USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XV > Part 52
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On motion,
Resolved, That the several returns of electors for choosing a President and Vice President of the United States, which have been transmitted to Council, be referred to Mr. Maclay and. Mr. Smith to inspect the same, and report to Council the names of the ten persons highest in votes ; which being done,
A draft of a proclamation was laid before the Board, read, and adopted, as follows, vizt :
Pennsylvania, ss:
By the President and Supreme Executive Council of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania :
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, Pursuant to an act of the General Assembly of the said Commonwealth, passed on the fourth day of October last, en- tituled " An Act directing the time, places, and manner of holding elections of Representatives of this State in the Congress of the United States, and for appointing Electors on the part of this State for choosing a President and Vice President of the United States," elections for such Electors were held on Wednesday, the seventh day of January last, in the city of Philadelphia, and in the several counties of this State:
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MINUTES OF THE
And whereas, It appears from the returns transmitted to the Secretary of this Council, that Edward Hand, George Gibson, John Arndt, Collinson Read, Lawrence Keene, James Wilson, James ('Hara, David Grier, Samuel Potts, and Alexander Graydon, are highest in votes as Electors aforesaid : Now, we, the Supreme Ex- ecutive Council of the said Commonwealth, do hereby make known and declare that Edward Hand, George Gibson, John Arndt, Col- linson Read, Lawrence Keene, James Wilson, James O'Hara, Da- vid Grier, Samuel Potts, and Alexander Graydon, are, according to the said returns, highest in votes, and in cousequence are duly elected and chosen as Electors of & for this State for choosing a President and Vice President of the United States.
Given in Council, under the hand of his Excellency Thomas Mifflin, Esquire, President, and the Seal of the State, at Philadelphia, ' this third day of February in the year of our Lord, one thou- sand seven hundred and eighty-nine, and of the Commonwealth the thirteenth.
THOMAS MIFFLIN, President.
ATTEST :- CHARLES BIDDLE, Sec'ry.
The consideration of the propriety of continuing the Invalid Guard was postponed.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, Feb'ry 4th, 1789. PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, George Woods,
James Read, John Cannon,
Amos Gregg,
Nathan Deunison,
Esquires.
Abraham Smith,
Zebulun Potts,
Frederick Watt,
William Maclay,
Christopher Kucher,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Frederick Sneider, for sixteen pounds one shilling and six pence, in full for his wages as Doorkeeper from the first to the thirty first day of January, 1789, and cash paid for an axe and for carrying up fire- wood
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, February 5th, 1789.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, William Maclay,
Amos Gregg,
Christopher Kucher i
Abraham Smith,
Frederick Watt,
Esquires.
John Cannon,
Nathan Dennison,
George Woods,
Zebulun Potts,
-
The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt :
In favor of the Honorable William Maelay, Esquire, for fifty- five pounds six shillings and four pence, being the amount of bis account for surveying sixteen tracts of land, on warrants issued from the Land office to the Trustees of Franklin College, agreeably to act of Assembly dated the tenth day of March, 1787, and for sundry expences, according to the Comptroller General's report.
In favor of the Honorable John Cannon, Esquire, for thirty- four pounds ten shillings, in full of his account for attendance in Council from the twenty-fourth of December, 1788, to February the seventh, 1789, inclusively.
A letter from Thomas Scott, Esquire, elected one of the Repre- sentatives of this State in the Congress of the United States, sig- nifying his wish to resign the said office, was received and read, and an order taken that the same be transmitted to the General Assem- bly.
Mr. Moore and Mr. Phillips, a Committee from the General As- sembly, attending, were introduced, and informed Council that the General Assembly was now met, and were ready to receive any business Council might have to lay before them. The Committee were informed that a message to the House was preparing, and should be transmitted to-morrow, accompanyed by several other papers.
Upon consideration of a petition from Robert. Morris, Thomas Fitzsimmons, and Joseph Ball, assignees of Lacaze and Mallet, praying Council to direct the Attorney General to appear in the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Philadelphia, and defend the right which is vested in them under the Commonwealth to cer- tain messuages and lots of ground, late of Samuel Shoemaker, for- feited to the State by his attainder of high treason,
Resolved, That the Attorney General be authorized and instruct- ed to appear in the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Phila- delphia, and defend the right aforesaid.
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MINUTES OF THE
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, February 6th, 1789.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, Nathan Dennison,
Amos Gregg,, Zebulun Potts,
Jobn Cannon, Abraham Smith,
Esquires.
