tinuing all the present Officers in the Exercise of their respective Offices within this Province till further Consideration should be thereof had, be prepared by the Secretary, to be signed by the Governor, and published at the Courthouse of this City, and that Copies thereof be sent into each of the Counties of this Province, with directions to the several Sherif's for publishing the same in their respective Counties. At a Council held at Philadia., August 1st, 1738. PRESENT: The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governour. Samuel Preston, Ralph Assheton, Samuel Hasell, Esqrs. The Minutes of the 1st of June being read and approved, The Governor laid before the Board a Deposition of one Daniel Cheston, Master of the Sloop William, of Philadelphia, lately arrived in this Port from Bonavista, one of the Southern or Cape de Verd Islands, Setting forth sundry Impositions and Abuses he had suffered from the Governour and Inhabitants of that Island; And that he had made Reprisals on the said Governour by bringing away two of the said Governour's Negroes. With the said Deposition was laid likewise before the Board the Opinion of Mr. Kinsey, the Attorney General, which being read, and the Governour desiring the Sentiments of the Board on this Affair, They were unanimously of Opinion that the said Cheston's behaviour was highly criminal, and a Breach of the Amity Subsisting between the King of Great Britain and the King of Portugal; And that the said Cheston ought to be obliged to enter into Security in the Penal Sum of Two Hundred pounds Sterling, conditioned for the returning of the said Negroes, and for his answering to such Suit or Prosecution as within twelve Months shall be commenced against him in any of his Majestie's Courts for the Premises. And that if the said Cheston shall refuse so to, that the Governour do issue his Warrant for committing him to Custody till he shall give such Security, and the Negroes be seized for the use of the Owner, and be returned by the first convenient Opportunity. The Governour likewise informed the Board That He had appointed Mr. Thomas Lawrie Secretary and Clerk of the Council of the Province of Pennsylvania, and the three Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware, and then adjourned till further Summons. VOL. IV.-19. 1 At a Council held at Philadelphia, August 5th, 1738. PRESENT: The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esq., Lieutenant Gov ernour. Clement Plumsted, Thomas Laurence, Ralph Assheton, Samuel Hasell, Esqrs. The Minutes of the 1st of August being read and approved, The Assembly being to meet on Monday next, the Governour laid before the Board what he intended to say to them on that Occasion, which was approved of. At a Council held at Philadelphia, August 8th, 1738. PRESENT: The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov ernour. Samuel Preston, Anthony Palmer, Thomas Laurence. Ralph Assheton, Samuel Hasell, Thomas Griffits, Esquires. The Minutes of the 5th of August being read and approved, The Assembly having sent five of their Members last night to acquaint the Governour that they were met pursuant to their Adjournment, the Governour desired their attendance at Eleven of the Clock this Day, and having accordingly attended, he spoke to them as follows: "Gentlemen of the Assembly: "It is now more than Twelve Months since I was appointed to the Governments of Pennsylvania, and the three Countys of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware, and entertained a reasonable Expectation of soon taking upon me the Execution of that Charge, but notwithstanding no Objection was made Either to my Affection for His Majestie's Person and Government, or to my Character, I met with unexpected Delays from the Objections started by Lord Baltimore against your Honorable Proprietary's Right of appointing a Governour for the three Lower Countys, which, however ill-founded, subjected me to a tedious Attendance, And may have disappointed you of some necessary Laws. His Majesty, however, through his great Justice, has been pleased to disregard those Objections, and through his favour to Approve of my Appointment, as well to the Government of the three Lower Countys as to that of Pennsylvania; And I can with great Truth assure You that I have it much at heart to approve myself in some degree worthy of that Favor by such a regard for his Majesty's Service and the Happiness of this Province, as will bear some, tho' but a faint resemblance, of that Justice, Care, and Affection which his Majesty has so constantly exercised towards his Subjects in General. And I doubt not from your known Attachment to his Majesty and his Royal House, of finding a ready concurrence in every thing that may promote what is so much for my Honour and your Interest. "Although it may seem unnecessary from the long experience you have had of the Honourable Proprietary's great Affection for the Inhabitants of this Province, Yet I am Particularly enjoyned to Assure you that they earnestly desire to preserve Peace and Harmony in it, and that they shall ever receive the most sensible Satisfaction in promoting what may tend to its Prosperity. And I do this the more chearfully as I am convinc'd of the Sincerity of their Professions. "I should immediately on my arrival here have called you together, but that I was informed your private affairs required your presence in the Country in that Season of the year. And now, from the little time I have been with you, I perswade myself that it will not be expected I should enter into a particular detail of what may be proper for you to do this Session; And as most of you have been long conversant in the publick Business of the Province, it seems indeed at this time unnecessary. "I have only, therefore, to entreat you, Gentlemen, to preserve the Character you have so well deserved of a peaceable and conscientious People, by avoiding all strife