At a Council held at Philadia., October 4th, 1727. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr. Lieut. Governour. James Logan, Isaac Norris, Richard Hill, William Fishbourn, Esquires. The Governour laid before the Board the several Returns of Sherifs & Coroners, elected this present year for the respective Counties of this Province, & desired.the Advice of the Members present in his Nomination, which is as follows: For Philadia. City & County: Owen Owen & Isaac Leech being returned for Sherifs, and Joshua Fincher & Jacob Leech for Coroners, Owen Owen is appointed Sherif, & Joshua Fincher Coroner. For Chester County: John Taylor & Philip Taylor being returned for Sherifs, and Abraham Darlington & Jno. Mendenhall for Coroners, John Taylor is appointed Sherif & John Mendenhall Coroner. For Bucks County: Thomas Biles & Joseph Lupton being returned for Sherif, & Jonathan Woolston & William Atkinson for Coroners, Thomas Biles is appointed Sherif & Jonathan Woolston Coroner. And Commissions are accordingly ordered to the said Persons for their respective Offices, the Sherifs giving Security in the Rolls Office as the Law directs. The day following out of Council, Returns being made of the Elections of Sherifs & Coroners for the Counties of Newcastle, Kent & Sussex upon Delaware, the following Persons were appointed. For Newcastle County: John Gooding and William Battell being returned for Sherifs, and Morgan Morgan & Joshua Story for Coroners, John Gooding is appointed Sherif & Morgan Morgan Coroner. For Kent County: William Rodeney & Thomas Skidmore being returned for Sherifs, & Samuel Berry & Edward Jennings for Coroners, Thomas Skidmore is appointed Sherif & Samuel Berry Coroner. For Sussex County: Rives Holt & Peter Adams being returned for Sherifs, and Samuel Davies and John Russell for Coroners, Rives Holt is appointed Sherif & Samuel Davies Coroner. At a Council held at Philadia., October 11th, 1727. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. James Logan, Richard Hill, William Fishbourn, } Esq'rs. The Representatives of the Freemen of this Province elected the 1st instant, being this day mett in Assembly, in pursuance of their Charter & the Law in that case made & provided, waited on the Govr. to present to him their Speaker. And accordingly David Lloyd, Esquire, addressing himself to His Honour, acquainted him that the House had been pleased to chuse him to be their Speaker, but hoped the Govr. would recommend to them another Choice, there being so many other Persons of greater Abilities for that Office; To which the Governour answered that He would always have a great Regard for the Houses Choice, & therefore could not but approve of their present one. Then the Speaker, in the Name of the House, desired that the Governour would protect them in their Rights & Privileges, putt a favourable Construction on their Proceedings, and grant the Members of Assembly free Access to His Presence, when sent to him by the House, Which the Governour very readily promised, & then the House withdrew. At a Council held at the Courtho. of Philadia., Octr. 16th, 1727. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. Samuel Preston, William Fishbourn, Esquires. A List was presented to the Board of the Names of Forty six Palatines, who with their Families, making in all about Two hundred Persons, were imported here in the Ship Friendship of Pristol, John Davies, Mr., from Rotterdam, but last from Cows, as by Clearance from the Officers of the Customs there, bearing date the 20th day of June last, It appeared upon Enquiry that there was no Special License granted for their Transportation, & that they are come hither with a Design to settle in this Province. They were then called in, & the several Persons whose names are subjoyned did repeat & sign the Declaration inserted in the Minute of the 21st of September last. At a Council held at Philadia., October 19th, 1727. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. James Logan, Richard Hill, William Fishbourn, Esq'rs. The Governour informed the Board, that the Assembly of this Province had lately drawn up an Address to His Majestie, on His happy Accession to the Throne of Great Britain, in which he would have concurred had the House been willing to have made some Alterations in the Stile & manner thereof, which he conceived was not so proper from him. And therefore said, he was now to propose an Address in his own & the Name of this Board, as a Mark of their Loyalty & Affection to His Majesties sacred Person & Government, A Draught whereof he had prepared, & hoped the Board would agree thereto, which being read, is in these words. "TO HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY GEORGE THE "SECOND, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France & "Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. "The Humble Address of the Lieutenant Governour of the Pro"vince of Pensylvania, & Counties of Newcastle, Kent & Sussex upon Delaware, and Council of the same. "MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN : "Tho' the peculiar Indulgence of Heaven to the British Nation, "In calling it the most Illustrious House of Hannover to the Posses"sion of its Throne, could not but deeply affect with the Sincerest "Gratitude every honest Subject, who had the Safety, true Interest, "& Honour of their Country at heart, in being made Sharers of so "continued a Series of Blessings Showr'd down on them thro' the "wise & just Administration of Your Royal Father; Yet with Hearts "more dilated & Joy more extensive, do we behold His Royal Issue "in Your Majesty's Sacred Person succeed to the same Throne, as "the Surest Pledge of the Divine Will to perpetuate with a happy "Increase, the same Mighty Blessings to all the British Dominions, "in Yourself and Your Posterity forever. "Your Majestys most Consummate Prudence so largely shewn in "your whole Conduct, while only our Prince, and that Cordial Af"fection, yourself & most Excellent Consort on all occasions expressed "to those over whome Heaven designed you should reign, together "with the repeated Assurances You were graciously