The Governor laid before the Board a Letter he had received on Saturday evening by Express from Governor Shirley, dated at Boston the Eighteenth Instant, and another from Commodore Warren, dated before Louisburg the -, in both which there is an Account of the State of the Forces there & a request that he would use his good Offices with the other two Branches of the Legislature to send a number of Men & Provisions to their Assistance, and his Honour inform'd the Council that in order to gain all the time possible he had imediately on Receipt of these Letters issued Writts to call the Assembly to meet on Monday the 3d June, & had dispatch'd them to the respective Sheriffs. The Board resum'd the Consideration of the new Commissions of the Peace, & agreed to the following List of Magistrates For the County of Philadelphia, Viz: Thomas Laurence, Samuel Hasell, Ralph Assheton, Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia for the time being, the Recorder of the City of Philad for the time being, William Allen, Richard Harrison, George Boon, George Fitzwater, Jonathan Robinson, Owen Evan, Benjamin Shoemaker, Joshua Maddox, Septimus Robinson, Griffith Lewellin, Derrick Kyser, Edward Shippin, Joseph Turner, Charles Willing, Thomas Venables, Nicholas Ashton, Thomas Fletcher, Samuel Morris of White Marsh, Thomas York, James Deleplain, Francis Parvin, John Potts, & Anthony Lee, Esquires. And the Secretary was ordered to prepare a Commission with their Names in it in the order they are here Placed. MEMORANDUM. On the 3d June. Four Members of the Assembly waited on the Governor to inform him the House was met pursuant to his Summons, and ready to receive any matter he might have to lay before them. The Governor said he wou'd send a Message to the House in the morning, together with some Letters he had received from Governor Shirley & Commodore Warren, & desir'd the Members would meet pretty early. MEMORANDUM. On 6th June. Two Members of Assembly inform'd the Governor from the House that they were inclin'd to adjourn to the time of their former adjournment, To which his Honour made no objection. At a Council held at Philadelphia the 4th July, 1745. PRESENT: The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor. Robert Strettell, Esqrs. Samuel Hasell, Abraham Taylor, The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd. The Governor laid before the Board his last Message to the Assembly, together with their Answer, which are as follows: A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. "Gentlemen: "The Secretary is order'd to lay before You two Letters I received on the 25th of the last Month from Governor Shirley and Commodore Warren by an Express from Boston. The Importance of these Dispatches laid me under an indispensible Obligation to call you together again before the time to which you stood adjourned, and now you are met I cannot doubt but your Resolutions will be such as may be for the Advancement of His Majesty's Service and the common Interest of the Northern Colonies. The Expedition against Louisbourgh you will observe is carried on with his Majesty's Approbation, is supported by Seven of his Ships of War, and has been hitherto attended with such Success as renders it highly probable that the King's Forces will become Masters of the Place if they shall be reinforced in time by the rest of the Colonies. "As the Measures to be taken by the Government of New England will in some degree depend upon your Resolutions, I hope you will enable me to transmit them by the next Post. "June 4th, 1745.” "GEO. THOMAS. A Message from the Assembly to the Governor. "May it please the Governor : "We have maturely consider'd the Governor's Message of the 4th Instant, together with the Contents of the Letters which the Secretary was order'd to lay before Us, And our Result is, that as the Enterprize against Cape Breton is a private Undertaking of the Government of New England, in which they did not think fit to consult the Neighbouring Colonies, and wherein, if the Design succeeds, they themselves will receive the principal Benefit, and therefore they have no right to involve us in the Expence. "That the Expedition is since carried on 'with His Majesty's Approbation,' we do not doubt, but how far it was intended this Government should be burdened with the Expence arising from it, will best appear when the Letter from the Duke of Newcastle to the Gov" mentioned by Commodore Warren, shall be received, until then we hope we shall be excused from coming to any further Reso lutions in an Affair which for other Reasons than we have mentioned the Governor must be sensible affords us much Difficulty. "His Honour likewise laid before the Board a Letter from Governor Shirley, dated the 24th June, desiring the Governor to lay an Embargo upon all the Powder in this Port and to secure it for some time for the Service of the present Expedition against Cape Breton, and Capt Hill, the Keeper of the Powder House, having been Summon'd to attend the Council, was commanded to report the quantity of Powder in his Custody, and not to deliver out any till the Governor's further Order, and the Secretary received his Honour's directions to prepare a Writ for an Embargo to be served on Captain Hill, which was accordingly done, and is as follows: "To Captain William Hill, Keeper of the Powder House. "Whereas, his Excellency William Shirley, Esq Governor and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Colony of the Massachusets Bay, has, by his Letter bearing date at Boston the 24th June last, signified to me that the Siege of Louisbourg had quite exhausted all their Magazines, and desires that as it might be uncertain what further demand of Powder there might be for His Majestie's Service at that Place, I wou'd lay an Embargo on all the Powder here & secure it for some time for the Service of the present Expedition against Cape Breton. "I have therefore thought fit by and with