The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 30th, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

A letter from His Excellency the President of the United States of the twenty-sixth instant, inclosing the following acts of Congress, vizt:

An Act for allowing compensation to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, and to the officers of both Houses.

An Act for the temporary establishment of the post office.

An Act for allowing certain compensation to the Judges of the Supreme and other Courts, and to the Attorney General of the United States.

An Act for establishing the salaries of the Executive officers of government, with their assistants and clerks.

An Act to provide for the safe keeping of the acts, records and seals of the United States, and for other purposes.

An Act to suspend part of an act, entituled An Act to regulate the Collector of the duties imposed by law on the tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandizes imported into this State, and for other purposes.

An Act for allowing a compensation to the President and Vice President of the United States.

to

A resolution making it the duty of the Secretary of procure from time to time, such of the statutes of the several States as may not be in his office; and

A resolution to provide for the safe-keeping of such prisoners as may be committed under the authority of the United States, to the jails of the several States, was received and read; and thereupon, an order was taken that the said acts of Congress be transmitted to the General Assembly for their information in a letter to the Speaker, signed by the President, which was accordingly done. A letter was also written by the President, to the President of the United States, acknowledging the receipt of the said acts of Congress, and the letter which inclosed them.

On motion,

Resolved, That a dedimus potestatem be issued for the county of Delaware, and directed, to William Richardson Atlee, John Pearson and Richard Hill Morris, Esquires; of the said county. The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the following accounts, were read and approved, vizt:

Of Alexander Graydon, Esquire, Prothonotary of the county of Dauphine, for monies received by him for tavern and marriage licenses from August, 1787, to the term of August, 1789, amounting to one hundred and eighty-nine pounds seven shillings.

Of William Osburne, for teams hired to transport baggage, &ca., to Fort Preservation or Legonier, in September and October, 1777, amounting to twenty two pounds ten shillings.

Upon the petition of Thomas Campbell, who was convicted of an assault and battery at a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery, held at Chambersburgh, for the county of Franklin, on the twenty-fifth of May last, and sentenced to pay a fine of ten pounds to the use of the Commonwealth, praying remission of the said fine,

Resolved, That the said fine be and the same is hereby remitted

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, October 1st, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

for

The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt: In favor of the Honorable John Smilie and John Baird, Esquires, for the sum of forty-five pounds fifteen shillings each, their attendance in Council on the twenty-seventh of June, and from the twenty-third of August untill the second of October, 1789, and their mileage coming to Philadelphia and returning

home.

In favor of the Honorable Frederick Watt, Esquire, for fiftythree pounds seven shillings, for his attendance in Council from

the twenty-sixth of May to the twenty of June, and from the fourteenth of August to the third of October, 1789, and his mileage twice coming to Philadelphia and returning home.

In favor of the Honorable John Cannon, Esquire, for fifty-three pounds ten shillings, for his attendance in Council from the sev enth to the eleventh of February, and from the tenth of August until the second of October, 1789, and his mileage coming to Philadelphia and returning home.

A letter from Governor St. Clair, relative to a debt due to the State from him as late Vendue Master for the city of Philadelphia, and offering payment of the same by instalment, was received and read, and it was, thereupon, unanimously agreed to accept the Governor's proposals, and refer his letter to the Comptroller General to have the business compleated without delay.

Mr. Edie was appointed to attend the Board of property during the present month.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Friday, October 2nd, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire.

The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

Agreeably to the Comptroller and Register General's reports, the following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt:

In favor of John Merrick, for fifty-one pounds one shilling State money of the seventh of April. 1781, payable out of the fund appropriated by resolution of the General Assembly passed the eighth day of April, 1782, being in full for principal and interest due upon his certificate for a black mare furnished by him in the year 1780 for public use.

In favor of the Honorable William Augustus Atlee, Esquire, for one hundred and fifty pounds, being one quarter's salary due to him as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, ending the twentyfifth of last month.

