The Council Met.

PHILAD'A, Wednesday April 28, 1779.

PRESENT:

His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President.

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

Joseph Hart,

John Macky, &

Jacob Arndt, Esq'rs.

An application for Money from Capt. Stiles; & thereupon,

An order was drawn on the Treasurer in favor of Capt. Jos. Stiles, Commissary of Military Stores, or his order, for the Sum of Five Hundred Pounds, to be charged to his acco't.

A Letter to the Secretary from Matt'w Clarkson, was read.

On consideration,

Ordered, That Matt'w Clarkson, Esq'r, be appointed & Commis. sioned to be Marshall of the Admiralty. Matt'w Clarkson offers as sureties Mich'l Hillegas, Esq.,r, & Dr. Ger. Clarkson, & they are approved.

A Letter from Patrick Anderson of 27th ins, representing that Elections of Officers in the Militia have been held in Chester County, & voters admitted who have not taken the test, & returns of the said Election by Col. Gronow.

Ordered, That the Secretary do write Col. Gronow, & enquire into the aforesaid charge.

The Secretary represented to Council, that he had not been able to determine whether the Fees on Marriage Licences were to be raised, as well as the Fee Payable to the State, as on his own fees, & requested their direction therein. On consideration of the Law, it was the Opinion of Council that tho' Assembly probably intended to have raised the Fee due to the State, yet the words did not fully authorize the Secretary to raise it.

Petition of Rob't McNeil, a Prisoner in the Goal of the County of Lancaster, convicted of stealing a Mare, the property of John Harris, was read; And it appearing that having suffered the Corporal Punishment adjudged, he had agreed to bind himself a Servant to Pay his Fees.

Ordered, That the further consideration of the case of Geo. Hardy, now under sentence of Death, be referred to to-morrow.

A return of Justices elect for the district of lower Saucon Township, in the County of Northampton, was read, by which it appears that John Biles & Anthony Lirch the elder, were elected; & thereupon.

Ordered, That John Biles be appointed & Commissioned to be a Justice of the Peace for the County of Northampton.

The Council Met.

PHILAD'A Thursday April 29, 1779.

PRESENT:

His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President.

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

Joseph Hart,

John Macky, & Esq'rs.

Jacob Arndt,

Passes granted to Robert Dunbar & Alexander McFarlin, to North Carolina.

A Letter from Col. Rich'd Humpton, of the Tenth Pennsylvania Reg't, respecting the settlement of his accounts, & a Note to him from the Auditors of the Public Accounts; Thereupon,

A Letter was written to the Auditors on that Subject.

Andrew Boyd, Esq'r, County Waggon Master of Chester County, & his Deputies, having applied to this Board for their Pay in said Offices,

Resolved, That is the opinion of this Board, that the same being a regular charge to the United States, founded upon Law, & Calculated for their advantage, & which has been found beneficial to the Quarter Master's department, it will promote the service & be most regular that they should be paid by the Quarter Masters in the first instance. County Waggon Masters is by Law entitled to Major's Pay & Rations when in actual service, Deputy Waggon Masters, Captain's Pay & Rations during actual service; And that the Present Petitioners be recommended to the Quarter Master General or his Assistants, therefor,.

The Board taking into consideration the great difficulty attending the attempt to Man the State Ship General Green, & that divers of the Seamen which had entered themselves on board her, have been induced to go on board Merchantmen, after having received a great part of their bounty Money,

Ordered, That an Embargo be laid on all Ships & other Vessels for & during the space of fifteen days, & that the Officers Commanding at Billingsport & Mud Island be directed to stop all outward bound Vessels until further orders from this Council.

The Council resumed the consideration of the unhappy case of George Harding, & the two several Petitions of divers inhabitants, The Petition of his Wife, The Petition of the Jurymen who convicted him, & the representation of the Judges of the Supreme Court, being read, & some considerable time being spent in deliberation; thereupon,

Ordered, That this Council do dismiss the said Petitions.

A Letter from Gen'l St. Clair, requesting the Accounts against Recruiting Officers to be sent to Camp, as many Soldiers Complain they have not been paid their bounty,

Ordered, That a Transcript of said accounts be forwarded to Camp, & that Gen'l St. Clair be informed that the Congress has not furnished this Board with any Money for the Recruiting Ser

vice.

Ordered, That the Secretary write to Thomas Hewitt, Esq'r, & his Brother, the Justices of Northumberland, that the discharge of a Soldier by a Court of Sessions is irregular and improper, the Sessions not having such a power, and that Joseph McHarg, of the 12th Pennsylvania Reg't, who has been lately discharged upon his own Affidavit, ought to be delivered up to his proper Officer, & procure his discharge in the usual form.

A Letter from Mr. Wilercks, in behalf of himself & others, Owners of the Scho. Liberty & Brig Achilles, setting forth that the same is bound to Statia, laden with Tobacco, and the other to Martinico, laden with Flour, for the use of the French Fleet; that both are cleared, & requesting permits to pass the Forts, & engages that no Seaman in the Service of the State on board either.

