USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. XVI > Part 25
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PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, January 27th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, Zebulun Potts,
James Read, Frederick Watt,
Amos Gregg, William Finley,
1 Esq'rs.
Christopher Kucher, Nathaniel Breading,
Richard Willing, James Martin, &
Henry Taylor, Benjamin Elliott,
A letter was written by the President to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, inclosing a copy of the Comptroller General's statement of the public debt of Pennsylvania, reported yesterday.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, January 28th, 1790.
PRESENT : 1
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
The Hon'ble Samuel Miles, Henry Taylor,
James Read, Frederick Watt,
Amos Gregg, William Findley,
Christopher Kucher, Nathaniel Breading, SEsquires.
Jonas Hartzell, James Martin,
Zebulun Potts, Benjamin Elliott, &
Richard Willing, Lord Butler,
Agreeably to the Comptroller and Register General's reports the following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt :
In favor of Peter Babb, for the sum of fifty-six pounds six shil- lings and nine, State money of the emission of the seventh of April, 1781, payable out of the fund appropriated by resolution of As- sembly of the eighth of April, 1782, being in full for principal and interest due upon his certificate for a horse furnished by him for public use in the year 1780.
In favor of William Dean, Esquire, for one hundred and eight pounds nine shillings and eight pence, payable out of the fund aris- ing from militia fines in the county of Montgomery or Philadelphia, being a ballance due upon his account as sub- Lieutenant of the coun- ty of Philadelphia.
Upon the second reading of the petitions and respectable recom- mendations in favor of William Davis and Thomas McCalvey, the
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·
former convicted of horse stealing, and the latter of two larcenies in / the county of Chester, for remission of the fines and punishment at hard labour, to which they have been severally sentenced, by the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the said county for the said offence,
Resolved, That the said William Davis and Thomas McCalvey be and they are hereby pardoned.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, January 29th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
The Hon'ble Samuel Miles, Henry Taylor,
James Read,
Frederick Watt,
Christopher Kucher,
William Findley,
Amos Gregg,
Nathaniel Breading,
Esq'rs.
Jonas Hartzell,
James Martin,
Richard Willing, Benjamin Elliott, and -
Zebulun Potts,
Lord Butler,
The petition of Peter Emery and a recommendation in his favor from the Justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the county of Chester, for remission of a fine of ten pounds to which the pe- titioner was sentenced at the said Court for fornication, were read the second time, and thereupon an order was taken that the said fine be remitted.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, January 30th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, Presid't.
Samuel Miles, Henry Taylor,
James Read,
Frederick Watt,
Christopher Kucher,
William Findley,
Jonas Hartzell,
Nathaniel Breading,
Esquires.
Amos Gregg,
James Martin,
Richard Willing, Benjamin Elliott, and Lord Butler,
Zebulun Potts,
Council taking into consideration the petition of William Nic- hols, together with the report of the committee to whom it was re-
1
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
ferred; and it appearing that the said William Nichols cannot pay any part of the debt due by him to the Commonwealth, without the utmost distress to himself and family,
Ordered, That execution against the said William Nichols for the debt due to the Commonwealth on the judgment obtained at the suit of the Collector of Customs, amounting to one hundred and ninety·five pounds seven shillings and seven pence, be stayed, and that time be. allowed him to pay the said debt and interest in the following manner, vizt :- One-fourth part thereof on the first day of May, 1793, and the other three-fourths in equal portions on the first day of May in the three succeeding years.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, February 1st, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, Frederick Watt,
Amos Gregg,
William Findley,
James Read,
Nathaniel Breading,
Esquires.
Christopher Kucher,
Benjamin Elliott,
Jonas Hartzell,
Henry Taylor,
Lord Butler, and Zebulun Potts,
Mr. Taylor was appointed a member of the Board of Property for the present month.
Upon the second reading of a letter from Nathan Kingsley, Esquire, a Justice of the Peace and Common Pleas in the county of Luzerne, informing Council that he resides sixty miles from the county town ; that it is inconvenient, and sometimes impracticable, for him to attend Courts, by reason of the high waters, and very expensive; therefore requesting Council to accept his resignation of the said offices,
Resolved, That his resignation of the said offices be accepted.
