PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. The proclamation ordered yesterday, being prepared, it was read & Approved, & orders were given for publishing it immediately; also that copies thereof should be sent into the several Counties. The Governour ordered that the Qualifications to be taken by the several members of this Board, shou'd be drawn out Ready to be taken & signed on Monday morning next, to which time the Council is Adjourned. At a Council held at Philadia., y 3d June, Anno 1717. PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. The Several members of Council were this day Qualified, Pursuant to the Order of the Last Council. The Governour proposed to the Council his going down to New Castle this day about ffour a Clock, in y° afternoon, in order to Publish his Comission, & Consult of affairs relating to the three Lower Counties, & desired the Council to attend him there. At a Council held at Philadia., ye 12th June, Ao. 1717. PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. Richard Hill, Jonathan Dickinson, Isaac Norris, James Logan, Anthony Palmer, Robert Assheton. The Governour Acquainted the Board that having issued his Writts when last at New Castle, for sumoning the Representatives of the three Lower Counties to meet him in Assembly, on the Thirteenth Inst., at New Castle; He intended accordingly to Set out for that place to-morrow morning, In order to Consult with them about the most proper methods to be taken for securing the People's Just Rights there, & Asserting those of the Proprietor, on which some Attempts were made lately at Court; And he was pleased to desire the opinion of the Board as to the Heads of what he intended to lay before that Assembly, & then the Council adjourn'd. At a Council held at Philadia., y 19th of June, Ao. 1717. PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. Richard Hill, Isaac Norris, James Logan, Jonathan Dickinson, The Governour laid before the Board a List of Names of Persons That were Recommended to Him by the members of Assembly, at the County of New Castle, to be Magistrates for the three Lower Counties of New Castle, Kent & Sussex, & was pleased to Desire the opinion of the Board whether they were fitt persons to act in that station; And then the Council Adjourned. At a Council at Philadia., ye 22d June, Ao. 1717. PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lieut. Govr. Richard Hill, Jonathan Dickinson, The Govr. Acquainted the Board That his predecessor, Coll. Gookin, had lately accused to him in a particular manner, some persons in the Government, of whom one is a member of this Board, as highly disaffected to his Majesty the King & his Governmt; That he thought such an Accusation from a person who might be supposed from his long Residence here & Station in the Government, to know the men he spoke of, Required the Governour's notice without delay. That he might discharge his Duty to his Majesty, by Removing such members from the Board, if Guilty, or if Otherwise, that they might have an opportunity of Clearing themselves of the Imputation on which the Governour askt the Opinion of the Board. But the Council being thin, it was proposed and agreed, That a full Councill should be Summoned to meet on Wednesday y Twenty sixth Inst.; That in the meantime Jonathan Dickinson & Robert Assheton should acquaint Collo. Gookin of the sd. Appointment & End of the sd. Councils Meeting, And that the Govnr. was of Opinion that his Attendance at that time would be necessary to Enable him by a further & fuller Information to proceed more Regularly in ye matter. The Secretary by the Governours Order laid before the Board a Letter he had Received this Afternoon from John Cartlege of Conestogoe, Giving him an account of some Disturbance amongst the Indians there; as also one Inclosed from Lahya, Civility, & some others of the Chiefs of the Indians on Susquehanna, wherein they desired him to come to them without Delay, to consult with them about affairs of Great Importance: They having no notice ('tis Probable) of the Governours Arrival. The Governour Hereupon thought it Incumbent on himself to give them a visit, And to the End they might have time, as they desired, to Call their people together, he was pleased to appoint the seventeenth day of July next, to be the time he wou'd see them at Conestogoe; And in the mean time the Secry. was Ordered to write a Letter to them to that purport, and to send them a belt of Wampum as a Token of ffriendship & Confirmacon of this message. At a Council held at Philadia., the 26th of June, Ao. 1717. PRESENT: Ye Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lieut. Govr. Richd. Hill, Isaac Norris, Jonathan Dickinson, Samuel Preston, Anthony. Palmer, A full Council being met, according to appointment, The members Ordered at the Last Sitting to give Collo. Gookin Notice of the Councils Meeting this Day, in order to hear his allegations agt. those persons he had accused to the Governr. as highly Disaffected to his Majesty & his Govmt, acquainted ye Governour that they had given Collo. Gookin Notice of the sd. Appointment, And that he told them that whatever he had hitherto said of any member of Council or person in this Govermt., he knew no such person now, & had nothing to Lay to their Charge; That However according to appointment, he was waiting in the Next Room, to know the Governours pleasure, & be'ng desired to walk in. The Governour told Collo. Gookin, that as he had not long since accused to the Governour some persons in places of Trust in this Governmt., as highly disaffected to his Majesty, the King & his Governmt. The Governour found it Incumbent on him, in Hischarge of the Trust Reposed in him by his Majesty, to make a full Inquiry into that matter, for that he thought it of the Greatest Importance to himself, & for his own safety, that those who were in any Trust under Him, but more Especially such as Sat with him at that Board to Advise about the affairs of Governmt., shou'd be persons of Integrity & Loyalty, & truly well affected to his Majesty & his Government. That he had been arrived in