Resolved, That a Pass be given to the Achilles, on the Master giving good Security in £2000, not to carry off any Seaman or Mariner in the service of the State, or any Seaman belonging to the Vessels of the Subjects of His most Christian Majesty, without leave obtained from the Consul in Writing.

The Council met.

PHILAD'A, Friday April 30, 1779.

PRESENT:

His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President.

Joseph Hart,
John Macky, &

Jacob Arndt, Esq'rs.

Ordered, That a Certificate be granted to Mrs. Duche, Wife of Jacob Duche, late of this City, of her having obtained leave to depart this State with her family & Children, on her Voyage to Great Britain, & a recommendation to such of the Citizens of the United States into whose hands she may fall, to treat her with kindness & humanity.

An application being now made by John Wharton, Esq'r, in behalf of the Navy Board middle department of the United States, for permission for the Sloop Polly, Sanford Monroe, Master, laden with 189 bbls. Flour, 11 bbls. of Middlings, & 100 bbls. of Ship

Stuff, for the use of the Navy at Boston, to clear out for the said Port.

Ordered, That the Naval Officer be directed to clear out the said Sloop Polly for Boston.

Ordered, That the Officer commanding at Billingsport & Mud Island, be directed to permit the Sloop Polly, Capt. Sanford Monroe, to pass on her Voyage to Boston, any orders to the contrary from this Council notwithstanding.

The following Proclamation, laying an Embargo on Vessels Outward bound, being read & considered, was ordered to be issued, Viz:

"Pennsylvania, ss:

"A PROCLAMATION.

"By His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President, & the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

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WHEREAS, the Hon'ble the General Assembly of this State, at the earnest solicitations & instance of the Merchants & Traders of this City, did resolve, that a Ship of War should be fitted out with all Possible dispatch, for the protection & security of the Trade & Commerce of this State :

"And this Board having accordingly procured and equipped a Vessel for the said purposes, at a very great Public expence, it is now represented that notwithstanding the great encouragement given, a sufficient number of Seamen & Mariners have not yet entered on board said Ship, & also that many Masters of outward bound Vessels have received & carried off seamen belonging to said Ship, who had taken the Public bounty, whereby there is just cause to fear that the said Ship may be delayed on her Cruize, & our inveterate Enemies continue their depredations & insults without any Check :

"In order therefore, the more effectually to execute the beneficial intentions of the Legislature, & answer the reasonable expectations of the Merchants and other Traders, by affording them immediate relief & protection: (all other measures to remedy said evil having been found ineffectual :)

"We do hereby lay an embargo on all outward bound Vessels whatsoever, for & during the space of Fifteen days, and for that purpose do forbid the clearing out & dispatch, & the sailing of any Ship or other Vessel, of which the Naval Officer, the Commanding Officers of the Gallies & of the Forts on the Delaware, & the said State Ship, & all other Officers in the service of this State, are to take notice & govern themselves accordingly.

"And Whereas, it hath been represented to this Board that some persons, preferring their own private gain to the benefit & service

of their Country, have clandestinely Shipped & exported Flour & other Provisions, contrary to the Law of this State; We do, therefore, hereby strictly enjoin & require all Merchants, Traders, Masters of Vessels, & others, to Pay a due regard to the said Law, declaring that the most effectual measures will be taken to detect & punish such parties in future, & the Law enforced in its fullest

extent.

"Given by order of the Council, under the hand of his Excell'y the President, & the Seal of the State, at Philadelphia, this thirtieth day of April, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred & Seventy-Nine.

JOSEPH REED, President.

"Attest:-T. MATLACK, Sec'y."

The Council met.

PHILAD'A, Saturday May 1, 1779.

PRESENT:

His Excell'y JOSEPH REED, Esq'r, President. Hon'ble GEORGE BRYAN, Esq'r, Vice President.

Joseph Hart,

John Macky, & Esq'rs.

Jacob Arndt,

The Council again resumed the consideration of the case of George Harding, now under sentence of Death, & ordered to be executed this day; & after a full consideration of his case,

Ordered, That the said George Harding be reprieved until the end of the next Session of General Assembly, the word Session being understood to mean sitting.

John Wilcox attended & represented that the Schooner Liberty, Henry Hawkins, Master, had cleared out before the embargo was laid, & that she has passed the Fortifications at Billingsport and Mud Island; & on Consideration,

Ordered, That the Scho. Liberty, Henry Hawkins, Master, be permitted to pass on her voyage, any order of this Council heretofore given to the contrary notwithstanding.

A Petition of Jacob Deisher, Supervisor of the Highways from Maxetawney Township, in Bucks County, praying that the Records may be searched for the return of a certain Road in the said Township was read; and thereupon,

Ordered, That the Secretary do apply to Joseph Shippen, Esq'r, late Secretary or Clerk of the Council, & obtain from him the Public Records belonging to his said Office.