appearing in the Bay and River Delaware, to the end the Military preparations now made in this Government may be used to the best advantage, Mr. Taylor & Mr. Hopkinson are appointed to consider of the best Method of making Alarms in order to be laid before the Board for their Consideration.

At a Council held at Philada. 9th May, 1748.

PRESENT:

The Honourable ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President,

.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv❜d.

The Assembly being to meet on the 16th, Mr. Till, Mr. Taylor, & Mr. Hopkinson are appointed a Committee to consider their last Messages, & from thence & the Business transacted since at this Board, to prepare a Message to be sent to the House at their Meeting.

Certain advice being brought by several Vessels from the West Indies, that His Majesty's Fleet under the Command of Admiral Knowles had taken Port Louis, dismantled the Fort, & carried the Cannon to Jamaica, the President was desir'd to request of Gover nor Trelawney the Loan of some Cannon for the use of His Majestie's Subjects in this Province.

The Presid having receiv'd a Letter from P. Hopson, Esq Command-in-Chief at Cape Breton, dated at Louisbourg 18th April last, in answer to his of 5th March last, the same was read.

At a Council held at Philada. 14th May, 1748.

PRESENT:

The Honourable ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
A Letter from the Proprietor by the Post was read:

“Gentlemen:

"LONDON, October 29th, 1748.

"Since I wrote You jointly with my Brother, I have waited on the Duke of Bedford, & acquainted him of the insolent behaviour of

the Enemy's Privateers, desiring we might have a Ship station'd in our Bay, as the only means of preventing such attacks for the future; the Duke received my application as I cou'd wish, saw the necessity there was to grant my Request, and promis'd me his assistance at the Board when I shou'd present a memorial, which I did this Day, & their Lordships assur'd me that soon after Christmass they would order a Ship for this Service, which would be there as soon as the Season of the Year permitted, for that the Winter wou'd come so soon upon us as to render it unsafe for a Ship now sent to come upon your Coast.

"You may be assur'd I will watch this Business with great attention, & not suffer their Lordships to forget it, as I think it necessary for Your Security. This I write at random, but was willing to give You the earliest Notice, as it may make the People more easy. “I am, GentTM Your very affectionate Friend, "THO. PENN.

"The Presid' & Council of Pennsylvania."

The Committee appointed to prepare a Message to the Assembly delivered in their Draught, which was read, & the Consideration thereof postpon'd to the next Council, that the Sentiments of the whole Board might be taken thereon.

The Indian deliver'd a Letter from Mr. Weiser, setting forth that James Denny had taken from him Horses & Skins to a considerable value, & that if some satisfaction was not made to the Indian by the Publick, it might be of mischevious con

sequence.

The Board having examin'd into the Circumstances of this Affair, agreed to lay his Case before the Assembly, & to recommend it to them to make him satisfaction.

At a Council held at Philada., May 17th, 1748.

PRESENT:

The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv❜d.

The following Message to the Assembly being settled & agreed to, the same was order'd to be transcrib'd fair & deliver'd by the Secretary to the House at their Meeting in the Afternoon.

A Message from the President & Council to the Assembly. "Gentlemen:

"Since You were pleas'd in Your Message of the 9th January last to express Your approbation as well of the Present then made to the Indians as of the engagement enter'd into at the Treaty of sending our Interpreter with a larger Supply in the Spring, We accordingly provided a suitable quantity of Indian Goods for that purpose; but observing the Indians address'd themselves to the English in general, & considering that the Burthen of so large a Present as wou'd be necessary to preserve their Friendship, ought not to be born by this Government only, We dispatched Letters to the Governors of Virginia & Maryland, acquainting them with the late Treaty, representing the Importance of the Friendship of those Indians to their Governments as well as ours, and intreating them to recommend it to their respective Assemblies to act in Concert with us on this occasion. As the Resolutions of those Governments cannot be known til the Meeting of their Assemblies, when this affair will be laid before them, and we have receiv'd advice that the Six Nations intend to send some of their Chiefs early this Summer to transact some business of Consequence with Us, on which occasion our Interpreter's presence will be absolutely necessary, We have come to a resolution to defer sending him with the Goods to the Ohio Indians for the present, & have dispatch'd a Messenger to acquaint them with the reasons of this delay, & to assure them that our Interpreter will set out with the Goods as soon as the Business with the Six Nations is compleated. The Letters which have pass'd between Us & the Southren Governments, together with the Instructions intended to be given to the Interpreter for his Conduct in treating with the Indians on his arrival at Ohio, we have ordered our Secretary to lay before you, as also an account of the Goods we have purchased for the intended Present, amounting to about £1,000, which with the Charge of Carriage and the necessary Expences of the Interpreter & his Company, You will provide for, so that the Merchants may be paid as soon as possible, the Goods having been purchased at ready Money

Prices.

