BOARD OF TREASURY TO PRES. FRANKLIN, 1786.

Circular.

Board of Treasury,

September 25th, 1786.

Sir,

In obedience to the orders of the United States in Congress we do ourselves the honor of transmitting to your Excellency for the Information of the Legislature of the State in which you preside, a Certified Copy of the act.of Congress of the 18th Inst.

The reasons which have induced that Honorable Body to enter into the Enclosed Resolves are so evidently dictated by a regard to the great Interests of the Confederacy that we cannot doubt but that the wisdom of the several Legislatures will discern the propriety of acting in strict conformity with them in all their proceedings which relate to the Collection of the Revenue appropriated for the Service of the United States.

We have the Honor to be

with great Respect

your Excellency's

obed't huml. Serv'ts,

SAMUEL OSGOOD,
ARTHUR LEE.

Directed,

His Excellency, Benjamin Franklin, Esq'r, President of the State of Pennsylvania.

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS, 1786.

By the United States in Congress assembled.

7

September 18, 1786. The committee, consisting of Mr. Pinckney, Mr. St. Clair, and Mr. Harrison, to whom was referred a letter of the 12th from the board of treasury, together with a letter from the commissioner of the loan-office to the state of Rhode Island, and an act of the legislature of that state; having reported,

"That it appears from these communications, the legislature of the state of Rhode-Island, by an act passed at their last session, have made the paper currency of that State receivable on all arrears of taxes due to the United States; that as this explanation of the law of the state, relative to the late requisitions of Congress, entirely defeats the intentions of those acts, the commissioner of the loan-office has suspended the issue of indents in that state, on the requisition

of the 27th September, 1785, until he should receive the directions of the board of treasury on that subject. The board further remark, that the legislature of the state of New-Jersey, have also made their paper currency receivable on the arrears of taxes due on the requisition of the 27th and 28th April, 1784. On this statement the committee observe, that as the requisitions of Congress are calculated for the purpose of requiring from the states a sufficient sum for the payment of the interest due on the foreign and domestic debt, and the maintenance of the civil department, no deviation can be admitted from the mode of payment therein established, without exposing the funds of the United States to great loss and inconvenience, particularly as the discharge of the Jinterest due on the foreign debt, and the maintenance of the civil government, must altogether depend upon the payments that are made into the federal treasury in specie. That to admit the receipt of bills of credit issued under the authority of an individual state, in discharge of their specie proportion of a requisition, would defeat its object, as the said bills do not circulate out of the limits of the state in which they are emitted, and because a paper medium of any State, however well funded, cannot, either in the extensiveness of its circulation, or in the course of its exchange, be equally valuable with gold or silver, That if the bills of credit of the states of Rhode-Island and New Jersey, were to be received from those states in discharge of federal taxes upon the principles of equal Justice, bills emitted by any other state must be recived from them also in payment of their proportions, and thereby instead of the requisitions yielding a sum in actual money, nothing but paper would be brought into the federal treasury, which would be wholly inapplicable to the payment of any part of the interest or principal of the foreign debt, or the maintenance of the government of the United States. That as the consequences of the precedents which have been established by the states above mentioned are dangerous to the interests of the union, the committee conceive it necessary for Congress to express their sense upon the subject." Whereupon,

Resolved, That as the annual requisitions of the United States in Congress assembled, were made by them in virtue of the powers of the confederation, and for the necessary purposes of government, the same are obligatory on the states as such, and ought to be discharged by them in the manner by the said requisitions directed, and in no other.

Resolved, That as the payment of the interest, and such parts of the principal, of the foreign debt of the United States, as are included in any of the requisitions of Congress; and the maintenance of the federal government cannot be provided for but by payments in specie into the federal treasury of the sums respectively required of the states therein, no payments, either in bills of credit, or in any

other mode than those pointed out by the said requisitions, can or ought to be admitted in discharge of the same.

Ordered, That the board of treasury transmit a copy of the above resolutions to each state, and issue instructions to the respective loan-offices conformable thereto.

CHA. THOMSON, Sec'y.*

Sir,

INSTRUCTIONS TO SAMUEL DALE, 1786.

In Council,

Pa., September, 25th, 1786.

You will to proceed as soon as possible to Wyoming, and there distribute as many of the Laws that are passed crecting the "Northern part of the County of Northumberland into a seperate County;" as you may think necessary; you will then go on to Tioga and enquire of Capt. Spalding, James Strawbridge or any other person of Character into the robbery said to have been committed by a certain John Hogg, and some people that were with him. If you cannot see the Indians that complain of being rob'd, leave the money with Capt Spalding to give them, taking his receipt, procure all the information you possibly can concerning the Robbery; that the perpetrators may be brought to Justice; Take every opportunity of Acqs the people with the favorable disposition of Government to them; that, if they behave peaceable, they will not only be treated with Justice, but generosity by the State.

Directed,

I am, Sir,
your obedient and

Samuel Dale, Esquire.

very Humble Servt.,

CHARLES BIDDLE.*

NOTICE. JOHN FRANKLIN, 1786.

Whereas by a law of this State, enacted the twenty-third Day of September, one thousand seven hundred and Eighty-six, A new County is erected from the Nescopeck Creek on the south, to the north Line of the State, extending East to the Lehigh, and West to the ridge of land dividing the waters of the East Branch from the waters of the West Branch of the Susquehana river, by the Name of the County of Luzerne.

