that he might afford the most ready assistance to them when required.

The Returns of Sheriffs and Coroners for the Counties of Philadelphia, York and Cumberland, were then laid before the Board, and being duly considered, the following Persons were appointed and commissionated Sheriffs and Coroners for the Counties for which they are respectively returned, Viz':

Names of Counties. Offices. Names of Officers.

Sheriff's Sureties.

Joseph Potts.
William Coates &
Robert Shannon.

James Dill.
Michael Swoope.
John Montgomery
Robert Miller.

MEMORANDUM, the 8th of October, 1774.

The Returns of Sheriffs and Coroners for the Counties of Bedford and Northumberland being now made, The Governor was pleased to commissionate the Persons following, as Sheriffs and Coroners of their respective Counties, Viz' :

MEMORANDUM, 13th October, 1774.

The Return of Sheriffs and Coroners for Westmoreland County being now made, the Governor was pleased to commissionate the following Persons as Sheriff and Coroner of the said County, Viz':

Name of the County. Offices. Names of Officers. Sheriff's Sureties.

Westmoreland, Sheriff, John Carnaghan, Joseph Beeler,

Coroner, James Kinkead, John M'Clellan.

Council Chamber.

MEMORANDUM, 15th October, 1774.

A Committee of the Assembly waited on the Governor yesterday, and acquainted him that, pursuant to the Charter and Laws of the Province, a Quorum of the Representatives had met, and had proceeded to chuse their Speaker, and desired to know when and where the Governor would be pleased to receive the House, that he might be presented for His Honor's Approbation. The Governor having appointed this Day, at o'clock for that purpose, acquainted the House, by the Secretary, that he attended his Appointment in the Council Chamber, and was ready to recieve the House with their Speaker.

The whole House waited on the Governor, and presented Edward Biddle, Esquire, as their Speaker, who, after receiving the Governor's Approbation, claimed the usual Privileges in the name and Behalf of the House, to which the Governor replied he thought those Privileges essentially requisite in a Representative Body, and he should be careful to protect the House in the full enjoyment of them, and then the House withdrew.

At a Council held at Philadelphia on Monday 17th October, 1774.

Upon the application of John Patterson, Esquire, Deputy Col lector of His Majesty's Customs for this Port, the Governor, with the advice of the Council, issued the following Proclamation,

Viz:

"By the Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor and Comman der-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware.

"A PROCLAMATION.

"WHEREAS, an Information hath been made to me by John Patterson, Esquire, Collector of His Majesty's Customs for the Port of Philadelphia, supported by Depositions taken before one of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Philadelphia, that in the night of the twenty-second day of last month, a considerable Number of Hogsheads of Foreign Sugars, were taken from on!

board the Schooner Felicity, Allen Moore, Master, lately arrived from Hispaniola, and put into a Store in the Northern Liberties of this City, the said Sugars not having been first entered in the Custom House, nor the Duties thereof paid before they were landed, and that on the next Day, a great number of People armed with Clubs and Staves, appeared at the said Store,. and prevented the Officers of the Customs from breaking open the Doors of the same, in order to make Seizure of the said Sugars, and that afterwards, in the Evening of the same Day, the said Sugars were violently and forcibly taken from the said Store and carried away. I have therefore thought fit, with the advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, and do hereby strictly charge, enjoin, and require all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, and all civil Offcers, as well as all others His Majesty's Subjects within this Province, to use their utmost Endeavors, by all lawful Ways and Means, not only to bring to Justice all offenders in the Premises, but to discountenance and discourage all such Violent, outrageous, and illegal Proceedings for the future; and also upon all Occasions, to afford the most speedy and effectual Aid and Assistance to the Officers of His Majesty's Customs in the legal discharge of their Duty.

"Given under my Hand and the Great Seal of the said Province, at Philadelphia, the eighteenth day of October, in the fourteenth Year of His Majesty's Reign, and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-four.

'By His Honour's Command.

"JOSEPH SHIPPEN, J Secr'y.

"JOHN PENN.

"GOD SAVE THE KING."

