The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, April 9th, 1788.,

PRESENT:

The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi dent.

A letter from the Comptroller General, stating that he has stopped a certificate for depreciation of pay of Michael Ryan, preseuted by Robert Ross; that application is made for it by Robertson and Smith; that it is signed by Abraham Dubois and William Goforth, who were only authorized to settle with the regiment of artillery; for this and other reasons mentioned in his letter, he has detained this certificate, and wishing the directions of Council, was read; whereupon, Council examining the minutes and finding the said Abraham Dubois and William Goforth were not authorized to grant such certificates,

Ordered, That the Comptroller General keep the said certificate, unless compelled by law to deliver it up.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Managers of the House of Employment, for thirty two pounds six shillings, payable out of the sum of one hundred pounds, granted by act of Assembly dated the twenty-eighth day of March last, for the relief of James McManus, an invalid, being in full of their account for supplies of provisions and clothing furnished to him from the twenty-fifth of September last to the present time, according to the Comptroller General's report.

Upon the petition of Elizabeth Elliott,

Ordered, That the fine of ten pounds to which she was sentenced by the last Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace of the county of Philadelphia, upon being convicted of keeping a tipling house be remitted.

The petitions of Timothy Matlack, Esquire, William Sheaf, James Pearson, and George and William Hunter, stating in behalf of themselves and others, divers claims to city lots, &ca., under several original purchases from William Penn, Esquire, the first proprietary of Pennsylvania, were read and referred to the Board of Property, for their examination and report.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Benjamin Lodge, for one hundred and thirty-one pounds ten shillings, ballance due upon his account for surveying the fifth district of donation lands.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, April 10th, 1788.

PRESENT:

The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice President.

Abraham Smith, and Esquires.

Samuel Edie,

The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt: In favor of the Honorable Samuel Dean, Esquire, for seventeen pounds five shillings, in full for his attendance in Council from March the nineteenth untill April the tenth, 1788, inclusively.

In favor of Colonel James O'Harra, or order, the sum of three hundred and seventy-five pounds, in part of seven thousand dollars which, on the tenth day of January, 1788, Council agreed to pay him, for supplying the troops in the western country with provi sions, for which sum he is to account. This sum to be charged to the United States.

In favor of William Ferguson, guardian of the minor children of Michael Campbell, deceased, for seventy-seven pounds ten shillings, being due for their pension of the fifth of December, 1787, according to the Comptroller General's report and an act of Assembly dated the twentieth of March, 1780.

In favor of the widow of Lieutenant William Houston, deceased, for one hundred and fifty pounds, being due for her pension untill the twentieth day of January, 1788, according to the Comptroller General's report and an act of Assembly dated March the first, 1780.

Several memorials containing and stating claims to city lots, &ca., under original purchasers, being now before the Board, and as the period limitted by law for making these claims is nearly expired, and Council not having it in their power to go immediately into an investigation of the whole; therefore,

Resolved, That all such claims as are now entered shall lay over for their future investigation and determination, and for such claims as shall then be established warrants shall issue from the date of the application.

Resolved, That Thursday, the seventeenth day of this month, be appointed for going into the consideration of the claims aforesaid, and that the Attorney General and the Land Officers be requested to attend Council while engaged in this business.

The petitions of Richard Peters, Esquire, of John Taylor and Rebecca, his wife, and Hopkins, by their attorney, Samuel Morris, of John Penn, Jun'r, and John Penn, by their attorney, Tench Francis, and of Anthony Cuthbert, Mary Jenkins, Thomas Mason, and William Carter and Mary, his wife, stating their seve

ral claims to city lots, &ca., under original purchasers, were received and read, and referred to the Board of Property for their examination and report.

Upou the petition of James Lawson, of Franklin county, in behalf of his servant, John Hollan, alias Moody, who hath been convicted of larceny in the county of Chester, praying remission of the sentence of the court for the said offence,

Ordered, That the fine due to the State and punishment at hard labour to which the said John Hollan, alias Moody, was sentenced, be remitted.