That the inhabitants thereof have Right to enjoy all and Singular Jurisdictions, powers, Rights, Liberties and privileges that the Inhabitants of other Counties of the State do, may or ought to enjoy.

*See Col. Rec., Vol. XV., p, 107.

And whereas the second Tuesday of October instant is the Day appointed by Law for holding the annual election in the several Counties in the State, that the new and Extraordinary Circumstances of this Settlement render it highly expedient that a meeting be held to adopt measures in Conformity of the above recited Law. These are therefore to notify the settlers and freeholders of the said County of Luzerne, that they meet at the house of Abel Pierce, Esq., in Kingston, on Saturday the 7th instant, at one o'clock, P. M. 1st, To hear the report of the Agents returned from Philadelphia. 2d. To adopt Measures (so far as may be consistant with the Constitution and Law) for holding an Election at the time appointed by Law. And 3dly. To transact any other Business proper and necessary to be Done at said meeting.

1786.

Sir,

Dated at Wilksbury in the County of Luzerne, October the 2d,
JOHN FRANKLIN.

Signed,

JOHN FRANKLIN TO DR. J. HAMILTON, 1786.

Wilksbarre, Oct. 2d, 1786.

As you are fond of news 1 send enclosed a few lines for your perusal, the following Copics, (viz.,) 1st. Copy of Dr. Smith's Dismission. 2d. Instruction from Committee to the Agents. 3d. A Letter from J. Franklin. 4th. His Excellency's Answer in Council. 5th. A Letter from Franklin and Jenkins as Agents, &c., to Council, Dated Sept. 6th. 7th. A Letter from Franklin and Jenkins to Speaker of Assembly. 8th. Petition from do. to Assembly, Dated Sept. 11, 1786. 9th. Debates of the house on sd Petition; Committee appointed, &c. 10th. Some few remarks, with the report of the Committee of Assembly.

I expect you have heard of Myself and Major Jenkins being appointed Agents to represent this Settlement in Council and Assembly. We accordingly attended; we arrived at Philadelphia, Sept. 3d. Were called before Council the 7th. The Honorable Chas. Biddle Presided as the President, was not able to attend. I had the Pleasure of Stating our whole Suffering to Council, from the Decree at Trenton to the present time; I left no stone unturned, the Discourse Continued about one hour and a half. Col. Armstrong and Esq. Boyd were present, they heard a Complete history of their Conduct while at Wyoming. I Did not forget the Proceedings of Assembly and Council towards us. We were heard by Council, who gave the greatest attention, and treated us with the greatest respect. We were heard without hindrance, restraint or Molestation. We were Requested to attend a Second time, which was Done; our Instructions were Requested, which we gave to Council to Peruse, a number of questions were asked, &c. Particularly respecting the Sheriff being opposed the last time he was at

Wyoming, &c. Council finally Recommended us to lay our Matters before Assembly.

His Excellency, B. Franklin, sent a Request to us informing that he has a Desire to have us call on him, we accordingly Waited on him, gave him a full account of our grievances, nearly the same that we had laid before Council, also gave him our instructions. His Excellency Expressed a great Pleasure in having the opportunity of hearing-he Informed us that he had heard something of the Disturbances, but was never so fully acquainted before.

We Presented a Petition to the House of Assembly, Sept. 11. I shall refer you to the Petition, and Proceedings thereon, however we were not heard by the Com'te of Assembly so fully as we were by Council. Messrs. Fitzsimmons and Clymer appeared as though they would wish to take advantage, and were very Inquisitive. Messrs. Finley and Smily were not present but a little part of the time, said but a few words to us, &c. I have made some remarks on that Subject to which I refer you. You will observe by the Report of the Committee that nothing is done to Confirm our title. We continued three Weeks at Philadelphia, Returned here last Tuesday-the Report of the Com'te was not adopted when we left them; however, we found it to be the unanimous opinion of the house, and thought not best to wait any longer. The Assembly have Compleated the new County according to the Bill, except the line from Nescopeck running N. West instead of West. The Agents Did not urge the Completion of the County, as we Wished to have a Confirmation of our Title first.

We have a Right to hold an Election the 2d Tuesday of this Month to Elect a Representative and other Officers of Government, but the time is so short We shall be obliged to omit, as we have no Authority to take the first step.

It may not be Amiss to Inform you that there were sundry Petitions against a Division of the County by our Enemies, but to no Purpose. Sundry Papers were sent to Council that were laid before Assembly (viz,) 1st. Letter from Wm. Montgomery, Esq., dated May 17th, setting forth that Ethan Allen had came to Wyoming, with a number of others and were Cabelling to erect a new State, this was Confirmed by a letter from Esq. Shaw, who also sent a Copy of an Intercepted Letter (as he called it) from Joseph Hamilton to John Franklin, Dated March 24th,* advising for Independence -also my Letter to Col. Montgomery of the 26 of June last-and Sundry others we may thank Dr. Smith for your Letter of the 24 March; he Received it in my Absence, took great Pains to send it to Esq. Shaw, that Council might receive it; he also Wrote a Letter to Council Informing against the People, setting forth that he was obliged to fly because he would not Join for Independence, (G. D... the Liars,) however, I asked Council Respecting the Complaints against us, they Informed us that the Complaints were

* Sce Vol. X., p. 751-also 761-768.