On this Information, & considering the good Dispositions of the Governors of Virginia & Maryland, the Council determin'd not to send Mr. Weiser to Ohio till after the arrival of the Onondago Deputys, since they wou'd then be furnish'd with an opportunity of making full Enquiry of all particulars relating to these Indians; & the President was desir'd to answer Mr. Ogle & Mr. Gooch's Letters on this Subject, & to frame his Letters agrecable to the Resolve of the Council. The Secretary was order'd to give 12 Pieces of Eight to Shickalamy & 8 to his Son. At a Council held at Philadelphia, 12th April, 1748. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv❜d. The City Regiment of Associators having been review'd by the President & Council, the President express'd great Satisfaction to see so large a number of the Inhabitants under Arms; and as none can doubt of their Zeal & readiness to do their utmost for the preservation of the City & Province, he hop'd the minds of the People wou'd now be pacified as having a more solid Security against an Enemy than had been known in times past. At a Council held at Philadelphia, 13th April, 1748. PRESENT: The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr. President. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd. The President having wrote his Letters to the Governors of Virginia & Maryland, the same were read, as was likewise the President's Letter to Mr. Ogle, in answer to his of the 3d of December last, about Captain Higginbotham. "ST: "PHILADA., 12th April, 1848. "I postpon'd answering your kind favours of the Twenty-fifth February & 28th of March, till I should hear from the Governor of Virginia, and as his Letter did not arrive till Saturday last I embrace this first opportunity of making You my acknowledgements for the Care You was pleas'd to take in forwarding my Packet, & taking the trouble to write to him on the Subject. S William is entirely of the same Sentiment with You & Your Council that every thing shou'd be done to preserve the Indians about Ohio our hearty Friends, & promises to do all in his power to induce his Assembly to join in the Present. "The Death of the Messenger might have prov'd an heavy misfortune had Your Assembly & that of Virginia been sitting, but as both Houses were in their recess & are to sit again pretty near the same time, the Delay was not of any Consequence. "Our Council, indeed, on my laying before them Your first Letter, imagin'd this accident wou'd render it impracticable to receive answers time enough to fulfill the Engagement they had laid themselves under in their Treaty with those Indians, & therefore came to a Resolution of dispatching Mr. Weiser with a Present of the value of One thousand Pounds, so as to be at Ohio within the time concluded upon at his parting with Scaiohady in his return home; But when I imparted to them Yours & the Governor of Virginia's Letter they alter'd their mind, and on consulting with Mr. Weiser, who happen'd fortunately to be in Town the Day Sr. William Gooch's Letter came to my Hand, they were contented to send a Message to the Indians to inform them that the Interpreter was prevented by some unforeseen Public Business from coming to them so early as he had given them reason to expect, but that he should hasten up to them as soon as this Business shou'd be finish'd, which was hop'd wou'd be about the middle of Summer. "How they will even take this Delay I cannot say; they are in extreme want, & by all Informations very numerous; the French leave nothing unattempted to seduce them from the English Interest; there are some small French Forts a little to the West of these Indians; but whether there are any & what quantity of Powder & Goods in them to give to the Indians I cannot learn; perhaps they have none or not much, and in this case those poor Indians may be necessitated, if they do not receive Supplys soon, to fall upon the Provinces that are nearest to them to get wherewith to subsist. "They receive no part of the Presents that are annually made to the Six Nations by the Governments of New York & Boston; these are all engross'd by the Mohocks and the Nations to the Eastward of Ohio, so that there is the greater reason why the Southren Provinces shou'd take care of them, as they live upon their Borders & can by their Situation be an effectual Barrier against the French. "Sr. William Gooch by his manner of writing seems to be of opinion that Virginia will not send Commissioners, but chuse to make an addition to the Present to be sent by Mr. Weiser from hence, & says he wou'd be glad I had told him what Sum was expected. But this I have not presum'd to do any otherwise than by relating the Circumstances of these Indians, and that not so much for his Information as for the satisfaction such Relation may give to the Assembly, & indeed this is the reason why I have wrote so long a Letter to You, who know these matters much better than I do. I am with perfect Esteem & Regard, "Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, "Gov" Ogle." "ANTHONY PALMER. A Letter of the same Tenor with the above was sent to St. William Gooch. · "Sir: "PHILADA., April 11th, 1748. Captain Higginbotham's Affair has been heard by the Council with all the Regard due to a Person under your recommendation. "It appear'd that he had never seen the Land, and that neither he nor any under him had ever been possess'd of it, but on the contrary that Perie, the Person complain'd of, was in possession before and at the time of His Majestie's Order for quieting the Borders of the Provinces, which possession has continued in him ever since. "Some Facts decisive in the opinion