"Sir: "PHILADELPHIA, March 16th, 1775. "I make no doubt you have been informed, since your return from England, that in the Month of September last I issued a Proclamation for extending the Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania and the Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, up to the Boundary Lines run and marked by the Commissioners appointed to that Service, and that I afterwards revoked that Proclamation by a subsequent one of the second of November, in Consequence of His Majesty's Orders, signified to me by the Secretary of State, that I should desist from issuing any Orders for extending the Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania beyond those Places where it had been usually exercised, until His Majesty's further Pleasure should be known therein. I am now to inform you that I have received a Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth, by the last Packet, advising me, that His Majesty, on further Consideration, is graciously pleased to approve the Arrangement made by my Proclamation of the fifteenth of September, and to permit me to recall that of the second of November;' and I propose immediately to issue a new Proclamation, to make known His Majesty's Pleasure in this Matter, and to enforce that of the fifteenth of September. "I am, with great Respect, Your Excellency's most Obedient and most humble Servant, " "JOHN PENN. "To His Excellency ROBERT EDEN, Esq Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Maryland, Annapolis." MEMORANDUM, March 17th, 1775. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor with a verbal Message from the House, desiring his Honor would inform them at what time he would meet the House, in order to enact into Laws the Bills to which he had given his Assent; to which the Governor replied, he would be in the Council Chamber to-morrow at } past eleven o'Clock, for that purpose. Council Chamber, 18th March, past 11 o'Clock, A. M. The Governor being in the Council Chamber, sent a Message to the Assembly by the Secretary, to acquaint them that he required their Attendance there, in order to enact into Laws the several Bills to which he had given his Assent. The whole House immediately attended, and presented to the Governor the following Bills, which his Honor enacted into Laws, and Signed a Warrant for affixing the Great Seal to them. The Laws were afterwards Sealed and deposited in the Rolls Office, and are entituled as follow, Viz": "A supplement to the Act entituled 'An Act for erecting a new Gaol, Workhouse, and House of Correction in the City of Philadelphia.' "A Supplement to the Act entituled 'An Act appointing Wardens for the Port of Philadelphia, and for other Purposes therein mentioned."" "An Act to regulate the Assize of Bread, and for other Purposes therein mentioned." "A Supplement to an Act entitled 'An Act for acknowledging and recording of Deeds.'" "An Act for the relief of William Goddard and Septimus Levering, languishing Prisoners in the Gaol of Philadelphia, with respect to the Imprisonment of their Persons." "An Act to enable the Trustees therein mentioned to sell and dispose of a certain Tract of Land, and to apply the Monies arising therefrom to the use of the low Dutch reformed Congregation, or a religious Society of Christians, called Dutch Presbyterians." New Castle, Tuesday 21st March, 1775. The Governor having been prevented by his attendance on the Assembly of Pennsylvania last Week, from Meeting the Assembly of the Counties on Delaware, on the 13th Instant, the day on which they met pursuant to adjournment, His Honor arrived here this Day, in order to attend the public Business of this Government. Thursday, March 23d, 1775. The Governor sent to the Assembly by the Secretary a written Message, which follows in these Words, Viz": A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. "Gentlemen: "At your last Session, in October, I informed You that the Jurisdiction of this Government had been extended to the Boundary Lines run and marked by Commissioners appointed by the Proprietors of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and recommended it to you to establish such Divisional Lines in the Counties as the Settlement of the New Boundary might require. But soon after your last adjournment I was obliged by His Majesty's Commands, signified to me by a letter from the Secretary of State, by my Proclamation, dated the 21st of November, to supersede that which I had issued on the 15th of September, for the above Purpose of extending the Jurisdiction, until his Majesty's Pleasure should be further known therein. I have now, Gentlemen, the Satisfaction to acquaint you that I have lately been advised by the Right Honorable the Earl of Dartmouth, that His Majesty, on further Consideration of the Matter, is graciously pleased to approve of the Arrangement made by my Proclamation of the 15th of September, and to permit me to recall that of the 2d of November; so you are now at full Liberty to resume the Business I recommend to you at your last Session. "JOHN PENN. "New Castle, 23d March, 1775." Wednesday, 29th March, 1775. The Assembly having, since the Governor's attendance at this place, sent up to him ten Bills, which they had prepared during their present sitting, they were severally read, and duly considered, and a few Amendments being made to two of them, to which the Assembly having for the most part acceded, they were all at different Times returned to the House by the Secretary, with Messages that the Governor agreed to pass them into Laws whenever they should be presented to him for that purpose, except the Bill entituled "An Act to prohibit the Importation of Slaves into this Government," which the Governor returned to the House, with a Verbal Message that he could not agree to pass it into a Law. The said Bills are entituled as follows, Viz: "An Act for easing scrupulous Consciences into the Mode of taking an Oath." "A Supplement to an Act entituled 'An Act for erecting a Bridge and Causeway over Lewes Creek, from the Town of Lewes to the