The Board being of Opinion it would be expedient and necessary to continue in pay, for a Time longer, the Rangers employed in the Protection of the Western Frontiers of this Province, they advised the Governor to reccommend it to the Assembly to make Provision for that Purpose, and the following Message being prepared at the Table, was fairly transcribed and delivered to the House by the Secretary, Viz:

A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.

"Gentlemen:

"By the latest Intelligence from the Westward, The Earl of Dunmore was sent out on an Expedition down the Ohio against the Shawanese Indians, and it is very uncertain as yet whether the Troubles on the Frontiers may subside. I therefore find it incumbent on me to recommend to your Consideration the Propriety of keeping in pay, for a longer Time, the Rangers employed by this

Government, or taking such other Measures as you may judge on this Occasion most proper for the Public Security.

"October 17th, 1774."

"JOHN PENN.

MEMORANDUM, 19th October, 1774."

The Governor this Day received the following Message and Resolves from the Assembly in answer to His Honor's Message of the 17th Instant, Viz" :

A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.

"May it please your Honour :

"Having taken into Consideration the Matters referred to us in your Message of the 17th Instant, we are of opinion that the Rangers employed by this Government should be disbanded by the first of November next, as their Service on the Frontiers does not appear to us to be any longer Necessary.

"We have provided, agreeable to the Resolves sent herewith, for the Payment of the Arrears that may be due, and for the incidental Charges that have accrued for this Service.

"As the safety of the Province, in a great measure, depends upon having a supply of Arms ready upon any Emergency, we trust your Honor will give orders, that at the Time of disbanding the Men, the Arms with which you supplied them may be collected and deposited in some place of Security.

"Signed by Order of the House.

"E. BIDDLE, Speaker.

"October 19th, 1774."

In Assembly, October 19th, 1774.

"Resolved, That the Pay of the Rangers on the Frontier be continued 'till the first of November next, and that they be then disbanded; it not appearing to the House that their Service is any longer necessary.

"Resolved, That Mr. Hillegas, Mr. Gray, Mr. Mifflin and Mr. Humphreys, or any three of them, by and with the Consent of the Governor of this Province, for the Time being, may draw Orders on the Provincial Treasurer for any Sum not exceeding fourteen hundred and fifty pounds, to be disposed of in discharging the Arrears of Pay and Victualling the said Rangers; the said Sum to be paid out of the Monies remaining in his Hands by Virtue of an

Act passed the 28th of September last, entitled An Act for the Support of the Government of this Province and Payment of the Public Debts.

"Extract from the Journals.

"CHA MOORE, Cl'k. of Assembly."

New-Castle, October 20th., 1774.

George Read, Esquire, having resigned his Office of Attorney General of this Government, the Governor was this Day pleased to issue a Commission appointing Jacob Moore, Esquire, to that Office.

A Committee of Assembly waited on the Governor with a Message from the House, acquainting him that they had met pursuant to the Charter and Laws of the Government, and had chosen their Speaker, and desired to know when and where they should wait on him to present him. The Governor having answered that he should be ready to receive the House at Mrs. Clay's, they accordingly attended there and presented Cæsar Rodney, Esquire, as their Speaker, who, being approved by the Governor, claimed the usual Priviledges, which were allowed, and then they withdrew.

Eodem Die.

A Committee of Assembly having waited on the Governor and acquainted him the House were duly qualified, and were ready to receive any Business his Honor might have to lay before them, the Governor sent the Secretary with a written Message to them in the following words:

A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.

"Gentlemen:

"As the Jurisdiction of this Government is now extended to the Provincial Lines run and marked between these Counties and Maryland, in pursuance of Agreements between the respective Proprie. taries and of Decrees of the high Court of Chancery in England, founded on those Agreements, and as the newly acquired tract of Country is not properly within any particular County, there seems to be a Necessity of a Law for establishing divisional Lines between the Counties, from the Western termination of the late reputed Boundaries to what is called the Tangent Line. I must, therefore, recommend the Matter to your immediate Consideration. "JOHN PENN.

"New Castle, 21st October, 1774."