Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint Messrs. Alexa. Wilcocks & William McMurtrie, that it having been suggested to the Board that they are possessed of property belonging to British subjects, or otherwise liable to the just claim of the State, The Public officers of the State will be ordered to take the proper steps for securing the same for the benefit of the State, unless the parties concerned can shew the Board sufficient reason to the contrary. The Council Met. PHILADELPHIA, Friday Decem. 18, 1778. PRESENT: His Excell'y JOSEPH READ, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President. Joseph Hart, James Read, Jacob Arndt, & Esq'rs. John Nixon, John Maxwell Nesbitt, & Benjamin Fuller, nominated & appointed by Act of General Assembly to settle the Accounts of the late Committee & Council of Safety, attended in Council, & they & each of them were sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that they "well & faithfully execute the Office & trust of an Auditor for settling the Accounts of the late Committee & Council of Safety, to the best of their Judgment, skill & Abilities." On consideration, Ordered, That Capt. James Lang do deliver over to Jacob S. Howell, as soon as may be, all the Cloathing belonging to the State now in his hands, the said Lang's possesion, taking a Receipt for the same; And that the said Lang do immediately lay before the Council his Accounts, prepared for a final Settlement. An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Captain James Lang, for the Sum of Three Thousand Pounds, for the Cloathing department, for which Sum the said Lang is to account. On consideration, Ordered, That the Execution of the Sentence of the Court of Oyer & Terminer & General Goal delivery, upon the body of James Bryan, be respitted for fifteen days, & that a Warrant under the less Seal, be issued for the purpose accordingly. Thomas Fitzsimmons laid before the Council a Certificate signed by the Hon'ble the Sieur Gerard, Minister Plenipotentiary of His most Christian Majesty, that the Ship Mary & Elizabeth, belonging to Mr. Fitzsimmons & Company, was laden with biscuit & Flour for the use of the Fleet of His most Christian Majesty, and prayed that the said Ship may be cleared out at the Naval Office. On Consideration, Ordered, That a Proclamation, under the Seal of the State, be issued agreeable to an Act of General Assembly entitled "An Act" to prohibit the exportation of Provisions from the State of Pennsylvania for a limited time," to suspend the operation thereof so far as to admit the exportation of any of the Articles within the description of the said Act, for the use of the Fleet of his most Christian Majesty. A letter from Robert Galbraith, Esq'r, resigning his Offices of Prothonotary, Clerk of the Peace, Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Recorder of Deeds, & Register for the Probate of Wills, and also the Commission of the Peace for the County of Bedford. Ordered, That David Espy be appointed & Commissioned to be Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds & Register for the Probate of Wills, for the County of Bedford, & one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas for the said County, Ordered, That David Espy be appointed & Commissioned to be Clerk of the Orphan Court of the County of Bedford. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Saturday Decem. 19, 1778. PRESENT: His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President. Matth'w Smith, & Esq'rs. Tho's Scott, The Plan of defence of the North Western frontiers of this Place, laid down by Col. Hartley, was now read & considered; and thereupon, Ordered, That the plan & Arrangement for the defence of the North Western frontiers of this State, laid down by Col. Hartley, & dated December 1st, 1778, is approved by this Council; And that Col. Sam'l Hunter, Lieut. of the County of Northumberland, be directed to supply the Post at General Potter's, in Penn's Valley, with two Officers & Twenty Men, until further orders; And in case any other Officer should succeed Colo. Hartley in command, it is recommended that Col. Hartley's plan be pursued, as far as circumstances will admit. A Letter from the Marine Committee read, enclosing an engagement on the part of the Minister of France, to Pay Twelve Thousand Dollars as a reward to any Vessel capturing or destroying any Vessel of the Enemy laden with Masts or Spars, & bound for New York, Halifax, or Newport. Ordered, That the same be filed. A Certificate from Col. Nicola was read, that Lieuts. Honeyman, Pugh, & Wood, of the Pennsylvania line, have been regularly transferred to the Corps of Invalids; Ordered, That Mr. Howell deliver them Cloathing proportioned in quality & quantity to other Officers of the same Rank in the line of the State. Petition from Henry Sherer, & other Taylors, who have demands for work done for Colo. Moylan's Regiment of Light Dragoons. Ordered, That it be returned as not laying before the board. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Monday Decem. 