Council Chamber. PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, Oct'r 31st, 1789. PRESENT: His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President. His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. Mr. Lutz, Mr. Neville and Mr. Lilly, a committee from the General Assembly attending, were introduced, and informed Council that the house was now met and ready to receive any business which Council might have to lay before them. The committee were informed that a message was preparing, and would be laid before the House this day, together with several public papers which have been received since the last adjournment of the Assembly. A draft of a message from Council to the General Assembly was laid before Council, read and approved, as follows, vizt: A Message from the President and the Supreme Executive Council to the General Assembly: GENTLEMEN:- -We herewith transmit letters from his Excellency the President of the United States, of the second and third days of October, 1789, with several acts and resolves of the Congress of the United States, which have been received since the last adjournment of the Legislature, vizt: An Act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States. An Act to regulate the process in the Courts of the United States. An Act to explain and amend an act for registering and clearing vessels, regulating the coasting trade, and for other purposes. An Act to recognize and adopt to the Constitution of the United States, the establishment of troops raised under the resolves of the United States in Congress assembled, and for other purposes therein mentioned. An Act providing for the payment of the Invalid pensioners of the United States. An Act making appropriations for the present year. An Act to allow the Baron de Glaubeck the pay of Captain in the army of the United States. An Act to alter the time for the next meeting of Congress, and a resolution for continuing John White, John Wright and Joshua Dawson in office untill the fourth day of February, 1790; also a letter from Alexander Hamilton, Esquire, Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, dated September the twenty-sixth, 1789, inclosing two resolutions of the House of Representatives of the United States, dated the twenty-first of the same month, respecting the public debts. A copy of the amendments proposed to be added to the Consti tution of the United States. Two letters from Henry Knox, Esquire, Secretary at War, of the sixth and nineteenth of October, 1789, inclosing an extract of an act of Congress, dated the twenty-ninth day of September, which authorizes the President of the United States to call into service from time to time, such parts of the militia as he may judge necessary for the protection of the inhabitants of the frontiers of the United States, from the hostile incursions of the Indians, and requesting a list of persons entitled to pensions by the laws of this State. Copies of the Journals of the first sessions of the Senate and of the House of Representatives of the United States, also accompanying this message. By several resolves of the General Assembly, in the year 1775 and 1776, and by act of the twentieth of March, 1777, four hundred thousand pounds were emitted in bills of credit, of which there remained unredeemed by the last report of the Comptroller General, two hundred and twenty-five thousand six hundred and ninety-nine pounds. The holders of such bills are intitled to receive in lieu thereof bills of credit of April, 1781, at the rate of one hundred and seventy-five for one; we are of opinion that a day should be fixed for the final redemption of those bills. By an act of Assembly of the first day of June, 1780, Council were authorized to appoint agents in the several counties of this State to purchase horses and provisions for the army of the United States, for which articles, certificates bearing an interest of six per cent, were given by the agents; of those certificates there remain unpaid to the amount of four thousand pounds in paper bills of 1781, we recommend to the General Assembly to limit the time for the exchange of all such certificates. A law should be passed to prevent the receipt of certificates of the United States in the Land office. The act of Assembly of the eighth day of April, 1785, which established the salaries of the officers of the land office, and required them to account on oath, for all fees received in their respective offices, expired on the first day of May last. That law we are of opinion should be revived. We submit to the Legislature the propriety of a revision of all laws of this State, which interfere with the acts or resolves of the Congress of the United States. The laws relative to the health office are imperfect. The introduction of infectious diseases into the State is not sufficiently guarded against, nor is the allowance to the officer adequate to the appointment. This subject we recommend to the early attention of the General Assembly. We recall the attention of the House to the claims of the widows and children of deceased officers of the Pennsylvania line, Flying Camp, State Regiments and State Navy. Orphans' Courts continue to draw orders for the payment of pensions, in conformity with the act of Assembly of the first day of March, 1780, although the funds out of which payment of pen. heretofore been made, have by subsequent acts been appropriated to other purposes. A limitation of the time for bringing suits against the sureties of Sheriffs, and of the time for exhibiting claims against the State, for supplies and personal services during the late war, we are of opinion will be of public utility. THOMAS MIFFLIN. Council Chamber, Philad'a, Novem'r 3rd, 1789. Mr. Wilson was appointed a member of the Board of Property for the present month. Agreeably to the order of the day, Council proceeded to the election of a Surveyor General of this Commonwealth, in the room of John Lukens, Esquire, deceased, and of a measurer of wheat and other grain, and of salt, in the room of John Biddle, deceased; and the ballots being taken for the candidates for the said several offices, it appeared that Daniel Brodhead was duly elected Surveyor General of the said Commonwealth, and that Benjamin Davis, Jun'r, was duly elected measurer of wheat and other grain, and of salt, in and for the said Commonwealth. A return of the general election of Sheriffs and Coroners held in the city and county of Philadelphia, was laid before Council and read, by which it appears that James Ash and William. Will, were duly elected Sheriffs, and John Leacock and Peter Jodon Coroners; whereupon, Resolved, That James Ash, Esquire, be appointed Sheriff, and John Leacock Coroner, of the said city and county of Philadelphia. A letter containing additional instructions to the commissioners appointed on the second of October last to view the obstructions to the navigation of the river Susquehanna and Juuiata, was written and agreed to, as follows, vizt: In Council, Philadelphia, November 3rd, 1789. GENTLEMEN :-Your information received by Council since the date of our letter of instructions to you, we think it proper to give you the following directions for your immediate government, which you are most strictly to observe: You are to confine yourselves to the falls and obstructions of the river Susquehanna, from Wright's Ferry up the said river to include the head of McKee's Half Falls, and from the mouth of the river Juniata up the said river, to include the head of Aughwick Falls. Council are induced to give you these additional instructions from the necessity of having your report of the probable expence of removing the several obstructions, and improving the navigation of the said rivers between those distances, to be laid before the General Assembly in their present sessions. I am, gentlemen, with great respect, Your most obedient and very humble servant, To the Commissioners appointed to view the rivers Susquehanna and Juniata. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, November 4th, 1789. PRESENT: His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.. An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Frederick Sneider, for fifteen pounds ten shillings, in full for his attendance as Door-keeper to Council for the month of October, 1789. Ephraim Douglass, Esquire, and James Paul, of the county of Fayette, were offered and accepted as sureties for Joseph Terrance's faithfull performance of his office of Sheriff of the said county, according to law. On motion, Resolved, That Friday next be assigned for going into the appointment of a President of the several courts of the county of Delaware. Upon a letter from the Commissioners of the county of Northampton, requesting Council to issue their warrant for the removal of a certain George Sinclaire, who hath been convicted of a burglary in the said county, and sentenced to a servitude of ten years at hard labour, &ca., Ordered, That a warrant under the lesser seal of the State be now issued for removing the said George Sinclaire from the jail of the county of Northampton to the jail of the city and county of Philadelphia, agreeably act of Assembly of September, 1786. A return of an election of Justices of the Peace from the district of the townships of Delaware and Upper Smithfield, in the county of Northampton, was laid before Council and read, and an order taken that the said return be transmitted to the Clerk of the Peace of said county, the same being defective for want of the tally list, the list of voters, and not being entered with the Prothonotary of the county, whose certificate is necessary to make the return compleat. VOL. XVI-14. |