·
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, February 2nd, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles,
William Taylor,
Amos Gregg,
Nathaniel Breading,
Christopher Kucher,
Benjamin Elliott,
James Read,
Lord Butler,
Esquires.
Jonas Hartzell,
Zebulun Potts,
Henry Taylor, James Martin, and
Frederick Watt, Richard Willing,
The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt :
In favor of the Honorable James Read. Esquire, for the sum of twenty-four pounds fifteen shillings, in full of his account for his attendance in Council from the first of January to the second of February, 1790, inclusive.
In favor of Frederick Sneider, for fifteen pounds ten shillings, in full of his account for his wages as Door-keeper to Council from the first to the thirty-first of January, 1790, inclusively.
In favor of Joseph Stiles, Esquire, for the sum of eighty-five pounds, payable out of the monies arising from militia fines in the city and Liberties of Philadelphia, being amount of his account for forty quarters casks of gun powder delivered to the Lieutenant of the said city and Liberties for the use of the militia, according to the Comptroller and Register General's reports.
The petitition of James Smith, of Luzerne county, praying re- mission of two fines of five pounds each, which were imposed upon him by the Court of Quarter Sessions of the said county, upon being convicted of an assault and battery upon Joseph, Whitecombe and Coleman, and for the imprisonment of their persons contrary to law, was read the second time; and the petitioner being recommended to Council for remission of the said fines by two Justices of the Peace, and several respectable inhabitants of Lu- zerne county, in consideration of his attachment to the Govern- ment of this State during the late disturbances in that county, it was, therefore, unanimously
Resolved, To remit the said fines.
271
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, February 3rd, 1790. PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, Frederick Watt,
James Read,
Benjamin Elliott,
Christopher Kucher,
James Martin,
Jonas Hartzell,
Zebulun Potts,
Esquires.
Amos Gregg,
Lord Butler,
Henry Taylor,
Abraham Smith, and
William Findley,
Richard Willing,
Nathaniel Breading,
John Huline and Joseph Gillingham were offered and accepted as sureties for William Harvey, Collector of Excise for Bucks county, in the room of Gerardus Wynkoop and Samuel Dean, his former sureties.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, February 4th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, Nathaniel Breading,
James Read, Zebulun Potts,
Amos Gregg,
Frederick Watt,
Jonas .Hartzell.
Benjamin Elliott, Esquires.
Abraham Smith, Lord Butler,
James Martin, William Finley, and
Henry Taylor, Richard Willing,
Upon the report of the committee to whom was referred the let- ter from the Comptroller General, relative to the sale of two city lots, the property of the Commonwealth, agreeably to act of As- sembly passed the eighth of April, 1786, the one situate on the north side of Market street, between Seventh and Eighth street, fourteen and a half feet in breadth by about three hundred and six feet in depth, and the other upon the Front street from Schuyl- kill; the sale of which was postponed on account of the claim of Mr. Peters, now withdrawn, it was
Resolved, That the Receiver General of the Land Office be di- rected to make public sale of the said two lotts of ground, according to law.
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272
MINUTES OF THE
Agreeably to instructions from Council of the twenty-first day of May, 1789, the Comptroller General laid before the Board his books relative to the exchange of new loan certificates.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, February 5th, 1790. PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
The Hon'ble Samuel Miles, Benjamin Elliott, J
James Read, Lord Butler,
Amos Gregg, Henry 'Taylor,
Zebulun Potts, James Martin,
Esq'rs.
Christopher Kucher, Abraham Smith, Jonas Hartzell, William Findley, and
Nathaniel Breading, Richard Willing,
Frederick Watt,
The Comptroller and Register General's report upon the ac- count of Caleb Davis, Esquire, Prothonotary of the county of Chester, for monies received for tavern licence fees between the twenty-eighth of July, 1789, and the twentieth day of January, 1790, amounting to two hundred and twenty-five pounds two shil- lings, was read and approved.
Mr. Wynkoop, Mr. Vaux, and Mr. Reiley, a Committee from the General Assembly, attending, were introduced, and informed Coun- cil that the House was now met, and ready to receive any business which Council might have to lay before them.
The committee were informed that a message was preparing, and would be laid before the House on Monday next.
