Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XVI, Part 13

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 590


USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XVI > Part 13


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John Christ, Esquire, was commissionated Register of the Pro- bate of Wills, and granting Letters of Administration and Re- corder of Deeds for the county of Berks, agreeably to an appoint- ment of him to those offices by the General Assembly, on the twenty-sixth instant, a certificate of which appointment was laid before Council this day.


On motion,


Resolved, That to-morrow be appointed for the consideration of the petition of Christiana Gulielma Gaskell, praying " that the Attorney General may be directed to receive a declaration in eject- ment on her demise, to try her title to three equal fourth parts of divers lots of ground, containing in breadth north and south one hundred and two feet, and extending across the intervening streets of the city, from the west side of Delaware Fourth street to the river Schuylkill."


On motion,


Resolved, That Mr. Miles, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Baird, be a committee to confer with a committee of the General Assembly, on the subject of the proceeds of the lottery, under an act of As- sembly passed the fifteenth of March, 1784.


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MINUTES OF THE


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, August 29th, 1789. PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


James Read,


George Woods,


Amos Gregg,


John Cannon,


Zebulun Potts,


Richard Willing,


Esquires.


Christopher Kucher,


Nathan Dennison,


Abraham Smith,


Jobn Baird, and


John Smilie,


Frederick Watt,


The President laid before Council a letter from Mr. Carmichael, resident at the Court of Spain, in answer to the President's letter to him of the thirty-first of December, 1788, relative to demands of several citizens of Philadelphia against the officers of that crown at the Havanna, which was read, and it was, thereupon,


Resolved, That the Secretary communicate the same to the gen- tlemen concerned.


On motion,


James Scull, Esquire, was unanimously appointed Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the county of Berks, in the place of Henry Christ, Esq'r, lately deceased.


Upon the petition of John Irwin, Esquire, of Westmoreland county, for remission of the fine of twenty-five pounds due to the State from his servant, John Souder, who was convicted in the county of Bedford of horse stealing, and whose term of servitude in the said county for the said offence, is expired,


Resolved, That the said fine be remitted.


A petition from John Armstrong, now confined in the jail of the city and county of Philadelphia for larceny, praying remission of the fine of twenty-five shillings due to the Commonwealth, which was imposed upon him by the Mayor's Court for the said offence, was read, together with a certificate from the jailor that his time of servitude is expired, and that he has behaved himself orderly and obedient during his confinement, it was, thereupon,


Resolved, That the said fine be remitted.


The further consideration of the petition of Christiana Gulielma Gaskill was postponed until Wednesday next.


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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.


Council Chamber.


PHILADELPHIA, Monday, August 31st, 1789. PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


Samuel Miles, John Smilie,


James Read,


Nathan Dennison,


A mos Gregg,


John Baird,


Christopher Kucher, -


Frederick Watt,


Esquires. 1


Zebulun Potts,


George Woods, and


Abraham Smith,


Richard Willing,


John Cannon,


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, September 1st, 1789. PRESENT : His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles, John Smilie,


James Read, Nathan Dennison,


Amos Gregg, John Baird,


Christopher Kucher, Frederick Watt, Esquires.


Zebulun. Potts,


George Woods, and


Abraham Smith, John Cannon,


Richard Willing,


The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt :


In favor of Charles Biddle, Esquire, for fifty pounds, to reim- burse him for cash advanced to two Indian Chiefs of the Cherokee Nations, to enable them to proceed to New York, to negociate some business with Congress, and to pay wages to the watchman employed in guarding the public Treasury and the several public offices in the State House, for which sum he is to account.


In favor of Frederick Sneider, for fifteen pounds ten shillings, in full of his wages for his attendance as Doorkeeper to Council from the first to the thirty-first of August, 1789, inclusively.


Mr. Dennison was appointed a Member of the Board of Property for the present month.


On motion,


Resolved, That Mr. John Holme be appointed and commission- ated a Juetice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Bucks.


VOL. XVI -10.


