USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XII > Part 61
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318 8
Cr. By cash received from David Rittenhouse, Esquire, by order of Council at different times, in Continen- tal, £5387 10.
Exchange at 75, is - £71 16 8
By cash rec'd at sundry times of Do., -
80
151 16 8
£166 11 4
And thereupon,
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Honourable John Lacey, Junior, Esquire, for the sum of one hundred and sixty-
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
six pounds eleven shillings and four pence, State money, ballance of his account for bis attendance in Council to the first instant, and his mileage.
A letter from his Excellency the President of Congress, of the thirtieth of March last, was read, inclosing an ordinance of the Hon- ourable the Congress of the United States, relative to the Capture and condemnation of prizes, and repealing all former acts and reso- lutions of Congress contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said ordinance.
Ordered, That the said papers be filed.
James Marshall, Esquire, appointed by the Honourable House of Assembly to be Register for the probate of Wills, and granting letters of administration, and Recorder of Deeds for the county of Washington, and by this Board, to be Lieutenant of the said county, attended in Council, and took the several oaths necessary to qualify him for the said offices respectively.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Thursday, April 5th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President.
Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Reed,
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Cunningham, and Mr. Hayes.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of John Andrew, Esquire, for the sum of twenty-seven pounds two shillings and six pence, State money, in full of his account for his services as one of the commissioners for procuring cloathing for the use of the Army in the year 1778, in the county of Northampton.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Robert Lati- mer, Esquire, for the sum of eleven pounds fifteen shillings and six pence, State money, in full of his account as one of the commission- ers aforesaid.
On consideration,
Ordered, That the Attorney General be directed to prosecute Lieutenant John Bigham, of the fifth Pennsylvania regiment, in the name of the Commonwealth, for the sum of twenty thousand dol- lars receiv'd by him on the part of the Commonwealth, and that he take bail in the.sum of ten thousand dollars Continental money.
A Committee of the General Assembly attended in Council and conferred upon the means of defence for the frontiers, and Council
4
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referred them to the minutes of the House and the message from Council on that subject.
The petition of John Poht, Ensign in the first Battalion of the city of Philadelphia, praying leave to resign his commission, was read, and on consideration, the s'd resignation was accepted.
On consideration,
Resolved, That David Rittenhouse, Esquire, Treasurer of the State, be directed to forward an order to the Treasurer of the county of York, in favour of Archibald McClean, Esquire, of the said county, for the sum of one thousand pounds, State money, for the purpose of paying the bounty to recruits, and the gratuity al- lowed by the Assembly to the retained soldiers.
General St. Clair, commanding officer of the Pensylvania line, having certified that the following gentlemen are intitled to promo- tion in the first Pensylvania regiment, vizt :
Ensign James Campbell, to be a Lieutenant from the eighteenth day of July, 1780.
John Rodgers to be Surgeon from the first of October, 1779.
Resolved, That they be recommended to the Honourable Board of War for commissions.
Resolved, That Colonel Lewis Farmer be directed to deliver to Captain David Zeigler the cloathing he has now on hand, for the use of the troops of the Pensylvania line, taking his receipt for the same.
WHEREAS, By an act of the General Assembly passed the twen- ty-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 in 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 legal tender :
Resolved, That the said rate of exchange be continued at seven- ty-five for one, as by the resolution of the fifth day of March last.
Petitions from John Bates, Christiana Philips, and James Clarks, on behalf of his daughter Jane Boswell, praying passes to the city of New York, were read, and the same were rejected.
A petition from John Smith, convicted of larceny, and now con- fined in the old goal, praying remission of his fine and to be released from confinement, was read ; and on consideration,
Resolved, That his fine be remitted, and that he be discharged from confinement.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Friday, April 6th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Read,
Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Hayes.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of his Excellency Joseph Reed, Esquire, President, for the sum of five hundred and sixty-two pounds ten shillings, being one quarter's salary.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Saturday, April 7th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Read,
Mr. Cunningham, and
Mr. Hayes.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Mr. Thomas Nevill, for the sum of one hundred and sixty-five pounds four shil- lings and one penny, in full of the ballance of his account for re- pairing the barracks of this city.