The proposals of John Skinner for making a good and sufficient road from this side of Sideling hill to the opposite side of Ray's hill, in the county of Bedford, in the following manner, that is to say, all that part of the State road that lays between the mouth of the road that leads from the State road, on the east side of Sideling hill, to Colonel Ashman's Iron Works, the nearest and best way to the top of Sideling hill, and so on to the west side of Ray's hill, as far down as a large hickory tree, standing down said hil about two hundred rods from the top, the distance supposed to be about eight miles, to be not less than twelve feet wide in the dug places and among the rocks, the waters in general to run on the hill side, the passes to be sufficient for three waggons to draw off to one side for others to pass by, not more than twenty rods distance from one another, and all the other ground between to be not less than twenty feet wide. All which work to be compleated on the last day of November, for the sum of five hundred pounds in gold or silver, or other good current money with the merchants of this State, three hundred pounds whereof to be advanced to him before he begins the said work, were read, and accepted by Council.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Friday, April 11th, 1788.

PRESENT:

The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presi dent.

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Esquires.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of John Skinner for three hundred pounds, being in part of the sum of five hundred pounds which is payable to him upon the execution of his contract, entered into yesterday with the Commonwealth, for

making a good and sufficient road from this side of Sideling hill to the opposite side of 'Ray's hill, in the county of Bedford.

A certificate from Fdward Burd, Esquire, that Messieurs Thomas Fitzimmcns and John Donaldson, of this city, merchants, hath entered sufficient security to prosecute with effect an appeal from the settlement of the accounts of John Mitchell, contractor for the State Navy in the years 1776 and 1777, was read, and the said appeal allowed.

The petition of Joshua Elder, respecting the settlement of his accounts as late Sub-Lieutenant of Lancaster county, was read, and referred to the Comptroller General.

The Council met.

Saturday, April 12th, 1788.

PRESENT:

The Honorable PETER MUHLENBERG, Esquire, Vice Presideut.

A letter from John Nice, Esquire, inclosing his commission as Major of the second battalion of the militia of the county of Philadelphia, informing Council of his intention to remove himself and family to the Susquehanna river, and praying leave to resign his said commission, was read, and his resignation accepted.

Council being informed that the Sheriff of the county of Montgomery has been opposed in the execution of the warrant issued from this Board on the seventh instant, in the case of John Brown, and the time allowed in the said warrant being in the opinion of Council too short; thereupon

Ordered, That a warrant under the less seal of the State be now issued, for extending the time of the execution of the sentence of the court upon the said John Brown until six o'clock in the evening of this day, which warrant the Sheriff of the said county is commanded to execute at his peril, and if further opposition be given that he call in the aid of the good people of the county

aforesaid.

The petition of John Logan, convicted of a misdemeanor in har bouring a person who had made his escape from the jail of this city, was read, and referred to the Attorney General, who was requested to inform Council whether any favorable circumstances appeared upon the trial of the petitioner.

Upon the application of Charles Hellstedt, Esquire, Swedish Consul, requesting that Council would be pleased to direct the publication of a letter which he has received from one of his Swedish Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, informing him of the strict neutrality which his Swedish Majesty has thought proper to adopt at this time when a war is kindling between the Court of Russia and the Ottoman Porte, and directing him to make the same known to all Swedish subjects who may be within his department, and to forbid them to take any part directly or indirectly in any enterprises against merchant vessels of the two Empires.

Ordered, That the said letter be published."

On motion,

Ordered, That the Collector of the Port of Philadelphia be directed to furnish Council as soon as may be, with a statement of all monies now due in his office for impost.

The consideration of Mr. Peters' application for a warrant for Liberty land in right of an original purchase, was postponed until Thursday next.

The Attorney General made report upon the case of John Logan, the consideration of which was postponed.

Upon application of Captain Joseph Stiles, superintendant of the Gunpowder Magazine, informing Council that a vessel has arrived in this port with gunpowder, and that as the said Magazine is now füll, praying the licence of Council to store the same in a small