USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XII > Part 57
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
Resolved, That they be discharged at the expiration of a month from the commencement of their service, except the guard, re- quested by the Deputy Commissary of Prisoners of this city, to escort prisoners to Elizabethtown.
The Council taking into consideration the case of James John- ston, now confined in the old goal ;
Resolved, That the part of the sentence of the court, requiring the said James Johnston to give security, be remitted, and that he be discharged from confinement upon paying his fees.
On consideration,
Resolved, That Messrs. Joseph Dean, and Jacob Morris, Audi- tors of Accounts, be directed (upon the application of Doctor A. Skinner, Surgeon of Lieutenant Colonel Lee's Legion) to pay to Captain Allen McClean the sum of one hundred pounds, State money, to be paid by him to Captain James Armstrong, Lieuten- ant Manning, Lieutenant Gorden, and Matthew Irwin, Surgeon, offi- cers of the above legion, in equal payments, and to be charged to them as part of the depreciation allowed by the act of Assembly to the Pensylvania line; the said Captain McClean being responsi- ble that the said officers do admit this payment be good as to them, and the State fully exonerated for so much money in account with the said officers.
A resolution of the Honourable the General Assembly of this day, was receiv'd and read, appointing a committee, vizt: Mr. Wynkoop, and Mr. Montgomery, to obtain from this Board an ac- count of all provisions purchased by this State in consequence of an act intitled " An Act for procuring a supply of provisions and other necessaries for the use of the army," passed the twenty- third of March, 1780, and the act of Congress of the fourth of November last, what part thereof has been delivered, and what still remains in the magazines of this State ; and the same was ac- cordingly complied with.
A deed was examined and signed by his Excellency the President, to Joseph Dean, Esquire, conveying a certain messuage, kitchen, and lott of ground, situate in Germantown, and according to a late survey thereof, bounded and being as follows, vizt : Beginning at , Germantown Main street; thence extending by land of Peter Bockius, south forty degrees west forty-two perches and a half of a perch to a corner; thence still by the said Peter Bochius's land, south fifty degrees east four perches and twenty-four links, to a
639
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
corner of Melchior Mengs' land ; thence by the said Melchior Mengs' land, forty degrees east forty perches and one-half of a perch to Germantown Main street, aforesaid ; thence by the same north twenty-eight degrees west four perches and twenty-four links, to the place of beginning ; containing about one acre and forty perches, be the same more or less : Seized and sold agreeable to law, (as the estate late of Holton Jones, an attainted traytor,) to the said Joseph Dean, for the sum of eleven thousand one hundred pounds, Continental money, subject to a yearly ground rent, paya- ble to the Trustees of the University of this State, of five bushells and eleven-twentieth parts of a bushell, of good merchantable wheat, three-fourths of which sum he hath paid into the hands of the Agents of Confiscated Estates in the city of Philadelphia; the re- maining one-fourth reserved for the purpose aforesaid. Deed dated the thirty-first day of January last.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Monday, February 26th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Read,
Mr. Piper,
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Cunningham, and
Mr. Van Campen,
Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Potter,
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Colonel Lewis Nichola, for the sum of one hundred and twelve pounds ten shil- lings, amount of six months' pay due to him as Town Major, from the nineteenth of August, 1780, to the nineteenth instant.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Messrs. Joseph Dean and Jacob Morris, Auditors of Accounts, for the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds, State money, for the purpose of paying in part the depreciation allowed by act of Assembly to the officers and soldiers of the Pensylvania line, for which the said Auditors are to account.
On consideration,
Ordered, That Colonel Lewis Nichola, be authorized and di- rected to employ a trusty Serjeant to assist him in preserving the barracks of this city from being damaged by the soldiery that may be quartered therein from time to time, and that said Serjeant be allowed two dollars per month for said service.
A petition from Catharine Graff, was read, praying permission from this Board to rebuild the works of a brick-yard, and work the clay on a lott of ground on the commons of this city.
640
MINUTES OF THE
On consideration,
Resolved, That the said petition be dismissed.
