USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XIV > Part 23
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JOHN DICKINSON.
Council Chamber, Philadelphia, December the fourteenth, 1784.
A draft of a letter to the Governor of the State of New Jersey, advising him of the resolutions of Assembly of the tenth of De- cember, 1784, (read in Council yesterday,) was brought in by the President and adopted.
A resolution of the General Assembly was presented and read, advising that eleven o'clock to-morrow was assigned as the time of the conference requested in the message of yesterday, and Assem- bly room the place of it.
1
281
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, December 15th, 1784.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
The Hon'ble John M'Dowell, Charles Biddle, George Wall, Junior, John Woods, Stephen Balliot, Daniel Hiester, and Esquires.
Jonathan Hoge, John Neville,
George Weickart, Esquire, of the county of Bucks, was this day appointed a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the said county, and commissioned accordingly.
The conference with the House took place agreeably to the ap- pointment of yesterday.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, December 16th, 1784. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
George Wall, Jun'r, Stephen Balliot,
Charles Biddle, Jonathan Hoge,
Daniel Hiester, John Woods, and
John Boyd, John McDowell,
Esquires. John Neville,
Several resolutions of the House of the fifteenth instant, on the memorial of Timothy Matlack, Esquire, were read, and the follow- ing letter sent to the House in consequence.
IN COUNCIL, ~ Philadelphia, December 16th, 1784. S
GENTLEMEN :- We desire you will be pleased to return to us the papers relating to the accounts of Timothy Matlack, Esquire, here- tofore transmitted by us to the General Assembly, and such other papers in your possession as may contain material information upon that subject.
I am with great respect, sir, your most obedient and very hum- ble servant,
JOHN DICKINSON,
The Hon'ble the Speaker of the General Assembly.
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MINUTES OF THE
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honora- ble John Neville, Esquire, for the sum of twenty-nine pounds fif- teen shillings, due to him for attendance in Council untill this day, inclusively.
A memorial from the Commissioners of the county of Montgome- ry, stating that by the act for erecting the said county of Mont- gomery, they are empowered to purchase a tract of land, &ca., &ca., and that by the same act a certain proportion of the money which shall arise from the sale of the old prison and workhouse in this city, shall be appropriated to that purpose, &ca., therefore, praying that Council would take some steps to enable to fulfill their objects of the aforesaid, and their appointment under it, was read.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, December 17th, 1784. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, Isaac Meason,
George Wall, Junior,
Stephen Balliot,
Charles Biddle,
John Woods, and
Esquires.
John Neville,
John Boyd,
Daniel Hiester,
A letter from Monsieur de Marbois, Consul General of France, upon the subject of his privileges, exemptions, &ca., was read.
A petition from the inhabitants of the township of Germantown, representing the illegality of a late election of a Justice of the Peace held in that district, and praying the interposition of Coun- cil.
A return of an election for Justices of the Peace for the district composed of the townships of Montgomery, Guinedth, and Hat- field, now in the county of Montgomery, was read, and Peter Evans, Esquire, was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the county of Montgomery. To this appointment was added the commission of a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the said county.
283
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, December 18th, 1784.
PRESENT:
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, Daniel Hiester,
George Wall, Jun'r,
Isaac Meason,
Charles Biddle,
Stephen Balliot, Esquires.
Jonathan Hoge,
John Woods, and
John Neville,
John Boyd,
A certificate of the identity of Amos Williams, mentioned in a proclamation of Council dated the tenth day of September, 1783, taken in North Carolina, by a certain Amos Bailey, and delivered into the jail of this city, was read.
Upon which an order was drawn in favor of the said Bailey, for the sum of three hundred pounds specie, being the reward offered by law for the capture of the said Williams.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honora- ble Jonathan Hoge, Esquire, for the sum of forty pounds five shil- lings specie, being his account for attendance in Council untill this day, inclusively.
A resolution of the House of General Assembly of the 16th in- stant, desiring Council to state to Congress the many impediments which have so long obstructed the settlements of the public ac- counts of the citizens of this Commonwealth, and to request that two or more additional Commissioners be appointed to expedite that business.
