"Resolve 6th, That the thanks of the House be given to the members of the State Navy Board, & to the Officers & Men of the Navy, for their Services in the Public cause.

"On motion,

"Resolved, That it be recommended to the Hon'ble the Vice President & Council, to take proper measures for preserving & securing as much of the Wrecks, Cargoes, Furniture and apparel of the Vessels sunk or left in the different parts of the River Delaware, as may be possible."

Ordered, That in Consideration of the recommendation of the Hon'ble House of General Assembly, That Capt. Thomas Houston be appointed & Commissioned to be Captain of the Armed Brig. Convention, And that Col. Robert Knox & Capt. Joseph Blewer be appointed to fit out, Man & send the said Brig. upon a Cruize against the Enemies of the United States, upon such terms as Privateers are usually sent.

Ordered, That in pursuance of the third, fourth & sixth Resolves of the Hon'ble House of General Assembly, & for the reasons assigned by the House, the Navy Board of this Commonwealth be dismissed, & that they be furnished with a Copy of the said Resolves.

In Consequence of Col. Richard Butler's recommendation of Capt. Jos. McClellan, of the 9th Pennsylvania Reg't, as a suitable Person to Recruit,

Ordered, That the said Capt. Jos. McClellan be furnished with Recruiting instructions, & that he be directed to call on Colo. Rob't Smith, Lieut of the County of Chester, for Money for that purpose.

Thomas Smith, Esq'r, of the County of Bedford, attended in Council, & represented that the Board of War had under their consideration the building of a Stockade Fort at the Town of Bedford, & that the said Board was desirous of being informed of the Sentiments of this Council respecting the propriety & necessity of it.

On consideration of the advantages to be derived from such a fortification in the keeping open the Communication with Pittsburgh, especially while an expedition to the Westward is on foot, Council are of opinion that the erecting of such a fort will be very proper.

Garret Davis, a disabled Seaman, Solicited his half Pay, due to him from the first of August last, agreeable to the order of the Council of Safety, & it appearing by a Letter from J. M. Nesbitt, Esq'r, that the same is due to him on the first instant,

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of the Secretary, for Sixteen Pounds & Ten Shillings, being eleven Months half Pay due to Garret Davis, to be by the Secretary applied in such manner as the most effectually to relieve him from his present distress.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday Aug't 18, 1778.

PRESENT:

Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President.

Jos. Hart,

Mackay,

Jona. Hoge, &
James Edgar.

} Esq'rs.

A Letter from the Hon'ble Thomas Scott, dated Westmorland, Aug't 1st, 1778, was read, & the same containing some information relating to the boundaries between the State of Virginia & of this State,

Ordered, That the same be laid before the House of Gen'l Assembly.

Resolve of Congress of the 14th instant, requesting that one the armed Galley's may be stationed near the mouth of the Cape May Channel, was read.

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Lieut. Arch'd Campbell, of the Sixth Pennsylvania Reg't, for the Sum of Eight hundred Dollars, for the Recruiting Service, for which he is to be accountable.

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Colo. Rob't Knox & Capt. Joseph Blewer, for the Sum of One thousand Pounds, for the purpose of fitting out for Sea the armed Brig Convention, for which they are to be accountable.

An order was drawn on the Hon'ble Board of War for the following Articles, vizt: 50 Rounds of Cartridges for eight Guns, two Pounds each; 2 Kegs of Powder, one of them fine; one ream of Cartridge Paper; 1006 Musquet Cartridges; 500 Pistol Cartridges; Twenty-five Musquets with Bayonets; & two four Pounders, to be delivered to Col. Rob't Knox & Capt. Jos. Blewer, for the use of the Armed Brig Convention, belonging to this State.

It being represented by Rob't Galbraith, Esq'r, & others of the County of Bedford, that there are in the Goal of the said County divers persons said to have been guilty of treasonable practices, & one man said to have committed Murder;

A list of the persons said to have been guilty of treasonable practices was laid before the Council, and on consideration of the many important trials which will probably come before the Supreme Court, & of the danger there may of the said Traitors being rescued, as well as other difficulties which the people of the County of Bedford now lie under, which render a speedy trial of the said offenders highly necessary,

Ordered, That John Armstrong of the County of Cumberland, Esq'r, Barnard Dougherty & Jas. Martin of the County of Bedford, Esq'rs, Archibald McClean of the County of York, Esq'r, & John Hubley of the County of Lancaster, Esq'r, be appointed

& Commissioned to enquire, on the Oath of good & lawful men of the said County of Bedford, of & concerning the said offences, & to determine the same according to law, &ca.