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MINUTES OF THE


Upon the second reading of the memorial of Charles Stewart, Esquire, guardian of the child of Robert Wilson, deceased, stating that the said deceased was entituled to an undivided fourth part of thirty-six thousand acres of land, located in August, 1774, by Benjamin Chew, Edward Shippen, Joseph Shippen, Samuel Mere- dith and Andrew Allen, on the waters of the north-east branch of Susquehanna, then in he county of Northumberland; that the part or share of the said Andrew Allen, by his attainder of high treason, is become the property of the Commonwealth; and pray- ing that a fair and equitable division may now be made, under the sanction of Council, of the said lands, agreeably to the original contract of the parties.


Resolved, That the Surveyor General, Receiver General and Secretary of the land office, be and they are hereby authorized and required, on the part of this State, to consult with the other owners or proprietors of the lands in question, or their legal repre- sentatives, and with them to mark out such division or partition of the same as shall appear just and equitable, and make report thereof to Council.


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 2nd, 1789. PRESENT : His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles, John Smilie,


James Read,


John Baird,


Christopher Kucher,


Zebulun Potts,ยช


Abraham Smith,


Nathan Dennison, Esquires.


Amos Gregg,


Frederick Watt,


John Cannon,


Richard Willing,


George Woods,


A letter from the President of the United States, dated the thir- tieth instant, inclosing a resolution of the Congress of the United States for carrying into effect a survey directed to be made by an act of the late Congress, dated the sixth of June last, was received and read, and the said resolution transmitted to the General Assembly.


A petition from George Burford, now confined in the jail of the city and county of Philadelphia, for a misdemeanor in winning a sum of money at cards, praying remission of the fine of six pounds to which he was sentenced by the Court of General Quarter Ses- sions and Jail Delivery of said county, was read, together with a


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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.


certificate from the jailor that his term of servitude is expired, and that he has behaved himself peaceably and orderly during his con- finement ; thereupon


Resolved, That the said fine of six pounds be remitted.


The further consideration of the petition of Christiana Gulielma Gaskell was postponed.


The report of the Committee to whom it was referred to investi- gate the complaint against John Jones, Esquire, Health Officer, was read the second time, together with sundry papers relative thereto, which accompanied the said report.


Matthew Irwin, Esquire, Recorder, attended at the request of Council, and produced an entry in one of his records of the thirty- first of March, 1788, of William Henderson having taken the oath of office before him as deputy to John Jones, Esquire.


On motion,


Resolved, That the further consideration of the said complaint be postponed until Saturday next.


The Comptroller and Register General's report upon the follow- ing accounts were read and approved, vizt :


Of Thomas Rogers, for provisions furnished to Captain William Leet's company of Washington county militia, from the fifteenth of April to the sixteenth of May, 1782, amounting to three pounds six shillings and ten pence, and for provisions furnished to Cap- tain William Hogeland's company of the said militia in April, 1782, amounting to one pound fourteen shillings and four pence.


Of Henry Kammerer, for six reams of writing paper furnished for the use of Council, amounting to eight pounds nineteen shil- lings and six pence ; and for seven reams furnished for the Comp- troller General's office, amounting to ten pounds nine shillings and five pence, since the twenty-seventh of January last ; an was drawn in favor of the said Henry Kammerer, for nineteen pounds eight shillings and eleven pence, amount of the two last mentioned ac- counts.


On motion,


Resolved, That the Vice President, Mr. Miles and Mr. Smith, be added to the committee on the repairs of the banks of Mud Island, and that the committee be instructed to report to Council without delay, the best mode they can devise of completely repairing the said banks, with an estimate of the costs.


A representation from the Wardens of the Port of Philadelphia, relative to money appropriated by act of Assembly, for improving the navigation of the river Delaware, and stating the late contract they have made for. erecting piers at Mud Island, &ca., was re- ceived and read, and the same referred to Mr. Smith, Mr. Baird and Mr. Kucher.


Upon consideration of the report of the committee to whom was referred the petition of Daniel Leet, in behalf of himself and oth- ers, Deputy Surveyors of the tract of land appropriated for the


148


MINUTES OF THE


redemption of depreciation certificates, praying payment for their services in surveying part of the said tract,


Resolved, That the said petition be laid before the General As- sembly, and that it be recommended to the Legislature to provide a fund for paying the said Daniel Leet, and other Surveyors in similar circumstances.


