USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XIV > Part 30
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A Message from the President and the Supreme Executive Coun- cil to the General Assembly :
COUNCIL CHAMBER, Philad'a, February 16th, 1785 ..
. GENTLEMEN :- The Commissioners on the part of this Common- wealth and of the State of Virginia, having determined by astro- nomical observations the extent of five degrees of longitude west from the river Delaware, in the latitude of Mason's and Dixon's line, and having run and marked the continuation of that line to the termination of the said five degrees, and our Commissioners having reported their proceedings to your Honorable House, as well as to us, we have no other information to offer on that subject except an accurate draft of the said continuation, completing the southern boundary of Pennsylvania, which we now have the plea- sure of inclosing.
JOHN DICKINSON.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, February 17th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President. The Honorable Jonathan Hoge, Charles Biddle, John Neville, John McDowell,
John Whitehill, Stephen Balliot,
Isaac Meason, Daniel Hiester,
John Woods,
George Wall, Jun'r,
Esquires. John Boyd,
A letter from James Jacks, Esquire, of the county of Lancaster, was read.
The Comptroller General's report upon the pay-roll of Captain Frie's company of Bucks County militia, was read and approved, and an order drawn for their pay from the fourteenth of October to the fifth of December, 1784, to be paid out of the fines collected from such persons as refused or neglected to march upon the call under which Captain Frie and his company went to Wioming.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Andrew Burson, for the sum of four pounds fourteen shillings, specie, for 257 pounds of beef furnished to Captain Frie's company, by order of Colonel Murray, agreeably to the Comptroller General's report.
A memorial of this day from the Commercial Committee, stating that depredations have been committed upon the trade of these States by Barbary Corsairs, and praying that a representation of the subject be made to Congress, and their interference by treaty or presents, agreeably to the usages of European nations, entreated, was read, and an order taken that a letter be written to the dele- gates from this State, directing a representation of the fact upon which this memorial is founded, to be made to Congress as early as possible.
Council taking into consideration the petition of Joseph Pen- nock and others, with the report of the Surveyor General thereon, and it appearing that Joseph Pennock and Lewis Pennock, sons of Joseph Pennock, deceased, of the county of Chester, William Pennock, Caleb Pennock, Samuel Pennock, Joshua Pennock, sons of William Pennock, deceased, son of the said Joseph Pennock, deceased, and Joseph Pennock, Samuel Pennock and William Pen- nock, sons of Nathaniel Pennock, deceased, son of the said Joseph Pennock, deceased, arc, in right of the original purchase of Fran- cis Rogers and George Rogers, for two thousand five hundred acres of land, entitled to a lot in the city of Philadelphia, correspondent to the said purchase,
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Ordered, That the Surveyor General be directed to report whether the lot entered in book No. 31, and mentioned in his re- port of the thirty first day of December, 1784, has been sold by the Commonwealth, and what were its dimensions and boundaries.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, February 18th, 1785. PRESENT : His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, Charles Biddle,
John Neville,
John McDowell,
John Whitehill,
Stephen Balliot,
Isaac Meason,
Daniel Hiester, and
John Woods,
George Wall, Jun'r,
Esquires. John Boyd,
A petition from Isaac Van Vleck, praying to be appointed to the office of a Notary and Tabellion Public within this State, was read.
A petition from Frederick Bauseman, convicted of an assault and battery, at the May session of the Supreme Court, held at Sunbury, was read, and an order taken that the fine of five pounds, which by sentence he was to pay to the Commonwealth, be re- mitted.
The petition of Henry M'Dowell, convicted of horse stealing in the county of Philadelphia, and now a prisoner in the jail of this city, praying a remission of the fine aud remainder of the impri- sonment imposed upon him, was read and rejected.
Hugh Laughlin, Esquire, was appointed and commissioned a Jus- tice of the Peace for Manallin district, and Nathaniel Bradin, Esquire, for Luzerne district, both of the county of Fayette, upon returns made according to law. .
On motion of Mr. Balliet,
Ordered, That William McNair, Esquire, be appointed a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in the county of Northampton.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, February, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, Charles Biddle,
John Neville,
John McDowell,
John Whitehill,
Stephen Balliet,
Isaac Meason,
Daniel Hiester, and
Esquires.
