the Six Nations at Albany to the twenty-fifth of next Month to give the several Governors he has applied to on that Occasion more time to consult their respective Assemblies on an Affair of so much Importance, desiring further, that if I have any Proposals to offer in Consequence of any Resolves to be made by You, that I should impart them as soon as possible; wherefore, if any such should occur that you think necessary to be settled previous to the said Treaty, you will please to communicate them to me with all convenient Dispatch, and you may assure yourselves of my Readiness to concur with You in whatever may tend to the Interest of the Province.

"Mr. Croghan having been lately in Town from Ohio related to me the Intelligence contained in the Paper herewith laid before you, which for its Importance very well deserves, and I earnestly recommend to your most serious Attention. He is now returned to Ohio in order to deliver the Provincial Present to the Indians there about the middle of this Month.

"If any thing new had happened in the Countries contiguous to New York, I am perswaded Governor Clinton would have communicated it to me, but as he has been altogether silent on that head I conclude there has been no Alteration of Affairs there since your last Session; I have, therefore, now only to desire you to revise the contents of the Papers then laid before you, and to come to such Resolutions thereupon as may enable me to do what is becoming this Government.

"The Six Nations whose Example will be followed by all the other Indians, seem to be actually afraid of the French; and though their Affections are manifestly in favour of the English, yet if they find no Support from them sufficient to dispel these Fears, it must be expected they will be obliged to quit our Interest and depend on those who will afford them better Protection.

"This is the Light in which I see matters at present, and should you concur with me in Sentiment I make no doubt but your Resolves will be answerable to the Exigency of Affairs.

"PHILADELPHIA, May 7th, 1751."

"JAMES HAMILTON.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday, the 11th May, 1751.

PRESENT:

The Honourable. JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.

The following Message was delivered to the Governor by two Members of Assembly:

A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.

"May it please the Governor:

"We have considered the Governor's Message concerning Indian Affairs, and the several Letters and Papers therein mentioned, with that Attention the Importance of them requires, and are very sensible of his care and concern to confirm and extend our Interest with our Indian allies.

"As we find there is no late Intelligence of a material change in the state of these Affairs, We hope the Presents lately sent to the Indians at Ohio will be received by them as Proofs of our Friendship, and may (if properly distributed by the Persons appointed to deliver them) have the desired good effect of confirming them in their Alliances with us. We doubt not the Governor has given the necessary Instructions to those who are entrusted therewith; and as the Interest of the Province is essentially concerned in the conduct of the Persons employed on these Occasions, we shall readily concur with the Governor in any measures necessary to prevent them from entering into any Engagements further than his Instructions shall Warrant.

"As we do not apprehend our joining in the intended Treaty at Albany to be necessary at this time, we request the Governor to direct Conrad Weiser to meet the Six Nations there with the small Present provided for them, and a Message of Condolence on the Death of Canassatego and their other chiefs who were our steady Friends, and if on the Intelligence we may receive at our next Meeting any further measures should appear to us proper to enter into, we shall chearfully concur in doing what may be most conducive to the Peace and Tranquility of the Province.

"Signed by order of the House.

"May 9, 1751."

"ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.

The House having agreed to all the Amendments made by the Governor to the Hospital Bill, except the seventh, which was withdrawn, the Bill was returned with a Message that his Honour would pass it when presented to him for that Purpose; that thereupon the amended Bill had been engrossed and compared, and the Governor had appointed the House to wait on him this Morning in the Council Chamber in order to enact it into a Law, which was accordingly done, and a Committee appointed to see the Great Seal affixed to it and the Law deposited in the Rolls Office.

The House, with the Governor's Consent, adjourned to the twelfth of August next.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday the 29th of June, 1751.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. Information having been lately transmitted of his Royal Highness' Death on the - Day of March last, together with his Majestie's Order in Council for a General Mourning, it was unanimously agreed to address his Majesty on that truly sorrowful Event in the words following:

"TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. "The Humble address of the Lieutenant Governor and Council of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware.

"Most Gracious Sovereign:

"As no Affliction can befall your Majesty of which your remotest Subjects do not partake, Permit us, with Hearts full of Grief, humbly to condole with your Majesty on the inexpressible Loss Your Majesty and the Nation have sustained in the Death of his late Royal Highness the Prince of Wales-A Loss by so much the more to be lamented as that excellent and most amiable Prince possessed so many shining Qualities and uncommon Virtues; nor can this melancholy Event admit of any Consolation but in our Hopes of the Continuance of your Majestie's Health, which we most sincerely rejoice to hear is perfectly re-established.