pleased to give, "by the first & earliest Opportunities of your Purpose to make the "Happiness of your People the only Rule of your Government, "must so firmly unite the Hearts of all your Subjects to your "Sacred Person, & so fill them with Excess of Joy, that nothing "can add to their present Happiness, but the just Hope & Expec"tation that every Day, under so auspicious a Reign, will admi"nister fresh Occasions to strengthen & yet more firmly establish "the same. "Of these inestimable Blessings, dispensed by Divine Providence through Your Royal Hands from the Treasuries of Heaven, whose "infinite Goodness therein We most humbly & gratefully adore; We "in the Recess of your Dominions being duly Sensible, tho' in a "remote Sphere, yet with Hearts as Loyal and full of a sincere Af"fection as can animate those who move in the nearest to your Glo"rious Rayes, doe gladly Embrace this Opportunity, by the only "Method in our Power to lay ourselves at your Royal Feet, & with "Hearts prostrate to Heaven implore the Sole Fountain of all Bless"ings to pour down the Choicest, the best & most solid on your "Sacred Head, on your beloved Consort our Gracious Queen, & "those darling Pledges of Your Mutual Affection & of the Nations "Happiness, Your Royal Issue, of whom We heartily pray there may never be wanting one equally stock'd with the Virtues of the "August Hannoverian Family in all Ages to come to strengthen & "adorn the British Throne." The Board unanimously concurred with the Governour in the sense & meaning of the said Address, and only excepted to the Stile & Language as improper to their Profession to use. The same was then ordered to be transcribed & signed by the Governr., who undertook to transmit it by the first opportunity. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Janry. 23d, 1727–8. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governr. Samuel Preston, William Fishbourn, Clement Plumsted, The Governour laid before the Board a Speech in Writing wch he intended to make to the House of Representatives, & desired the opinion of the Council thereupon, Which was approved of by the Board, & the House of Representatives being sent for, attended with their Speaker, to whom the Governour spoke as follows: "Mr. Speaker & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: "At your first Meeting after the Election, you had the opportu"nity of expressing your Zeal & Affection, in the Name of the In"habitants of this Province, to His Most Excellent Majesty King "George the Second, upon His Happy Accession to the Throne of "His Royal Ancestors: And now being mett on your Adjournment "from that time to proceed on the Business of the Country, I must "in the first place give both myself & you the Pleasure of observing "the Harmony & Unanimity, which have appeared amongst People "of all Ranks on that great occasion, where the only Contention is, "who shall be most forward in expressing an entire Satisfaction in "that happy Establishment to which they owe every thing that's "dear to a free People, with a full Dependance on His Majesty's "Care for supporting them in their highest & greatest Concerns; "And as this certainly procures Peace at home, & will best secure "the British Interest abroad, it may justly be looked upon as the "happy Presage of a Reign equally glorious to His Majesty, and "beneficial to all His Subjects. "And therefore I shall not in the least doubt of our following "this great Example of our fellow Subjects at home, in pursuing "the Ways of Peace, Concord & Amity, as the only sure means of "procuring and continuing to ourselves and Posterity, a solid & lasting Blessing on our honest Endeavours. "My Conduct hitherto, I am perswaded, will witness for me that "I have no private Views of my own nor Ends to gain, and that I "have had nothing more at heart than the real Interest of the Co"lony. Were not this my indispensible Duty, as well as Inclination, "I am strictly enjoyned by our worthy Proprietors to do every thing "that lies in me to promote the true Interest of the Province; And "I take this opportunity again to assure you, I shall always, while "I have the Honour to be at the Head of the Administration, find a "most sensible Pleasure in concurring with.you in every thing that "may conduce to the true Benefit & Advantage of the good People 66 you represent. "What the Service of the Publick requires will naturally fall "under your Notice, I shall only here recommend to you Unanimity "& Dispatch in all your affairs, & what further may occur shall be "communicated to your House by Message." The Governour then acquainted the Speaker, that he had taken Care to forward the Houses Address to His Majesty by the first opportunity after their last Sessions, And the Speaker having obtained a Copy of the foregoing Speech the House withdrew. At a Council held at Philadelphia, April 2d, 1728. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. William Fishbourn, Clement Plumsted, } Esq'rs. Present also, at the Governours Desire, Thomas Laurence, Esqr., Mayor of the City, & Andrew Hamilton, Esquire, Recorder. The Governour acquainted the Board, that two Ships being lately arrived in this River, from Bristol in Great Britain, vizt: the Dorothy, John Bedford, Master, & the Pharaoh, Thomas News, Master, with several passengers on board, and a Report having been spread that several Persons had died on board the Ship Dorothy of a malignant Fever, he had given orders that both the said Vessells (as · coming from the same Place) should not come near this City, until they were first visited; And that by a Warrant under his hand & seal, directed to Doctor Thomas Græme & Doctor Lloyd Zachary, Physicians, he had empowered them to visit the said Ships, & make strict enquiry into the state and condition of health of those on board, and to make Report thereof. And that now the said Physicians having made their Report to him in writing, he had thought proper to call as many of the Council as were in Town, together with the Mayor & Recorder, to lay the same before them for their opinion & advice. VOL. 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