Council taking into consideration the letter of yesterday from Monsieur de Marbois ; thereupon, MẸ
Ordered, That the Collector of the Port of Philadelphia be in- formed that it is the sense of Council that the case of goods marked number eight, and lately imported from Le'Orient in the ship Le Port France, be forthwith delivered to Mr. Marbois.
A draft of a letter in reply to that of Mr. De Marbois of the seventeenth instant, was read and adopted.
A letter from Ephraim Blaine, Esquire, was read.
A second petition from Mr. William Cavenough, was also read ..
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MINUTES OF THE
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, December 20th, 1784.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, Isaac Meason,
Charles Biddle, John Woods,
Jonathan Hoge, George Wall, Jun'r, &
Esquires.
John Neville, Daniel Hiester,
The petition of Jacob Egolf, convicted of fornication, was read, upon which it was
Ordered, That the fine of ten pounds, adjudged to be paid to the use of the State by the said Jacob Egolf, be remitted.
Council taking into consideration the resolutions of the House of Assembly upon the case of Timothy Matlack, Esquire, the fol- lowing letter was sent to the Attorney General, vizt :
In Council, Philadelphia, December 20th, 1784.
SIR :- It is the sense of Council that in the expected trial be- tween the Commonwealth and Timothy Matlack, Esquire, the agreement signed by you for the State, and by Mr. Sergeant for the defendant, should not be in any manner departed from.
I am with great respect, Sir, your most obedient and very hum- ble servant,
JOHN DICKINSON.
To the Attorney General of the State. .
A letter from Monsieur de Marbois, dated the nineteenth instant, inclosing a resolution of Congress of the nineteenth December, was read.
The following draught of a message to the General Assembly was read & adopted.
A message from the President and the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the Representatives of the freemen of the said Commonwealth, in General Assembly met.
GENTLEMEN :- Application has been made to us by the Com- missioners of the county of Montgomery, for the sale of the old jail and workhouse in the city, in pursuance of the powers . vested in us by the law passed the twenty-eighth day of February, 1780.
It appears from the law for erecting the county of Montgomery, that a part of the money arising from such sale, proportionable to
285
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
the taxes paid by the said county, shall be applied by the Commis- sioners thereof in purchasing a piece of land, and building a Court House and Prison ; but we do not recollect any directions given by law in what manner the other part of the said money shall be ap- plied for the benefit of the city and county of Philadelphia.
By a law passed the seventeenth day of February, 1762, a lot containing fifty feet in front, on the south side of Chesnut street, and seventy-three feet in depth on the west side of Fifth street, was appropriated to the use of the city for erecting a public build- ing to hold Courts of Common Halls, and another lot of the same front on Chesnutt street, and of the same depth on the east side of sixth street, to the use of the city and county of Philadelphia, for like purposes.
We request you will be pleased to take these circumstances into consideration, and ascertain by law, how the money that may arise from the sale before mentioned, and belonging to the city and coun- ty of Philadelphia, shall be applied.
It may be proper on this occasion, to inform the General Assem- bly that there are in our possession bonds and mortgages lately be- longing to the corporation of the city, to the amount of near fifteen hundred pounds, exclusive of interest for several years.
JOHN DICKINSON.
Council Chamber, Philadelphia, December 20th, 1784.
A letter from Colonel Andrew Porter was read.
A letter from James Pearson, stating that the money drawn by him from the Treasury, for repairing the State House, has been applied, and praying that an addition be granted.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, December 21st, 1784.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, John Boyd,
Isaac Meason,
George Wall, junior,
Jonathan Hoge, Charles Biddle, and
Esquires. John Neville, Daniel Hiester,
On the application of James Pearson, of yesterday, it was
Ordered, That the sum of two hundred and sixty pounds be granted for the repair of the State House, according to resolution of General Assembly dated the twenty-second day of September, 1784.
286
MINUTES OF THE
And that forty pounds specie, be granted for the intended im- provement of the State House lott, agreeably to acts of General Assembly dated the twentieth day of February, 1735-6, and four- teenth day of May, 1762, and resolution of Assembly dated the twenty-fifth of Sept'r, 1783.
A draft of a letter to Matthew Clarkson, Esquire, a manager of the State Lottery, in answer to his letter of the sixth, was read and adopted.