"If the fervent Prayers of all good Men may prevail, we have the strongest reason to hope that your Majestie's precious Life will long be spared as a Blessing to your Dominions and for an Example of Instruction to the Young Prince, who having the inestimable advantage of being formed by Your Majestie's wise Counsel and Direction, cannot fail to imbibe those just Maxims of Government, by the Practice whereof Your Majesty has so successfully promoted the true Interest of Your People and are so deservedly the object of their warmest Gratitude and Affection.

"We pray God to comfort and support Your Majesty under this heavy Affliction, Alleviate Your Sorrow, and shower down on Your Royal Person and every Branch of Your Royal Family the choicest of his Blessings."

The above was signed by the Governor and all the Members present, and sent to the Proprietor to be presented to his Majesty.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 12th of August, 1751.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov

ernor.

Thomas Lawrence,
Joseph Turner,

Richard Peters,

Robert Strettell,
William Logan,

Esqrs.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. A Petition from the Captain, Officers, and Sailors on beard a French Vessel called the "Dauphin," now in the River Delaware, was read, setting forth "That the Sloop was bound from St. Domingo to Louisburg, and in her Voyage sprung a Leak off of the Capes of Delaware which filled the Vessel so fast that they cou'd not get the better of it with continual pumping, owing as they think to the bad careening of the said sloop, and further, that their Casks were bad and leaked, which reduced them to a necessity of putting into this which was the first Port, and praying Leave to enter and refit so as to be put into a condition of proceeding on their Voyage."

A Committee was appointed to examine into the Facts, and on their Report that they found what was set forth in the Petition to be true Leave was given to the Captain to refit.

The Assembly having met last Night, and given notice thereof by two of their Members to the Governor, his Honour laid before the Board the Proceedings of Mr. George Croghan at Ohio, and likewise a Letter from the Justices of Cumberland County complaining of Great Disorders being committed by abundance of Persons concerned in the Indian Trade, and likewise Mr. Weiser's Journal of his Proceedings at Onondago which were all read, and the following Message drawn thereupon and sent by the Secretary to the House:

A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.

"Gentlemen:

"You will herewith receive Messieurs Croghan's and Montour's Account of their Proceedings at the Delivery of the Present voted by you last Fall to the Indians at Ohio, and I am in hopes you will find it arrived very seasonably and has had a good Effect.

"By the Speech inserted in Mr. Croghan's Journal (said to have been made by Monsieur Ioncaire by order of the Governor of Canada) to the Indians assembled in Council, and by a Letter of the said Ioncaire to me of the sixth of June last, which I have ordered

to be laid before you, you will perceive the Extensiveness of the French Claims on this Continent; That they are not content with enjoying the Benefits of a free and unmolested Commerce themselves without making it at the same time exclusive of all others, and to that Purpose have used their utmost Endeavours to prevail on those Indians to drive away our Traders from amongst them and to discontinue any further Intercourse with them on Pain of incurring the Displeasure of the French Government. But as their Menaces have not as yet had the desired Effect, it is not unreasonable to suppose that when the last answer of the Indians upon that head shall be reported to the Governor of Canada, it will put him upon measures to obtain by Force what has hitherto been denied to every other Kind of Sollicitation, in which should he succeed a very valuable Branch of Trade will be entirely lost to this Province. The Indians themselves are so apprehensive of the Consequences of their refusing to comply with the French Demands, that they have earnestly requested this Government to erect a strong Trading House on the River Ohio for the Protection of their Wives and Children in case they should be obliged to engage in a war on that account, and to serve likewise as a Place of Security to our Traders, without whose assistance they say they cannot live; and as I have it in charge from the Honourable Proprietaries to recommend this matter to you and to make such an offer of contributing to the expence of erecting and supporting it as I am perswaded you will think very generous, I cannot excuse myself from desiring you to give it a very serious Consideration, and to come to such Resolution thereupon as the present favorable Oopportunity seems to point out.

"By a Letter herewith delivered you which I have lately received from the Justices of Cumberland County, You will see that great Complaints are made of the Irregularities of many of the Persons concerned in the Indian Trade, and of the Difficulties that attend the bringing offenders to Justice in countries so remote from the Inhabitants, whence it should seem our Laws in that respect stand in need of some Alterations or Additions to render them effectual for the good Purposes intended by them. Whenever, therefore, you shall think fit to take that Subject into consideration I shall readily concur with you in any measures that may tend to the better inforcing the Laws already in being, or in making such new Provisions as may be thought necessary for the more regular and orderly carrying on that Trade.

"Mr. Croghan has been at a considerable Expense in bringing some Criminals to their Tryal and in supporting the Witnesses on their Journey, of which he has delivered in his Account, which you will please to inspect and discharge.

"Mr. Montour is expected in Town by my order, to receive a Recompence for his Services, which you will find have taken up a great deal of his Time, and as I must do him the Justice to say that (by VOL. V.-34.