USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XV > Part 41
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On motion,
Resolved, That Tuesdey next be appointed to take into consider- ation the case of Francis Wade, relative to the sale of his house ; and for hearing the several claims of Richard Wells, Nicholas Young and Peter Thomson, to city lots, under old rights
Upon application of Phineas Bond, Esquire, British Consul, an order was taken that the Secretary be directed to furnish him with a copy of Judge Hopkinson's letter to Council relative to the war- rant of survey lately issued by said Consul, to ascertain certain damages sustained by the brigantine Adventure.
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A report from David McClure, William Bell and William Mac- cay, Esquires, of the evidence taken by them touching a disputed election of Justices of the Peace in the district of the township of Lack, in the county of Cumberland, in pursuance of an order of this Board of the nineteenth day of November, 1787, was received and read; and on consideration it was resolved to set aside the said election, and the same is hereby accordingly set aside and made null and void.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, August 27th, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Abraham Smith, George Ross,
William Maclay, Nathan Dennisen,
John Cannon, Samuel Dean, and
7 Esq'rs.
James Read, Frederick Watts,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Mr. Robert Aitken for thirty-five pounds fourteen shillings, in full of his ac- count for printing public accounts and other printing work done for the Comptroller General, and for stationary for his office, accord- ing to the said Comptroller's report.
On motion,
Resolved, That Tuesday next be appointed for the consideration of the case of the children of Captain William Shippen.
On motion,
Resolved, That the fine of twenty shillings, which was imposed upon. Nicholas Rummel by the last City Court, upon being con- victed of an assault and battery, be remitted.
A letter from Charles Thompson, Esquire, dated the twenty-fifth day of August, 1788, inclosing a requisition of Congress for the year 1788, was read.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, August 28th, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- . dent.
Abraham Smith, Nathan Dennison, 1
William Maclay, Samuel Dean, 1
John Cannon, Frederick Watts, and Esquires. James Read, , Henry Hill, George Ross,
Two orders were drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Mr. Jo- seph Perkin, vizt : One for one hundred and fifty pounds seventeen shillings, payable out of the militia fines of the county of Philadel- phia, being the ballance due upon his account for repairing the public arms belonging to the said county. And the other of them. for three hundred and eighteen pounds fourteen shillings and five
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pence, payable out of the militia fines of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, being the ballance due upon his account for repairing the public arms belonging to the said city and liberties, according to the Comptroller General's report.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, August 29th, 1788.
PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Henry Hill, John Cannon,
Samuel Dean,
Nathan Dennisen,
William Maclay,
Frederick Watt, and
Esquires.
James Read,
Abraham Smith,
George Ross,
On motion,
Ordered, That William Craig, Esquire, be appointed and com- missionated a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Philadelphia.
Upon the petition of a number of the inhabitants of the town- ships of Pinegrove and Brunswick, over the Blue Mountain, in the county of Berks, an order was drawn that Egedian Meyer, Esquire, Justice of the Peace for the townships aforesaid, be appointed and commissionated a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county aforesaid.
The consid ration of Archibald Shaw's petition, praying remis- sion of that part of the forfeiture of one hogshead of rum which belongs to the Commonwealth, incurred by him for neglecting to enter the same with the Collector of Excise in the city of Philadel- phia, was postponed untill Monday next.
Council resumed the consideration of the report of their com- mittee, which was read and entered on the minutes of the twelfth instant, containing an arrangement of the town lots and out-lots within the reserved tract opposite Pittsburgh, in order for sale ; and thereupon
Resolved, That the lots aforesaid be exposed to public sale in the city of Philadelphia, on the nineteenth day of November next ; and that certificates upon which interest is payable at the Treasury of this Commonwealth be received in payment therefor.
Resolved, That the Receiver General of the Land office be in- structed to give public notice of the sale aforesaid in the Philadel- phia newspapers and Pittsburgh Gazette, sixty days before the said nineteenth day of November.