Cape side of the said Creek, in the County of Sussex." "An Act for the Relief of the Poor." "An Act for extending an act entituled 'An Act to prevent Swine running at large without Rings and Yokes, in certain Parts of New Castle County, within this Government, to Pencader Hundred, in the County aforesaid."" "An Act for supplying a Defect in the Title of John Southers to a certain Tract of Land in Christiana Hundred, in the County of New Castle, upon Delaware." "An Act for the Relief of Moses Montgomery, a Prisoner in the Gaol of New Castle County." "An Act to enable the Owners and Possessors of a certain Tract of Meadow Marsh and Cripple, at the North end of the Town of New Castle, to keep the Banks, Dams, and Sluices in Repair, and to raise a Fund to defray the Expence thereof." "A Supplement to an Act entituled An Act for improving the Meadows, &c, on Tom's Creek, in the Hundred and County of New Castle.'"' "An Act for vesting the Court House and public offices, with the Lots of Ground whereon the same are erected, together with another Lot adjoining the same on the North Side thereof, situate in the Town of Dover, in the County of Kent, in Trustees, for the Uses therein mentioned." "An Act to prohibit the Importation of Slaves into this Government." A Committee of Assembly waited on the Governor with a Message, desiring to know when and where he would be pleased to receive the House, in order to pass the Bills to which he had given his assent. To which the Governor replied that he should be ready to receive the House for that purpose at his Lodgings immediately. The Speaker and the whole House attended accordingly, and presented the first nine Bills above mentioned, which the Governor enacted into Laws, signed a Warrant for affixing the Great Seal to them, and directed the Secretary to accompany two Members of the Assembly to see them sealed and deposited in the Rolls Office. Before the House withdrew the Speaker presented to the Governor an Order on the Trustees of the Loan Office for New Castle County for £150, for which His Honor returned the House his Thanks. At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Saturday 8th April, 1775. PRESENT: The Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor. Benjamin Chew, James Tilghman, Esquires. Pursuant to an Order of Council, on the 13th day of March last, a Draught of a Proclamation for recalling that issued on the second of November, and confirming the Proclamation of the 15th of September last, agreeable to His Majesty's permission, signified to the Governor by the Earl of Dartmouth, was laid before the Board, and being duly considered, was agreed to, and the Governor, by the Advice of the Board, issued the same this Day, in the following Words, Viz": "By the Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware. "A PROCLAMATION. "WHEREAS, by my Proclamation, bearing date the fifteenth day of September last, I did enjoin and require all Persons residing to the Northward and Eastward of the Lines and Boundaries theretofore run, and marked as Boundaries and Division Lines between the Province of Maryland and the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, on Dela ware, by Commissioners for that purpose appointed and authorized, in pursuance of two Articles of Agreement made between the Proprietors of the Province of Maryland and the Proprietors of the Province of Pennsylvania, and the Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, and also in pursuance of two several Decrees of the Lord High Chancellor of England, for the Specific performance of the said Articles, to yield Obedience to the respective Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties aforesaid on Delaware; And I did further, by my said Proclamation, require all Magistrates, Sheriffs, and other Officers of Justice, appointed, or to be appointed, in the said Province and Counties, to put in Execution the respective Laws thereof, against all Offenders within the Lines and Limits aforesaid, as by my said Proclamation may more at large appear; And Whereas, by my other Proclamation, bearing date the second day of November last past, I did, in Obedience to His Majesty's Commands, signified to me by a Letter from the Right Honorable the Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, enjoin all Magistrates, Sheriffs, and other Officers of Justice, to desist from exercising the Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, or the Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, beyond those Places where it had been theretofore usually exercised, until His Majesty's further Pleasure should be known in the Premises, any thing in my former Proclamation to the contrary notwithstanding; And Whereas, I am now informed by a Letter from the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth, dated the seventh day of January last, that His Majesty, on further Consideration, hath been graciously pleased to approve of the Arrangement made by my said Proclamation of the fifteenth of September last, and to permit me to recall that of the second of November last,' I have, therefore, thought proper, by the Advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, to make known the Premises to all whom it may concern, hereby, in pursuance of His Majesty's Pleasure and permission, revoking my said Proclamation of the second of November last, and requiring all officers, and others, within the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, to yield Obedience to, and in all things observe the Orders and Injunctions in my said Proclamation of the fifteenth of September last contained, as they will answer the contrary at their Peril. "Given under my Hand and the Great Seal of the Province of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, the eighth day of April, in the Year of our Lord one thousand and seven hundred and seventyfive, and in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth. "JOHN PENN. "By his Honor's Command, "JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun'" Secretary. 66 'GOD SAVE THE KING." |