21, 1778. PRESENT: His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President. Joseph Hart, John Mackay, On consideration, Jac. Arndt, & Esq'rs. Ordered, That the Attorney General be directed to concur in any measures which, in conference with the other Council concerned, he shall think proper, to obtain a re-consideration of the cause of the Slo. Active, wherein the State is concerned. A Letter from Gov'r Johnson of Maryland, inclosing an Act of Assembly of that State against the distillers of Wiskey, &ca., was read; and immediately thereupon, a Copy of the Law of this State for the like purpose was forwarded to Gov. Johnson. Ead. Die, P. M. PRESENT: His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Joseph Hart, & Esq'rs. John Mackay, Ordered, That Col. Nicola be directed to Muster the Militia of the County of Philadelphia, under the Command of Col. Dean, & report to this Council. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday Decem. 22, 1778. PRESENT: His Excell'y JOS. REED, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President. Joseph Hart, John Mackay, Matt'w Smith, On consideration, Jac. Arndt, & } Esq'rs. Ordered, That in addition to the News Papers now taken of Dunlap of this city & of Mr. Collins of Burlington, the following News Papers be taken, Viz:-Mr. Purdy's, of Williamsburg, in Virginia; Miss Goddard's, of Baltimore, in Maryland; Mr. Loudon's, at Fishkill, in the State of New York; New Haven, -; at at Providence; Miss. Edes & Gills, & Powers, & Willis's of Boston; and that the Secretary do write to the said Printers respectively, & request them to send their Papers Weekly. Ordered, That there be printed Three Hundred Copies of the Passports which are to be given to Ships & Barques, according to the 27th Article of the Treaty of Amity & Commerce, done at Paris, the sixth day of February, One Thousand Seven Hundred & seventy-eight; And that the same be issued under the less Seal of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and signed by the President or Vice President, and countersigned by the Secretary. The Secretary reports, That there are now no Commissions for private ships of War in his hands, & laid before the Council Twenty-two Bonds, taken on the issuing a like number of Commissions. Two Commissions filled up on applications & not called for, which completed the Twenty-four Commissions received on the 31st August, 1778, from the Hon'ble Henry Laurens, Esq'r, late President of Congress; and also two Bonds, taken on the issuing of a like number of Commissions, part of a former number received by Council, & that there had been One Commission sent to the State Navy Board, which that Board had not accounted for; And there upon, Ordered, That the same be sent to the Hon'ble John Jay, Esq't, President of Congress. Plunket Fleeson, Esq'r, attended in Council, & administered to the following named persons the Oath of Allegiance & fidelity required to be taken by the Act of General Assembly, passed the fifth day of this instant, December, entitled "A further supplement to the Act entitled An Act for the further security of Government,'" Viz't: His Excell'y Joseph Reed, Esq'r, President; The Hon'ble George Bryan, Esq'r, Vice President; Hon'ble Joseph Hart, John Mackay, Matt'w Smith, James Read, Jacob Arndt & Thomas Scott, Esq'rs, Members of Council. And he also administered the Affirmation of the allegiance & fidelity aforesaid, to Timothy Matlack, Esquire, Secretary of the Council. Passes to New York ordered for Sarah Williamson, Wife of Jesse Williamson, to return again. James, a Lad of 14 Years of Age, belonging to that City. Mary Ginn, Wife of Capt. Ginn, commanding a Merchant Ship in the Enemy's Service, not to return. Ordered, That Mr. George Henry be and he is hereby appointed Commissary of Naval Stores of this State, & that he be authorized to take into his care and Custody the Vessels of every kind not in Commission, Guns, Arms & other Naval Stores, the whole to be collected together as much as Possible, & all the Offiers of the State & others, are hereby required to deliver up to the said Commissary the several articles herein mentioned, as they will answer the contrary at their Peril; And for his trouble herein, this. board so agree to allow him eight Dollars per day, exclusive of the necessary expences attending the safe keeping and preservation of the Stores. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday Dec'r 23, 1778. PRESENT: His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President. The two following orders were drawn on the Treasurer, Viz: In favor of Ebenezer Cowell, or his order, for the Sum of Five hundred Pounds, to be charged to his account. In favor of John Parker, or his order, for the Sum of Fifty Pounds, to be charged to his account. Ordered, That the Secretary prepare a Circular Letter to each of the absent Delegates in Congress, acquainting them that since the late appointment the State has seldom been represented by more than two, & frequently only by one, which is attended with great inconvenience to the Continent in General & prejudice of this State in particular, & to desire they would with all convenient dispatch to repair to Congress and agree among themselves, so that in future a certain day not less than three, may always attend. |