- partition of the Forces to be raised by each, respectively, for this most important Service, he (Mr. Seretary Pitt), is commanded to signify to you the King's pleasure, that you do forthwith use your utmost endeavors & influence with the Council and Assembly of your province, to induce them to raise, with all possible dispatch, within your Government, at least as large a Body of men as they did for the last Campaign, and even as many more as the number of its Inhabitants may allow, and forming the same into Regi- ments, as far as shall be found convenient ; that you direct them to hold themselves in readiness, as early as may be, to march to the Rendezvous, at such place or places as may be named for that pur- pose by the Commander-in-Chief of his Majestie's Forces in ame- rica, or by the Officer who shall be appointed the King's Forces in those parts, in order to proceed from thence, in Conjunction with a body of his Majesty's British Forces, and under the supream Com- mand of the Oficer to be appointed as above, so as to be in a Situa- tion to begin by the first of May, if possible, or as soon after, as shall be any way practicable, such offensive Operations as shall be judged by the Commander of his Majestie's Forces in those parts. most expedient for annoying the Enemy.
" As the King's directions on the foregoing subject are so fully stated in the above abstract, I have only to request that you will exert your utmost Endeavours to incite and encourage you Assem- bly to the full and due execution of the King's Commands, in a matter so essential to the future Welfare and prosperity of the sev- eral Provinces, and the success of the ensuing decisive, and (it is greatly hoped) last Campaign in North America; which desirable ends cannot be better attained than by commencing the Operations as early as shall be practicable; and that nothing may be left un- done, that is possible for me to attempt, in the execution of his majesty's Commands, I must be urgent with you to quicken and expedite the Levies of your province, so that they may be as- sembled at the Rendezvous, which I shall hereafter appoint, by the tenth of April next, at furtherest.
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"I have also in command from his Majesty, to recommend to you the collecting, and putting into a proper Condition, all the arms that can be any wise rendered serviceable, or that can be found within your Government, in order that the same may be em- ployed, as far as they will go in this exigency ; as a further reason for which, I refer you to my Letter of the sixteenth of February, 1759, and now offer you the same Encouragement I did then, vizt: that for every one of such arms as any of your Men shall bring with them, and that may be spoiled or lost in actual service, I will pay at the rate of Twenty-five Shillings a Fire lock.
" From this encouragement, and your known Fidelity and attach- ment to his Majesty, I have no Doubt of your exerting yourself to the utmost on this great Occasion, where the future Safety and Wel- fare of America, and of your own province in particular, are so nearly concerned.
"I am, with great Regard, Sir, " Your most Obedient Humble Servant, "JEFF. AMHERST.
"P. S. The Albany Sloop-of-War, which brought the inclosed Dispatches, will Sail again for England in Ten days."
A second Letter to the Governor from His Excellency, General Amherst.
" NEW YORK, February 21st, 1760. " Sir :
"Just after I had closed my circular Letter, of this Date, to the several Governors of his Majestie's provinces and Colonies on this Continent, of which you will herewith receive one, I was favoured with your's of the sixteenth instant, covering your Message to the Assembly, in consequence of my request of the thirty-first of Jan- uary, and their answer thereto, whereby I see that they intirely de- cline entering upon the Consideration of a new Levy, until the amount of the aids demanded by the King, as well as the purpose for which they are intended, shall be laid before them, in which case they promise a continuance of the same Zeal for promoting his Majesty's service, which they have so repeatedly manifested in the Course of the War.
"As I have the satisfaction to accompany this with Dispatches, which must fully answer those ends, I rely on their promise, and trust they will raise, for the services of the ensuing Campaign, at least as many, if not more, men than they did for the last. "I am, with great regard, Sir,
"Your most Obedient humble Servant, " JEFF. AMHERST."
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A Bill entituled "An Act more effectually to prevent the expor- tation of Bread not merchantable," presented to the Governor for his Concurrence, was read, considered, and the following Amend- ments made thereto :
Amendments to a Bill entituled "An Act more effectually to pre- vent the Exportation of Bread not Merchantable."