A letter from John Agnew, Esquire, of the county of York, of the twenty-fourth ultimo, was read, inclosing his commission of Sub-Lieutenant of the said county, and praying leave to resign the the same. On consideration,
Resolved, That the same be accepted.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of the Honoura- ble William Moore, Esquire, for the sum of one hundred pounds, State money, in part of his salary, for which he is to account.
A letter from his Excellency the President of Congress, of this day, was received and read, inclosing letters from Governor Living- ston, informing that the enemy at New York are about to embark a body of troops, supposed to be destined for Delaware river ; and the same being considered,
Resolved, That they be laid before the Honourable House of Assembly.
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The Board taking into consideration the case of Jeremiah Lever- ing, a child of fourteen or fifteen years of age, who has been three years inlisted as a soldier in Colonel Proctor's regiment, but not taught to beat the drum or blow the fife, and being of small stature and weakly habits,
Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Board he shou'd be dis- charged, and that Colonel Proctor be directed to discharge him accordingly.
· A resolution of the House of Assembly of this day, was read, referring to the Supreme Executive Council a petition from divers inhabitants of the county of Berks, representing their exposed and defenceless situation.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Monday, April 9th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Read,
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Cunningham.
A committee of the Honourable House of Assembly, vizt : Mr. Delaney, Mr. Winkoop and Mr. Penrose, attended, and re- quested a conference with the Council respecting the defence of the river Delaware ; whereupon, a conference was had, and the raising of two companies, to consist of about seventy men each, was recommended for the above purpose.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Colonel Ja- cob Morgan, Junior, Superintendant of the Commissioners of Pur- chases in the several counties, for the sum of two thousand pounds, State money, for the purpose of procuring supplies for the use of the army, for which he is to account.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Captain Na- than Boys, for the sum of fifty-six pounds twelve shillings, State money, amount of money due to the officers and men of the gallies, for their pay and rations, vizt : pay to the first and rations to the seventh instant.
WHEREAS, By an act of General Assembly passed the twenty- third of December last, entitled "An Act to compleat the quota of " the Federal army assigned to this State," certain duties were injoined upon the Commissioners of the city and several counties, and on the neglect or refusal thereof, (except in case of sickness or removal,) such Commissioners shou'd be fined by the Supreme Ex- ecutive Council of this State, in any sum not exceeding five hun- dred pounds :
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
And whereas, There is reason to believe divers of the said Com- missioners have not rendered a punctual compliance with the said law, inasmuch as the said quotas of recruits have not been pro- vided as directed ; nor have the monies to be levied on the delin- quent classes, been paid into the respective county treasurers as they ought to have been : This Board, therefore, conceiving it to be their indispensable duty to inquire into and remedy delinquen- cies in points so essential to the welfare of the State,
Resolved, That, unless sufficient cause be shewn to this Board by the delinquent Commissioners on the east side of Susque- hanna by the first of May next, and by those on the west side of Susquehanna by the twelfth of May next, and the counties of Bed- ford, Northumberland and Westmoreland excepted, who are allowed to the first of June, this Board will proceed to levy the penalty as by law directed, without respect to persons.
It appearing to this Board that the following gentlemen are en- titled to promotion in the second regiment of the Pensylvania line, vizt :
Ensigns Antoine D. Marcellin and George LeRoy, to be Lieu- tenants from the first day of January last.
Resolved, That they be recommended to the Honourable Board of War for commissions.
The petition of Samuel Carson for cloathing, being consid- ered,
Resolved, That if there was cloathing in the store, which there is not, the Board cannot grant said petition consistent with their former rules and their constant practice, which are to make no issues but such as are general, and that in the present case Mr. Carson, having receiv'd his pay in specie, except the ballance of twenty-two pounds, is in a better situation than the other officers, who receiv'd their pay depreciated, and which their present certifi- cates do not at present compensate.