A letter was received from the Secretary of Congress, inclosing a resolution of Congress of the nineteenth instant, and the note therein referred to. The inclosures. were transmitted to the Gen- eral Assembly.
A letter from Colonel Blaine, received and read on the eighteenth instant, was this day referred to the officers of the Land Office, who were instructed to investigate the facts and make report upon them.
The following letter was sent to the Attorney General :
In Council, Philadelphia, December 21st, 1784.
SIR :- Mr. Matlack having represented to us that the situation of his affairs requires a speedy determination of the points contest- ed between the State and him, we very earnestly desire that the action against him at the suit of the Commonwealth, may be deci- ded at the present sitting of the Supreme Court, and that you will use every effort in your power for this purpose.
I am, sir, with much respect, your most obedient and humble servant,
JOHN DICKINSON.
The Attorney General.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Colonel An- drew Porter, Commissary to the Commissioners for running the south western boundary of this Commonwealth, for the sum of one hundred pounds specie, he to be accountable.
A resolution was also taken that Colonel Porter be directed to make sale, at some convenient time and place, of the public horses lately employed in the service of the aforesaid Commissioners, and that the public waggons be housed for the winter, under his direc- tion.
287
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, December 22nd, 1784. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, John Boyd,
Isaac Meason,
George Wall, junior,
Jonathan Hoge,
Charles Biddle, and Esquires.
John Neville, Daniel Hiester,
The petition of William Cavenough, (supported by a general recommendation from the merchants of this city, &ca.,) praying to be appointed a Notary Public, and an order taken that the prayer of his petition be granted.
Mr. Whitehill, elected a member of Council for the county of Lancaster. attended for the first time, and the oath of qualification, provided by the Constitution, being administered to him, he was admitted to his seat.
A report of the Trustees of Westmoreland county, pointing out a piece of ground, about four miles south of Hanna's Town, and late the property of William Jack, as the most convenient place for building a Court House and Prison for the said county, was read, with a number of petitions for and against the confirmation of the same ; upon which it was determined that the said report be unapproved and rejected.
A paper from Michael Huffnagle, Esquire, concerning the sale of confiscated property in Westmoreland, was read.
The Comptroller General's report upon the surplus certificate of Peter Good was approved.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, December, 23rd, 1784. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire.
John M'Dowell, John Boyd,
Isaac Meason, George Wall, junior,
Jonathan Hoge, Charles Biddle, and
Esquires. John Neville, Daniel Hiester,
The Comptroller General's report upon the quarterly account of John Armstrong, jun'r, Esquire, as Secretary of Council, ending the twenty-fifth of September, 1784, was read and approved.
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MINUTES OF THE
The report from the Pennsylvania Commissioners for determi- ning the south western boundary of this Commonwealth, inclosing the joint report of the said Commissioners and those appointed by the State of Virginia, were read. It was
Resolved, That all the papers received from the State of Virgi- nia, upon the subject of claims made by persons under the autho- rity of that State, and who by the determination of our south-west- ern limits, have now fallen under the jurisdiction of this Common- wealth, be referred to the Surveyor General, Receiver, and Secreta- ry of the Land office, for their further information upon those sub- jects, and should any other information be found necessary, they will make immediate report to this Board.
Note. - That Mr. Kennedy give a receipt for the papers descrip- tive of each received under this order.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, December 24th, 1784. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John M'Dowell, John Boyd,
John Neville, George Wall, junior,
1 Esquires.
Jonathan Hoge, Isaac Meason, and
Charles Biddle, Daniel Heister, 7
A resolution of the General Assembly, dismissing from the office of a Justice of the Peace for the county of Northumberland, Henry Shoemaker, Esquire, was received and read, and an order taken that it be transmitted to the Clerk of the Peace of the said county.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, December 27th, 1784.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IVRINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, John Whitehill,
Jonathan Hoge, Isaac Meason, Esquires.
Charles Biddle,
289
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, December 28th, 1784.
PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, Jonathan Hoge,
Isaac Meason,
John Boyd, and
Charles Biddle,
John Neville.
John Whitehill,
A return of the late general election in the county of Westmore- land was read and approved, upon which Robert Orr, Esquire, was appointed and commissioned to be Sheriff, and William Waddle appointed and commissioned to be Coroner of the said county of Westmoreland.
