The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, September 25th, 1787. PRESENT: His Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. A Dedimus Potestatem was issued for the county of Northamp ton, directed to John Arndt, and Robert Levers, Esquires, the Recorder and Prothonotary of thas county. Jonathan Shoemaker was appointed and commissionated a Justice of the Peace for the districts of the townships of Cheltenham and Abington, in the county of Montgomery, and Joseph Scott, Esquire, was appointed and commissionated a Justice of the Peace for the district of Robinson township, in the county of Washington. Jonathan Shoemaker and Joseph Scott, Esquires, were also appointed and commissionated Justices of Courts of Common Pleas, in their respective counties. The fiue due to the State, imposed upon George Wright, upon his being convicted of keeping a tipling house in the county of Northampton, was remitted." Mr. Baird was apointed to attend the Vice President as a member of the Board of Property, in the room of Mr. Maclay. Agreeably to the order of yesterday, Council proceeded to the election of a Prothonotary of the county of Huntingdon; and the ballots being taken, it appeared that Lazarus McLene, Esquire, was duly elected by a majority of votes. Whereupon, it was Ordered, That Lazarus MeLene, Esquire, be commissionated Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Huntingdon. On motion, Ordered, That Lazarus McLene, Esquire, be appointed and commissionated Clerk of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery, Clerk of the Orphans' Court, and a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Huntingdon. The following draft of a Proclamation was read and approved: WHEREAS, It appears from the deposition of John Wigton, and other testimoney, that John Franklin, Leriah Beach, John McKin stry, and John Jenkins, have violently opposed the execution of the law in the county of Luzerne, and drove many of the claimants under Pennsylvania from their habitations out of the county: And whereas, it is of the utmost importance to the good people of this State, that the perpetrators of such atrocious offences should be brought to condign punishment; we have thought proper to issue this Proclamation, hereby engaging that the public reward of four hundred dollars shall be paid to any person or persons, who shall apprehend and secure John Franklin; and the public reward of two hundred dollars shall be paid to any person or persons who shall apprehend and secure John Jenkins; and the public reward of two hundred dollars shall be paid for apprehending and securing Leriah Beach, and John McKenstry, or one hundred for either of the said Leriah Beach or John McKenstry. The above rewards to be paid on the offenders or offender being secured in the jail of the city and county of Philadelphia; and we do hereby charge and require all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, and Constables, to make diligent search, enquiry after, and to use their utmost endeavours to apprehend and secure the said John Franklin, Leriah Beach, John McKenstry, and John Jenkins, so that they may be dealt with according to law. GIVEN in Conncil, under the hand of the Honorable Charles Biddle, Esquire, Vice President, and the Seal of the State, at Philadelphia, this twenty-fifty day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven. CHARLES BIDDLE. ATTEST-JAMES TRIMBLE, EALT For John Armstrong, Jun'r, Secretary. GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH! The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 26th, 1787. PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt: In favor of the Honorable Thomas McKean, Esquire, for two hundred and fifty pounds, being one quarter's salary, due to him as. Chief Justice of the State, ending the 25th instant, and in favor of the Honorable George Bryan, Esquire, for one hundred and fifty pounds, being due to him on the same day, as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, according to the Comptroller General's report. A Committe from the General Assembly, Mr. Fitzimmons, Mr. Wynkoop, Mr. Findley, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Whitehill, attended in Council: requested some information respecting the operation of the late Law for confirming to the people called Connecticut claimants, the lands by them claimed in the county of Luzerne. The Committee were informed that the Commissioners appointed under the law had not yet made a report of their proceedings. The following draft of a Proclamation, was laid before Council, read and adopted: Pennsylvania, s8: By the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, A certain agreement was entered into between this Commonwealth and the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the thirtyfirst day of August, 1779, which agreement was afterwards, to wit: on the twenty-third of June, 1780, confirmed by the State of Virginia, subject to several conditions, one of which was: "That the private property and rights of all persons, acquired under, founded on, or recognized by the laws of either State, previous to the twenty-third of June, 1780, aforesaid, be secured and confirmed to them, although they should be found to fall within the other; and that in the decision of disputes therein, preference shall be given to the elder or prior right, whichever of the said States, the same shall have been acquired under; such persons paying to the State within those boundary their lands shall be included, the same purchase money which would have been due from them to the State, under which they claimed the right, &ca." And whereas, It hath been made manifest to Council, that divers persons have applied to the State of Virginia, and have procured patents after the said twenty-third of June, 1780, whereby this Commonwealth is deprived of part of one of the branches of the revenue, and many well disposed persons may be led by such examples to procure patents in the same manner, to the future loss and damage of themselves, and of such as may come into their place by purchase or otherwise : We do therefore, Warn all such persons who have procured patents from Virginia, since the said twenty-third day of June, 1780, not to rely on them as good titles to their lands, as also all such as are entitled to a confirmation of their titles to unpatented lands. whether originating in Virginia or Pennsylvania, that the Act of Assembly in being respecting the patenting all such lands, will expire on the tenth day of April, 1788, of which all persons concerned, are to take notice, and govern themselves accordingly. Given in Council, under the hand of the Honorable CharlesBiddle, E-quire, Vice President, and the scal of the State, at Philadelphia, this twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven. CHARLES BIDDLE, V. P. Attest-JOHN ARMSTRONG, Jun'r, Sec'ry. GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH. The fine imposed upon William Bartho, upon being convicted of an assault and battery, at the last City Court, was remitted. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, September 27th, 1787. PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honorable Francis Hopkinson, Esquire, for fifty pounds, in part of his salary as Judge of the Court of Admiralty, and in the Admiralty Sessions of this State, according to resolution of Assembly, dated the eighth day of March, 1782. Upon the petition of Andrew Moore, of Lancaster county, Ordered, That one moiety of the rum lately seized by the Collector of Excise in the county of Lancaster, as forfeited by Andrew' Moore, be restored to the said Moore, and that the fine due from him to the Commonwealth, be remitted. A certificate from Edward Burd, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Supreme Court, that William Mitchell, Esquire, late Agent for the sale of Confiscated Property in the county of York, hath entered sufficient security to prosecute with effect an appeal from the settlement of his account by the Comptroller General, was read, and his said appeal allowed. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Friday, September 28th, 1787. PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. The several fines imposed upon James Steward and Thomas Peacock, by the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace of the county of Dauphine, the former convicted of an assault and battery, and the latter of larceny, were remitted. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, September 29th, 1787 PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honorable Samuel Dean, Esquire, for eighteen pounds, in full for his attendance in Council from the eighth untill the twenty-ninth of September, 1787, and his mileage. Upon the petition of John Mears, in behalf of Ephraim Parvin, of Berks county, praying remission of a fine imposed upon the said Parvin for not attending militia duty, an order was taken that the Lieutenant of the county of Berks be directed to suspend the collection of the said fine until further orders from Council. Andrew Henderson, Esquire, was commissionated Register of the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration, and Recorder of Deeds, in and for the county of Huntington, agreeably to the appointment of him to those offices by the General Assembly, on the twenty seventh of September last. Andrew Henderson, Esquire, was also commissionated a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Hunting. ton aforesaid. |