Ordered, That a Dedimus Potestatum be made out, authorizing & empowering Robt. Galbraith & John Piper of the County of Bedford, Esq'rs, or either of them, to administer to the aforesaid John Armstrong, Bernard 'Dougherty, James Martin, Archibald McClean & John Hubley, Esq'rs, respectively, the Oaths or Affirmation required to be taken to qualify them for the Office & trust reposed in them by the Commission so to be issued,

Council having received information that there are seven StoreShips belonging to the Enemy in the Bay of Delaware,

Ordered, That the Navy Board do immediately send two of the Galleys now in repair, most fit for the purpose, into the Delaware Bay, to annoy the Enemy, and at the same time to give orders to the Commanders of the said Galleys to exert themselves to prevent the exportation of provisions, either thro' the Cape May Channel or the Delaware.

The Council being informed that a quantity of Indigo belonging to the State, purchased by the Council of Safety, is lodged in the hands of Robt. Levers, Esq'r, at Easton,

Ordered, That the Secretary do write to Robt. Levers, Esq'r, & direct him to send the said indigo down to this City by the first opportunity.

Col. Knox & Capt. Blewer attended the Council and requested an order for Twenty-five Muskets & Twenty-five Men from the Galleys, to go on board the Brig Convention.

Ordered, That Commodore Hazlewood do furnish from the Gally's Twenty-five able Men to go on board the Armed Arig Convention.

Col. Knox & Capt. Blewer recommended Thomas Philips first Lieutenant, & James Simpson Second Lieutenant of the Armed Brig Convention.

1

On consideration,

Ordered, That Thomas Philips be appointed first Lieut. of the Armed Brig Convention, & that James Simpson be appointed 2d Lieut. of the said Armed Brig.

On consideration of the conduct & character of the Agents for forfeited Estates in Bucks County, Richard Gibbs, Esq'r, having resigned, & the necessity that the most vigorous measures be taken within the said County to secure the Estates of Traitors belonging to thisState; it was

Resolved, That John Lacey, jun'r, Esq'r, and George Wall, jun'r, Esq'r, be appointed Agents & Factors for forfeited Estates within said County, & that the former appointments of Agents and Factors for that purpose within the County of Bucks be superceded, And the Secretary is directed to prepare instructions & transmit the same with this Minute, to the Agents now appointed.

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Lieut. William Thompson, of the 9th Pennsylvania Reg't, for the Sum of Six hundred Dollars, for the Recruiting Service, to be charged to him.

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Francis Trumble, for 19 Windsor Chairs, for the Sum of Sixty-four Pounds Two Shillings & Six Pence.

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Jacob Steinmitz, for the Sum of One Hundred & nine Pounds Two Shillings & Six Pence, for Bricks furnished by him for repairs to be done at the State House.

"Conference with Committee of the House."

"A Committee of the Hon'ble House of General Assembly attended in Council by order of the House, to confer with Council upon the expediency or necessity of fortifying the River Delaware, & after spending several hours thereupon, It was agreed, That it will be proper, before any determination be had on the said Subject, to Ask of Congress a Conference with a Committee of their House upon the important business; And a Letter was accordingly written to the Hon'ble President of Congress acquainting him with the opinion of the conference herein."

Mr. Arthur Donaldson having represented to Council that he found himself under difficulties in procuring necessary supplies for the raising the Wrecks in the River; thereupon,

Ordered, That the Návy board & the Commissary of Stores, do from time to time furnish Mr. Arthur Donaldson with such Stores & other assistance as he may have occasion for in his attempts to raise the Wrecks in the River Delaware: It is probable that the Gallies and Boats may be wanted in this Service, & in case they are, Mr. Donaldson is to have their assistance.

Jacob Barge & Reuben Haines, two of the Wardens of the City, attended the Council & represented that, from the situation of public Affairs no Lamp & Watch Tax has been Collected for Two Years past, and that the Wardens have contracted considerable debts in supplying the Lamps with Oil, paying Watchmen, &ca, & that the stock of Oil is now entirely expended, in consequence whereof the Lamps cannot be lighted, nor have they been lighted for sometime past; That a Tax for the raising of Money for this purpose cannot be collected in any short time, & therefore, request the Council to lend them One Thousand & five hundred Pounds, to pay the Debts contracted with private persons, & furnish a present supply of Oil, the said sum to be repaid as early as possible.

On consideration,

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Jacob Barge, one of the City Wardens or his order, for the Sum of Five hundred Pounds, to purchase a present supply of Oil for the City Lamps, to be charged to the City Wardens, & to be repaid by them as soon as possible.

On application,

Ordered, That Mr. Allison do furnish John Mitchell, Esq'r, D. Q. M. G., with a Waggon load or two of the Pickets taken up from the Redoubts, for the purpose of repairing a breach in the bank of the State Island.

Ensign Philip Snyder, of the 6th Pennsylvania Reg't, being appointed by Major Gen'l Wayne & sent on the Recruiting Service, thereupon Recruiting orders were given him, And an order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Ens. Philip Snyder, of the 6th