lately acquitted himself in the principal & most honourable Office within this City, as well as on other Occasions, leave Us no room to doubt his Regards to our Liberties, both Civil and Religious.' And it merits our particular acknowledgments to the honourable. the Proprietors that they have been pleased to confer the Government on a Gentleman of so considerable an Estate among Us, whose 'Interest' we know it is, and whose Inclination' we believe it to be, to support the People of this Province 'in the enjoyment of all their just Rights & Privileges.' "We shall chearfully pursue the steps the Governor is pleas'd to point out to Us, of carrying on "with Candour and Moderation all Transactions between us,' & on our part endeavour not only to maintain the strict Bands of Friendship & mutual Confidence necessary for the Publick Good,' but to shew the just Regard We entertain for the Government by making an honourable Provision for its Support. "Sign'd by order of the House, "11th Mon. 4th, 1748-9." "JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. When he had done he delivered the Address into the hands of the Governor, with an Order of Assembly for £600, and the Govvernor spoke as follows: "I heartily thank you for this kind and affectionate Address. The favourable Sentiments you are pleased to entertain of me give me a particular pleasure, as by an harmony between the several parts of the Legislature We shall be the better able to recommend ourselves to His Majesty, give Satisfaction to the Proprietaries, and consult the true Interest of the People. "The Present You have in so handsome a manner now made me previous to our entering upon Business, is a mark of Confidence which I trust you will find not ill plac'd, since I think myself by this Confidence laid under the strongest obligations of exercising my best Endeavours for the Service of the Province." At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday, 23d of January, 1748. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the precceding Council were read & approv❜d. The Governor laid before the Board a Bill deliver'd to him yesterday by two Members of the House for his concurrence, Entitled "An Act for the new appointment of Trustees, &," which being read the Board proceeded to compare it with former Acts of Assembly made on the like occasion, & finding a different mode of expression from some of the former Acts, tho' exactly the same. with the last pass'd by Governor Thomas, it was consider'd whether an Amendment shou'd not be offer'd to this Clause, viz.: "Provided always, and it is hereby further enacted, that none of the Persons herein before named shall longer continue in the exercise of the said Office than the space of four Years from the time of the commencement of their trust as aforesaid, & from thence until a new Nomination & Appointment of Trustees of the said General Loan Office be made, as in and by the last-mentioned Act of Assembly is directed;" and some time being taken up in the Consideration thereof, the Council adjourn'd 'till to-morrow morning. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday, 24th January, 1748. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd. The Bill for the new appointment of Trustees was read a second time, & a good deal was said further concerning the dark & perplex'd manner of expression in the Clause which was the Subject of yesterday's Consultation; but in as much as it was agreeable to the last Act, & that the present offer of a Bill by the Assembly to renew the Act, & the passing one thereupon, wou'd strengthen the conclusion that the Trustees cou'd not act longer than four or till the next Session of Assembly immediately succeeding the expiration of that term, it was thought adviseable to pass the Bill in the manner it was presented. VOL. V.-24. years At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday, the 26th Jan 1748. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read & approv❜d. The Governor laid before the Board a Bill deliver'd to him by two Members of the House for his concurrence, Entitled "An Act for amending the Laws relating to the Partition and Distribution of Intestates Estates, & concerning the Probate of Wills;" which was read for the first time, and it appearing that it differ'd from the Laws as they now stand, as well as that there were some new Clauses whereby the Estates of the Inhabitants of the Province wou'd be greatly affected, it was agreed to postpone the consideration thereof till the Attorney General shou'd have examin'd it and made his Report thereon. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday, 31st of January, 1748. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv❜d. The Governor inform'd the Board that he had received three more Bills from the House; that one was for an addition of £20,000 to the Money now Current; but as he did not intend to take it at present into his Consideration, he wou'd not lay it before them. The other two were read, viz.: one Act to encourage the killing of Squirrels within this Province, to which two Amendments were made, & the Secretary was order'd to return the Bill with those Amendments; And then the other entitled "An Act for amending the Laws relating to the Poor, & for the better appointment of Overseers of the Poor within the City of Philadelphia," was likewise read first all at once, and then Paragraph by Paragraph, together with some observations which the Governor on perusal of it had committed to writing; & the Board unanimously thinking that the Bill wanted much Amendment, tho' there were some good things in it, they proceeded to make the amendments; but finding as they went on that the exceptions to the Bill were more numerous than might consist with this method, they were Laid aside, & the Governor was advis'd to set forth His Sentiments of the Bill in a Message to the House. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday 1st February, 1748. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd. The Governor having prepared a Message agreeable to the Sentiments of the Council yesterday, relating to the Poor Bill, the same was read and approv'd & order'd to be deliver'd. "Gentlemen: "I have consider'd with the greatest Attention the Bill entitled 'An Act for amending the Laws relating to the Poor, & for the better appointment of Overseers of the Poor within the City of Philadelphia,' & perceive it contains many new & wise Provisions, tending to the Utility of the Inhabitants of this City & Province, yet as the greatest part of the Bill consists of Clauses revoking Powers given by several former Acts, & establishing New in their Places without assigning any Cause for the alteration, I cannot pass it as it stands. "It would have been very agreeable to me could I have sent you down the Bill under Amendments, but as a small Trial convinc'd me the parts, in my opinion necessary were so inseparably wove into the repealing Clauses that the Attempt must end in obscurity & a fruitless wasting your Time. "I wish any method cou'd be fallen upon to preserve the new & truly valuable Provisions in the Bill. To them you may always be assur'd of my hearty concurrence. "February 1st, 1748," "JAMES HAMILTON. While the Council was sitting A Bill entitled "An Act for regulating Horse Jockeys" was delivered to the Governor by two Members, with a Message from the House that the greatest part of the Business before them was gone thro', & that the greater dispatch he gave the Bills under his Consideration the more he wou'd oblige the House; to which the Governor was pleas'd to make answer that he wou'd give the several Bills before him all the dispatch possible. The Governor having conferr'd with the Attorney General on the Bill for Amendment of the Laws relating to Intestates Estates, & Communicated to the Board his opinion on the several parts of the Bill, was read a second time, Paragraph by Paragraph, & several Amendments propos'd & settled, & the Secretary was order'd to transcribe them fair & deliver the Bill to the House with the Amendments. The Horse Jockey Bill was read and agreed to & order'd to be return'd with a Message that the Governor was ready to pass it when it shou'd be presented to him for that purpose. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday 4th Feb'ry., 1748. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov ernor. Thomas Lawrence,. Abraham Taylor, Lawrence Growden, William Till, Esqrs. The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd. The Governor inform'd the Board that the House had signified to him by two of their Members their Agreement to the Amendments propos'd to the Squirrel Bill, that they had return'd the Poor Act & likewise the Act about Intestates Estates, with a written Message on each Bill, which were read and are as follows: "May it please the Governor "It gives us some pleasure to find the Governor express himself so much in favour of some parts of the Bill entituled 'An Act for amending the Laws relating to the Poor, &c.,' And we wish, as in his opinion, it contains many new Provisions tending to the Utility of the Inhabitants of this City & Province,' the whole had been such as that we might have obtain'd his Assent to.it. "We observe from the Message the Governor was pleas'd to send us in relation to this Bill, that although as it now stands he cannot pass it, yet he is desirous some Method may be fallen upon to preserve the new and truly valuable Provisions in the Bill, and in this we heartily concur with him. The best expedient we know of to answer this good purpose is, to entreat the Governor he will be pleased to reconsider the Bill & point out such parts of it as he disÎikes, to the end we may be able to judge whether, consistently with |