" of the Council to prevent it. One of the Members of the Assembly said he believed the House adjourn'd to a short Day, supposing the Council wou'd be furnished by that time with materials for knowing the exact Sum demanded of the Province. It was thought the Estimate you was so good as to send wou'd serve to show pretty nearly the Money wanted, but as the Assembly took no notice of this, and insist on knowing the exact Sum before they determine what to do, I am oblig'd once more to desire you wou'd settle that Sum with the Officers & Men, & when done to transmit it in an authenticated manner, so that there may be no further pretence of Delay. "Do you propose to send your own account of the Sums advanc'd by you for the Provision & Pay of the four Pennsylvania Companies while they were under your Command to me, to be transmitted to Mr. Shirley and Mr. Knowles in the manner directed by their joint Letter? Or as You have already sent over some Accounts relating to these Companies when you paid them off in June, do You chuse to send them with their proper Certificates immediately to the Duke of New Castle or to those Gentlemen? If you take this last method, then I conceive, as Mr. Thomas' accounts of all the Monies paid on account of those four Companies till they arriv'd within your Province are already Liquidated & lodg'd in the proper Office in England, there remains no more for the Council to do than to transmit with authentick Certificates the Copies of the several Minutes of Council & of Assembly that have pass'd or shall pass touching or any wise concerning the American Levies. This being the Light in which this Affair appears to me at present I shall be oblig'd to you to give me your Sentiments on it, that the Council may do what is regular & what will be expected from them in pursuance of the Orders transmitted to them by Governor Shirley & Admiral Knowles' Letters. "I am, with sincere Regard, "Your Excellency's most obed humble Servant, "I have enclos'd Copies of the Messages between y Council & Assembly on this Subject. "His Excell. GEORGE CLINTON, Esqr." "Sir: "PHILADA., Dec 5th, 1747. "The enclos'd Copies of the Messages that have pass'd between the Council & Assembly of this Province will inform You what has been done in pursuance of your Excellency's & Admiral Knowles' Letters, and what likelyhood there is of a complyance with His Majestie's Demand. "The Assembly soon after presenting their answer sent a Message by two Members to inform the Board that the House had adjourn'd to the 1st Monday in January, & tho' the Persons who brought the Message were told that there were under Consideration several matters of great consequence, yet they broke up, & thereby prevented all further Applications from the Board. "One of the Members who were sent to inform the Council of this unexpected adjournment said it was made on a supposition that the certain Sum wanted to Pay off the Soldiers wou'd be then known. One wou'd think by this that at least he believed they wou'd advance the Money, but as they have not, that we hear of, declared their willingness to do it, we cannot take upon us to give any other Expectations than what may be gather'd from their answer. "When Mr. Clinton shall have adjusted the Sum due to the Officers & Men at the time of their dismission he will furnish Us with the Account, and we shall not fail to repeat our Recommendations of this Service to the Assembly at their next Sitting. "What they design to do with respect to the several matters already concerted or to be concerted by the Commissioners for the common Safety of all the Colonies, which depends so much on dislodging the French from their Stronghold at Crown Point, & thereby securing the Indians to the English Interest, cannot be known, for they return'd no answer to the Message which accompanied your Letter of the 9th Nov" on that Subject. "I am Your Excellency's most obed' Servant, "ANTHONY PALMER. "His Excell WILLIAM SHIRLEY, Esq"" A Letter from Mr. Weiser was read, & ordered to be enter'd, & laid before the Assembly at their next Sitting. "Sir: "PAXTON, Nov. 28th, 1747. "Last night I arrived here with the Indians all in good Health but Canachquasy, the Speaker, who took sick by the way from Philadelphia to my House, and one of the Women, but I hope not dangerously. This Day I deliver'd the Goods to them, and they are well pleased for my adding two half Barrels of Powder to the four which they were to have. George Croghan was present, and he undertook to find Men and Horses to carry the Powder and the Lead, with two Casks of Liquor for them, to Ohio. I was oblig'd to allow them the Liquor because they all followed my Advice and did not get drunk, neither in Town nor by the way. Scaiohady, after they had received the Goods, spoke to me in the following manner Brother, I am very glad that our Brethren in Philadelphia took into their serious Consideration what we have said to them. The French Party is very strong among us, and if we had failed in our Journey to Philadelphia, or our Expectations wou'd not have been granted by our Brethren in Philadelphia, the Indians would have gone over to the French to a Man, and wou'd have received Presents (or Supplies) from the French, who have offer'd it, but now I hope We've got the better of them. Let me desire You to set out early in the Spring with the Supplies our Brethren have been pleased to promise Us, and send somebody before You to give us timely Notice that we may meet, for we are scattered up & down the Country, & we will send three or four Men to meet You by the way and to convey You to the place appointed; pray don't miss, and let us that are for our Brethren the English not be asham'd; the French Party who speak now under the Ground will speak above the Ground if You shou'd miss, but if You arrive early in the Spring all the Indians will unite heartily, & the French Party will be brought over to us.' They spoke to me & George Croghan, who must be my guide. I made answer that nothing