The account of Samuel Smith and his associates for apprehend- ing John Flanagan, a notorious offender, was laid before the Board, with the certificate from the Honourable Chief Justice ; and the same being considered,
Resolved, That the said account is properly a county charge, and shou'd be laid before the Commissioners of the counties of Phila- delphia and Chester, to whom it is recommended to pay the same, if the charge shall appear justly and reasonably proportioned to the service.
A deed was examined and signed by his Excellency the Presi- dent, to Captain Robert Bethell, conveying a certain messuage or tenement and lott or piece of ground situate on the west side of Front street, between Sassafrass and Mulberry streets in the city of Philadelphia;, containing in breadth on Front street, sixteen feet, and extending in depth said breadths one hundred and eighty-eight feet, then widening on the south side thereof fifteen
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feet in breadth to the breadth of thirty-one feet, extending said breadth twenty-seven feet, bounded northward by messuage and lott now or late of Edward Stiles ; westward by ground late of William Cliffton, now of Isaac Hazlehurst ; southward by a messuage and lott of William Rush; and eastward by Front street aforesaid : Seized and sold agreeable to law, as the estate late of Abraham Carlisle, to the said Captain Robert Bethell, for the sum of twen- ty thousand pounds, Continental money, subject to a yearly ground rent of ten bushells of good merchantable wheat, payable to the Trus- tees of the University of this State, three-fourthis of which sum he hath paid into the hands of the Agents of Forfieted Estates in the said county, the remaining one-fourth part being reserved for the purpose aforesaid. Deed dated the twentieth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Tuesday, April 10th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Read,
Mr. Cunningham, and
Mr. Hayes.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of the managers of the Pensylvania Hospital, for the sum of twenty pounds, State money, amount of their account for boarding three invalids, late be- longing to the State navy, to this time.
An order was drawn in favour of Messrs. William Chesney and William Mitchell, Agents for Confiscated Estates in the county of York, for the sum of thirty pounds, State money, for extraordinary expences in surveying and selling confiscated lands in said county.
On consideration,
Resolved, That David Rittenhouse, Esquire, Treasurer of the State, be directed to forward orders to the treasurers of the counties of Chester and Cumberland, in favour of James Moore and John Agnew, Esquires, the former for the sum of five hundred pounds, and the latter for the sum of one thousand pounds, State money, for the purpose of paying the bounty to recruits, and the gratuity allowed by act of Assembly to the retained soldiers.
A resolution of the House of Assembly of the ninth instant, was read, appointing the following gentlemen officers of the Land office,
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
agreeable to the act of Assembly passed the ninth day of this instant, intitled "An act for establishing a Land office, and for " other purposes therein mentioned," vizt :
David Kennedy, Esquire, Secretary.
Francis Johnston, Esquire, Receiver General.
John Lukens, Esquire, Surveyor General.
-
In Council.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, April 11th, 1781. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President.
Honourable the Vice President.
Mr. Read, Mr. Cunningham, and
Doctor Gardner.
The gentlemen appointed officers of the Land office, vizt : David Kennedy, Secretary ; Francis Johnston, Receiver General; and John Lukens, Surveyor General, attended in Council, and took the caths necessary to qualify them respectively for their said offices, agreeable to act of the General Assembly passed the ninth instant, intitled "An Act for establishing a Land office, and for other pur- " poses therein mentioned;" and also proposed the following gentle- men as their sureties :
David Kennedy, Secretary, proposes Colonel Samuel Miles and Mr. Samuel Caldwell.
Francis Johnston, Receiver General, proposes Samuel Penrose and Sharp Delaney.
John Lukens, Surveyor General, proposes Michael Hillegas and David Rittenhouse, Esquires ; whereupon, the same were approved.
