thereof should be deferr'd till to morrow at nine o'clock, beforenoon, to which time the Council is adjourned. At a Council held at Philadia., February 7th, 1728-9. PRESENT: The honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. James Logan, Richard Hill, Clement Plumsted, Isaac Norris, Willm. Fishbourn," Samuel Hazle. The Minutes of the three preceeding Councils being read & approved, The Board according to Order, entered into the Consideration of the Petition in the Minute of Yesterday, touching the Division of Chester County, and after the same had been fully considered & debated, the Board came to the following Resolution: That, as well for the Reasons set forth in the said Petition, as the Security, Peace & good Order of the whole Government, there doth appear a real Necessity that a new County should be Erected, according to the Prayer of the said Petition; And Altho' the Power of Erecting Counties is wholly vested in the Proprietary, & therefore in the Governour, as his Lieutenant, yet, inasmuch as this will require the Establishment of Courts of Judicature, with other Alterations, for which a due Provision will best be made by a Law, It may be convenient that the Governour should acquaint the House of Representatives now sitting, with the Application made to him, that the same may be carried on with, & strengthened by the joint & unanimous Concurrence of the whole Legislature, Then the Accounts of Nicolas & John Sculls & Anthony Zadouski of Expenses by them disbursed, and for their Trouble on several Messages to the Indians, were presented to the Board & read, But no Mention being made of the Time by them spent in those Services, by which the Board may be the better able to judge what allowance is proper to be made to them, 'TIS ORDERED that the Clerk desire them to amend their Accounts in that Point, & that they be laid before the Board at their next meeting. Upon a Motion made in behalf of Henry Smith, who, together with John Petty, was sent to Shamokin on a Message to the Chiefs of the Indians there, by order of Council of the 1st of September last, that he be allowed the like Sum which by this Board was thought proper to be given to the said Petty, for his Trouble & Expense in that Journey, RESOLVED, That the Sum of Ten Pounds be paid by the Provincial Treasurer to the said Henry Smith, in full. for his Service on that Occasion. At a Council held at Philada., February 20th, 1728-9. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. Richard Hill, Isaac Norris, Clement Plumsted, Esq'rs. Samuel Preston, Samuel Hazle. The Minutes of the preceeding Council being read & approved, The Governour informed the Board that pursuant to the Resolve of last Council, he had acquainted the House of Representatives with his Intention to Erect the upper part of the County of Chester into a separate County, in which they had concurred, & desired that an equal Number of the Inhabitants of the Lower & Upper Part might run the Division Line; And thefore, he was now to recommend to the Board to chuse fitt & well qualified Persons for that Service, & to consider of proper Directions for their Guidance therein: And after due Consideration thereof. "TIS ORDERED that Henry Hayes, Samuell Nutt, Samuel Hollingsworth, Philip Taylor, Elisha Gatchel, James James, John Wright, Tobias Hendricks, Samuel Blunston, Andrew Cornish, Thomas Edwards & John Musgrave, or the Major Part of them calling to their Assistance John Taylor, the Surveyor of Chester County, meet at some convenient place near Octeraroe Creek or River, & cause a mark'd Line to be run from the most northerly or main Branch of the said Creek Northward, or to the East or West thereof, as it shall be found most convenient, to the next high Ridge of barren or uninhabited Hills that trend from thence to Schuylkill River, keeping as near as may be to the Ridge of the said Hills, & to proceed along the Ridge thereof, yet with as few Changes in the Course as their Situation will admitt, and fixing the same to the most conspicuous, natural & durable Marks, that may be the least subject to Uncertainty or Variation: to be Bounded Southward by the Southern Bounds of the Province, & Eastwardly the said Octeraroe Creek; and from thence the Northern Line to be by them run as aforesaid, to the said Hills, from thence the main northern or easterly Branch thereof, above the Forks of the said River, to lie open to the Westward and Northward till further Order shall be given therein; And to make Report of their Proceedings to this Board. At a Council held at Philada., Febry 21st, 1728-9. The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. Richard Hill, Samuel Preston, PRESENT: William Fishbourn, The Minutes of the preceeding Council being read & approved, A Bill sent up from the House of Representatives, Entitled An Act for Erecting of Pounds in Each Towship of this Province, was then read, To which several Objections were made, as that it would occasion a very great Charge, which is to be assessed & levied at the Discretion of the Overseers of the Poor, without the Interposition of a Magistrate, with several other Inconveniencies; And that a Supplement to the Law now in force for Erecting & maintaining of Pounds may better answer the End Proposed than this Bill, which appears not to have been sufficiently considered. It was therefore Ordered, that Mr. Hill & Mr. Plumsted carry back the said Bill to the House,. & acquaint them with the Objections made thereto. Then were read two other Bills, Vizt: A Supplement to that part of the Act for raising County Rates & Levies, relating to the killing of Wolves; And a Supplement to the Act Entitled An Act to prevent Swine running at large. Which were Ordered to be returned to the House without any Amendment. At a Council held at Philadelphia, March 5th, 1728-9. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. James Logan, Richard Hill, Isaac Norris, Samuel Preston, Clement Plumstead, Esq'rs. The Minutes of the two preceeding Councils being read & approved. A Bill sent up from the House of Representatives Entituled, AN ACT for the Emitting of Fifty thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit, & for the better Support of Government & the trade of this Province, was then read, & the further Consideration thereof deferr'd till Monday, the 10th Currt., to which Time the Board Adjourned. At a Council Held at Philada., March 10th, 1728-9. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. The Bill for emitting Fifty thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit being again Read by paragraphs, the following points were proposed to be first considered, vizt: 1st. The Sum now proper to be Emitted. 2d. At what Interest, & 3dly. The Term of Repayment. And each of these being fully spoke to and debated, it is the Opinion of the Board: That Sixty thousand Pounds for the whole Currency of this Province, or Twenty five thousand Pounds Addition to the sum now circulating, may be sufficient. That the interest ought to continue the same as before, vizt: five per Cent; & the term for repayment be ten years, or at most not exceed twelve & a half, as in the former Acts of the like Nature. It was then proposed and agreed to, that the House should be desired to make some Provision for Sterling Payments, & the Proprie tary Quittrents, for it was to be feared if these were affected by the Bill it would meet with great Opposition at home. The Consideration of the other parts of the said Bill was deferr'd till next meeting of Council. At a Council held at Philadia., March 13th, 1728-9. The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esquire, Lieut. Governour. Richard Hill, PRESENT: Clement Plumstead, Isaac Norris, Esq'rs. The further Consideration of the paper money Bill was resumed, & the whole being gone through, the Several Amendments, pursuant to the Sentiments of the Board at their former meeting, with many others of less Importance, were all ordered to be drawn up & carried in with the said bill to the House at their next meeting. At a Council held at Philadia., March 20th, 1728-9. PRESENT: The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governour. The Governour laid before the Board a letter he had Yesterday received from the Governour of Maryland, touching the new County to be erected in this Province, which being read, & it appearing that the same proceeds upon a misinformation, as if the persons who were to run the Division Line were to begin at the mouth of Octoraroe Creek, which is claimed as within the Limits of Maryland, instead of the head of the said Creek, as mentioned in the Order for laying out the same, the Board are of opinion that a Copy of said order be sent to the Governour of Maryland, accompanied with a Letter from the Governour to show him what caution has been used in directing the boundaries of the said County, so that no umbrage might thereby be given to the Government of Maryland. The Governour then acquainted the Board that he had considered the amendments proposed to be made to the Bill for emitting more Paper Currency, but was doubtfull whether it would be to any purpose to send them to the House untill the chief points should be adjusted For tho' he was sensible that the said Currency had been of Service to the Country, and was heartily disposed to favour the people's inclinations by some reasonable addition thereto, yet that the bill as it now stands, cannot be well reconciled to the order of the Board of Trade of the 11th of May, 1726, to which he Conceived he is in duty bound to pay all due obedience, & that therefore if any such bill is to be passed by him, it must be in a manner consistent with his duty and honour; that he resolved, notwithstanding the idle talk without Doors, & people's common prejudices on this Subject, to lay the case on this very point, in plain terms before the House that they may be induced to consider the same seriously, & to proceed on a safe and honourable footing; That he had not yet fully digested his thoughts, nor reduced them to writing, which he intended to do by Monday next, to which time the house had adjourned, & that if the Board would then meet, he should be glad to have their Sentiments of the same. Hereupon the Members were of Opinion, that since the Bill had been read & considered by this Board, & several Amendments made thereto, it would be proper that they should be drawn up & carried in to the house. But if the Governour conceives, from the Order of the Board of Trade or any other Instruction he has, that he cannot safely agree to the said bill, It's left to the Governour's Prudence to acquaint the House therewith in such manner as he shall think most proper. March 25th, 1729. MEMORANDUM. The Governour having last night received a Message from the House, acquainting him that they were mett & desiring to know what he had to lay before them, did this day return the Bill for emitting Fifty thousand pounds in Bills of Credit, with the following Message: GENTLEMEN: During your Recess I have very seriously & carefully considered your Bill for emitting more of our Paper Currency, and as it is a (( subject that has thoroughly employed my Thoughts, I shall deliver "them to you in the plainest manner. That there is occasion for (( more of that Currency amongst us I am fully perswaded, and I "heartily wish there were no Objections against making a reason"able addition to it immediately: but there are some which so nearly "affect the very Being of our Currency, that I cannot believe by "the Tenour of this Bill, that they have as yet been sufficiently con"sidered. "You cannot be unsensible, Gentlemen, that Publick Business in "Britain is transacted by proper Councils & Boards, appointed by his "Majesty, for managing the several Branches of it, & of what regards "these Plantations the Board of Trade has the general Directions; "Agreeable to their Reports or Representations, all his Majesty's "Orders that relate to us are issued, for they are his Council for "such affairs, as his Privy Council is for those of Government. "Their Orders, therefore, are to be considered as coming from his "Majesty himself, for those from the Throne have scarce ever, I "believe, been known to vary from Reports or Opinions of that "Board. "Now it ought to be remembered, that having received a Letter "from their Lordships but two days before a former Assembly mett, on the 14th of October, 1726, in discharge of my duty, I commu |