WHEREAS, Divers persons now occupy lotts within the limits of this city, the property of the State, under the pretence of former leases and permissions from the late Proprietaries, and other pre- tended claims :
And whereas, Such occupation is not only injurious to the rights of the State in general, but the inhabitants of the city in particu- lar, who are intitled to the use of all vacant land within the bounds and limits of the city, as a free common of pasture, untill the same shall be purchased for building and improvement :
Resolved, therefore, That publick notice be given to all such oc- cupiers, that it is the intention of this Board to assert the rights of this Board and of the city, by removing the enclosures of all persons holding such vacant lands within the bounds of this city, on any pretence of leases or permissions of the former Proprieta- ries or otherwise, except by patent, so as to preserve the said lotts from encroachments untill the Legislature of the State shall take farther order in the premisses. And all persons are hereby forbid entering upon said lands and possessing them, as no regard will in future be paid to the expences they have been at in manuring and fencing them.
On consideration,
Resolved, That Colonel Archibald Lochry, Lieutenant of the county of Westmoreland, do cause the arms in the said county be- longing to the State, to be repaired as soon as possible ; and that Colonel David Broadhead, commanding officer at Fort Pitt, be re- quested to assist him therein.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Tuesday, February 27th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President.
Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Gardner, Mr. Potter,
Mr. Read, Mr. Piper, and
Mr. Van Campen, Mr. Hayes.
Resolved, That the several Commissioners appointed to receive and attest the recruits in this State, agreeable to the instructions of this Board dated the twenty-second day of January last, do make the second and third payment of the bounty, as they become due,
641
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
as mentioned in the fourth article of the said instructions; and that Colonel Nichola do transmit to the said Commissioners the attesta- tions taken by him, in order that the receipts may be endorsed ; and when the bounty is fully paid, duplicates of the attestations and enlistments to be delivered to the commanding officer of the regiment, and the originals forwarded to this Board.
Colonel Joseph Hart, Lieutenant of the county of Bucks, having laid before this Board a state of his accounts to the twenty-fourth of January last, agreeable to the nineteenth section of the militia law of this State : Thereupon,
Ordered, That the same be referred to the Auditors of Accounts.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Samuel Pen- rose, Esquire, Quarter Master of the Philadelphia troop of light horse, for the sum of one hundred pounds, State money, for the purpose of paying the expenses of a detachment of the said troop in going to Trenton, at the time of the mutiny of the Pensylvania line.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Captain Joseph Stiles, Commissary of Military Stores, for the purpose of paying for three hundred and sixty pounds of powder, and two hundred pounds of lead, purchased by him for the State, and to be forwarded to the county of Northumberland, for the defence of the said county.
The following Message being read and considered, vizt :
Message from the President and Supreme Executive Council to the Representatives of the freemen of Pennsylvania in General Assem- bly met :
GENTLEMEN :- By your resolve of the twenty-third instant, the defence of the frontiers was wholly submitted to the directions of the President in Council. We acknowledge the confidence reposed in us, and assure you that there is no part of publick duty we shall per- form with more Chearfulness than relieving the distress and remov- ing the apprehensions of the inhabitants of that part of the State. We have, therefore, formed a plan for their protection, which is now lay'd before you, in order that, if approved, your Honourable House may provide the means of carrying it into execution ; to pay, arm, cloath and feed these troops, money indispensibly necessary. The trea- sury, unless it receives new and essential aid, will not admit so large a sum to be drawn for one service without great prejudice, and even ruin, to others, equally necessary to our safety and general protection ; we must, therefore, request the Honourable House, whose collective view of the resources of the State, and the demands upon it, best enables them, and whose right it is, woul'd judge and ascertain the different proportions for the different services, and how much of the publick revenue shall be appropriated to this ser- vice ; it will be our care and duty to expend it most beneficially for the frontiers, and honourably to the State.
VOL. XII .- 41.
642
MINUTES OF THE
The observation and experience of the Honourable House makes it unnecessary to suggest that, in the present state of publick affairs we can place little confidence in voluntary supplies, or such as can be procured by partial credit and influence, and still less by coer- cion, and that to hold out promisses of protection by votes and re- solves, without some probable and apparent means of performance, is not only dishonourable to government, but may involve the nu- merous petioners in a delusive and fatal security.