A petition of Samuel Caldwell, convicted of larceny in the county of Lancaster, and sentenced to be publickly whipt'd and pil- lored, and to pay a fine to the use of the State of the sum of twenty-five pounds, was read, praying remission of the said punish- ment and fine ; thereupon,
Resolved, That the said punishments of the pillory and the said fine, be remitted, and that he be released from confinement, (after receiving the said whipping,) on condition that he inlist as a soldier in the Pensylvania line, to serve during the present war, without bounty or gratuity.
VOL. XII .- 44.
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In Council.
PHILAD'A, Thursday, April 12th, 1781.
PRESENT :
Honourable WILLIAM MOORE, Esq'r, Vice President.
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Read, and Mr. Hayes.
A letter was written, signed by the Hon'ble the Vice President, to James Titghman, Esquire, late Secretary of the Land office under the late Proprietaries of Pensylvania, demanding the books, papers, documents, &c., of his office, agreeably to the late act of Assembly for vesting the estates of the late Proprietaries in the Commonwealth.
In Council.
PHILADELP'A, Saturday, April 14th, 1781.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President.
Honourable Mr. Lacey,
Mr. Cunningham, and
Mr. Gardner,
Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Read,
The following resolutions of the Honourable House of Assembly of the ninth and tenth instant, were receiv'd and read, vizt :
One of them authorizing the Supreme Executive Council to draw on the Treasurer of this State for such sums of money as may from time to time be necessary for purchasing paper and carrying on and perfecting the work of re-printing the laws of this State, and the minutes of Assembly, as directed by resolutions of the second instant.
One other, directing that the property of the floating bridge, now ly- · ing at the lower ferry on Schuylkill, be vested in George Gray, Esquire, on his paying into the Treasury of this State the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds, for publick use; and that the said George Gray be authorised and permitted to lay the same over the river Schuylkill at his ferry.
One other, authorizing the Council to draw upon the Treasurer of the State for any sum of money not exceeding twelve thousand pounds, for supporting and paying such a number of the militia of this State as they shall judge necessary for the effectual defence of the frontiers, which drafts the Treasurer is directed to pay out of
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
any publick monies that is or may be in his hands not specially ap- propriated.
One other, authorizing and directing the Council to request a conference with a committee of the Honourable the Congress, on the subject of the debts due to the inhabitants of this State, upon Quarter Masters' and Commissioners' certificates, for articles supplied or services done for the Federal army, and to take effectual mea- sures to ascertain the amount of all such certificates, and to report the same, if practicable, to this House, at their next sitting.
One other, requesting the Supreme Executive Council to inforce the full execution of the law passed the twenty-third day of Decem- ber last, intitled "An Act to compleat the quota of the Federal " army assigned to this State," so that such recruits as are raised by any of the classes may be joined, with all expedition, to the corps with which they are to serve; and so that the monies col- lected from the classes which have not supplied men may, without loss of time, be applied to the recruiting service.
That the Council be directed to continue the recruiting parties in this State, under such rules and regulations as they shall find proper and necessary, untill a sufficient number of recruits shall be raised to compleat the quota of the Federal army required by Con- gress from this Commonwealth ; that they be impowered to increase the bounties to be paid to recruits at the time of inlistment, if they shall think it proper and necessary so to do; that the monies col- lected from the classes be deemed part of the funds for carrying on the recruiting service ; that the Council be impowered to call upon the parties indebted to the Loan office by mortgage and bonds, for the principal and interest now due, or that may become due during the time necessary to continue the recruiting service ; and that the monies receiv'd or recovered from those debtors, be also deemed a part of the funds destined for the said recruiting service.
That the President (or in his absence the Vice President) in Council, be and hereby is impowered to draw on the Treasurer of the State, or the county treasurers, from time to time, for such sums of money as may be necessary to carry on the said recruiting service, and if it shall so happen that monies from the funds as- signed as above for this service are not in the hands of the State Treasurer, or county treasurers, they are hereby authorized to pay such drafts out of any other unappropriated monies; the same to be replaced as collected from the aforesaid funds; and that if the expences of the recruiting service exceed the funds assigned to pay the same, the House will, at their next session; provide others to pay the deficiency.