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Upon consideration of the petition from Henry Dickey, and a recommendation in his favor from four of the Justices of the Peacc of this city ;
Ordered, That the fine of ten pounds and imprisonment which was imposed upon him by a City Court held in April last, upon being convicted of keeping a disorderly house, be remitted.
Council Chamber.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, August 30th, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable Henry Hill, Nathan Dennisen,
Samuel Dean, John Cannon,
Abraham Smith, James Read,
Esquires.
William Maclay, Frederick Watts,
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, September 1st, 1788.
PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent:
Samuel Dean, John Cannon,
Abraham Smith, James Read,
George Ross, Frederick Watt, >Esquires.
William Maclay, Christopher Kucher,
Nathan Dennisen, Henry Hill,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Frederick Sneider for fifteen pounds ten shillings, in full for his attendance as Doorkeeper to Council from the first untill the thirty-first of Au- gust, 1788, inclusively.
Upon the petition of Rebecca Riffets, now confined in the work house of this city,
Ordered, That the punishment at hard labour to which she was sentenced by a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail De- livery held at Philadelphia, the sixteenth day of July last, upon being convicted of receiving stolen goods, knowing them to be such, be remitted.
Council taking into consideration the proclamation of his Brit- tanic Majesty, of the twenty-fifth of June last, prohibiting the entry of wheat, the growth of any of the Territories of the United States, into any of the Ports of Great Britain, and having reason
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to believe that the said proclamation has been occasioned by some mis-information respecting the insect called the Hessian fly ; there- fore,
Resolved, That a letter be written to the Agricultural Society re- questing them to investigate and report to Council as soon as con- venient, the nature of the Hessian fly, the manner of its being propagated, and the effects of it upon the crops of wheat.
A letter from the Delegates of Pennsylvania in Congress, in- closing their proposal for the purchase of the Territory adjoining the northern boundary of this State belonging to the United States, at the rate of three-quarters of a dollar per acre, in specie or pub- lic securities bearing interest, and the acceptance of the said pro- posal by the Board of Treasury of the United States, was read.
General Watt was appointed a member of the Board of Pro- perty.
A letter from the Honorable Samuel Johnston, Esquire, Presi- dent of the Convention of the State of North Carolina, inclosing a de- claration of rights by the said Convention, and the amendments which they wish to take place in the Constitution proposed for the future government of the United States, was received and read.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, September 2nd, 1788.
PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Henry Hill, William Maclay, r
Samuel Dean, Jolin Cannon,
Christopher Kucher,
Frederick Watt, and Esquires.
George Ross,
Nathan Dennisen,
James Read, 2
Upon consideration of the petition of Stephen Shewell, it was Ordered, That the fine of four hundred and fifty pounds, which is payable to the use of the Commonwealth, by the petitioner upon his being convicted of usury, be remitted.
The consideration of the case of Francis Wade, relative to the sale of his house, and the hearing of the several claims of Richard Wells, and Nicholas Young, and Peter Thompson, to certain city lots under old rights, were postponed.
The consideratien of the petition of Jeremiah Fisher, guardian of the child or children of Captain William Shippen, deceased, rel- ative to their pension, was also postponed.
Council resumed the consideration of the petition of Archibald Shaw, praying remission of the fine, and that part of the forfeiture
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of one tierce of rum which belongs to the Commonwealth, incur- red by him for neglecting to enter the same with the Collector of Excise in the city of Philadelphia, in due time, and thereupon,
Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner be granted.
A petition from George William Steinhauer, of the city of Phil- delphia, praying Council to remit the fine of one hundred pounds, which was imposed upon him by a Court of Oyer and Terminer held in this city in April, 1787, upon his being convicted of being concerned with John Rheiner, in altering the marks of a cargo of flour from common to superfine, was read, and an order taken that the said fine of one hundred pounds be remitted.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 3rd, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Pre- sident.
Samuel Dean, Christopher Kucher,
Henry Hill, John Cannon,
George Ross,
William Maclay, Esquires.