In favor of General John Gibson, for three hundred and twentythree pounds nineteen shillings and ten pence; and in favor of General Richard Butler, for four hundred and eighty-three pounds VOL. XVI.-12.

six shillings and eight pence, paid out of the monies appropriated by an act of Assembly passed the twenty-eighth day of September last, being in full of their several accounts for their services and expences as Commissioners for the purchase of Indian claims to the tract of country bounding on Lake Erie, which was lately purchased by this State of the United States.

On motion,

Resolved, That in conformity to an act of General Assembly passed the twenty-eighth of September last, entituled "An Act to appropriate the sum of five thousand pounds annually for the purposes therein mentioned," Timothy Matlack, Reading Howell and William Dean, be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners to view the river Delaware; that John Sellers and John Adlum be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners to view the river Schuylkill; and that Samuel Boyd, Bartram Galbraith and Thomas Hulings, be and they are hereby appointed to view the rivers Susquehanna and Juniata, and that the said Commissioners be instructed to proceed without delay to examine the said rivers, and the various streams running into them and which are capable of being made navigable, carefully marking such places where in their opinion locks or canals are necessary, and noting all falls, obstructions, and all matters and things necessary to form estimates, to be laid before the General Assembly, of the expences of clearing and removing such obstructions to the navigations of the said rivers. And when they have compleated this business, to make report of their proceedings to Council, together with such estimate of the probable expence that may in their opinion be necessary to carry the said act into execution.

Resolved, That the said Commissioners be allowed the sum of seventeen shillings and six specie, each per day, as a compensation for their services, subsistance and horse hire, whilst they are actually engaged.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, October 3rd, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

Agreeably to a resolution of the General Assembly dated the

twenty-ninth of September last, an order was drawn upon the

Treasurer in favor of Edward Stiles, for the sum of nine hundred and sixty-seven pounds sixteen shillings and eleven pence, payable out of the fund appropriated for claims and improvements, being in full satisfaction of his claims against this Commonwealth, as stated in his petition.

Two orders were drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Joseph Perkins, the one for one hundred and nineteen pounds nineteen shillings, and the other for one hundred and fifty pounds seventeen shillings, payable out of the fund appropriated for claims and improvements, the same being granted him in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly dated the twenty-ninth of September last, in lieu of two orders of Council which he received for his services in repairing public arms belonging to the city and county of Philadelphia, but not being paid, were this day delivered up and cancelled.

A petition from William Coats, Esquire, and Joseph Potts, in behalf of themselves and Robert Shannon, stating that an action is now depending in the Supreme Court, wherein the testimony of John Clark, formerly an inhabitant of Philadelphia, but now of Charlestown, in the State of South Carolina, who was attainted of high treason against this State, is material, which if not obtained will prove very injurious to them, and praying Council to grant him a pardon, that he may be enabled to attend and give evidence in their behalf, was read, and thereupon it was

Ordered, That the said John Clark be pardoned, and a pardon under the great seal was accordingly issued.

On motion,

Resolved, That the Master of the Rolls be directed to furnish Council with three certified copies of the late act of Assembly, to appropriate the sum of five thousand pounds for improving the navigation of the rivers Delaware Schuylkill and Susquehanna, for the use of the Commissioners appointed by Council in pursuance of the said act.

Ageeeably to the minute of Council of the twenty-ninth of last month, the Escheator General (to whom were referred the letter from John Torbett, and a memorial from Doctor William M'Ilvaine and Samuel Kinsey, Administrators of the estate of Daniel Kennedy, Esquire, late of Bucks, deceased,) made a report in writing, as follows, vizt:

"I beg leave to report that in the case referred to, the informant will not be entitled to any part of the said estate if escheated, that an inquisition must be held before the property can pass into the State Treasurer as an escheat, both for the security of the State and heirs, if any should appear to claim in due time, and that as the Administrators are shortly to settle their accounts, it will be best to suspend any proceedings untill the time fixed be passed, when the ballance escheated will be more perfectly known. "JOHN NICHOLSON."

October the 1st, 1789.