the Colony but a very Little time, & therefore had but few Opportunities of Knowing the Gentlemen whom he found in trust, so particularly as might be necessary in such Cases. That it is true he had been in some measure acquainted with most of them, when he bore another Commission in these parts since his Majesties accession, & had not the Least suspicion of their being disaffected. But that Collo. Gookin, by having Resided here so many Years, invested with the Powers of Government, must be supposed to have had much better Opportunities of Knowing & Distinguishing persons; however that those who made up this Board were the same persons he found members of it at his Arrival, & that he had not Since made any alterations; Yet if Collo. Gookin cou'd Charge any of them with Disaffection to his Majesty & his Governmt., tho' Collo. Gookin Himself had not done it, the Govr. was Ready upon his Information to Proceed agt. them, & thereforé desired Collo. Gookin, now at this meeting of the Council, which was appointed for this very purpose, to Exhibit particularly what he had agt. any Person who was either a member of the Board or in any other place of Trust in ye Government, and the Governour woul'd not fail to Exert his power to have full Justice done to the King his master. Collo. Gookin answered, that it was true that he had told the Governour his Thoughts of Some persons, but that whatever he had formerly Believed of them; yet seeing they had taken y° Oaths or Affirmacons prescribed by Law, he believed now he had been mistaken. That His former accusations were the Effects of his passions, for that he had no matter of ffact nor Expressions to Charge any of the persons accused with, nor Had any thing against any of them. That his Physitian Knew he had been Lately under a great Indisposition of Body which had Disordered his Head, and he believed that what he had said of those matters to the Governour was owing to that only. The Governour again put it upon him to declare, whether Directly or Indirectly he knew any thing, either in fact or words agt. the persons he had accused, to which Collo. Gookin again Reply'd, That he knew nothing of any kind whatsoever. The Governr. then desired to know of the Board, whether any of them had any Objection agt. his taking the Answr. of Collo. Gookin as a full acquittal of the persons Charg'd from those accusations. The Board were unanimously of Opinion, That Collo. Gookin had fully Cleared all those he had accused, and the Governour had fully discharged his Duty to the King herein, upon which Collo. Gookin had Leave to withdraw. The Letters produced at the last meeting of the Council, relating to the Indians, were again Read, that the members who were not present at the Last Meeting might be acquainted with them; and the Governour now also proposing his former Resolution of Going himself in Person to Conestogoe, it was approved of by the Board, & Divers members Exprest their readyness to wait on him thither. The Governour farther proposed to the Board, to consider whether it wou'd not be requisite to add to the Council some persons Resident in the Lower Counties, that they might be y more Capable of Serving the Interest of the publick there, which he recommended to their Consideration, & then the Council adjourned. At a Council held at Philadia., 4th of July, Ao., 1717. PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. Jasper Yeates, Richard Hill, James Logan, Jonathan Dickinson. Samuel Preston, The Governour acquainted the Board, That as in a former Consultation Relating to the Three Lower Counties, it was thought Requisite that some persons resident in those Counties shou'd be added to the Council. Among those who had been mentioned, Collo. John ffrench appeared, in the Opinion of the Board, to be Particularly Intituled to all the distinguishing marks of Respect & ffavour that cou'd be shown Him for his known abilities to serve the Governmt., & his ffidelity to the proprietor & his Interest manifested upon all Occasions; so now the Govr. Jug'd it a proper time, with the approbation of the Board to admit him, being desired by the Governour to attend for that purpose, Which nomination being generally approved of, The sd. John ffrench was call'd in by Jasper Yeates & Samuel Preston, & accordingly admitted & sworn of the Council, having ffirst taken & subscribed all the Oaths to the Governmt. Enjoyn'd by act of Parliament, & then took his Place. The Governour then proceeded with the Advice of the Board, to Nominate the persons, who should fill the Comissions for Judges, & Justices, in each of the three Lower Counties; and being agreed on, the Lists were Given to the Secretary, with Orders to prepare the Comissions, And then the Council adjourn'd. At a Council at Philadia., y 15th of July, A°., 1717. PRESENT: The Honble WILLIAM KEITH, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. Richard Hill, William Trent, James Logan, Jonathan Dickinson, Samuel Preston, John French. A Petition of Thomas Masters was this Day Read at the Board, as followeth : To the Honble William Keith, Esqr., Lievt. Govr. of the Province of Pennsylvania, & Three Lower Counties. The Peticon of Thos. Masters Humbly Sheweth : That at the Humble Representation of your peticoner's Wife, Sybella Masters, his Majesty has been graciously pleased to Grant him two several patents under the broad seal, one for the sole Cleansing, curing & Refining of Indian Corn Growing in the Plantations, fitter for Shipping & Transportation, in a manner not before found Out & practised. The Other for the Sole Working & Weaving in a New method, Palmeta, Chip & Straw for covering hatts & Bonnetts, & other Improvements of that Ware, for the Respective Terms of ffourteen Years in that Part of the Kingdom of Great Brittain Called England, Dominion of Wales, & Town of Berwich upon Tweed, & the Several plantations in America, as by the sd. Letters Patents, (which he now lays before this Honble Board,) may more at Large appear. Your peticoner prays Leave to Record the sd Patents in the Province & Territories, & such a favourable Recommendation thereof |