Messieurs David Vance and William Perry were offered as sure- ties for Robert Orr, Esquire, Sheriff of Westmoreland county, and accepted.
" A message from the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to his Excellency the President and the Honora- ble the Supreme Executive Council," in reply to a message from this Board of the fourth instant, was this day received and read.
The Comptroller General's report of June the fourteenth, 1784, upon the accounts of Charles Foreman ; that of the twenty-eighth upon the accounts of Michael Huffnagle, Esq'r, and another of the same date upon those of William Altmore, for one years' ground rent for the lot at the corner at the Sixth street from Delaware and Market streets, were read, and an order drawn in favor of the last for the sum of sixteen pounds ten shillings.
The Comptroller General's reports upon the accounts of John Montgomery, Esquire, for services done in the Committee of Safety in 1775, and 1776, and rejected.
VOL. XIV .- 19.
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290
MINUTES OF THE
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, December 29th, 1784.
PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, John Boyd,
John Whitehill,
John Neville,
Charles Biddle,
Isaac Meason, and
Jonathan Hoge,
John Woods.
On consideration of the paper received from Mr. Hufinagle, con- cerning the sale of confiscated property in the county of West- moreland,
Ordered, That patents be issued for the one hundred and fifty acres sold to Abdiel McClure, the three hundred acres sold to John Craig, and the one hundred and fifty acres sold to Michael Huffna- gle, Esquire, on payment of the consideration monies in full.
That as to the three thousand two hundred and twenty-nine acres sold to Stephen Bayard, the Surveyor General be desired forthwith to transmit to his Deputy in the district, copies of the applications entered in the respective names of Levi Marks, No. 3117, Henry Marks, No. 3129, George England, No. 3130, and Richard Price, No. 3131, which by a receipt endorsed under the hand of Thomas Roker, bearing date the sixteenth day of August, 1769, and found among the papers of Alexander Ross, appear to have been entered at the expence and for the use of the said Ross ; of two other applica- tions, No. 3450 and 3662, entered for the use of John Irvine, and by him conveyed to the said Ross; of the applications, No. 3203 and 3204, severally conveyed by Thomas Howeroft and William Hoult, to the said Ross; and also a copy of the platt of survey for the aforesaid three thousand two hundred and twenty-nine acres, under the hand of William Thompson, and dated the first of No- vember, 1770, together with directions to the said Deputy to ascer- tain the situation of all the said lands, to examine what claims or settlements interfere with the rights of the Commonwealth, and to make report of his proceedings as soon as possible.
.
291
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, December 30th, 1784.
PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, John Neville,
John Whitehill, Isaac Meason,
Charles Biddle,
.John Woods, and
>Esquires.
Jonathan Hoge,
Daniel Heister,
John Boyd,
A memorial from Major Isaac Craig was read, and an order taken that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the Agents for the sale of Confiscated Property in Westmoreland county ; and that they be directed to make enquiry into the facts, and postpone the sale of the ruins described, untill such report be made, and a further order of Council issued.
A remonstrance from a number of persons, inhabitants of the Northern Liberties, against an election of a Justice of the Peace, lately held in that district, was read.
A letter from Monsieur Marbois, stating the case of an officer of the French ship Venus, arrested upon the complaint of a sailor of the said ship, was read.
A petition from the Honorable William Henry, Esquire, praying that one moiety of the monies arising from the sale of a quantity, of British goods, seized and sold agreeably to law, in the month of May, 1782, was read.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, December 31st, 1784,
PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, John Neville,
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason,
John Whitehill, John Woods, and SEsquires.
Jonathan Hoge, Daniel Hiester, John Boyd,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honora- ble John McDowell, Esquire, for the sum of twenty-seven pounds
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MINUTES OF THE
two shillings and six pence specie, in full for his attendance in Council untill the first day of January, 1735.
'The memorial of Alexander Power and the report of the Surveyor General, &ca., upon it, being considered, a resolution was taken that the certificates paid by the said Power for two tracts of land, situated in the county of Northumberland, and sold to him by the Agents thereof, as the confiscated property of Alexander Bartram and Christian Huck, be restored to him.
