Mr. Lewis, a member from the House of Assembly, attending, was admitted and returned to the Chair the foregoing answer, concurred in by the House of Assembly, and the following appointment of that House, viz : "IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, "SATURDAY, P. M., May 9th, 1778. "Read and concurred in; and Messrs. Patterson, Bryan, and Craghead are appointed, on the part of this House, conferees "for the purposes aforesaid, with directions to proceed in the "business assigned them as soon as may be." The same member also delivered to the Chair certain resolutions of the House of Assembly empowering the President to borrow five thousand pounds, on the credit of the State, and apply the same in discharge of the accounts due to the Militia heretofore called out; also a resolution of the House of Assembly directing the Speaker to write to the signers of the last emission of paper currency, &c.; also the resolutions of that House for the appointment of committees to adjust the Loan Office accounts; and also the resolutions of that House for the appointment of John Dickinson, Esquire, to be one of the committee for stating an account of expenditures, &c. On motion, by order, the several foregoing resolutions were respectively read the first time. On motion, by order, the resolution of Congress, recommending the passing of a law offering pardon to such of the inhabitants as have levied war against any of the States, &c., was read a second time and referred to Messrs. Clowes, Vandyke, and Bassett, to prepare and bring in a bill for that purpose. Adjourned till Monday morning, 10 o'clock. The Council met. MONDAY, May 11th, 1778. Present all the members, except Messrs. Clowes, Conwell, and Jones. The committee appointed to confer with the committee of the House of Assembly on the subject matter of the amendments to the Militia bill, now delivered their report at the table, which was read and agreed to, and thereupon the following message, founded on the said report, was drawn up at the table, viz: Gentlemen: Upon the report of the conferees on the subject of the several amendments to the Militia bill in dispute between the two Houses, the Council have agreed to the report, as follows, to wit: That the further amendment, as proposed by the House of Assembly in their second paper of amendments, be adopted after striking out the word [white], as mentioned therein, and added to the 31st amendment, proposed by the Council in their first paper. That the 81st amendment of the Council in their first paper shall be a part of the bill upon striking out the words [except in extraordinary cases, of which the Court shall judge]. That the 82d amendment of the Council, mentioned in their first paper, shall stand and be inserted in the bill; and that the 7th amendment of the Council, in their second paper, be receded from. So that, if your House shall approve of the report of the conferees as aforesaid, the bill may be immediately engrossed and enacted into a law. Ordered, That the same be transcribed and sent by Mr. Hyatt to the House of Assembly, together with the Militia bill and its several amendments. Adjourned till to-morrow morning, 10 o'clock. TUESDAY, A. M., May 12th, 1778. The Council met. Present the same members as on yesterday. Mr. Hyatt now reported the delivery of the several papers committed to his charge according to the order of yesterday. On motion, by order, the bill to enable Charles Pope, his heirs, &c., to erect a bridge over Duck Creek, was read the first time. By special order the same was read a second time, and, for the better information of the Council, thereupon Resolved, That a committee of two be appointed to go to the place where the said bridge is proposed to be erected and view and report their opinion thereon. Messrs. Collins and Hyatt are appointed, on the part of the Council, for this purpose, and thereupon a message from the Council to the House of Assembly, proposing the appointment of a like number of the members of that House to join the said committee of the Council, was drawn up at the table, and follows in these words, viz: Gentlemen: The Council, upon the best information they have been able to obtain respecting the propriety of giving privilege to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Pope to erect a bridge over Duck Creek at the distance of twenty feet above the public wharf there, as proposed in the bill now before us, have reason to apprehend that the public as well as private interest may be considerably injured by placing the said intended bridge so near the same wharf, and below other wharves, storehouses and landing places heretofore much used for lumber of all kinds, and from the nature and situation of the ground along the creek below the public wharf always must be useful and necessary. The Council have also reason to believe that liberty of erecting a bridge across Duck Creek aforesaid above all the wharves, storehouses and landing places not more than ten or twelve rods distance higher up the creek, might be granted to Colonel Pope without apparent injury to the public or private interest, and nearly as convenient for him; but, as neither the petitioner for the bridge or any of those against it, save one, and him on this day, have attended this House to enable them to determine satisfactorily thereon, the Council are desirous of the best information, and therefore propose to your honorable House the appointment of two or more of the members of each House to proceed to the place where, and view, and report their opinion thereon. This may be done in the course of an evening or morning, with but little trouble or loss of time, and for this purpose the Council have named Messrs. Hyatt and Collins on their part. Ordered, That the same be transcribed and sent by Mr. Bassett to the House of Assembly. Mr. Bassett, being returned, reported the delivery thereof according to order. A member from the House of Assembly, attending, was admitted and delivered to the Chair the bill to increase the number of the Justices of the Peace, &c., signed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Ordered, That the same be signed by the Speaker of the Council. Which was done accordingly. On motion, Resolved, That the President or Commander-in-Chief affix the Great Seal of this State to the bill entitled "An act to increase the number of the Justices of the Peace in each of the Counties of this State." On motion, by order, The resolution of the House of Assembly, directing the Speaker to write to the signers of the last emission of paper currency, was read a second time and concurred in, and follows in these words, viz : "IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, "WHEREAS it appears to this House that some of the monies 'emitted by an act of General Assembly of this State, entitled "An act for printing and emitting fifteen thousand pounds in "Bills of Credit of this State, to be let out on loan, and for strik"ing the further sum of ten thousand pounds in such bills for the "use of this State, and for providing a fund for sinking the same,' "are still in the hands of several of the signers of the said currency in the County of New Castle; therefore "Resolved, That the Speaker be desired to write to the several 'signers of the said emission of paper currency within the said County of New Castle, requiring them to deliver such of the 'said monies as remain in their hands of the said emission to the "Trustee of the Loan Office of the said county, agreeable to the "said act, and that they make report of the sums in their hands "respectively to the President of this State forthwith." On motion, by order, The resolution of the House of Assembly for borrowing the sum of 7,500 dollars upon the credit of the State, was read a second time and concurred in, and is as follows, viz: "IN THE HOUse of Assembly, "The House resumed the consideration of the late Vice-Pre"sident's message of the 13th of March last, and thereupon "Resolved, That the sum of seven thousand five hundred "dollars be borrowed upon the credit of this State, and that "the President sign certificates to the person or persons lending "the same. "That this House will devise ways and means for the repay"ment of the said sum to the lender or lenders thereof, with in"terest at the rate of six per cent. per annum until the same be "repaid. "That the said sum of seven thousand five hundred dollars be "put into the hands of Thomas Rodney, Esquire, for the pur"pose of completing the purchase of clothing for the Delaware "Regiment; and that the said Thomas Rodney be accountable "for the expenditure thereof to the General Assembly, or to the "President or Vice-President of the State for the time being in "the vacation of Assembly, in order that the State may have the "sum expended refunded by Congress." |