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, September 3rd, 1789. PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


James Read,


Zebulun Potts,


Samuel Miles,


Nathan Dennison,


Christopher Kucher,


Frederick Watt,


Abraham Smith,


Richard Willing,


John Smilie,


John Baird, and


John Cannon, George Woods,


Amos Gregg.


A letter from the Comptroller General, relative to Catherine Zantingler's pension, received by Mr. Woods, inclosing her affida- vid and Colonel Woods' account of Lieutenant of Bedford county, as settled by the Comptroller General, was received and read, and the same referred to the Vice President, Mr. Smith and Mr. Wil- ling, the committee on the letter from the Comptroller of the sixth of May last, relative to Colonel Woods' conduct.


The Comptroller General's accounts of his receipts and expendi- tures in taking care of the State House yard in 1788, amounting to fifteen pounds eighteen and six pence, and in 1789, amounting to seven pounds seventeen shillings and eleven pence, was read and approved.


On motion of Mr. Smilie,


Resolved, That Joseph Terrance, Esquire, High Sheriff of the county of Fayette, be appointed and commissionated Lieutenant of that county, in the room of Robert Bell, Esquire, lately deceased.


The oath to support the Constitution of the United States, re- quired by act of Congress of the first day of June last, was this day administered to Mr. Smilie and Mr. Baird, by the President in Council.


A draft of a letter to the Speaker of the General Assembly, was laid before Council, read and agreed to as follows, vizt :


In Council, Philad'a, September 3rd, 1789.


SIR :- I have the honor of transmitting to you to be laid before the General Assembly, the petition of Daniel Leet, in behalf of


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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.


himself and other Surveyors of depreciation lands, for compensa- tion of their services, together with a report of a committee of Council on the subject of that petition.


I have the honor to be, Sir, with the greatest respect, Your most obedient and most humble servant,


THOMAS MIFFLIN.


Honorable Richard Peters, Esquire, Speaker of the General As- sembly.


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Friday, September 4th, 1789.


PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles, John Baird,


James Read, Zebulun Potts,


Christopher Kucher, Amos Gregg, 1 Esquires.


Abraham Smith, George Woods, and


John Smilie, John Cannon,


A return from George Gibson, Esquirc, Lieutenant of Cumber- land county, of militia officers in the third battalion of that county, was read and commissions were directed to issue agreeably thereto.


A representation from David Kennedy, Esquire, Secretary of the Land office, stating that a mistake had been committed by issuing ten warrants of five hundred acres each, in the name of the corporation of the Minister, Elders and Deacons of the German Reformed congregation, when in fact they were intended for the use of the corporation of the German Lutheran congregation, in and near the city of Philadelphia, pursuant to an act of General Assembly, passed the fourteenth day of February, 1789, and pray- ing the directions of Council either to cancell the said ten warrants and issue ten others in their stead of the same date, or to take such steps therein as it should appear best to them to prevent any future interference.


Resolved, That the officers of the Land office be directed to make such entries in their books, as shall rectify the mistake and prevent any enterference, and that the said ten warrants be can- celled, and new ones issued for the same quantity of land, bearing the same date.


The certificate of the division of the county of Allegany into townships or districts, by the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, for the purpose of electing Justices of the Peace,


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MINUTES OF THE


which was received and read in Council on the fifteenth day of May last, was this day read the second time in the following words, to wit :


At a Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery, holden at Pittsburgh for the county of Allegany, on the eighteenth day of December last, in the year of our Lord one thou- sand seven hundred and eighty-eight, before George Wallace, Esquire, President, and Joseph Scott, John Johnston and John Wilkins, Esquire, Justices of the same Court, the Court proceeded to divide the county of Allegany into townships in the following manner, to wit:


Moon township: Beginning at the mouth of Flakerty's run ; thence up the Ohio river to the mouth of Chartier's creek; thence up the said creek to the mouth of Miller's run; thence by the line of the county to the place of beginning.


St. Clair township: Beginning at the mouth of Chartier's creek ; thence up the Ohio river to the mouth of Monongahela river, and up the said river to the mouth of Street's run ; thence up the said run to the head thereof; thence by a straight line to the line of the county; thence by the said line to the mouth of Miller's run on Chartier's creek, and down said creek to the place of beginning.


Mifflin township: Beginning at the mouth of Street's run; thence up the Monongahela river to the line of the county, and by the said line to the line of St. Clair township.