John Woods,
George Wall, junior,
.
John Boyd,
A consideration of Isaac Van Vleck's petition of yesterday was resumed :
Ordered, That he be appointed a Notary and Tabellion Public for this Commonwealth, and commissioned accordingly.
A letter from the Honorable John Jay, Esquire, inclosing a letter from Monsieur Marbois, was read.
Several resolutions of the General Assembly of the eighteenth instant, concerning the Commissioners appointed to determine the Northern Boundary of this State, were presented to Council and read.
A draft of a letter to the Governor of the State of New York, agreeably to the aforesaid Resolutions, was read and adopted.
The consideration of a protest of a number of the inhabitants of Germantown, against the late election of Justices for that district, read the fourteenth instant, was resumed; and an order taken that the complainants do specify those persons who, not being freehold- ers, voted at the said election.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, February 21st, 1785. PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Whitehill,
John McDowell, John Woods,
George Wall, junior, John Boyd,
Stephen Balliet, Charles Biddle,
The petition of Alexander Carlisle, accompanied by a number of certificates, praying that an order be drawn in his favor, for the sum
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of three hundred pounds, specie, as a reward for apprehending the person of John Downey, some time since convicted of and executed for the robbery of Thomas Leaming, jun'r, and Elizabeth Houston, agreeably to a proclamation of Council of the fifteenth day of May, 1784, was read, and an order taken that an order be drawn accordingly.
On the petition of William Crispin, read on the sixteenth instant, it was
Ordered, That the Comptroller General be authorized to stay the sale of his property for three months from this day.
A letter from Mr. Van Berkel, with its inclosure, was read.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of James Duncan, for the sum of forty-two pounds two shillings and five pence specie, for his services as Clerk to the Comptroller General, from the first day of December, 1784, to the twentieth day of Feb- ruary, 1785, inclusively.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, February 22d, 1785.
PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, Charles Biddle,
John Whitehill, Isaac Meason, and
James McLene, John Neville, Esquires.
John Boyd,
The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt :
In favor of Joseph Montgomery, Esquire, one of the Commis- sioners appointed to run and ascertain the Northern Boundary line . of this Commonwealth, for fifty pounds specie, for which sum he is to account; and for the sum of thirty pounds specie, for pur- chasing a transit instrument for the use of the Commissioners aforesaid ;-- the said sums to be paid according to resolution of Assembly dated the eighteenth day of February, 1785.
In favor of the Honorable Jonathan Hoge, Esquire, for the sum of fifty-seven pounds fifteen shillings specie, in full for his pay as Councillor untill this day, inclusively.
The petition of James Gregg, referring to a former petition, and praying that the reward offered by Council for the apprehension of Solomon Vickers, be granted to him, was read.
The petition of James Snodgrass, stating his claims to the re- wards aforesaid, and praying the consideration of Council, was also read; on which it was
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
Resolved, That the claimants be respectively informed that the fifteenth day of March next is set apart by Council for the pur- pose of receiving their several pretensions and proofs.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, February 23rd, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Woods,
John Whitehill,
Charles Biddle,
James McLene,
Isaac Meason, and
Esquires. John Boyd,
John Neville,
A report of the proceedings of the Commissioners appointed to treat with the several Indian tribes for the purchase of such land as, falling within the acknowledged limits of Pennsylvania, re- mained yet unpurchased, was presented to Council and read.
Ordered, That the deeds contained in the above report be record- ed, according to law.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, February 24th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, * John Woods,
James McLene, Charles Biddle,
John Whitehill,
Isaac Meason, and
Esquires. John Boyd,
John Neville,
The Comptroller General's reports upon the following accounts were read and approved, vizt :
Of David Williamson, Alexander Kidd, Robert Guthrey, David Rankin, Thomas White, Thomas Roberts, William McHoge, Thomas Marchant, William Martin, Thomas Rankin, John Hays, John Grant, and William Hibbert, Thomas Rogers, Matthew John- ston, Alexander Wells, James McKays, Nicholas Gance, John Glenn, Humphrey. Atkinson, John Armstrong, David Cochran,
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Brice McGilson, Samuel Johnstone, Samuel Shannon, George At. kinson, Alexander Wright, and James Edgar, (all of the county.of Washington,) for provisions furnished the militia under different draughts, at different times.