Resolved, also, That all the information of which this Board is possessed concerning the landed property of the said Bartram and Huck, be communicated to the said Agents of the several counties in which it may be situated.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer for the sum of twenty pounds two shillings and six pence specie, in favor of the Honora- ble James Irvine, Esquire, in full for his attendance in Council untill the 5th of November, 1784.
The following reports from the Comptroller General, in favor of the following officers and soldiers, were read and approved, and an order drawn for the interest due to each on the tenth day of April, 1782, as computed by him, to be paid out of the monies arising from the excise appropriated for the discharge of interest due upon depreciation certificates, vizt :
Interest.
John Boyle, Serjeant of the fourth regiment, 4 02
David Spencer, private of the sixth do., 3 6 11
John Cochran, private of Invalids,
3 10 4
Stephen Simms, Serjeant of the first regiment,
4 12 11
James Burns, private of the third do.,
3 12 9
Thomas Burke, Fifer of the tenth do.s
2 18 2
Michael Pitts, private of the tenth do., 3 5 4
The estate of John Stammers, private of the tenth re- giment, deceased,
3
5 1
John Ker, private of the second do.,
3 4 11
Eleanor McDonald, widow of Serjeant William McDo- nald, of the fifth regiment, deceased,
0 16 2
Estate of Samuel Mille, Captain of the eighth regi- ment, deceased, 12 4 5
(William Stage, private of the tenth regiment,
3 10 11
William Clark, Corporal of Artillery, 4 12 1
Cornelius Hutchinson, private of the second do.,
2 0 10
Samuel Walker, administrator of Michael McGaughan, private of the second regiment, deceased,
3 4 9
James Bennett, administrator of Charles Ford, private of the third regiment, deceased,
5 1 7
Estate of Mark McCord, private of the tenth regiment, deceased,
3 10 11
John Beatty, private of the Flying Camp,
1 4 0
4 9 0
William Henderson, Corporal of Proctor's Artillery, Terence Duffy, Serjeant of the eleventh regiment,
4 18 8 ~
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
Interest. 5 2 6
Charles Heiky, private of the eleventh do., Jacob Semele, administrator of Henry Falls, private of the tenth do., dec'd, 4 16 11
Do. do. do. of Henry Feltzer, do. of the eleventh do., dec'd,
5 5 1
Do. do.
do. of James Tracey, Corpo- ral of the tenth do., de- ceased, 9 0 5
James Burns, Senior, Matross of Artillery,
Estate of Jacob Shober, Serjeant of the first regiment, deceased,
6 9 9
Estate of Francis Murray, private of the first regiment, deceased,
32 1
Estate of Robert Armor, private of the first regiment, deceased,
5 2 11
Estate of John Bacon, private of the eighth regiment, deceased,
3 14 9
John Hargey, Serjeant of the seventh regiment,
4 7 9.
William Davidson, Serjeant of the eleventh regiment, Samuel Johnston, Serjeant of the sixth regiment,
3 5 8
James Beatty, Corporal of the eleventh do., 3 10 5
Daniel Graham, private of the ninth do.,
2
8 2
Daniel Dougherty, private of the first do.,
3
4 9
Aron Essler, private of the fourth do.,
3
6 7
Adam Glaze, private of the eleventh do.,
3
7 8
John Cowey, private of the fourth do., 2
6 2
Estate of Michael Shaw, private of the eighth do., de- ceased,
5 3 11
William Broadstock, private of the second do.,
3 7 6
Estate of Thomas Johnston, private of the seventh do., deceased,
5 3 4
Estate of Charles Cowan, private of the second regi- ment, deceased,
4 15 9
James Bennett, administrator of the estate of John Holmes, late private of the second regiment, de- ceased,
215
Michael Fink, private of the second regiment,
4 16 10
William Keller, private of the tenth do.,
4 19 7
John Dickson, administrator of Josephus Broomhead, late a Matross of Artillery, deceased,
1 15 11
James Bennett, administrator of the estate of Charles Lloyd, private of the first regiment, de- ceased, 4 18 6 Do. do. 1 do. of the estate of Philip Murphy, private of the first regiment, deceased, 4 18 6
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