" Page 23d. Line 8, Dele the words [Assembly appoints] and say [Governor and Assembly shall appoint].
"Page 31. Line 5, After the word the, say Governor and.
At the close of the Bill, insert the following Clause :
"[And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that this Act shall continue in force for the Term of Six Years and no longer. ]
" 26th February, 1760."
The Bill was returned to the Governor, with a Message that the House adhered to their Bill.
The Governor returned the Bill with the following paper to the Assembly.
[Paper omitted in Minute Book. ]
The Governor informed the Council that on the 21st Instant, he had received a Letter from justice West, of Carlisle, acquainting him of a most cruel murder having been committed on an Indian called Doctor John and a little Boy of his, and that there was reason to think his Wife was also murdered; and Captain Calender coming to Town from Carlisle, his Honour had examined him, and by him was told that an inquest had been taken by the Coroner on the Bodies of said Doctor John & a male Child, two Delaware In- dians in friendship with us, and that it was the Opinion and verdict of the Jury that they were willfully murdered by some persons unknown; And it was further said by Captain Calender, that there was reason to believe Doctor John's Wife and her child were also murdered, whereupon the Governor sent a verbale Message to the House informing them of this matter, & recommending it to them to join with him in offering a reward for the detecting and appre- hending the murderers, and immediately after the Message was de- livered, the Speaker told the Secretary that a Message had been just sent by the House to the Governor to the same purport, and that a proclamation had issued under the Great Seal, offering a reward of an hundred pounds for such discovery, which follows hereafter.
A letter was dispatched to Frederick Post, desiring him forthe with to make Teedyuscung and the Indians at Wyomink acquainted with these murders and the issuing of this proclamation, and to assure him that no pains should be spared to discover and punish the authors, and not to omit any Ceremonies it were proper & usual on this Occasion.
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" By the Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor & Commander-in- Chief of the Province of Penn- sylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Dela- ware,
"A PROCLAMATION.
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" WHEREAS, information has been given to me that an Indian man and an Indian Boy were lately found murdered within a few mile of the Town of Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland, by persons unknown, and an Indian Women and Child of the same Family were missing and supposed to be killed ; And Whereas, such hor- rid practices may, in the present critical situation of Affairs with the Indian Nations, be attended with the most grievous Conse- quences to the Inhabitants, by renewing all the dismal Calamities of an Indian War, I have therefore thought fit to issue This, my Proclamation, hereby strictly requiring and enjoining all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, Officers Civil and Military, and all other his Majesty's Liege Subjects within this province, to make diligent search and enquiry after the Authors, perpetrators, Abettors and Accomplices of the said Murders ; and, for their Encouragement, I do hereby offer and promise the reward of One hundred pounds for each and every person who shall be discovered, apprehended and convicted of the aforesaid murders, or of being in any wise aiding, assisting or abetting the same ; And Whereas, it is of the utmost consequence that a good understanding and friendly intercourse should be cultivated and preserved, and the Treaties of peace and Friendship lately concluded between his majesty's subjects and the several Indian Nations be inviolably observed, I do hereby further strictly enjoin and require all his Majesty's subjects within this Government to avoid all Quarrels and Contentions with any Indians who either do reside or are passing thro' this province, and earnestly. recommend it as a measure highly conducive to the safety and peace thereof, to treat all the Indians with Civility and Brotherly Kind- ness.
" Given under my Hand & the Great Seal of the said province at Philadelphia, this twenty-first day of February, in the Thirty-third year of his Majestie's Reign, & in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty.
" JAMES HAMILTON.
"N. B. One hundred pounds makes two hundred & sixty- seyen dollars."
