And on motion, it was Resolved, To adopt the said report of the Escheater General, and to postpone the further consideration of the claim of John Torbett, in the premises. On motion, Resolved, That Mr. Robert Leslie be appointed to have the care of the State House clock, in the room and stead of Griffith Owen, who has the care of it at present. On motion, Resolved, That the Secretary have leave of absence on urgent business to Baltimore. Upon the second reading of the petition of John Griffith, Collector of State taxes in Sadsbury township, Lancaster county, praying Council to order a stay of the execution against his estate, for satisfaction of a ballance of taxes received and due from him to the Commonwealth, Resolved, That the petitioner have leave to withdraw his peti An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Frederick Schneider, for sixteen pounds two shillings and four pence, amount of his account for his wages as Door-keeper to Council for the month of September, and cash paid for repairing two locks and keys, sweeping two chimneys and washing the Council room. On motion, Resolved, That Friday next be assigned for going into the appointment of a Collector of Excise, in and for the county of Dela ware. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, October 6th, 1789. PRESENT: The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President. Resolved, That the Comptroller General be furnished with the minute of Council of the twenty seventh of November, 1787, respecting the public arms which have been delivered from time to time to the Lieutenants of the several counties in this State. Agreeably to the minute of Council of the second instant, letters of instruction were written to the Commissioners appointed to view the rivers Delaware, Schuylkill, Susquehanna and Juniata, and the various streams running into them, in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly passed the twenty-eighth of September last, as follows, vizt: In Council, Philadelphia, October 6th, 1789. GENTLEMEN:-In conformity to an act of the General Assembly of this Commonwealth, passed the twenty-eighth day of September last, entituled "An Act to appropriate the sum of five thousand pounds annually for the purposes therein mentioned." Council have appointed you to view the rivers Susquehanna and Juniata. You will without delay, proceed to examine the said rivers, and the various streams running into them, and which are capable of being made navigable, you will carefully mark such places where in your opinion locks or canals are necessary. You will note.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 navigation of the said rivers. When you have compleated this business, you will make report to the Supreme Executive Council of your procceedings, together with such estimate of the probable expence that may in your opinion be necessary to carry this law into execution. The Supreme Executive Council request you will use every exertion in your power to forward and effect this important design. An exemplified copy of the law from the Rolls office is herewith transmitted; you will be allowed seventeen shillings and six pence each per day, as a compensation for your services, subsistence and horse hire, whilst you are actually engaged. I am Gentlemen, with great respect, Your most obedient and very humble servant, GEORGE ROSS, V. P. Timothy Matlack, Reading Howell and William Dean, Commissioners for viewing the river Delaware. John Sellers and John Adlum, Commissioners for viewing the the river Schuylkill, and To Samuel Boyd, Bartram Galbraith and Thomas Huling, Commissioners appointed to view the rivers Susquehanna and Juniata, The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, October 7th, 1789. PRESENT: The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President. James Read, Samuel Edie, Amos Gregg, Nathan Dennison, Abraham Smith, Christopher Kucher, George Woods, and Esquires. Zebulon Potts, On motion, Resolved, That Friday next be assigned for going into the appointment of Lieutenant for the county of Delaware, and also a Lieutenant for the county of Mifflin. On motion, Resolved, That the Comptroller General be directed to report to Council what sums are due for pensions to the widows and children of James Henry and Richard Delap and Henry Tantlinger respectively, late of the militia of Bedford county, deceased, agreeably to the several orders of Orphans' Court, of Bedford county, on their several claims in order that warrants may issue for payment. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, October 8th, 1789. PRESENT: The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President. Samuel Edie, James Read, An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honorable Nathan Dennison, Esquire, for eighteen pounds, in full for his attendance in Council until the ninth instant, inclusive. A representation from the Commissioners appointed to view the river Delaware, requesting Council to furnish them with a number of articles, a list whereof they have sent in, and also the sum of ninety pounds, was read the second time and the further consideration thereof postponed untill to-morrow. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Friday, October 9th, 1789. PRESENT: The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President. Agreeably to the order of the day, Council proceeded to the appointment of a Collector of Excise for the county of Delaware, a Lieutenant of the same county, and also a Lieutenant of the county of Mifflin. And the ballots being taken for the several candidates for the office of Collector of Excise, it appeared that Philip Sheaff, Esquire, was duly elected to that office by a majority of votes. On motion, Luke Morris, Jun'r, Esquire, was unanimously appointed Lieutenant of the county of Delaware, and Samuel Bryson, Esquire, was unanimously appointed Lieutenant of the county of Mifflin. The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the account of John Hubley Esquire, Prothonotary of the county of Lancaster, for fees received for tavern and marriage licences, and for the tax upon writs, between the twentieth of March and sixth of October, 1789, amounting to five hundred and fifty-eight pounds seventeen shillings, was read and approved. Agreeably to the minute of the first of September last, the Secretary, Receiver General, and Surveyor General of the Land Office made a report on the memorial of Charles Stewart, in behalf of the child of Robert Wilson, deceased, in the following words, vizt: In obedience to an order of Council of the first of September instant, requiring us, on the part of this State, to consult with the other owners or proprietors of the lands in question, or their legal representatives, and, with them, to make out such division or partition of the same as shall appear just and equitable, we beg leave to report, that we have examined the deeds produced to us, and found by an inden are, quinquipartite, dated the sixteenth day of October, 1775, made between Benjamin Chew, Edward Shippen, Samuel Meredith, Joseph Shippen, and Andrew Allen, that each of them was entitled to one-fifth part of thirty-six thousand acres of land, then in the county of Northumberland, now of Luzerne, subject to one-fourth part thereof, by the said agreement, to be granted or allotted to Robert Wilson, or his assigns. That Messieurs Chew and Edward Shippen, by two distinct deeds, conveyed their respective shares to the said Samuel Meredith; that Robert Wilson conveyed three thousand acres of his share to the said Samuel Meredith; that the State is entitled to the share of Andrew Allen; that the quality being supposed to be nearly equal, we laid the several surveys of the said lands together, as nearly as might be, in quantities or tracts agreeably to their respective proportions, and divided them by lot, whereby nineteen thousand three hundred and two acres and ten perches fell to the share of Samuel Meredith, five thousand three hundred and seventy four acres to the share of Joseph Shippen, or of those who represent him, six thousand three hundred and sixty-nine acres and one eighth to the share of Robert Wilson, or of those who represent him, and five thousand eight hundred and seventy-three acres to the State, in right of Andrew Allen, the several surveys and warrants for which are as follows, vizt: |