the advice of the Council to lay such Embargo, and you are hereby ordered and commanded not to deliver any Powder nor suffer any to be delivered out of the Powder House to any Person whatsoever within the space of ten days, or till my further Order. Hereof fail not at your Peril. "Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at PhiladTM this fifth day of July, 1745. "GEO. THOMAS."" At a Council held at Philada., July 11th, 1745. PRESENT: The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor. The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd. The Governor laid before the Board a Letter which he had received by Express from Governor Shirley, dated at Boston the 3d Instant, giving the News of the Reduction and Surrender of Louisbourg to the obedience of His Majesty, and desiring the assistance of this Colony for furnishing Men, Amunition, & Provisions for garrisoning and defending the place till His Majesty should order Troops from Great Britain, or otherwise signify his Pleasure in this affair; and Writts having been prepared for calling the Assembly to meet on the 22d, the same were approv'd and the Secretary order'd to dispatch them to the Sheriff's of the respective Counties. At a Council held at Philadelphia the 22d July, 1745. PRESENT: The Honoble GEORGE THOMAS, Esq., Lieutenant Gov ernor. Samuel Hasell, Abraham Taylor, Esqrs. The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd. The Governor laid before the Council a Letter which he had received by Express from Commodore Warren, dated from on board the Superb, in Louisbourg Harbour, the 29th June, informing that they were in quiet possession of the Town and Garrison of Louisbourg and the Territories thereunto belonging, And applying for this Province's Quota of Men arm'd and victuall'd for at least seven or eight Months, to remain there for the Support of the Garrison till His Majestie's Pleasure should be known; till when Commodore Warren proposed to continue there. And likewise desiring the Governor to Advertise all His Majestie's Subjects that are willing to come to that port to trade with the Garrison and Inhabitants, that they shou'd have free liberty without any Duty or Imposition whatsoever, and that none of them shou'd be molested or impressed into His Majesty's Ships or Service, and likewise inclosing a Copy of the Signification of His Majesty's Pleasure by his Grace the Duke of Newcastle to the several Governors of the British Colonies in North America, which were read by the Secretary, and then the Governor laid before the Board the Draught of a Message his Honor had prepar'd to send to the Assembly on the Subject of these Dispatches, which was approv'd, and is as follows: A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. "Gentlemen: "My duty to his Majesty, my Regard for the Interests of the Colonies, and my concern for the Reputation of Pennsylvania, have all conspired to my calling You together at this time; and I do assure myself that you will joyfully embrace the opportunity of giving a publick and substantial proof of the like Zeal for the King's Service and the common good of your fellow Subject. As it has pleased the Almighty to Grant a Blessing on His Majesty's Arms, and after an uncommon Course of Events to Crown the glorious Enterprize of the Government of New England with Success, I conclude that Arguments to induce you to do your parts for preserv ing a Conquest of such Importance are altogether unnecessary; and that on this pressing Occasion your Resolutions will be so speedy, as well as effectual, that I may be enabled to give a satisfactory Answer by the next Post to the Letter which I had the Pleasure to receive by Express from Governor Shirley, and which I have now order'd to be laid before you, together with one since come to hand from Commodore Warren, enclosing a Copy of the Signification of His Majesty's Pleasure, by his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, to the several Governors of the British Colonies in North America. "GEO. THOMAS. "July 23d, 1745." A Copy of His Majesty's Order signified by the Duke of Newcastle to the respective Governors of the Colonies in North America: "Sir: "Whitehall, Jan" 3, 1744-5. "His Majesty having thought it necessary for the Security of the Colonies of North America, and particularly of the Province of Nova Scotia (which has been already invaded by the French, & upon which there is great Reason to apprehend that they will early in the Spring renew their Attempts by the attack of Annapolis Royal), to employ such a strength of Ships of War in those Seas under the Command of Commodore Warren as may be sufficient to protect the said Province and the other neighboring Colonies in North America, and the Trade and Fishery of His Majesty's Subjects in those Parts; and may also, as occasion may offer, attack and distress the Enemy in their Settlements, and annoy their Fishery and Commerce, I have His Majesty's Commands to signifie to you his Pleasurse that if Mr. Warren shou'd apply to you for assistance, either of Men, Provisions, or Shipping, to enable him to proceed either to the Relief and Succor of Annapolis Royal, or of any other of his Majes ty's Forts and Settlements, or for making any attempts upon the Enemy, you should in all such cases be aiding and ass'ting to him in the most effectual manner, and according, as upon Consultation together, shall be judged proper for carrying on His Majesty's Service; and you will be ready to concert and advise with Mr. Warren upon all occasions that may arise which shall have relation to the Services on which he is employ'd; and particularly you will procure and communicate to him the best Intelligence you shall be able to obtain of the State and Condition of the Enemy's Settlements and of the Ships in their Harbours, that he may be enabled to judge whether it may be practicable and advisable to make an Attempt upon any of their Ports. "HOLLIS NEWCASTLE." |