and animosity, by stifling all party Disputes (if any such shall happen) in the beginning, and by maintaining that christian Liberty which has made this Province the Admiration of all its Neighbours. In me you shall always find a steady regard for your Civil and Religious Rights, as they are the only rational Foundations of Society, as well as a constant Inclination to comply with all your desires, so far as they shall be consistent with my Duty to his Majesty, the Rights of the Honorable Proprietary, and my own Character; And whatsoever shall be inconsistent with these, I am confident you will never ask.” The Governour having laid before the Board a Letter from Daniel Cheston, Master of the Sloop William, who was committed to Goal for forcibly taking off from the Island Bonavista, Two Negroes belonging to the Governour of said Island, and committing several other Acts of Violence there, representing that he could not find Security, and that his confinement must end in his ruin. The Governour proposed to this Board whether he should take his own Recognizance for answering to such Matters as shall be objected against him for the said Actions, within the Space of Twelve Months. Ordered that the Consideration of it be adjourned till the next Meeting. At a Council held at Philadelphia, August 10th, 1738. PRESENT: The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov ernour. Samuel Preston, Samuel Hasell, Esqrs. The Minutes of the 8th of August being read and Approved, The Assembly by two of their Members having desired to know when the Governour would be attended by that House. The Governour appointed four of the Clock this afternoon, when the House attended accordingly, and by their Speaker delivered the following Address: "To the Honourable George Thomas, Esqr., Lieutenant Governour of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, 'Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, "The Address of the General Assembly of the said Province, "May it please the Governour: "We, the Representatives of the Freemen of the Province of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, return the Governour Our hearty and sincere Thanks for the favourable Sentiments he is pleased to entertain of the People of this Province, And we do with the same sincerity Congratulate Him upon his safe Arrival with his Family in Pennsylvania. "As the Disappointment which the People here met with by the unreasonable Delay in the Governour's receiving the King's Approbation, gave them a very sensible concern, so this accession to the Government of this Province, and the Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, with the Royal Approbation, after all the vain and ill-grounded Objections made by the Lord Baltimore, to Thy Appointment for the said three Counties, is a great and real Satisfaction to us, And may, we hope, convince our unkind Neighbours that however successfull they may be in imposing on some among themselves with studied and groundless Reports, They will ever find it vain to depend upon Artifice or Misrepresentation, when the Controversie comes to be examined and determined by the wisdom and Justice of that excellent Prince, Our Gracious Sovereign, whose constant Care and Concern for the Happiness of His Subjects in General, and this fresh Instance of his Justice and Goodness to us in particular, in his Approbation of thy appointment to be our Lieutenaut Governor, demands our utmost Gratitude. "Our happy Constitution, secured to us by the Wisdom and Goodness of our first Proprietor and Founder of this Province, so happily continued to us under the Government of his honourable de scendants, our present Proprietors, and the Assurances we have from the Governour, of their earnest Desire to promote the Peace and Prosperity of the Province, Justly entitles them to our Affection, and zeal for their Honour and Interest. "We are obliged to the Governour for his regard to our private affairs in the Country, in not calling this House together upon his Arrival here; And tho' it may be inconvenient for some of us to be absent from our Homes at this Season of the year, yet to so much of the publick Business as seems most proper to be done at this Time, we shall, with that Peace and Unanimity (so justly recommended to us by the Governour) endeavour to give all necessary dispatch. "We receive with great Satisfaction the Governour's Professions of Regard for our Civil and Religious rights, Blessing (we acknowledge), without the Enjoyment of which no Society can, with any Propriety, said to be happy. "The deep sense we shall always retain of our own Duty, and the Kings goodness to us--our Affection to the Proprietors, and the Desire we have of approving ourselves deserving of the Governour's kind inclinations to promote the Honour and Interest of this Province, we hope will always prevent our asking any thing of the Governour which may be inconsistent either with his Duty to our Sovereign, the Rights of our Honourable Proprietors, or His own Character. "The Happiness of being under the Administration of a Gentleman of the Governour's distinguish'd Abilities and well-known Attachment to the principles of Liberty, cannot fail to secure Him the Affections of the People we represent, and an Honourable Support suitable to such a Character. "The 10th of the 6th month, 1738." At a Council held at Philadelphia, August 14th, 1738. PRESENT: The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governour. Samuel Preston, Clement Plumsted, Thomas Laurence, Ralph Assheton, Esqrs. The Minutes of the 10th August being read and approved, the Governour informed the Board that in reading the Minutes of Council he had observed that Andrew Hamilton and Tho" Graeme, Esqrs., were formerly appointed members of this Board, and that he cannot find, from the Strictest Examination of the said Minutes, that either of the said Two members have been ever duly suspended. |