Upon the second reading of the letter from the Comptroller General, dated the sixth of January last, relative to an examina- tion of his accounts by the Register General of certificates issued for the funded State debt,
Resolved, That agreeably to act of Assembly passed the twenty- eighth day of March, 1789, the Register General be and he is hereby directed to inspect and examine such parts of the transac- tions and accounts of the Comptroller General as relate to the cer- tificates issued by him on interest, in pursuance of the act of As- sembly passed the first day of April, 1784, and sundry subsequent acts and resolutions of the Assembly, for debts due by the Com- monwealth which have been since funded and the interest made payable to the bearer, that the same be compared with their seve- ral accounts and receipts, and likewise with the payments of inte- rest made at the Treasury.
273
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, February 6th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
The Hon'ble Samuel Miles, Frederick Watt,
James Read, Benjamin Elliott,
Amos Gregg, Lord Butler,
1 Christopher Kucher,
Henry Taylor,
Zebulun Potts,
James Martin,
Jonas Hartzell,
Abraham Smith,
William Findley, Nathaniel Breading,
Richard Willing,
An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honora- ble James Martin, Esquire, for the sum of forty-three pounds ten shillings, in full of his account for attendance in Council from the eleventh of December, 1789, to the sixth day of February, 1790, inclusively.
A petition from Arthur Thomas, who was attainted of high trea- son against this Commonwealth, by a proclamation of Council is- sued in pursuance of an act of General Assembly passed the sixth day of March, 1778, for the attainder of divers traitors, &ca., stating that he hath behaved himself peaceably since his said at- tainder, that he is desirous of returning to this State, and praying that Council would be pleased to grant him a pardon, was read, and the petitioner being recommended for the mercy of Council by a number of respectable citizens, it was thereupon, unanimously,
Resolved, That the petitioner be and he is hereby pardoned, so far as respects his person only.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Monday, February 8th, 1790.
PRESENT : His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, Presid't.
The Hon'ble Samuel Miles, Nathaniel Breading,
Christopher Kucher, James Read, Amos Gregg,
Frederick Watt,
Benjamin Elliott,
Lord Butler,
Esq'rs.
Zebulun Potts, Henry Taylor,
Jonas Hartzell,
Abraham Smith,
William Findley, James Martin,
Richard Willing,
A remonstrance and petition from divers freeholders, inhabitants of the district of the townships of Derry and Londonderry, in the
Esq'rs
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MINUTES OF THE
county of Dauphine, containing a complaint of irregular proceedings at the election of Justices of the Peace held in the said district on the fifteenth day of December last, and praying that Council would be pleased to direct an enquiry to be made into the facts which they alledge against the legallity of the said election, was read; and thereupon it was
Resolved, That John Gloninger, Timothy Green, and Jonathan McClure, Esquires, Justices of the Peace living near the said dis- trict, be authorized and directed to investigate the said complaint, upon the oath of such witnesses as may be adduced, and that they make report to this Board, in manner and form prescribed in and by an act of General Assembly passed the thirty-first of March, 1784, intituled "An Act to remedy the defects of the several acts of Assembly heretofore made for regulating the elections of Jus- tices of the Peace throughout this State, &ca."
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, February 9th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Execllency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
Samuel Miles, Henry Taylor,
James Read,
Amos Gregg,
Christopher Kucher,
Benjamin Elliott,
Jonas Hartzell,
James Martin,
Esquires.
Nathaniel Breading,
Abraham Smith,
Frederick Watt,
Zebulun Potts, and
William Findley, Lord Butler,
The following draft of a message to the General Assembly, was read and approved, vizt :
A message from the President and Supreme Executive Coun- cil to the General Assembly.
GENTLEMEN :- Conformably to the act of General Assembly passed on the twenty-eighth of September, 1789, authorizing the Supreme Executive Council to appoint Commissioners for viewing the navigable waters in this State, we instructed Timothy Matlack, Reading Howell, and William Dean, to view the river Delaware; Benjamin Rittenhouse and John Adlum, to view the river Schuyl- klll ; and Bartram Galbraith, Samuel Boyd, and 'Thomas Hulings, to view the river Susquehanna.