Elizabeth township: To contain all that part of the Forks be- tween Monongahela and Youghiogany rivers, which lies within the county of Allegany.


Versailles township: Beginning at the mouth of Youghiogany river; thence up the said river to the mouth of Crawford's run ; thence by the line of the county to the mouth of Brush creek ; thence down Turtle creek to the mouth thereof; thence up Monon- gabela river to the place of beginning.


Plumb township : Beginning at the mouth of Brush creek; thence by a straight line to the mouth of Plumb creek on the Allegany river; thence up the said river to the county line; thence by the said line to the place of beginning.


Pitt township : Beginning at the mouth of Pockety's run ; thence up the Allegany river, and by the line of the county to Flakerty's run ; thence up the Ohio river to the mouth of Monongahela river ; thence up the said river to the mouth of Turtle creek ; thence up Turtle creek to the mouth of Brush creek; thence by the line of Plumb creek to the place of beginning.


Whereupon, it was


Resolved, 'That the division of the said county into townships 'or districts, as before described, be and the same is hereby con- firmed.


151


SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, September 5th, 1789.


PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


, The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles, Abraham Smith, r


James Read,


John Smilie,


Christopher Kucher,


Nathan Dennison,


Richard Willing,


Frederick Watt,


Esquires.


Zebulun Potts,


John Baird, and


John Cannon,


Amos Gregg,


George Woods,


Upon consideration of the report of the committee appointed to investigate the complaint against the late election of Justices of the Peace in the district of Northampton and Southampton, in the county of Bucks,


Resolved, That the petitioners have leave to withdraw their peti- tion.


Agreeably to the minute of the second instant, Council resumed the consideration of the report of the committee appointed to in- vestigate the complaint against John Jones, Esquire, Health Officer, when it was moved and seconded to postpone the further consid- eration thereof untill the next Mayor's Court shall be adjourned ; and on the question to agree to the said postponement, the yeas and nays were as follows, vizt :


YEAS.


YEAS.


NAYS.


Mr. President,


Mr. Read,


Mr. Vice President,


Mr. Potts,


Mr. Miles, Mr. Willing.


Mr. Gregg,


Mr. Dennison,


Mr. Smith,


Mr. Watt,


Mr. Smilie,


Mr. Woods,


Mr. Kucher.


Mr. Cannon, John Baird.


So it was determined in the affirmative.


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MINUTES OF THE


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Monday, September 7th, 1789.


PRESENT :


The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.


Mr. Smith, Richard Willing, and )


Frederick Watt, George Woods, Esquires.


Nathan Dennison,


On motion of Mr. Watt,


Resolved, That he be permitted to withdraw a representation which he laid before Council on the fourth instant, from the Grand Jury of the county of Cumberland, relative to a bill found by them against John English for forgery.


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Monday, September 7th, 1789, P. M. PRESENT :


The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.


Abraham Smith, George Woods, J


Samuel Miles, John Cannon,


Christopher Kucher, John Smilie,


Frederick Watt,


Amos Gregg,


Esquires.


Nathan Dennison, John Baird,


Richard Willing, Samuel Edie,


.


An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honor- able Christopher Kucher, Esquire, for twenty pounds five shillings, in full of his account for his attendance in Council from the twelfth of July to the seventh of September, 1789, inclusively.


The petition of Alexander Neilly, convicted in the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery of the county of Allegany of an assault and battery, with an intent to ravish, &ca., was read ; and thereupon,


Resolved, That the said petition be rejected, it being too inde- cent to lie on the table.


1


153


SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.


The Council met ..


PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, September 8th, 1789.


PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles, George Woods,


Amos Gregg,


John Smilie,


Richard Willing,


John Baird,


Christopher Kucher,


James Read,


Esquires.


Abraham Smith,


Samuel Edie, and


Frederick Watt,


Zebulun Potts,


Nathan Dennison,


Council resumed the consideration of the petition of Thomas Clifford and Miers Fisher, attornies of Christiana Gulielma Gas- kill, stating her right to city lots, under the original purchase of William Penn, the younger, from the first Proprietor of Pennsyl- vania, and praying that the Attorney General may be directed to . receive a declaration in ejectment, on her demise, to try her title to three equal fourth parts of divers lots of ground, containing in breadth north and south one hundred and two feet, and extending across the intervening streets of the city from Delaware Fourth street to the river Schuylkill.