should be wanting that I could do, and if I was alive and well I hoped to see them in their Country next Spring before the Grass comes out, or at farthest when they begin to Plant their Corn. "Scaiohady pressed upon me to put the Government in mind of what he had said against the Traders in Rum, that it might be suppressed, for the Indians (said he) will drink away all they have and not be able to do any thing against the Enemy for want of Ammunition; and if rightly considered, Death, without Judge or Jury, to any Man that carrys Rum to sell to any Indian Town, is the only remedy to prevent that Trade & a just reward to the Traders, for nothing else will do. It is an abomination before God & Man, to say nothing of the particular Consequences it is altogether hurtful to the Publick, for what little Supplies we can give them to carry on the War is not half sufficient, they must buy the greatest part with their hunting, and if they meet with Rum they will buy that before anything, and not only drink away their Skins but their Cloathing and every thing they may get of us; in short, the Inconveniences occasion'd by that Trade are numerous at this very time, the English & French Party will fall out in their Drunkenness and murder one another, & the English will be charged with the mischief thereof. I must leave off before I wear out your Patience, & remain, "Sir, Your very Dutiful, "CONRAD WEISER. "P. S.-Scaiohady told Shikalamy at my House very privately that Peter Chartier & his Company had accepted of the French Hatchet, but kept in their bosom till they wou'd see what Interest they cou'd make in favour of the French. "To RICHARD PETERS, Esqr." The Board appointed Mr. Lawrence & Mr. Logan a Committee to consider what methods can be apply'd to prevent the abuses complained of by the Indians, & to make their Reports so as to form a proper Message to the Assembly on this Subject at their next Sitting. Mr. Lawrence is requested to issue a Writ to apprehend a Frenchman, one Captain De Cheverie, who was order'd to go on board Captain Casnay along with the Spanish Prisoners, yet notwithstanding this Order continues in Town, & walks publickly about the Streets. At a Council held at Philadelphia, at the Court House, the 7th Dec 1747. PRESENT: The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President. The Associators to the number of near Six Hundred being drawn up under Arms before the Court House, the Secretary was order'd to make the following Declaration: "Gentlemen "I am commanded by their Honours the President & Council, to acquaint You that Your Proceedings are not disapprov'd by the Government, & that if You go on & chuse your Officers according to your Articles, Commissions will be readily granted them." In the Council Chamber at Philadelphia, 8th December, 1747. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv’d. The Members taking into Consideration the State of the War in general, the Sickness that lately rag'd over this City & the Province, the probability of our Enemies making a Descent on the City, & the calamitous Situation of our Frontiers on the Dismission of the Forces rais'd for the intended Expedition against Canada, thought it highly necessary to awaken in the minds of the Inhabitants of this Province a just Sense of their Condition, & to call upon them by a Proclamation to implore with fervency & Solemnity the merciful Protection of Almighty God, & appointed Mr. Taylor & Mr. Hopkinson a Committee to prepare a suitable Proclamation for a General Fast against to-morrow in the Afternoon. At a Council held at Philadelphia, 9th Dec 1747. PRESENT: The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esq., President. Thomas Lawrence, Abraham Taylor, William Till, Robert Strettell, Esqrs. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd. Mr. Taylor & Mr. Hopkinson having prepar'd the Draught of a Proclamation for the appointment of a General Fast on Thursday, the 7th Day of January next, the same was read & approv'd, & order'd to be engross'd & publish'd to-morrow forenoon at the Court House with the usual Solemnity. "By the Honourable the President & Council of the Province of Pennsylvania. "A PROCLAMATION "FOR A GENERAL FAST. "Forasmuch as it is the Duty of mankind, on all suitable occasions to adknowledge their dependence on the Divine Being, to give Thanks for the Mercies received, and no less to deprecate his Judgments and humbly pray for his Protection; And as the calamities of a bloody War, in which our Nation is now engaged, seem every Year more nearly to approach us, and the Expedition form'd for the security of these Plantation hath been laid aside, As the Inhabitants of this Province & City have been sorely visited with mortal sickness in the Summer past, & there is just reason to fear that unless we humble ourselves before the Lord & amend our Ways, we may be chastized with yet heavier Judgments, We have, therefore, thought fit, on due consideration thereof, to appoint Thursday, the seventh Day of January next, to be observed throughout this Province as a Day of Fasting & Prayer, exhorting all, both Ministers & People, to observe the same with becoming seriousness & attention, & to join with one accord in the most humble & fervent Supplications That Almighty God would mercifully interpose and still the Rage of War among the Nations & put a stop to the effusion of Christian Blood; That he would preserve and bless our Gracious King, guide his Councils, & give him victory over his Enemies to the establishing a speedy & lasting Peace; That he would bless, prosper, & preserve all the British Colonies, and particularly that he would take this Province under his Protection, Confound the designs and defeat the Attempts of its Enemies, & unite our Hearts and strengthen our Hands in every Undertaking that may be for the Publick Good, and for our defence & Security in this time of Danger; That he would graciously please to bless the succeeding Year with Health, Peace, & Plenty, & enable us to |