And one other authorizing and requiring the President and Su- preme Executive Council to procure on the best terms at which the same may be had, and to lodge in the Treasury of this Com- monwealth, so much of the paper money as hath been issued by this State, in pursuance of the resolutions of Congress of the eighteenth
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of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, and that no more of the said monies be hereafter issued : That the President and Coure cil do in like manner procure of the money issued by other States in pursuance of said resolutions, so much as may now be due, accord- ing to the same resolutions, from this Commonwealth to Congress: That the President and Council do in like manner, from time to time, procure of such money, so much as may be due to .Congress, for the requisitions by them made in their resolutions of the six- teenth and twenty-third of March last, and cause the same to be paid into the Continental Treasury, at the respective days specified by Congress for that purpose : That if Congress shall prefer receiv- ing the money issued by this Commonwealth, to the money issued by other States, in pursuance of the said resolutions of the eigh- teenth of March, in such case the President and Council, during the recess of Assembly, shall be, and they hereby are impowered and required to adjust with Congress the sum of State money which shall be equivalent therewith, and to cause the same to be paid : And that his Excellency the President in Council, do from time to time issue his drafts on the Treasury for the several pur- poses aforesaid.
Ordered, That the said resolutions be filed.
The following orders were drawn on the Treasurer, vizt :
In favour of the Honourable Joseph Montgomery, for the sum of fifty pounds, State money, in part of his pay as a member of Congress for the State of Pensylvania, for which sum he is to ac- count.
In favour of Colonel Jacob Morgan, Junior, Superintendent of the Commissioners of Purchases in the several counties, for the sum of one thousand pounds, State money, for the purpose of pro- curing supplies for the use of the army, for which he is to account.
In favour of James Trimble, for the sum of two thousand pounds, State money, to be forwarded to Henry Christ, Esquire, of the county of Berks, for the purpose of paying the bounty to recruits, and the gratuity allowed by Assembly to the retained soldiers, for which the said Henry Christ, Esquire, is to be accountable.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
In Council.
PHILAD'A, Monday, April 16th, 1781.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOSEPH REED, Esquire, President.
Honourable WILLIAM MOORE, Esquire, Vice President.
Mr. Lacey, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Read,
Mr. Cunningham, and Mr. Hayes.
An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favour of Colonel Lewis Nichola, for the sum of twenty-six pounds ten shillings and eight pence, State money, amount of money due to Colonel Lewis Ni- chola, Doctors Maus and Weaver, Captains Woelpper, Riely, McCowan, and McIlhatten, and Lieutenants Honeyman, Pugh, Boss, and McClean, in lieu of their rations and refreshments for four weeks, ending the eighth instant.
A letter from his Excellency the President of Congress, dated the fifteenth instant, inclosing a resolve of Congress of the thir- teenth instant, respecting paying of the new levies, was read and ordered to be filed.
Mr. Bee, Mr. Montgomery, and Bland, a committee of Congress, attended in Council, in conference, on the means of expediting the march of the Pensylvania line to the southward.
An order from the Treasury Board on Michael Hillegas, Esquire, Treasurer of the United States of America, in favour of this Coun- cil, for the sum of thirteen thousand four hundred and sixty-six dollars and two-thirds of a dollar, new emission, " being the amount " of money advanced at sundry times to Colonel Samuel Miles, " Deputy Quarter Master General for Pensylvania, by the said "Council, for the service of his department, for which sum Timo- " thy Pickering, Esquire, Quarter Master General, is to be account- " able, was receiv'd by the Board ; and thereupon,
Ordered, That the said draft be made payable to David Ritten- house, Esquire, Treasurer of the State.
On consideration,
Ordered, That the Agents for Confiscated Estates do proceed to sell the confiscated estates in the city and several counties of the State, as soon as possible, according to former orders of this Board.
The following resolve of the General Assembly of the seventh instant, being read and considered, vizt :
" In General Assembly, Saturday, 7th of April, 1781.
" The Committee of grievances made a report on divers petitions " referred to their consideration, which was read ;
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