of our Council if true, & which perhaps have not come to Your knowledge, were insisted on by Perie. That before the Royal Order he was arrested by process from Your Provincial Court for a suppos'd Trespass commited on this Land; That he was imprison'd at Annapolis several Days, & for his Release oblig'd to give Bail to abide the Judgment of the Court; That the Suit was continued against him until the Royal Order was made, by virtue of which the Provincial Court finally discharg'd him. The truth of these matters will best appear by Your Records. But on the whole were unanimously of opinion that His Majesty's Order absolutely restrain'd them from dispossessing Perie of the Land he enjoy'd at the time the Order was made. "I am sincerely sorry to hear by Captain Higginbotham that You were indispos'd, & most heartily wish You a speedy Recovery of Your Health, being with true Esteem & Regard, “Gov". OGLE.” VOL. v.—15. "Sir, Your most obedient Servant, "ANTHONY PALMER. A Petition from the Pilots using the Bay & River of Delaware was read in these words, viz: "To the Honourable ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., Presid of the Government of the Counties of New Castle, Kent, & Sussex, on Delaware, & Province of Pennsylvania, "The humble Petition of the Pilots, Inhabitants of the County of Sussex, on Delaware. "Whereas, Your Petitioners, as well pursuant to an Act of General Assembly of this Government as Your Honour's late Proclamation, are prohibited going on board any inward bound Vessel in the Bay & River Delaware, which said Act & Proclamation your Petitioners are fully convinced are justly Calculated for the safety of this Government, and therefore willing to pay all due obedience. "And whereas, The Pilots that dwell in the Government of New Jersey (from a false Representation of Your Petitioners having Lycence to Cruise for Vessels & go on board the samc as Pilots) áre not restrain'd by any Law of that Government, but, as Your Petitioners are informed, have leave to Cruize and go on board Vessels as Pilots, & daily do the same within the Bay & River aforesaid, which in its Consequence may prove prejudicial to this Government, and likewise prevent Your Petitioners acquiring a Competent Support for their Familys, for Your Honour may be assur'd that no inward bound Vessel will call at Lewes for a Pilot when any other may be had Cruizing off. "Your Petitioners therefore humbly entreat your Honour's Interest & Friendship with the Governor of the Jersey for restraining the Pilots of that Government in such manner & by such measures as may be thought most expedient, not only for the safety of this Government but that Your Petitioners may have an Equal Chance for their Livelyhood in their proper Employments; And Your Petitioners shall ever pray. "WM. FIELD, "LUKE SHIELD, "SAMUEL ROWLAND, "SIMON EDWARDS, "JOHN BAILY, "JOHN MAUL, "JOHN ADAMS." On Consideration whereof, and of the Danger that might accrue to the Province & Counties if any Pilots shou'd be permitted to abuse their Trust in so shameful manner, the following Proclamation was agreed to, & the Secretary was order'd to engross it to be siga'd by the President, & to prepare a Warrant for affixing the Great Seal to it, & to take care to have it published the next Market Day with all the usual Solemnity: "By the Honourable the President & Council of the Province of Pennsylvania. "A PROCLAMATION. "Whereas, divers Insults, Captures, & Depredations were made & committed by our Enemies the last Summer in and near the Bay & River of Delaware, several Vessels taken, Plantations plun- · der'd, and the Goods, Negroes, and effects of the Inhabitants carried off, all which was the more easily effected by means of some Pilot Boats using the Bay & River aforesaid, which the Enemy by pretending to be friends had got possession of. To the end, therefore, that no means in our Power may be wanting for the preventing the like Insults, Captures, & Depredations for the future, and for the Security as well of the Inhabitants on both sides of the Bay & River of Delaware as of the City of Philadelphia and the Trade thereof, in this time of common Danger, We have thought fit to issue this our Proclamation, strictly enjoining & commanding all Pilots whatsoever using the Bay or River of Delaware, and all other Persons taking charge of any Ship or Vessel in or near the said Bay or River, that from & after the Tenth Day of April to the Twentyfifth Day of September in every Year during the Continuance of the Present War between Great Britain & France & Spain, or either of them, they do not presume on any pretence whatsoever to go on board any inward bound Vessel until the Commander thereof or some of the Mariners or People have first come on Shore, to the end that it may the more certainly be known whether such Vessel belongs to British Subjects or not, as they shall answer the contrary at their highest peril; And for the Discovery of Delinquents duc Care will be taken & strict enquiry made of all Commanders of Ships, Mariners, & others, by the proper Officers to be appointed for that purpose. "Given at Philadelphia, under the Great Seal of the said Province, the Eleventh Day of April, in the Twenty-first Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Second, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, & Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, Annoqz Domini, 1748. & “ANTHONY PALMER, "RICHARD PETERS, Secry. "By Order of the Honourable the President & Council, "GOD SAVE THE KING." It being thought necessary that proper Measures shou'd be taken as soon as possible for procuring Intelligence in case of an Enemy's |