At a Council held at Philadelphia, 5th of May, 1747. PRESENT: The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor. Thomas Lawrence, Abraham Taylor, Benjamin Shoemaker, } Esqr's. The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv❜d. The Speaker and Assembly waited on the Governor at the time appointed, when His Honour made them the following Speech; and as soon as he had done he delivered a fair Copy to the Speaker, who withdrew with the whole House: "Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of Assembly "I am sorry for the Occasion of condoling with you on the Death of Mr. John Penn, late one of Your Proprietors. As his Humanity, Good nature, and Affibility made him much lamented by his private Acquaintance, so his constant Regard for Your Liberties and Interest would render the Loss of him very sensible to the publick, were there not still remaining two worthy Branches of the same Family. My own want of health, and from thence an Inability to Discharge the Trust committed to me with that Vigour and punctuality which the Duty of my Station requires, has at length determin'd me to embark, God willing, for England, in hopes that a relaxation from Business or the Change of Climate may afford me some Releif; And I am, therefore, glad of this Opportunity of seeing you upon your own adjournment, as that may be concluded most convenient to your private Affairs. If you have any thing immediately necessary for the Publick Service to lay before me, you will not fail of receiving a further proof of my Regard for it, but if the Execution is to be carried into a distant time, it will better become me to leave it to my Successor in the Government, as a means of recommending himself to the Goodwill of the People. "It will be to no purpose for me to give a Character of my own Administration. My Lot has fallen into difficult and tempestuous Times, and a greater variety of Business has been transacted during my Nine Years Residence here, than in any time since the Settlement of the Province. Whether any Degree of Prudence or Skill has appeared in my Conduct must be left to the judgment of others. I will only venture to say of myself, that my Intentions have been good, and my Actions incorrupt, and that the Service of his Majesty and the Honour and Reputation of the Province have always had the preference with me to my own ease or private Interest. "As I have received many Marks of the Publick Esteem, it will readily be believed that I take my leave of the Province with concern. I really de, and very heartily, wish it Prosperity. Some Memorials of my past Regard will be left with You, and I shall during my Life embrace every occasion wherein I may be useful of promoting the general Good of Pennsylvania. "GEO. THOMAS." MEMORANDUM. 7th May, 1747. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to inform him that the House had prepared an Address in Answer to his Speech, & desired to know when they might Attend him in order to Deliver it; his Honour appointed 12 o'Clock the next Day. At a Council held at Philadelphia, May 8th, 1747. PRESENT: The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Speaker, at the head of the Assembly, waited on the Governor, and in the name of the House read the following Address : An Address from the Assembly to the Governor. "To the Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, &c. : "The Humble Address of the Assembly of the said Province: "May it please the Governor: "We, the Representatives of the Freemen of the Province of Pennsylvania, return the Governor our hearty thanks for his last favourable Speech. We sincerely condole with him on the Loss the Province hath sustained by the Death of one of our Proprietors. The Benevolence, Generosity, and Public Spirit of our late worthy Proprietary, his Father, are yet fresh in our view. The Regard paid to his Memory naturally devolved on his Descendants, who being Educated in like Principles and under the influence of so good an Example, gives us reason to hope for the continuance of the like Beneficence. "As the Governor has long resided amongst us, is perfectly acquainted with our Publick Affairs, and so good Harmony subsists between the Branches of the Legislature, his continuance in the Exercise of the Government if his Health had permitted, would be most agreeable to Us. But since the Governor's Indisposition and his hopes of Relief by a Relaxation from Public Business, or Change of Climate, has determined him to imbark for England, we acquiesce under the Necessity. "We have had divers Bills under our Consideration, which when past into Laws will, we judge, be for the general Good of the Province; but as the Time for the Governor's Departure draws near, to proceed in them at this Juncture might take up more of - his Time than can well be spared, and therefore we have concluded to postpone them until some future opportunity, such only excepted (if any concur to us) as shall be thought immediately necessary for the publick Service. And we Return the Governor our grateful Acknowledgements for the Assurance he gives us, that when these are laid before him we shall not fail of receiving a further proof of his Regard. "In Transacting of Publick Affairs it is not to be expected but that there will be a variety of Sentiments, more especially in such Difficult and Tempestuous Times as the Governor is pleased to