We are deeply sensible of the difficulties in which this subject is involved, and that with the strongest desires and best intentions, your measures may be inadequate even to just expectations ; we trust the same candour will be exercised towards the Executive part of government, whose exertions will be equally insufficient, if destitute of the means of executing the plan of defence now framed, or any other of a similar nature.
JOSEPH REED, President.
COUNCIL CHAMBER, Philadelphia, February 27th, 1781.
Ordered, That the same be presented to the General Assembly.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, February 28th, 1781, Wednesday.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Read, Mr. Potter,
Mr. Gardner, Mr. Piper,
Mr. Van Campen,
Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Cunningham,
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Colonel John Piper, for the sum of seventy-five pounds, State money, in part of his pay as a member of this Board, for which he is to account.
WHEREAS, By an act of Assembly passed the tenth day of Octo- ber, 1779, all the taxable inhabitants of this State were required to make return, on oath or affirmation, of all their estates, real or per- sonal, on pain of forfieting a sum equal to the tax at which such persons were rated, pursuant to the said aet :
And Whereas, By a subsequent act, bearing date the first day of June, 1780, entitled "An Act for funding and redeeming the bills " of credit of the United States, and providing means to bring the " present war to a happy conlusion," it was declared that the monthly taxes laid by the former act shou'd be continued, except as to the appointment thereof, according to the former assessment,
ยท
643
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
but that the present tax shou'd be collected on a new assessment, and new return to be made, in the manner and under the penalties directed and provided by the act of Assembly before mentioned :
To the end therefore, that uniformity may take place in the exe- cution of the above laws, and that those who have made faithfull returns may not be partially treated,
Resolved, That the Commis'rs of the several counties do cause the returns of property to be made on oath or affirmation, as by the laws aforesaid are directed, and in failure thereof, the penalty be- fore recited to be levied upon all delinquents.
This Board taking into consideration the payment of the volun- teers raised pursuant to a law passed the twenty-sixth day of May last, which said volunteers were entitled thereby, to the pay and ra- tions of the Federal army, and this Board having applied to the Hon- ourable Board of War to ascertain the pay of the Federal army du- ring the aforesaid period, and the said Board having reported that to the first day of August the pay of the Federal army should be given in the old money ; and after that period in bills of the new emission, agreeable to the resolves of Congress ;
Resolved, therefore, That the payment of the said volunteers be made agreeable to the above report, and that said volunteers be paid off, as soon as the troops serving in the Federal army are sat- isfied for their pay during the said period.
A letter from his Excellency the President of Congress, of the twenty-sixth instant, was read, inclosing a resolution of the Hon- ourable Congress of the twentieth instant, directing that the Southern army be composed of all the regular troops from Pensyl- vania to Georgia, inclusive, except Moylan's Dragoons, and those on command on the Western frontiers ; and that the Commander- in-Chief be and he is hereby directed to order the troops of the Pensylvania line, except as above, to join the army in Virginia by detachments, as they may be in readiness to march.
That the Deputy Quarter Master in Pensylvania be directed to put the waggons belonging to the Pensylvania line in order for service immediately.
That the several States southward of Pensylvania be and are hereby required to furnish their respective quotas of supplies to the southern army timely and regularly.
That the States aforesaid, and the State of Pensylvania, be and hereby are required to compleat their respective quotas of troops, and forward them to join the southern army without loss of time.
A petition of Captain Giles Hicks, late of the tenth Pensylva- nia regiment, was read, praying permission to resign his half pay, and also to go to the West Indies.
Resolved, That he have permission to resign his half pay.