The Secretary informed the Governor that he and Mr. Hockley, as Proprietary Agents, had been at Carlisle, attending the Commis- sioners of the County of Cumberland on an Appeal from the As- sessment of the proprietary Estate in that County, which they looked upon to be illegal and exorbitant, and desired Leave to re-
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port the same to the Governor, in order to be laid before the Assem- bly ; and further informed the Governor, that in their return home, having heard at Lancaster that the Conestogo Indians were not well taken care of, and had expressed a good deal of uneasiness at the neglect of them, they paid them a visit to enquire after their health, which was returned very kindly by those Indians ; and at their re- quest they held a Conference with them, which was committed to writing, and was read in these words :
" At a Conference with the Conestogo Indians at Lancaster, the 15th day of February, 1760.
" PRESENT :
"Richard Peters, and
" Richard Hockley, Esquires.
"Sewees, Billy, Sack, John, 5 young Boys.
'. Peggy, Interpreter.
" Sewees, by a string of Wampum, did let us know that he was extreamly well pleased with our visit to him; and our enquiry after his Health, and that we took notice of the Women and Children. He returns his thanks to us for this, and likewise for desiring to know if he or his people were in want of anything.
" He then told us that he was old and unable to get his Lively- hood; that his Young men had not so much as a bit of Powder or Lead to shoot a Bird with.
"John Ross, when alive, promised him a supply of necessaries, but he has received nothing since his Death, and desires we will let the Governor know this.
" A String.
" ' Canrach Caghera :
"' I am very glad of the Opportunity of seeing you here ; I have long wished to have seen somebody at Lancaster that I could speak with; old William Penn had a particular regard for the Conestogo Indians ; he loved, indeed, all the Indians, but there was a singular love between him and the people who came with him, and the Cones- togo Indians. We are now but a few, and I am grown old. I give you this Belt, and desire you will hold fast your old Love & con- tinue to be as kind as ever ; Deliver it to the Governor, & tell him we have ever held fast our Friendship with William penn's people, and desire he will do the same; I speak for my young men, and all the Women and Children, whom I put under his protection.
"' You may, perhaps, think I will go away, but I tell you I will always stay at Conestogo, and these that are with me will stay too. You must be my mouth to the Governor, and acquaint him with our intention, and that we hope he will be as kind to us as Wm. Penn, and all the Governors to this time.'"
N. B. This was communicated by the Governor to the Provin- cial Commissioners, & two persons were appointed to supply them with necessaries.
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The Indian Agents at Fort Augusta having acquainted the Gov- ernor that John Chickasalary was there, and desired to speak with Conrad Weiser, the Secretary had been desired to write to Mr. Weiser to take the trouble of a Journey to Shamokin, and had re- ceived his answer, that he was too much indisposed to go himself, but would send his Son Sammy, if it was agreeable to the Gover- nor, and accordingly Samuel Weiser was ordered to go to hear what John Chickasalary had to say."
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" On the 27th February, two Members delivered to the Gover- nor a message from the House, acquainting him that they had re- solved to raise Two thousand Seven hundred effective men for the service of the ensuing Campaign, and requested he would be pleased to furnish the House with the amount of arrears due to the Provin- cial Forces, and an Estimate of the Current Year's expences from the beginning of January last; and accordingly, on the 29th, the following estimates were laid before the house :
Estimate of arrears due to the Pennsylvania forces:
The Province of Pennsylvania, DR.
To Certificates of arrearages of Pay given by the paymaster, to Officers and Soldiers, bearing Six per Cent. Interest, vizt .:
Officers Certificates, from No. 1 to No. 152, inclu- sive
- ££10,396 13 2
Soldier's Certificates, from No. 1 to No. 1760 -
10,106 0 0
Arrears of pay due to Sundry Officers and Soldiers,
not yet settled with the paymaster, for about . 1,500 0 0
£22,002 13 2
By order of the Governor, JAMES YOUNG, Paymaster. Philadelphia, 28 February, 1760.