James Read, Frederick Watts, and
Abraham Smith, Nathan Dennisen, 7
A letter from Colonel Zebulun Butler, Lieutenant of the county of Luzerne, inclosing a return of field and company officers for the upper battalion of militia of the said county, and a return of offi- cers of a troop of militia Light Horse in the said county, was re- ceived and read, and on consideration, it was
Resolved, That the return of officers elected in and for the said upper battalion, be rejected, and the said election is hereby declared null and void.
Resolved, That the return made by the said Lieutenant of offi- cers of the troop of Light Horse, and of an Infantry company, be accepted, and that commissions be issued accordingly.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, September 4th, 1788.
PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Henry Hill, Frederick Watt,
Samuel Dean, Nathan Dennisen,
William Maclay,
Christopher Kucher, and
James Read,
George Ross,
Abraham Smith,
1 Esquires.
On motion,
Resolved, That the letter from Council to the Agricultural So- ciety, dated the first instant, together with their answer thereto touching the nature of the insect called the Hessian fly, (received and read this day,) be published in the Pennsylvania Packet, and that the printers of the said newspapers be requested to republish the several letters from Mr. George Morgan, of New Jersey, dated May the twentieth, and July the twenty fifth, 1787, and June the twenty-fourth day, 1788, and the letters from John Jacobs, James Vaux, and Henry Wynkoop, dated the sixteenth day of August, 1788, upon the same subject immediately following the publication of the first mentioned letters.
Upon application of Captain James Chrystie,
Ordered, That the Attorney General be instructed to institute an amicable suit at law for determining the dispute subsisting be- tween said Captain Chrystie and the Comptroller General iu behalf of the Commonwealth, respecting certain certificates for soldiers' pay, which the Comptroller alledges are escheated to the Common- wealth.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, September 5th, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Samuel Dean, Frederick Watt,
William Maclay, Nathan Dennisen, and
James Read, Christopher Kucher, 1 Esquires.
Abraham Smith,
A letter from James Coyle, Esquire, a Justice of the Peace and Common Pleas for the county of Huntingdon, requesting leave to resign his said offices being read,
Ordered, That his resignation be accepted.
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Samuel Garrigues and Peter Lohra, were appointed and commis- sionated to be Notaries Public in and for this Commonwealth, agreeably to the prayer of their several petitions.
Richard Peters, Esquire, and Mr. John Curwen, made a report agreeably to the order of Council the nineteenth of July last, of a survey and admeasurement of that part of the Lancaster road called Jones' lane, proposed to be made on new ground, which being read, an order was taken,
That public notice be given that proposals will be received at the Secretary's office, untill the day of for making good the said road, agreeably to the following courses and dis- tances, vizt : Beginning at a white oak at the side of the Lancaster road, thence south sixty-four degrees, west two hundred and thir- teen perches to a dead black oak, thence north seventy-three de- grees, west nineteen perches to Goodman's bridge.
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of said Richard Peters and John Curwen, for three pounds, being the expence of surveying the said road.
Mr. Thomas and Mr. McCalmont, a committee from the General Assembly, attended, and informed the Council that the House was now met, and ready to receive any business Council may have to lay before them. The Committee were informed that a message was preparing, and should be transmitted to the House to-morrow, together with a number of papers therein referred to.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, September 6th, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Henry Hill, William Maclay,
Samuel Dean, Christopher Kucher,
James Read, John Cannon, Esquires.
Abraham Smith,
Nathan Dennisen,
Frederick Watts,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Hon- orable Peter Muhlenberg, Esquire, for the sum of one hundred pounds, in part of his salary as Vice President, for which sum he is to account.
On motion,
Resolved, That agreeably to the supplement to the act of Assem- bly entitled An Act to alter and amend an act intituled An Act to remedy the defects of the several acts of Assembly heretofore made for regulating the elections of Justices of the Peace through-
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out this State, &ca., passed the twenty-seventh day of February last, the inhabitants of the town of Easton in the county of Northampton, are entitled to and shall be allowed a third Justice of the Peace, upon an election of such Justice being held within the said town by the frecholders thereof, and return made to Council ac- cording to law.