-
:
614
MINUTES OF THE
The following message being read and considered, vizt :
Message from the President and Council to the Representatives of the freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met :
GENTLEMEN :- The execution of the part of the law which obliges every exporter of flour to tender one-third of the quantity to the Commissioner of Purchases, is attended with so many inconveniences to trade and perplexities to the officers, and real prejudice to the State, which now pays an advance price of twelve and a half per cent. upon all flour so received, that we must recommend it to your consideration, and more especially as we apprehend the treasury is not in any respect relieved, as the purchase money is to be im- mediately paid. It is also an incumbrance of which the neighbor- ing State of Delaware is taking daily advantage; the commerce being transferred, and the produce of this State exported from their ports, where no such incumbrance exists.
JOSEPH REED, President.
Council Chamber, Philadelphia, February.
Ordered, That the same be presented to the Hon'ble House of Assembly.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Thursday, March 1st, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Potter,
Mr. Van Campen, Mr. Thompson,
Mr. Piper, Mr. Lacey,
Mr. Cunningham,
Mr. Hayes.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of the 'Honoura- ble Samuel Atlee, for the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds, State money, in part of his pay as a member of Congress for the State of Pensylvania, for which he is to account.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Messrs. Jo- seph Dean and Jacob Morris, Auditors of Accounts, for the sum of seventy pounds, for State money, for the purpose of paying in part the depreciation allowed by act of Assembly to the officers and soldiers of the Pensylvania line, for which they are to account.
1
645
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, March 2d, 1781, Friday. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Honorable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey,
Mr. Piper,
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Cunningham, and
Mr. Van Campen,
Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Potter,
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Messrs. Jo- seph Dean and Jacob Morris, for the sum of one hundred pounds, State money, for the purpose of paying in part the depreciation allowed to the officers and soldiers of the Pensylvania line by act of Assembly, for which they are to account.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Frederick Sneider, Door-keeper, for the sum of seventeen pounds ten shillings, State money, amount of his account for his wages from the first to the twenty-eighth of February last.
A petition from Hugh Fegen and George Chase, two soldiers now confined in the guard house by order of Colonel Proctor, was read ; and on consideration,
Resolved, That General Lacey and Mr. Van Campen be appointed to inquire into the cause of their confinement, and report thereon to this Board.
A resolution of the Honourable House of Assembly of the first instant was received and read, authorizing and impow- ering this Council to appoint any additional number of Auditors above the number mentioned in the act of Assembly, intitled. "An Act to settle and adjust the accounts of the troops of this State in the service of the United States, and for other purposes therein mentioned," as they may judge necessary for expediting the business directed to be performed by the Auditors in the said act mentioned, which additional Auditors shall have all the powers and authorities, and similar pay, granted by the said act to the Au- ditors therein mentioned.
A resolution of the House of Assembly of this day was read, directing that the sum of twenty-four thousand five hundred and twenty-three pounds five shillings, be appropriated for the purpose of raising the four companies of infantry directed to be raised by the House at their last sessions, to be under the direction of the Supreme Executive Council. The said sum to be paid out of the funds to be provided by the House during their present session by the said Council, and that the Committee of Ways and Means re- port to the House, without delay, a plan of raising a sufficient fund for the aforesaid purpose.
646
MINUTES OF THE
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Saturday, March 3d, 1781. PRESENT : His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey,
Mr. Piper,
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Cunningham, and
Mr. Van Campen,
Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Potter,
The Council taking into consideration the act of Assembly inti- tled "An Act to settle and adjust the accounts of the troops of this State in the service of the United States, and for other pur- poses therein mentioned."
Resolved, That the following gentlemen be appointed Auditors to settle the depreciation of the pay of the officers and soldiers of the Federal army belonging to the line of this State, who will meet and proceed to business at the several times and places here- after mentioned, vizt : James Stephenson and John Nicholson, who are appointed in general, and will proceed separately to each of the places of rendezvous of the regiments, and there meet the Auditors appointed for each county, as follows, vizt :
At Newtown, Bucks county.
Abraham Dubois and William Goforth, Esquires, to settle with the regiment of Artillery commanded by Colonel Thomas Proctor, from the twelfth to the fifteenth of March inclusive.
At Easton, Northampton county.
Robert Levers and John Ralston, Esquires, to settle with the third regiment of Infantry, from the seventeenth to the twenty-first of March inclusive.