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Estimate of the expence of raising Two thousand seven hundred Men, and paying the same for nine Months :
Bounty Money for 2544 men at Six pounds per man, as given last year £1,526 0 0 Officers' premium at twenty shillings per man, for re- cruiting Expences 2,544 0 0
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Subsistence Money at one Shilling # day till they come to the General Rendezvous and receive the King's provisions, Forty-five shillings per man, 5,724 0 0 Total of recruiting Expences £23,532 0 0
The monthly-pay of the whole, víz':
3 Colonels, at 24 shillings per day each for thirty days - £108 00
3 Lietenant Colonels at seventeen shil- . lings per day 76 10 0
3 Majors at Fifteen Shillings per day, 67 10 0
39 Captains at ten Shillings per day, 585 00
48 Lieutenants at five Shillings & six pence pr· day
396 00
48 Ensigns at four shillings # Day,
288 00
3 Chaplins at Six shillings and eight pence pr. Day 30 00
3 Adjutants at four Shillings per day, 18 0 0
3 Quarter-Masters at four Shillings per day - -
18 00
3 Surgeons at Seven Shillings & six pence per day 35 15 0
288 0 0
96 Serjeants at two Shillings per day, 96 Corporals at one Shilling & Eight pence per day
244 0 0
48 Drummers at one Shilling & eight pence per day 120 00
2304 Private Soldiers at one shilling & six pence per day 5,184 00
2700 Total pay for one Month,
Total pay for nine Months - -
Officers' Baggage and Forage money, as allowed last Campaign
1,122 0 0
Total, -
£ 7,452 0 0 67,074 0 0
£91,728 0 0
By order of the Governor, JAMES YOUNG, Paymaster. Philadelphia, Feb, 28th, 1760.
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday the 18th March, 1760.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker,
Richard Peters,
Lynford Lardner, Esquires.
Thomas Cadwalader,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
On the eighth of this instant a Bill intituled "an Act for grant- ing to his Majesty the sum of one hundred thousand pounds, and for striking the same in Bills of Credit in the manner hereinafter directed, and for providing a Fund for sinking the said Bills of Credit by a Tax on all Estates, real and personal, and Taxable within this province," was presented to the Governor ; and the members who delivered it, in conversation, acquainted him that the House was adjourned to the seventeenth instant in order to give his Honour time enough to consider the Bill.
The Governor acquainted the Council that as on perusing the Bill he found it was framed on the same plan with the last supply Bill passed by Governor Denny, against which the proprietaries had pre- sented a petition to the King in Council ; he had looked it carefully over, and had made several Amendments to it, which he prepared to their Consideration, and after the Bill was read carefully over, paragraph by paragraph, the following Amendments were agreed to, and sent to the House with the Bill :
" Amendments to the Bill intituled 'An Act for granting to his Ma- jesty the sum of hundred Thousand pounds, &ca., &ca .: " 1st Amendment.
" Page 4, 5. Dele from the word [that] in the 11th Line of the 4th page to the word [and] exclusive in the 10th Line of the 5th page, and instead thereof insert as follows, to wit, [the sum of eighteen pence in the pound shall be levied on the clear yearly value of the Estates, real and personal, within this province of all and every person and persons (the Estates of the proprietaries not excepted), that is to say on the clear yearly Rents of all such Lands as are leased or set to farm, and on the clear annual Income and profits of all such improved Lands as are in the Cultivation and pos- session of the owners thereof, and on the interest of the whole personal Estate of every person in this province, to be estimated and computed by the Assessors according to their best Information and Judgment therein : and Whereas, many valuable Tracts of Land in this province and Lots of Ground within the City of Phila- delphia, and the several Towns and Boroughs within the said pro-
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
vince remain altogether unimproved, and in other Tracts of Land that are settled and have plantations on them, there are, neverthe- less, adjoining to such Settlements and plantations, great quantities of Rough unimproved Land which ought to be charged with a pro- portionable and reasonable Share of the heavy Taxes laid on the Inhabitants : Be it therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all such unimproved Tracts of Land and unimproved parts and parcels of Land and Lots of Ground, shall be valued and esti- mated by the respective Assessors at the price and sum of Money, they, in their Consciences, shall judge them to be worth, due re- gard being had to their Situation & Quality, and the sum of one Shilling and six pence in the pound shall be levied Yearly on the interest of the value of such unimproved Tracts and parts or parcels of Land and Lotts of Ground and not otherwise, anything in any former Act of Assembly of this province contained to the contrary notwithstanding].
