"Britain at their last Sessions, which then most happily Stopt with "your Lordships.

"That your Petitioners are under the deepest Concern to find that an Attempt of the like Nature is again to be renewed, which, "should it take Effect, will not only tend to the Ruin of this and "the other British Colonies on this Continent, but likewise most દુઃ sensibly Affect the Trade and Interest of Great Britain itself.

"Your Petitioners therefore most humbly pray that they may be "heard by Council, before any Bill so injurious in its Consequences "to this and His Majesty's other Northern Colonies on the Conti"nent of America, do pass into a Law. And your Petitioners as in "Duty bound, shall ever pray, &c."

"TO THE HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OF GREAT "BRITAIN, in Parliament Assembled:

"THE PETITION of the Lieutentant Governor and his Council " & the General Assembly of Pennsylvania.

"Humbly Sheweth :

"THAT from the great Care and Vigilance the House of ComImons hath at all times shewn for the Welfare and Safety of their "fellow Subjects of every Degree, your humble Petitioners are en"couraged to hope that the same tender Regard will be extended to "them and His Majesty's other Northern Colonies in America, in a "Point that not only deeply affects their Interest, but That also of "the whole Kingdom of Great Brittain.

"This, may it please your Honourable House, is the unnatural "Attempt of His Majesty's Subjects of the Sugar Islands, who "presuming as we Judge, on their great Wealth already acquired, "and in hopes of further augmenting it, are now endeavouring to "obtain an Act for restraining the Trade of these Colonies with the "foreign Plantations, and in a great Measure confining it to them"selves alone, not only to the Oppression of His Majesty's Subjects "Inhabiting these Colonies, but to the Manifest prejudice of Britain "itself, by lessening the Exportation of its Manufactures, which on "the passing of such an act must inevitably Ensue.

"But if it shall appear that these His Majesty's Colonies will by "such an Act, if it should Pass, be not only impoverished, and "( thereby made an Easy prey to our Powerfull and watchfull "" Neighbours, the French, who now surround us and appear bent "" on enlarging their Dominions, but also be rendred useless and "unprofitable to Great Britain. Your Petitioners crave Leave to "" hope from the Great Wisdom of this Honourable House, that an Attempt which may be attended with so many destructive Consequences, will never be Countenanced by the Commons of Great "Britain.

"Wherefore your Petitioners most humbly pray that they may "be heard by their Council against the Bill, and in Support of what "is with all Dutyfull Submission here alledged. And your Peti❝tioners as in Duty bound, shall ever pray."

E.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Decemr. 10th, 1731.

PRESENT:

The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governor.

James Logan,

Isaac Norris,

Clement Plumsted,

Samuel Hasel.

} Esq'rs.

Shekellamy accompanied with Cehachquey, a Cayoogoe Indian, being returned from the Six Nations, reported by Conrad Weyser and John Scull, Interpreters:

That he had delivered the Governor's Message to the Chiefs of the Six Nations at Tsanandowa, who were extremely pleased to hear from the Governor; that they received the Message very Kindly, but said that the Winter now coming on they could not come down, but would certainly visit us in the Spring when the Days are longer, in Confirmation wheref they have sent a small Bundle of Indian drest Deer Skins. That the Chiefs of these Nations are now grown very old and unfitt to bear the Fatigue of a long Journey, but that they will certainly visit us their Brethren, when the days grow longer and the Sun gives more heat, and in Confirmation thereof they have sent another small Bundie of Indian drest Deer Skins.

That the Indians at Tsanandowa have taken care to dispatch Messengers with the Governor's Message & the Presents, to the others of the Six Nations, and to acquaint them to be ready to visit us by the time they have appointed.

Shekellamy then said he had somewhat from Allummapees or Sassoonan to deliver to the governor, which is this:

That Sassoonan sent by him some strings of Wampum with a Message to the Indians at Tsanandowa to acquaint them that he could not come to Tsanandowa as he intended, by Reason of his Age and Inability to travel, but that as 'twas expected the Six Nations would come to Philadelphia, he would wait for them at his own house as they passed that Way.

E.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Decr. 11th, 1731.

PRESENT:

The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lt. Governor.

Clement Plumsted,
}

Samuel Hasell.

Esq'rs.

The Governor having proposed to the Board to Consider of an Allowance to be made to Shekellamy for his Journey to the Six Nations, and to Conrad Weyser for coming hither with him from Tulpachockin, It is ORDERED that Ten pounds be given Shekellamy, or the Value thereof, in such Goods as he shall seem most desirous to have, and forty Shillings to Conrad Weiser the Interpreter.

E.

JANUARY 18th.

The House of Representatives having mett on the 10th instant pursuant to their Adjournment, & notified the same to the Governor, the following verball Message was this day brought by four Members.

That the Creek commonly called Cobb's Creek, being the Bounds or Limits of the Counties of Philadelphia & Chester, is oftentimes very difficult & dangerous to be crossed; Wherefore the House request the Governor that he would be pleased, with the Concurrence of his Council, to give proper Directions for the Building a Bridge over the said Creek, pursuant to an Act of General Assembly of this Province in Cases of the like Nature provided.

The Governor answered:

That he would advise with his Council and do whatever is in his Power to answer the Request of the house.

E.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Janr. 19th, 1732.