The Commissioners appointed to view the river Delaware, have compleated the task assigned to them ; those who were appointed to view the river Schuylkill, have examined that river from the Great Fall five miles above this city to the town of Hamburgh,
275
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
twenty-three miles higher than the town of Reading, and have ex- tended their examination to the Tulpehocken, and the strait be- tween the head waters of that stream and the Quittapahilla, which communicates with the Susquehanna. That part of the Schuylkill, however, which flows above the town of Hamburgh, has not yet been explored by the Commissioners.
The Commissioners appointed to view the river Susquehanna, have examined that river from Wright's Ferry to its confluence with the Juniata, and have viewed the Juniata from its mouth to Piper's run, but they have not completed their report.
The reports of the Delaware and Schuylkill Commissioners, and the drafts and surveys to which the reports refer, we have sent herewith.
The security of the public records against fire and other casual- ties requires in our opinion the attention of the legislature. The books and documents belonging to the Master of the Rolls, the Comptroller General, the Register General, the Trustees of the Loan office, the Receiver General, the Secretary of the Land office and to the Secretary of the Supreme Executive Council, are depos- ited in different rooms in the State house, while those which apper- tain to the offices of the Surveyor General, the Prothonotary of the Supreme Court, and the Register of Wills for the city and county of Philadelphia, are for want of room in the public buildings neces- sarily kept in the private dwellings of the respective officers.
Besides the great danger attending this latter circumstance, it is no inconsiderable inconvenience that the books and papers of public officers, not only upon the change of the officers, but whenever those officers change their houses should be removed to different and distant parts of the city. We therefore suggest that the erecting of a build- ing as a repository for all public records, and in which the several officers whom we have mentioned, may be accomodated for the trans- action of their respective duties will be a matter of public utility.
We transmit herewith a memorial from Reading Howell, who is preparing a map of Pennsylvania, and applies for permission to deliniate the North boundary line under the authority of the State. As we believe the engraving this line in Mr. Howell's map will compleatly answer the design of the act entituled an Act to estab- lish and confirm the boundary line between this State and the State of New York, passed the twenty-ninth of September, 1789, without occasioning any expence to the public, we are of opinion it will be proper to comply with his request.
The act of Assembly entitled an act for enlarging the time lim- itted by the act entitled an act for facilitating the redemption of the bills of credit, emitted in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty one, and for redeeming part of the fun- ded debt of this State, for extending the time for patenting lands which were located before the declaration of independancy, and for giving a right of preemption to actual settlers, for procuring war-
276
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rants for lands by them occupied, passed the twenty-first day of March, 1789, will expire by its own limitation, on the tenth day of April next. As the objects of this law are not accomplished, we recommend it> continuance to the consideration of the legislature.
John Byard, Esquire, who was one of the trustees appointed by the General Assembly for that part of the Province Island, which belongs to the State has removed into New Jersey, and Robert Knox, Esquire, another trustee is dead. It may therefore be proper to appoint other persons in the room of those gentlemen
THOMAS MIFFLIN ..
COUNCIL CHAMBER, Philad'a, February 9th, 1790.
Agreeably to the Comptroller and Register General's reports, an order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Henry Kammerer, for the sum of eight pounds four shillings and nine pence in full of his account for six reams of writing paper furnished by him for the use of Council, between the eighteenth of September, 1789, and the first of February, 1790.
The fine of ten pounds to which John Streeper, late of the county of Philadelphia, was sentenced upon being convicted of keeping a riotous and disorderly house in the said county, was this day re- mitted, agreeably to the prayer of his petition.
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The Council met. '
PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, February 10th.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFIN, Esquire, Presid't.
Samuel Miles, Frederick Watt,
James Read, William Findley,
Christopher Kucher,
James Martin,
Jonas Hartzell,
Benjamin Elliott,
Esquires.
Zebulun Potts,
Abraham Smith,
Nathaniel Breading, Lord Butler, and
Henry Taylor, Richard Willing,
The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the ac- counts were read and approved, vizt :
Of William Shannon, Esquire, Auctioncer of the Northern Liberties for the State duty on sales at auction received between the first day of October and the thirty-first day of December, 1789, amounting to one hundred and thirty-two pounds nine shillings and five pence.
Of Edward Burd, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Supreme Court for the tax upon writs issued from April term, 1789, until January
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277
SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
term, 1790, amounting to forty-one pounds fifteen shillings and three pence.