William Maclay,
George Woods,
Frederick Watt, Christopher Kucher, J
The following draft of a message to the General Assembly was laid before Council, read and approved, vizt :
A Message from the President and the Supreme Executive Coun- cil to the General Assembly :
GENTLEMEN :- In pursuance of the act of Assembly passed the fourth day of October last, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Hen- ry Wynkoop, Thomas Hartley, George Clymer, Thomas Fitzsim- mons, Thomas Scott, Peter Muhlenberg, and Daniel Hiester, have been duly elected to represent this State in the Congress of the United States, and Edward Hand; George Gibson, John Arndt, Collinson Read, Lawrence Keene, James Wilson, James O'Hara, David Grier, Samuel Potts and Alexander Graydon, have been duly chosen as electors in behalf of this State to ballot for a President and Vice President of the United States.
No specific fund has been assigned by law for payment of the allowances granted to disabled pensioners. The Treasurer has hith- erto satisfied such claims out of the unappropriated funds of the State, but the immediate charges against those funds have of late so greatly accumulated, that it is found improper to continue the additional payments to the pensioners, more especially as a diminu- tion of the said funds will necessarily be produced by the operation of the new government. If, therefore, it is intended that the al- lowances to the . corps of Invalids and to other pensioners of the State shall be continued, it will be necessary to make provision by law for those purposes.
The difficulties which frequently occur from the present confused state of our laws, render in our opinion a revision and arrangement of the acts of General Assembly highly proper.
Alterations are often made by acts whose titles bear no relation to the act which is altered ; some acts have become obselete from the change or cessation of their objects, and many have expired by their own limitations, while the constant multiplication of supple- ments has greatly increased the size and perplexity of our code of laws. We are, therefore, of opinion that the appointment of a
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
person of competent legal talents to digest and arrange them into a regular and concise system will be of great utility.
We are informed that many industrious inhabitants who are conscientiously opposed to the test law, and who consider it as creating an invidious and improper distinction between citizen and citizen, have left the State, and that many others of the same opin- ion are preparing to follow them. While our neighbours are giving every encouragement to settlers within their boundaries. The Le- gislature of Pennsylvania will no doubt endeavour to remove causes of uneasiness on the part of her citizens so far at least as is con- sistent with the security and reputation of the State.
As the act of Assembly entituled " An Act for facilitating the redemption of the bills of credit emitted in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, and for redeeming part of the funded debt of the State by the speedy collection of the arrearages due for unpatented lands which were located before the declaration of In- dependency," will expire on the tenth day of April next. We re- commend the extension of that law in the present session, and sub- mit to the consideration of the General Assembly the expediency of limiting the time for receiving in the Land Office, certificates which have not been given for original debts of this State.
The improvement of the public roads being under the considera- tion of the General Assembly, the late purchase of land on the south side of Lake Erie will naturally call their attention to that quarter.
A communication between Presque Isle, (which is included in that purchase,) and the city of Philadelphia will, in our opinion, prove of the greatest utility to the public.
That communication may be best effected by joining the heads of the West Branch of Susquehanna with the sources of the Allegany river, between which it is said there is a short portage; the most convenient portage from the Susquehanna to the Schuylkill has been thought by persons of credit and information, to be between the Sweetara and Tulpehoccon.
We are informed that the river Delaware at a very moderate ex- pence may be made navigable to the northern extremity of Penn- sylvania, by which means an extensive country, at this time con- taining many valuable settlements and hitherto of little use to the State, will be brought to communicate with the capital, and afford a considerable supply of those articles which form the principal staples of Pennsylvania.
Several petitions for the continuation of the Frankstown road to Philadelphia by the way of Sunbury and Reading, are herewith transmitted. Many respectable citizens wish for a continuation of the same road by Huntington and down Juniata; Council are of opinion that the roads proposed would be beneficial to the public.
The navigation of the Lehigh and the roads leading from thence to Nescopeck and Wyoming, on the East Branch of Susquehanna,
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MINUTES OF THE SUPREME EXEC. COUNCIL.
are also objects of considerable consequence to the trade of the State.
A letter from his Excellency Beverly Randolph, Esquire, in- closing a letter from the Speakers of the Senate and General As- sembly of the State of Virginia, with a copy of the application agreed to by the General Assembly, to be made to the Congress of the United States.
A letter from Henry Knox, Esquire, Secretary at War, with the act of Congress of the twelfth of August last, to which it refers. The petition of Ebenezer Frothingham, in behalf of himself and other officers. A representation from the Auctioneers of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, relative to a diminution of a branch of the public revenue. The report of a Committee of Council ap- pointed to visit the jail of the city and county of Philadelphia. A letter from Thomas Scott, Esquire, lately elected a representa- tive of this State in the Congress of the United States, containing his resignation. And the Comptroller General's report of the an- nual expences of the corps of Invalids, exclusive of their pen- sions, with an estimate of the expence of performing the services required of that corps by watchmen, under the direction of the City Wardens, are herewith transmitted.
THOMAS MIFFLIN.
Council Chamber, Philadelphia, February 6th, 1789. $
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END OF VOL. XV.
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