Of John Thompson, also, for his services as Waggon Master of the county of Bucks.
Of Robert Peobles, Esquire, of Cumberland county, for repair- ing arms in 1782.
Arthur St. Clair, Esquire, for military stores in 1776.
Of John Coxe, for sundry articles for the Pennsylvania Salt works ; and
Of Captain Andrew Swearingen's Ranging company, for pay , from March to November, 1781.
In consequence of the resolution to pull down and dispose of the several materials composing the old jail and workhouse, it was
Ordered, That Mr. Joseph Stiles be instructed to remove from thence to some place of security and convenience, all the military and other stores, the property of the State.
The following draft of a message to the General Assembly, upon the subject of the late treaties with the different nations, was read and adopted :
A Message from the President and the Supreme Executive Coun- cil to the General Assembly :
GENTLEMEN :- We have the pleasure of informing you that at a treaty held last October, at Fort Stanwix, with the six nations called Mohocks, Oneidaes, Onondagoes, Cayugaes, Senecaes, and Tuscaroraes ; and at another held last January, at Fort Mackintosh, with the two nations called Wyandots and Delawares, the Commis- sioners on the part of this Commonwealth have purchased from the said Indians, all the territory within the acknowledged limits of the State that had not been before bought from them.
The minutes of these treaties, the deeds, and copies of our in- structions, and several other papers relating to this business, will be delivered with this message.
These conveyances compleating the sale of all the lands in this State, thus happily finishing the transactions of a century on that subject, having been obtained at public treaties, agreeably to an- cient custom, with the approbation of the United States, the In- dians acknowledging themselves " kindly " and " genorously " dealt with, declaring that " Pennsylvania has never deceived or wronged them, and thanked her, not only from their lips, but from their hearts." We are perswaded that such a fair, equitable, and honor- able confirmation of the public interest in so very large and valua- ble a tract of country, must be exceedingly agreeable to the good people of Pennsylvania.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
It is cause of addition satisfaction that in accomplishing this important object, a due regard has been had for the Federal Coun- cils, and that a friendly correspondence between the Continental Commissioners and our own, subsisted throughout the treaties.
As we have every reason to believe that the affections of the In- dians are now conciliated, their confidence gained, and their former friendship restored, in such a manner that their present dispositions may, by proper measures, be improved to great advantages, we hope your Honorable House will judge their requests worthy of immediate attention.
We should not do justice to the merit of our Commissioners, if we neglected to express ourselves very sensible of the ability, dili- gence, frugality and fidelity, with which they have discharged the trust reposed in them.
JOHN DICKINSON.
Council Chamber, Philadelphia, February 24th.
On consideration,
Resolved, That an order be drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the non-commissioned officers and privates of Captain Thomas Stokely's company of Rangers, agreeably to the Comptroller Gen- eral's report dated the twenty-fifth day of February, 1784, payable to the claimants respectively, or their order, by the Comptroller General.
The Comptroller General's report upon the accounts of Robert Bridges, was read, and an order taken the said Bridges do furnish a satisfactory evidence, by receipt from the different officers, or otherwise, that the supplies were yielded, as charged in his account against the Commonwealth.
.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, February 25th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President.
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Boyd,
John Whitehill, John Woods,
James McLene,
Charles Biddle,
John Neville, and -1- Isaac Meason, Esquires. John M'Dowell,
William Whitebread attending in Council, informed the Board that he was now prepared to take the bond and mortgage given by
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MINUTES OF THE
him to the late Mayor and Commonality of this city, and desiring the acceptance of the principal and interest due upon the said bond; whereupon,
Ordered, That the Secretary of this Board be authorized to re- ceive the money and pay it into the Treasury, liable to the future appropriation of the General Assembly for the use of the city, and to discharge the said mortgage agreeably to law.