"2nd Amendmt Page 22. After the word [accordingly] in the eighth Line, insert as follows, to wit : [and another Transcript or Duplicate thereof shall be delivered by the said Commissioners to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of this province for the time being].
" Page 22, 23. Dele from the Word [and] in the ninth Line of the 22nd page to the word [notwithstanding] inclusive in the fourth Line of the 23d page, the first Amendments including this para- graph.
" Page 29th, Line 12th. After the word [stock ] insert as follows, to wit, [And Whereas, the Commissioners and Assessors, who by this Act and one other Act of Assembly of this province, passed in the 32nd year of his present majestie's reign, entituled ' An Act for granting to his majesty the Sum of £100,000, &ca.,' arc im- powered and required and directed to rate and assess the real and personal Estate of the Honourable Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esqrs., Proprietors of this province, are to be elected by the Free- holders and others qualified to elect members of Assembly in the several Counties within this province, in which said Election the said proprietors have no share, it is therefore thought Just and rea- sonable that Commissioners should be specially nominated and ap- pointed in each County within this province to whom the said Pro- prietaries may appeal in case they may conceive themselves aggrieved by any such rate or Assessment; Wherefore we pray that it may be enacted : And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That for the County of Philadelphia,
for the County of Chester, for the County of
Bucks,' for the County of Lancaster,
for the County of York,
for the County of Cum-
berland, for the County of Berks, and
for the County of Northampton, shall be and are hereby appointed Commissioners of appeals in the said respective Counties, finally,
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equitably, and impartially to hear, settle and determine the rates and assessments of the estates of the said proprietaries, in all Cases wherein Appeals shall be made to them for that purpose by the said proprietors, their Agents, Attorneys or Solicitors ; But before the Commissioners shall hear any such Appeals, they shall severally take an Oath or Affirmation before any Justice of the peace of the County for which they are respectively appointed, who is hereby impowered and required to administer the same, to the following effect, vizt : You shall well and truly, to the best of your skill and Judgement, settle, adjust, and determine the rates and Assessments of any part of the Proprietaries' Estate, whether real or personal, that shall be brought before you, as Com- missioners of Appeals, without Fear, Love, Favour, Affection, Hatred, Ill will, or the hope of reward. And the said Commis- sioners of Appeal in each County, or a Majority of them, shall and are hereby required within the term of after the as- gessments shall be made by the Assessors, to fix a time and place of meeting to hear such Appeals, of which they shall give publick notice in the Pennsylvania Gazettee; and the said Assessors are hereby required to attend the said Commissioners and then and there lay before them the written Certificates of all the Estate, real and personal, of the said Proprietors, or either of them, in their respective County, together with the rates & Assessments made thereon ; whereupon, the said Commissioners, or a majority of them, after a strict Examination of the same, and the best information they can procure or obtain therein, Shall, and are hereby authorized, impowered, and directed to diminish or add to the said assessments or rates made of any part of the Estate of the said proprietors, as to them shall seem just and agreeable to Equity and good Conscience, according to the true intent and meaning of this Act; and alter, adjust and rectify the same in the Certificates or Books of the said Assessors accordingly ; whereupon the said Rates and Assessments shall be levied in the manner herein before directed, and not other- wise, anything in this or any other act of Assembly of this pro- vince to the Contrary in anywise notwithstanding: And be it fur- ther enacted, that the said Commissioners of Appeals shall have & receive for their care & trouble, the sum of per Diem and no more, and for the expence of advertising the day and place of Appeal, the Sum of and no more].
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