The following draft of a message from Council to the General Assembly, was read and approved, vizt :
A message from the President and Supreme Executive Council to the General Assembly.
GENTLEMEN :- The daring insult offered to the laws of the State during the recess of your Honorable House, by the insur- gents of Wyoming, in carrying off the person of Timothy Picker- ing, Esquire, Prothonotary of the county, called for the immediate interposition of Government, more especially as there was no know- ing to what further lengths their outrages might be carried, unless speedily checked.
For this purpose we issued proclamations offering rewards for apprebending those offenders whose names were known, and made application to the governments of New Jersey and New York, to co-operate in our measures, and received the most friendly assu- rances of their support. We also obtained the permission from the Honorable Congress that the troops of the Union then on their march to the westward, should proceed (if found necessary,) to Wyoming. These active measures, supported by the friends of government within the county, have been attended with success.
Colonel Pickering was released, a number of the rioters have been taken into custody, and apparent peace restored to the county. Sundry papers relating to the above transactions are enclosed in number one.
In order to carry into effect your resolution of the twenty sev- enth of March last, respecting the seventeen enumerated townships, we appointed Colonel Stephen Balliot and Major William Arm- strong, commissioners to ascertain the quantity and quality of the particular tracts of land contained in the said townships. To their report, marked No. 2, we beg leave to refer you.
In compliance with your resolution of the twenty-ninth of Febru- ary last, we have negociated, by means of our delegates in Con- gress, with the United States for the tract of country, which on actual survey may appear to be their property, on Lake Erie, ad- joining the northern boundary of this State. The report, with the documents on which the same is founded, are contained in the bundle No. 3.
The lowering the terms of lands in the new purchase, and freeing the surplus of the donation lands from the appropriation by which they are bound, are matters in our opinion worthy the attention of the House. By these means not only an old fund would be rendered productive, but a new one will be oponed.
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Impositions are practised by persons selling adulterated plate. An office erected for the purpose of assaying and stamping all plate offered for sale, would tend to prevent fraud, and give security the purchasers of that article.
The disabled pensioners have lately been paid out of the unap- propriated funds of the State. It appears that these funds are insufficient to discharge the demands made on them, and if the pensions are continued to be paid, some other provision is neces- sary,
The magazine for storing of gunpowder in this city is not only improperly situated with respect to the town, but too small to con- tain the quantities now imported and manufactured in the neigh- borhood. We therefore think a revisal and alteration of the laws passed the twenty-eighth of March, 1787, respecting gunpowder, is now highly necessary.
The depreciation of our paper Money calls for the attention of the Legislature. We wish for a conference with a committee of your Honorable House on this important subject.
We have called upon the respective county Lieutenants for returns of persons subject to the performance of militia duties, and of those who have actually attended on muster-days, agreeably to your, resolution of the twenty-ninth day of March last. These returns shall be laid before the General Assembly as soon as they come to hand.
We also herewith communicate a resolution of Congress, dated July the eleventh, 1788, respecting pensioners, an extract of a let- ter from General Harmar, dated June the thirtieth, 1788, copies of the ratification of the Federal Constitution by the States of Vir- ginia, South Carolina, and New York, with amendments pro- posed by Virginia and New York; also a letter from the Presi- dent of the Convention of North Carolina, inclosing the proceedings of the said Convention, a letter from Thomas Paine, Esquire, dated at Paris, May the fourth, 1788, inclosing the opinion of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, on the principles and construction of the model for a bridge over the Schuylkill, a letter from General St. Clair, of July the twenty-fourth, and a resolution of Congress, of August the twelfth, 1788, relative to the holding in readiness the militia on the frontiers, to act in conjunction with the Federal troops, in defending the western country against Indian hostilities, two letters from Charles Thompson, Esquire, Secretary of Congress, dated the twentieth and twenty-fifth days of August, 1788, the one inclosing a copy of the Journal of Congress from the commencement of the Federal year to the twentieth of August, 1788, and the other in- closing a requisition of the United States in Congress assembled, for the year 1788, and a memorial from Captain John Armstrong. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Council Chamber, Philadelphia, September 6th, 1788.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, September 8th, 1788.
PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Ilenry Hill, William Maclay,
Samuel Dean, Nathan Dennisen,
Abraham Smith, Frederick Watts, and
Esquires.
Christopher Kucher, John Cannon,
Upon consideration of a representation from the Justices of the city and county of Philadelphia, in favor of Simon Gore, now con- fined in the jail of this city,
Ordered, That the fine due to the State, and the imprisonment to which he was sentenced, for a contempt of a late court of justice, be remitted.
A letter from Charles Thomson, Esquire, Secretary of Congress, inclosing an act of the United States, in Congress assembled, of the fourth instant, by which they relinquish and transfer to this State the jurisdiction of the tract of land on lake Erie, which the State has agreed to purchase of the United States, was rcad.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, September 9th, 1788. PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi- dent.
Samuel Dean,
William Maclay,
Henry Hill, Nathan Dennisen,
Abrabam Smith,
Christopher
John Cannon,
Frederick Watt.
Council taking into consideration the act of Congress, dated the fourth instant, which was received and read yesterday, it was
Resolved, That the same be transmitted to the General Assem- bly, together with the following letter, vizt :
In Council, Philadelphia, September, 9th, 1788.
SIR :- By direction of the Board, I do myself the honor to trans- mit you for the consideration of the General Assembly an act of Congress, passed the fourth instant, by which the United States relinquish and transfer to the State of Pennsylvania all their right,
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title, and claim, to the Government and jurisdiction of the tract of land on lake Erie, which the State has agreed to purchase of the United States.
By accounts received from Pittsburgh, a pacific disposition is manifested on the part of the Indians, and there is now reason to expect a large meeting of the northern and western tribes at Mus- kingam, to hold a treaty with the Continental Commissioners. This favorable opportunity ought not, in the opinion of Council, to be missed, for altho' the quantity of triangle purchased from the Board of Treasury cannot be ascertained with precision before the necessary lines are run, agreeably to the act of Congress, in the sixth day of June last, yet, as a great part of the expence attend- ing treaties with Indians is incurred by collecting and furnishing them with provisions, charges which in this instance may be avoided, Council therefore earnestly recommend the appointing Commis- sioners on the part of this State, to attend the ensuing treaty for purchasing from the Indians who may appear to have just claims to the same, the whole of the triangle aforesaid, as nearly as the bounds of the same may be ascertained by the best information which can be now obtained.
I have the honor to be, sir,
Your most obedient and very humble servant,
PETER MUHLENBERG, V. P.
Honorable THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esq'r, Speaker of the General As- sembly.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 10th, 1788.
PRESENT :
The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice President.
Samuel Dean, William Maclay,
Henry Hill, Nathan Dennisen,
Abraham Smith, Christopher Kucher, &
Esquires.
John Cannon, Frederick Watt, 7
The petition of Elizabeth O'Hara and Margaret Jackson, being read,
Ordered, That the fine of five pounds imposed upon Elizabeth O'Hara, and her servitude to hard labor, and the fine of Margaret Jackson, of fifty-two pounds two shillings and six pence, and servi- tude to hard labor, be remitted.
On motion,
Ordered, That Monday next be appointed for going into the con- sideration of the petition from several persons resident in the North,
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ern Liberties, relative to certain vacant lots of ground bounding upon Vine, Callowhill and other streets in said Liberties, which they conceive have become the property of the Commonwealth .- And that the petitioners be notified to attend with such papers as they may have to produce in support of the said petition.
O, dered, That the Attorney General, Land Officers and Comp- troller General, be also requested to attend at the same time to confer with Council on the subject of the said petition.
Mr. Peters, Mr. Lowrey, Mr. Rittenhouse, Mr. Finlay and Mr. Irwin, a Committee from the General Assembly attending were in- troduced, and a conferrence was held upon the subject of the letter transmitted yesterday from Council to the General Assembly, rela- tive to a purchase of the tract of country lying between this State and Lake Erie from the Indians.
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