PRESENT:

The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governor.

James Logan,

Clement Plumsted,

Thomas Laurence,
Samuel Hasell,

Esq'rs.

Two Bills sent up from the House were read, Entituled AN ACT for repealing An Act Entituled an Act for continuing the Encouragement for raising of good Hemp within this Province. AN ACT directing the manner of Payment of Assembly Men's Wages:

The first was agreed to without Amendment & ordered to be returned, but some Debate arising touching the other, the Consideration thereof was deferred till to morrow.

A verbal Message was brought the Governor by two Members of the House:

That in Regard of its Thinness, occasioned by the prevailing Distemper of the small Pox, and that no Business of great Moment now lies before them, they are inclineable with the Governor's Approbation to adjourn to August next; But that in Case of any Emergency they shall be ready to meet the Governor when he shall see good to convene them.

The Governor answered:

That considering the present Situation of the House, he would not object to their Adjournment.

E.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, January 20th, 1732.

PRESENT:

The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governor.

James Logan,

Clement Plumsted,
Thomas Laurence.

Esquires.

The Bill directing the manner of Payment of Assembly Men's Wages was again had under Consideration, and after some time spent thereon, the following Message was drawn up, and being sign'd by the Governor was ordered to be carried down to the House with the Bill:

GENTLEMEN:

The Bill directing the manner of Payment of Assembly Men's Wages which is herewith returned, has been fully considered by me in Council. And as the Method thereby proposed deviates so much from the Practice which has hitherto been in Use in this Government, and as yet obtains in most of those in our Neighbourhood, & Seems to be an Innovation in the Constitution, many strong Objections have been raised against the Bill. But inasmuch as the Term of its Duration is but short, and the Fund it is Supposed may be sufficient for that time to answer this Service and the other Exigencies of Government, I have agreed to pass the same upon this Special Condition, that it shall not be drawn into a Precedent for the future, but at the Expiration of the three years limited in the Bill, the Act for raising County Levies shall in all its parts effectually take place, according to the Amendment herewith proposed, and that this Declaration stand on the Minutes of the House.

E.

The Same Day, P. M.

A Message being brought to the Governor by two Members of the House, desiring to know when he would be pleased to receive them, in order to pass into a Law the Bill for repealing the Act allowing a Bounty on Hemp, which had been sent down without Amendment, His Honour named 3 a clock this afternoon for this Purpose.

And the whole House attending accordingly, their Speaker delivered to the Governor an Order on the Trustees of the General Loan Office of this Province, for seven hundred and fifty pounds in part of the Support for the current Year, and then presenting the Bill last mentioned, the same was passed into a Law of this Province & a Warrant issued for affixing the Great Seal thereto.

The Speaker then acquainted the Governor that the Message from His Honour had given great Uneasiness to the House as charging them with Innovations; that being unwilling to enter into a Contest they had for the present laid aside the Bill, and had directed him to desire of his Honour that he would order the said Message not to be Entred on the Minutes of Council.

The Governor answered that as he conceived he had an undoubted Right to offer Amendments and make Propositions on any Bill that should Come before him, he had done so in the present Case; that he was sorry the House had thought fitt to take Offence at some Words in the Message, but as to ordering the same not to be entered in the Council Books he must Consider of it.

After which he spoke to the House as follows:

66

"Gentlemen:

pro

"I return you my hearty thanks for what you have now thought "fitt to order towards Support of Government. And as your pre"sent Session, by reason of the Thinness of your House, occasioned "by the Distemper still prevailing as I understand in many parts of "the Country, is so very short that divers Affairs of Importance to "the Publick that would require your Attendance must be deferr'd, "I am to put you in mind that there will be an absolute necessity "for your Meeting again at some convenient time this year to "ceed on those Affairs, and particularly, I must observe that what "I recommended to you at your first Meeting, when I laid before you the Advices I had received from the Government of New "York, with some other Papers touching the late Attempts and In66 croachments of our Neighbours, the French, both on that and this "Province, will demand your most serious Application, on which "Head I should have said more at this Meeting, but that expecting "fuller Accounts of our Intended Treaty with the Five Nations in "the Spring, and other more certain Advices than I have yet re"ceived from the Western parts of the Province, I have chosen to "defer it till we can be more perfectly informed of those proceed"ings. In the mean time I shall not be wanting in my Duty to "inform His Sacred Majesty by his Ministry, of the said Attempts, "that proper Measures may be taken for the Security of these His "Majesty's Dominions."

E.

At a Council held at Philadia., the 4th May, 1732.

. PRESENT.

The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governr.

Isaac Norris,

Samuel Preston,

Clement Plumsted,

Samuel Hasell,

Ralph Asheton.

Esq'rs.

The Governor having communicated to the Board the Message from the House of the 18th of January last, touching the Building a Bridge over Cobb's Creek, and having desired the Advice of the Council therein, It is the Opinion of the Board that Saml. Powell of Philadelphia, & Samuel Levis of Chester County, may be proper Persons to undertake that Work; and they are appointed to fix on the most convenient place for erecting the said Bridge, to treat with the Workmen and compute the Cost, and to make Report thereof to this Board.

E.

At the Courthouse of Philadelphia, May 15th, 1732.

PRESENT:

The Honourable the Governor,

With Severals of the Magistrates.