"We have long under Consideration the mischevious Practice of carrying Rum among the Indians, & have issued a Proclamation, drawn in as strong Terms as the nature of the Case would admit, to prevent it; but as the Laws provided in those Cases are very defective, we cannot expect the abuses & Iregularities committed by those who pass under the Name of Indian Traders will be prevented until those Laws be amended. We, therefore, earnestly recommend it to Your House to take the State of the Indian Trade into Consideration, and to prepare a Bill for limiting the number of Indian Traders, and the putting them under proper Regulations, so that it may be passed into a Law on the Governor's arrival.

"Great Inconveniences having arisen by the Imprudence of Pilots going on board Vessels at the Capes before they knew whether they were Friends or Enemies; proper care has been taken to prevent those of this Government & the Lower Counties from entering on board any Ships or Vessels without Lycence from the Majistrates, and this Board was in hopes the Government of the Jerseys would have Laid their Pilots under the like Restrictions; but since that has not been done, we have caused a Proclamation to issue prohibiting Pilots from going on board any inward Bound Vessel until the Commander or some of the Mariners have first come on Shore, & it be known whether such Vessel belong to British Subjects.

"This Province, which very lately was in a defenceless State is now, thro' the zeal & activity of some who have the Love of their Country sincerely at heart, render'd capable, with the blessing of God, of defending itselfe against the Designs of our Enemies, many Thousands of the Inhabitants having voluntarily enter'd into the most Solemn Engagements for that purpose, in consequence whereofArms have been provided, & every one appears assidious in qualifying himself for the defence of his Country. We see with the greatest Satisfaction such Order & Regularity observ'd among them, and such a progress made in so Short a time in Military Skill as far exceeds our expectations. They have, likewise, at a considerable expence erected Batterys on the River, so situated & of such strength & weight of Metal as to render it very dangerous for an Enemy to attempt the bringing any Ships before the City. Designs so commendable, & at the same time so necessary, could not fail of the approbation & Encouragement of this Board. We have, therefore, granted Commissions to such General & other Officers as have from time to time been presented to us for that purpose by the Associators. Since these Measures tend so manifestly, under God, to the Security of this Province, the preservation of its Metropolis, & the protection of the Aged & Helpless from the Calamities which would attend an Invasion, We think they justly deserve the Encouragement & Assistance of Your House.

"In December last the Common Council & Merchants of this City taking into Consideration the many losses that had been sustain'd & the melancholy State to which our Trade was lik'd to be reduc'd, have in seperate Petitions address'd the Lords of the Admiralty for a Man of War, at the same time desiring the Proprietaries to give them their utmost assistance; to which we have not only added Representations & Addresses from this Board, but have likewise applied to almost all the Governors & Commanders in America from whom there was any probability of being furnished with Cannon or Ships of War. We are glad to say these Applications have not been altogether unsuccessful. Gratitude calls upon Us to acknowledge We are under to the Government of New York for a supply of Battering Cannon, and to our worthy Proprietaries,

from whose Interest & earnest Sollicitations at the Admiralty Board We have good reason to expect that a Man-of-War is order'd for the Security of our Trade; hereby the sinking Spirits of the Merchants & Tradesmen will be revived, the produce of our Country be exported at less Risque & the price of it thereby kept up, to the Encouragement of the Farmers.

"The French & Spanish Prisoners now in town will require some Provision to be made for them during their stay here, which We shall endeavour to make as short as possible.

"May 17th, 1748."

"ANTHONY PALMER.

The

A Message from the Assembly by two of their Members, that the House met last Night according to adjournment, & desir'd to know if the Council had any Business to lay before them. President said there were divers Matters under the Consideration of the Council, which wou'd be communicated to them by a Message in the Afternoon.

The Secretary was order'd to lay Mr. Weiser's Letter, relating to the Complaint of the Indian before the House, and

to recommend it to them to make him Satisfaction.

One of the Members saying that the Richa, Captain Burke, would sail to-Day for London, the Board thought there wou'd not be sufficient time to draw up a proper State of the Business done by them to be sent to the Proprietaries by this Conveyance for this reason, & as it was not known what the Assembly wou'd do in the several matters before them, it was agreed not to write by this Conveyance, but to direct the Secretary to make their Complement & to acknowledge the Receipt of their favours to them, which wou'd be fully answer'd as soon as the Assembly shou'd come to Determine as to the present Business laid before them.

A Letter from Governor Trelawny was read, desiring the Countenance of this Board for Lieut. Wiseheart, sent to recruit in North America for the Jamaica Regiment; whereupon Leave was given him to beat up for Voluntiers in any part of this Province.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, the 20th May, 1748.

PRESENT:

The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv❜d.