Of Benjamin Rittenhouse and John Adlum, Esquires, Com- missioners for viewing the river Schuylkill, for their pay and ex- pences attending the exploring and surveying, levelling, &ca., the river Schuylkill to the great falls, and the Talpehocken crrek from its confluence with the river Schuylkill to its source, and the middle ground between the head of the Talpehocken and Quittapa- hilla, by which a ballance of seventy-nine pounds five shillings, and three appears to be due to the said Commissioners, and for which sum an order was drawn upon the Treasurer in their favor, payable out of the fund appropriated by act of Assembly dated the twenty-eight of September, 1789.
A petition from James Lowry who was convicted of Felony, in stealing a cow, the property of James Scrandon, and sentenced by the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the peace of the county of Cumberland, to pay to the use of the Commonwealth a fine of seven pounds ten shillings, and to be imprisoned two years at hard labor, &ca., praying that Council would be pleased to grant him a pardon of the said offence, was read, and the petitioner being re- commended to Council by John Jordan, Esquire, President of the said Court as a proper object of Mercy. It was thereupon,
Resolved, That the said James Lowry be pardoned.
The Comissioners appointed by Council on the second day of October last to view the rivers Susquehanna and Juniata, made report containing an estimate of the expence, which, in their opin- ion will be necessary for removing the obstructions to the Naviga- tion of the said rivers, which was read; and thereupon, it was
Ordered, That the same be transmitted to the General Assem- bly, together with the following letter to the Speaker, vizt :
In Council, Philadelphia, February 10th, 1790.
SIR : I do myself the honor to enclose to you, to be laid before the General Assembly, the report of the Commissioners appointed to view the rivers Susquehanna and Juniata, which Council received this morning.
I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect.
Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,
THOMAS MIFFLIN.
Hon'ble Pichard Peters, Esquire, Speaker of the General As- sembly.
VOL. XVI .- 19.
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The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, February 11th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. .
Samuel Miles, James Martin,
James Read,
Benjamin Elliott,
Christopher Kucher,
Lord. Butler,
Jonas Hartzell,
Amos Gregg,
Zebulon Potts,
Henry Taylor,
Esquires,
Nathaniel Breading,
William Finley, and
Abraham Smith,
Richard Willing,
Frederick Watts,
The reports of the Comptroller and Register General of the third and of fourth of November, 1789, stating a ballance of five hun- dred and eight pounds five shillings and two pence, to be due to James Searle, Esquire, upon his account for his services and ex- pences as an agent for this State to borrow money in Holland, in the year 1780, and for his pay as a Delegate from this State to Congress, previous to his said agency ; which were read and ap- proved on the fourteenth of the same month, were this day laid before Council; and Mr. Searle having requested that. Council would be pleased to direct the payment of the said ballance, an or- der was drawn accordingly upon the Treasurer in his favor, for the sum of five hundred and eight pounds five shillings and two pence, the ballance aforesaid, payable out of the monies appropriated for the support of government, it appearing that the said James Searle acted as agent for the State under an appointment from Council, in July, 1780, in which the House of Assembly concurred.
The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the follow- ing accounts were read and approved, vizt :
Of the estate of Benjamin Flower, Esquire, deceased, for the depreciation upon his pay as Lieutenant Colonel of Artillery Arti- ficers from the sixteenth day of January, 1777, untill the month of July, 1780, amounting to nine hundred and seventy three pounds seven shillings and three pence.
Of Timothy Matlack, Reading Howell, and William Dean, for their services and expences in exploring, surveying, and making the necessary drafts ot the river Delaware and Lehigh, under an appointment from Council, in pursuance of an act of General As- sembly, dated the twenty-eighth of September, 1789, by which ac- count it appears that a ballance of one hundred and fifty-nine pounds fourteen shillings and eight pence is due to the said Com- missioners, and for which sum an order was drawn upon the Trea- surer in their favor, payable out of the fund appropriated by the said act of Assembly.
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SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
The Council met.
PHILADELPHIA, Friday, February 12th, 1790.
PRESENT :
His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.
- Samuel Miles, Frederick Watt,
Christopher Kucher,
James Martin,
James Read, Benjamin Elliott,
Jonas Hartzell, Lord Butler,
Zebulun Potts, Amos Gregg,
Esquires.
Henry Taylor, William Findley, and
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