And on the question, " Will Council comply with the prayer of the petitioners ?" being put, it was unanimously determined in the negative.


Council proceeded to the further consideration of the return of an election of Justices of the Peace from the district of the town- ships of Northampton and Southampton, in the county of Bucks ; and thereupon, Joseph Thornton, Esquire, was appointed a Justice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county aforesaid, he having a majority of votes.


On motion,


Resolved, That two orders be drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of William Bradford, Junior, and Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant, Esquires, for the sum of twenty pounds each, as a compensation for their services in defending the title of the Commonwealth to a confiscated estate in Bucks county, under an appointment of Coun- cil, dated the second of December, 1786, in favor of Joseph Thomas, the purchaser, against an ejectment brought by the former owner.


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MINUTES OF THE


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 9th, 1789.


PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles, John Cannon,


James Read, John Baird,


Christopher Kucher,


Zebulun Potts,


Abraham Smith,


Frederick Watt,


Esquires.


John Smilie,


Samuel Edie,


George Woods,


Richard Willing, and


Nathan Dennison,


Amos Gregg,


1


The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the follow- ing accounts were read and approved, vizt :


Of Jacob Lutz, for militia services, as Captain of a company of foot in the battalion of Lancaster county militia, commanded by Colonel David Jenkins, in the years 1777, 1778, and 1779, in warning his company to attend musters for actual service, and giv- ing notice of an appeal, &ca., amounting to five pounds six shil- lings and six pence.


Of Adam Kough, for his pay as an eighteen months' man, amounting to forty-five pounds.


A letter from his Excellency the President of the United States, dated the seventh of September instant, inclosing An Act to es- tablish the Treasury Department, An Act for registering and clear- ing vessels, regulating the coasting trade, &ca., and duplicate of a resolution of Congress for carrying into effect a survey directed to be made by an act of the late Congress, was received and read, and the same transmitted to the Speaker of the General Assembly.


A letter was written by the President to the President of the United States, acknowledging the receipt of the said letter and en- closures.


The account of Captain Joseph Stiles, Commissary of Military Stores and Superintendant of the magazine of gunpowder, amount- ing to eighty-six pounds three shillings and four pence, which was approved on the tenth of June last, was this day laid before Coun- cil, and an order directed to issue upon the Treasurer for the said amount.


Jacob Tritt, Esquire, was appointed and commissionated a Jus- tice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of York, upon a return made according to law, for the district of the townships of Chanceford and Windsor, in the said county.


155


SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, September 10th, 1789.


PRESENT :


His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.


The Honorable GEORGE Ross, Esquire, Vice President.


Samuel Miles,


George Woods,


James Read,


Nathan Dennison,


Amos Gregg, John Cannon,


Christopher Kucher, Richard Willing,


Esquires.


Abraham Smith,


Zebulun Potts,


John Smilie,


Frederick Watt, and


John Baird,


Samuel Edie,


The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the account of Adam Hubley, Esquire, for monies received for State duty upon goods sold at public auction in the district of Southwark from the twenty-fifth of May to the second of September, 1789, amounting to thirty-one pounds nine shillings and one penny, was read and approved.


.


Upon the second reading of the petition of James Campbell, of Cumberland county, for the pardon of his negro lad Julius, who was convicted of a burglary at a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery held at Carlisle, for the said county, on the first day of June last, and sentenced to undergo five years servitude at hard labour, &ca.,


Resolved, That the said negro lad Julius be and he is hereby pardoned.


Upon consideration of the report of the committee to whom was referred the petition of Mary Adams, relative to a balance of mon- ey supposed to be due from John Ross of this city, merchant, to Alexander Ross, and by his attainder of high treason, forfeited to the Commonwealth, and it appearing by a report from the Comp- troller and Register General that the said balance has been fully paid to Alexander Ross previous to the said attainder,


Resolved, That the said Mary Adams on that account, has no claim against the Commonwealth, or the said John Ross.


6


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MINUTES OF THE


The Council met.


PHILADELPHIA, Friday, September 11th, 1789.




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