Upon the petition of Francis Wilson, Nathan Templeton, and John Templ, convicted of an assault and battery, in the county of Bucks, and a recommendation in their favor from Arthur Irwin, Esquire, and from Jacob Bankson, Esquire, who prosecuted for the Commonwealth, it was
Ordered, That two-thirds of the fines due from the said Francis Wilson, Nathan Templeton, and John Miller, be remitted.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, February 26th, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Boyd,
John Whitehill, John Woods,
James Mc Lene, John Neville, and Esquires.
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason,
John McDowell,
James Martin, Esquire, was appointed and commissioned to be a Justice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Bedford, upon a return made according to law, for the district of Providence township.
The Secretary reported that agreeably to the minute of Council of the twenty-fifth instant, the money due upon the bond of Wil- liam Whitebread had been received, the mortgage discharged, and the money lodged in the hands of the Treasurer.
The Receiver General and Secretary of the Land Office attend- ing in Council, a conference was had upon the subject of interfer- ing claims to land within the limits of that tract of country ceded to this State by the last compacts with the State of Virginia ; on which it was
Ordered, That the Secretary of this Board be desired to call upon the Clerk of the General Assembly, and obtain from him the original copy of the aforesaid compact.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of James Pearson, for the sum of thirty pounds specie, to be applied to the
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
improvement of the State House lott, according to acts of the Gene- ral Assembly dated the twentieth day of February, 1735-6, and May the fourteenth, 1762, and resolution of Assembly dated 25th of September, 1783.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, Fedruary 28th, 1785. PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Boyd, ?
John Whitehill, John Woods,
James McLene, John Neville, and
Esquires.
Charles Biddle,
Isaac Meason,
John McDowell,
A letter was written to the merchants and traders of Philadel- phia, in answer to their memorial of the seventeenth instant.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, March Ist, 1785.
PRESENT :
His Excellency JOHN DICKINSON, Esquire, President. The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Boyd, ?
John Whitehill, John Woods,
James McLene, John Neville, and
Esquires.
Charles Biddle, Isaac Meason,
John McDowell,
Samuel Wallis, and Robert Fleming, Esquires, of the county of Northumberland, were appointed and commissioned Justices of the Peace for the said county, upon returns made according to law, for the districts of Muncy and Bald Eagle" townships ; an order was taken that they be also respectively appointed Justices of the Court of Common Pleas for the county aforesaid.
John Rannels, Esquire, was appointed and commissioned a Jus- tice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas, in and for the county of Franklin, upon a return made according to law for the district of Guilford township.
VOL. XIV .- 24.
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The petition of Robert Rodgers, of the county of Westmore- land, fined at a Court of Quarter Sessions, for selling spirituous liquors without the licence of this Board, was read, and an order taken that such part of the said fine as was adjudged to the use of the State, be remitted.
The petition of Mary Sharp, relict of William Sharp, of Cum- berland county, deceased, praying the discharge of an order for fifteen pounds, obtained from the Commissioners of the said county in compensation for the services of William Sharp, as an Assistant Assessor of taxes, was read, and an order taken that it be referred to the Commissioners aforesaid, with a direction that they find some early and efficient means to discharge the said order.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Hono- rable Stephen Balliot, for the sum of twenty four pounds ten shil- lings, in full for his attendance in Council untill this day, inclu- sively.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Frederick Sneider, for the sum of fourteen pounds specie, in full for his ser- vices as Doorkeeper untill this day, inclusively.
Ordered, That dedimus potestatem do issue from this Board to Edward Crawford, and John Boggs, Esquires, of the county of Franklin.
A return of an election of Justices for New Market ward, with a remonstrance against it, was read, and an order taken that the re- monstrants be directed to furnish Council with the names of the non-jurors who, by their representation, are said to have voted at the said election.
A consideration of the returns of Justices elect for the districts of Allen and Tyboyne, in the county of Cumberland, was postponed.
'The return of an election of Justices of the Peace for the dis- trict of Fallowfield and county of Washington, was read and post- poned.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Hono- rable John Whitehill, Esquire, for the sum of sixty-two pounds ten shillings, in full for his pay as a member of Council to this day, inclusively, and his mileage.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of John Lu- kens, Esquire, for the sum of two hundred and sixteen pounds, being his pay as a Commissioner for determining the south-western boundary of this Commonwealth.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, March 2nd, 1785.
PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge,
John Woods.
Isaac Meason, John McDowell,
John Whitehill, James McLene,
Stephen Balliot,
Daniel Hiester, and
Esquires.
John Neville,
Charles Biddle,
John Boyd,
The Comptroller General's reports upon the following accounts, were read and approved, vizt :
Of Craig Richie, and Andrew Murrow, for horses lost on the Sandusky expedition.
ยท Of Lieutenant Colonel George Vallandigham, for militia ser- vices.
Of the aforesaid Captain Craig Ritchie, for rations due from the twentieth of May to the twentieth of June, 1782.
Of Van Swearingen, Esquire, for provisions furnished the Rang- ing company of Andrew Swearingen, Captain, and of ditto for seven thousand one hundred and forty rations furnished the militia of Washington county, from April the first to September the second, 1782.
Of John Smilie, for a horse and rifle lost on the Sandusky expe- dition.
Of James Curry, and John Geiger, of ditto for team hire in transporting baggage of the troops employed in escorting the con- vention army in 1778; and
Of John Buchanan, Collector of Excise for Cumberland county.
The Comptroller General's reports upon the surplus certificates of Michael Boyer, of Matthias Weithwright, and Nicholas Wil- tenberger, all of Northampton county, were read and approved.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, March 3rd, 1785 PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
John McDowell, Jonathan Hoge,
James McLene,
Daniel Hiester,
Isaac Meason,
Stephen Balliot, and
Esquires.
John Boyd,
John Whitehill,
John Woods,
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A certificate from the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace held at Hanna's town, for the county of Westmoreland, that a division of the township of Hempfield would be usefull and has become necessary, was read.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer for the sum of one pound eight shillings and one penny, State money, in favor of Ni- cholas Clickinger, agreeably to the Comptroller General's report upon his certificate, of having furnished the public with one sheep.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Henry Trout, for five pounds, State money, upon his certificate of having fur- nished one head of horned cattle for the use of the State.
A letter from Charles Thompson, Esquire, was read, inclosing a resolution of Congress of the twenty-third of February last, au- thorizing the Comptroller to appoint additional Commissioners for liquidating and settling the accounts of individuals against the United States, in the same manner as the late Superintendant of Finance was authorized to do. And a second resolution of the same date, called upon the heads of the different departments to furnish the Board of Treasury or Comptroller of Accounts with a list of such. Deputies as were authorized to issue certificates, and upon tho-e Depaties for a fair abstract of all the certificates which they have issued in consequence; upon which it was
Ordered, That the latter of these two resolutions be published in the several newspapers of this city.
The Comptroller General's report upon the account of Joseph Holmes, of the county of Washington, for provisions furnished himself when on militia service, was read and approved.
A letter from James Wilson, Esquire, dated February 26th, in- closing a copy of a bill now before the Legislature of New York, for finally determining the partition line between that Common- wealth and Pennsylvania, was read.
Ordered, That this letter with its enclosure, and the several com- munications from Congress, be transmitted to the General Assem- bly.
The Comptroller General's report upon the quarterly account of the Secretary of this Board, ending the twenty-fifth of December, 1784, was read and approved.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, March 4th, 1785.
PRESENT :
The Honorable JAMES IRVINE, Esquire, Vice President.
Jonathan Hoge, John Woods,
. John Whitehill,
John McDowell, .
Isaac Meason,
James McLene,
Stephen Balliot,
Daniel Hiester, and
Esquires.
John Neville,
Charles Biddle,
John Boyd,
A petition from Martha Boggs, relict of James Boggs, late of the county of Westmoreland, stating that, under the indulgence and directions of Brigadier General Irvine, her husband, the aforesaid James, had made some small improvements upon the reserved tract of land opposite the town of Pittsburgh; that this indulgence was given for the purpose of securing the public property; that since the death of her husband she has continued to live upon the premi- ses, and that they have now become the only means of her future subsistence ; that she has lately been warned to depart therefrom by Colonel William Butler, who lays claim to them under an act of the General Assembly; that she humbly conceives a just execution of this act will leave her an undisturbed possession, and therefore, praying that Council may take some order thereon : Upon which it was
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