mention. Yet whilst both parts of the Legislature act with Integrity and consistently with their Judgments, such a variety must be beneficial to the Publick. No body, we think, entertains any Doubts of the Governor's Skill or Abilities, and we believe that he hath been regardful both of the King's Service and the Honour and Reputation of the Province. "The concern the Governor expresses on taking Leave of the Province His Hearty Wishes for its Prosperity, and the Declaration he is pleased to make of embracing every opportunity wherein he may be useful in promoting the general Good of Pennsylvania, as they are instances of his Regard are very acceptable to Us, and engage our best Wishes for his prosperous Voyage, the Restoration of his Health, & all manner of Happiness. "Signed by Order of the House. "3d Mon., 8th, 1747." “JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. To which the Governor was pleased to make the following Reply: "I thank You Gentlemen for this Address. You have said full as many Things of me as I could expect. Notwithstanding your private Sentiments at this Time, more might look like putting yourselves in the wrong, considering our former Disputes. I can only repeat what I said to You a few Days ago, that I very heartily wish the Prosperity & shall do every thing in my Power for the Service of Pennsylvania.' MEMORANDUM. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor & presented him with an Order on the Treasurer for £500 towards his Support, and inform'd him that the House was inclinable to adjourn to the 17th of August, To which he assented. The next Day the Speaker gave His Honour an Order on the Treasurer for £211, to enable him to Discharge the Draughts of the Officers at Albany for Blankets & other Things. At a Council held at Philadelphia the 13th May, 1747. PRESENT: The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor. Anthony Palmer, Abraham Taylor, Benjamin Shoemaker, Samuel Hasell, Robert Strettell, Esqrs. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Governor having some Days before intimated his determina-" tion to make an addition to the Council, he now inform'd the Board that since on his Departure the Administration of the Government wou'd devole on the Council, and no Business cou'd be done by the President without the attendance of four Members, & there were now but seven who acted, he had in his Letters to the Proprietaries mention'd the necessity of a new appointment; and in expectation of their Answer had deferr'd making it; but as the time of his Embarkation drew near, & the Vessells expected from London might not arrive, and it was of the utmost consequence both to the Proprietaries & the Province that this shou'd be done, he cou'd not postpone it any longer. He assured them it had given him no small concern, & he had taken all the pains he was Master of to find Gentlemen equal & willing to accept, and after long consideration he had thought of Mr. Joseph Turner, Mr. Lawrence Growden, and Mr. Thomas Hopkinson, and had taken measures previously to know their Inclinations, the two last were willing, but Mr. Turner had not yet come to a determination. He therefore named these three Gentlemen to be of the Council if they had no just objection to them. And each Member being seperately ask'd his opinion expressed his Approbation of the Governor's Choice; and the Secretary was directed to inform them of their Call to the Board, & to. take care that they shou'd be summoned to the next Council VOL. V.-5. At a Council held at Philadelphia. PRESENT: The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv❜d. Mr. Turner & Mr. Hopkinson took and subscrib'd the usual Oaths, & Mr. Growden the usual Affirmations. The Governor having by Captain Dowers received from the Council Office His Majestie's Repeal or Disallowance of the Act of Assembly Imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of Heinous Crimes, &c., The same was read and order'd to be enter'd; and it is recommended to the Council to lay it Before the Assembly at their next Meeting: "At the Court at St. James, the 17th Day of December, 1746. "PRESENT: "The King's most Excellent Majesty. "Earl of Grantham, "Lord Delaware, "Lord Monson, "Whereas, in pursuance of the Powers granted to the Proprietarys of the Province of Pennsylvania by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, the Deputy Governor, Council, and Assembly of the said Province did in February, 1742, pass an Act which hath been transmitted, and is Intitled as follows, Viz": An Act imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of heinous Crimes brought into this Province, and not warranted by the Laws of Great Britain, and to prevent poor and Impotent Persons being imported into the same.' "His Majesty this Day took the said Act into His Royal Consideration, and having received the Opinion of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, and also of a Committee of the Lords of His Majestie's most Honourable Privy Council thereupon, Is hereby pleased to Declare his Dis-allowance of the said Act, and pursuant to His Majestie's Royal Pleasure thereupon expressed, the said Act is hereby repealed, declared void and of none Effect. Whereof the Deputy Governor, Council, and Assembly of the said Province, and all others whom it may concern, are to take Notice and Govern themselves accordingly. "WILL SHARP.” |