At Reading, in Berks county.
Henry Christ and Henry Haller, Esquires, to settle with the fifth and ninth regiments of Infantry, from the twenty-third to the twenty of March inclusive.
At Lebanon, in Lancaster county.
Robert Clarke and John Thorn, Esquires, to settle with the sixth and eleventh regiments, from the twenty-ninth of March to the second of April, inclusive.
647
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
At Downings town, in Chester county.
John Hannums and John Beaton, Esquires, to settle with the second regiment of Infantry and the late German battalion, from the twelfth to the fifteenth of March, inclusive.
At Lancaster.
William Fullerton, Junior, and Samuel Boyd, Esquires, to settle with the regiment of Cavalry commanded by Colonel Moylan, from the seventeenth to the twenty-first of March, inclusive.
At York town, in the county of York.
Michael Swoop and Henry Slagle, Esquires, to settle with the first and tenth regiments of Infantry, from the twenty-third to the twenty-seventh of March, inclusive.
At Carlisle, in Cumberland county.
Samuel Laird and William Lyon, Esquires, to settle with the fourth and seventh regiments of Infantry, from the twenty-ninth of March to the second of April, inclusive.
And all paymasters of regiments are required punctuallyto attend with their pay-rolls and accounts at the several times and places above mentioned ; and all officers and soldiers claiming benefit un- der the act of Assembly passed at Philadelphia the eighteenth day of December last, are expected to attend, with a stated account of their depreciation, as they will be in danger of being excluded.
The Council resumed the consideration of the petition of divers inhabitants from the settlement of Dunning's Creek, in the county of Bedford, complaining of the conduct of James Martin, Esquire, in the execution of his office of Sub-Lieutenant of the said county ; thereupon,
Resolved, That a copy of the same be sent to Colonel Martin, and that he be directed to return an answer as soon as possible.
A petition from Patrick Hay and Samuel Patterson, addressed to the Honourable the House of Assembly, and referred by the House to this Board, was read, complaining of the conduct of James Bailey in the execution of his office of Waggon Master of the county of Lancaster ; thereupon,
Resolved, That a copy of the said petition be forwarded to the said James Baily, and that he be directed to send his answer thereto as soon as possible.
Resolved, That Conrad Duwetter and William Nicholls, employed by Captain Stiles in repairing of arms for the use of the State, be allowed six shillings per day for every day they shall be so em- ployed.
648
MINUTES OF THE
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Monday, March 5th, 1781.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey,
Mr. Potter,
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Piper, and
Mr. Van Campen,
Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Cunningham,
A petition from Jane Smith, praying remission of her husband's fine for not performing his tour of militia duty, was read; and thereupon,
Resolved, That the said petition be dismissed.
On consideration,
Resolved, That General Potter, Mr. Cunningham, and Doctor Gardner, be appointed a committee to inquire into the conduct of John Perry, Esquire, Commissioner of Purchases for the county of Westmoreland, and make report to this Board.
WHEREAS, By an act of General Assembly passed the twenty- third day of December last, the Supreme Executive Council are impowered and required, from and after the first day of February last, to publish in the several English and German newspapers printed in the city of Philadelphia, in the first week of every month, the rate of exchange between specie and Continental money, which exchange, so published in each month, the said act declares shall be the exchange between the said Continental money and the State money thereby made a legal tender:
Resolved, That the said rate of exchange be continued at seven- ty-five for one, as by the resolution of the first of February last.
A resolve of the Honourable the Congress of the third instant, was receiv'd and read, directing that the Convention troops, as well in the State of Maryland as Virginia, be removed-the British to York town, and the Germans to Lancaster, in the State of Pensyl- vania, or such other place as the Executive authority of the said State shall direct : That after the said troops shall enter the State of Pennsylvania, they be supplied from the said State : 'That the Executive authority of the State of Pensylvania be requested to order the supplies, agreeable to the above resolutions, and make the necessary preparations for the reception of the prisoners at the towns or places assigned, as aforesaid, and upon their arrival at those places respectively, the Board of War take order for their future security and supply.
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.