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him with an Order on the Treasurer for £500 towards his Support, and inform'd him that the House was inclinable to adjourn to the 17th of August, To which he assented.

The next Day the Speaker gave His Honour an Order on the Treasurer for £211, to enable him to Discharge the Draughts of the Officers at Albany for Blankets & other Things.

At a Council held at Philadelphia the 13th May, 1747.

PRESENT:

The Honoble. GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor.

Anthony Palmer,
Abraham Taylor,

Benjamin Shoemaker,

Samuel Hasell,

Robert Strettell,

Esqrs.

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Governor having some Days before intimated his determination to make an addition to the Council, he now inform'd the Board that since on his Departure the Administration of the Government wou'd devole on the Council, and no Business cou'd be done by the President without the attendance of four Members, & there were now but seven who acted, he had in his Letters to the Proprietaries mention'd the necessity of a new appointment; and in expectation of their Answer had deferr'd making it; but as the time of his Embarkation drew near, & the Vessells expected from London might not arrive, and it was of the utmost consequence both to the Proprietaries & the Province that this shou'd be done, he cou'd not postpone it any longer. He assured them it had given him no small concern, & he had taken all the pains he was Master of to find Gentlemen equal & willing to accept, and after long consideration he had thought of Mr. Joseph Turner, Mr. Lawrence Growden, and Mr. Thomas Hopkinson, and had taken measures previously to know their Inclinations, the two last were willing, but Mr. Turner had not yet come to a determination. He therefore named these three Gentlemen to be of the Council if they had no just objection to them. And each Member being seperately ask'd his opinion expressed his Approbation of the Governor's Choice; and the Secretary was directed to inform them of their Call to the Board, & to take care that they shou'd be summoned to the next Council. VOL. V.-5.

At a Council held at Philadelphia.

PRESENT:

The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov

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The Minutes of the preceeding Council were read and approv'd. Mr. Turner & Mr. Hopkinson took and subscrib'd the usual Oaths, & Mr. Growden the usual Affirmations.

The Governor having by Captain Dowers received from the Council Office His Majestie's Repeal or Disallowance of the Act of Assembly Imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of Heinous Crimes, &c., The same was read and order'd to be enter'd; and it is recommended to the Council to lay it Before the Assembly at their next Meeting:

"At the Court at St. James, the 17th Day of December, 1746.

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"Whereas, in pursuance of the Powers granted to the Proprietarys of the Province of Pennsylvania by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, the Deputy Governor, Council, and Assembly of the said Province did in February, 1742, pass an Act which hath been transmitted, and is Intitled as follows, Viz":

"An Act imposing a Duty on Persons convicted of heinous Crimes brought into this Province, and not warranted by the Laws of Great Britain, and to prevent poor and Impotent Persons being imported into the same.'

"His Majesty this Day took the said Act into His Royal Consideration, and having received the Opinion of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, and also of a Committee of the Lords of His Majestie's most Honourable Privy Council thereupon, Is hereby pleased to Declare his Dis-allowance of the said Act, and pursuant to His Majestie's Royal Pleasure thereupon expressed, the said Act is hereby repealed, declared void and of none Effect. Whereof the Deputy Governor, Council, and Assembly of the said Province, and all others whom it may concern, are to take Notice and Govern themselves accordingly.

"WILL SHARP."

On Examination of the Council Books, it appears that the late Secretary, Mr. Patrick Baird, has omitted to enter several Messages which pass'd between the Governor & Assembly in the Year 1742, they are, therefore, now ordered to be enter'd at the end of this Book, the Secretary taking care to Page the Council Book, & in the Margin over against the Place they are omitted to make a proper reference to the Place where they are inserted.*

At a Council held at Philadelphia, 29th May, 1747.

PRESENT:

The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov

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The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Governor informed the Board that by a Letter he had received from Mr. Logan, and another which the Clerk of the Council had likewise received from him, it appeared that he had not considered himself as a Member of this Board since his Accession to the Government, and requested that his Declaration and absolute Resignation might be enter'd in the Council Books, and on Reading his Letters, the Secretary was directed to make an Entry that Mr. Logan's Resignation was Accepted, and that he was no longer a Member of this Board.

The Governor then propos'd that the Secretary should write down the Names of the Members of Council according to the Order they stand on their respective Calls to the Board, which being done & read, it was unanimously agreed that the following Gentlemen, & no others, are Members of the Council, & take their Precedency as follows, viz':

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In transcribing the Colonial Records, the Messages have been inserted

in their proper places.

The Governor then recommended Mr. William Logan to be a Member of this Board, & no material Objection being offer'd, it was Agreed that he shou'd take the usual Affirmation before the Governor & be admitted thereupon to his Seat at the next Council.

The above Minute was read and approv'd.

At a Council held at Philada., 6th June, 1747.

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The Governor having Embarqued for Great Britain, the Council in his Absence met this Day in pursuance of the Act of the 10th of her late Majesty Queen Ann, Entitled "An Act for the further securing the Administration of the Government," and the Act being read it appeared that the full Power and Authority of a Governor of the Province, Legislation excepted, is lodged in this Board.

The Rank and Precedency of the Several members of Council having been established at the last Council, & it appearing thence that Anthony Palmer, Esq., is the Eldest Councellor, he took his Seat as President of this Board.

The Board appointed Mr. Richard Peters to be Secretary and Clerk of the Council.

It being directed by the said Act of the 10th of Queen Ann that the President or first-named Member of Council that shall succeed at the time of the Death or Absence of a Governor, shall give due Notice thereof, by the first opportunity, to one of the Secretaries of State of Great Britain, and to the Board of Trade and Plantations, & also to the Governor in Chief of this Province. The Secretary was ordered to draw proper Notices, & to lay them before the Board in order to be signed by the President, & likewise to prepare Draughts of letters to be wrote to the Neighboring Governors on this occasion.

The Board was unanimously of opinion that a Proclamation Notifying the absence of the Governor, & for the continuing of all Officers in their respective offices shou'd be issued, & the Secretary is accordingly order'd to prepare one against four of the Clock in the Afternoon, to which time the Council is adjourned.

P. M.

PRESENT:

The Honourable the President and the same Members as in the forenoon.

A Proclamation for the continuance of Officers in their respective Offices being agreed to, the same is ordered to be engross'd and to be ready at ten of the Clock on Monday in order to be sign'd and seal'd, and the Secretary is order'd to take care. that the Sheriff, Magistrates, and proper Officers be served with Notice to attend the Publication thereof at the Court House on Monday at 12 O'Clock.

A motion was made that the Board might now enter upon the consideration of the most proper Methods to be observ'd for the Dispatch of common Business; and some giving it as their opin ion that the best way would be to make an order of Council that the President only shou'd sign the Papers of Course, enumerating what particulars shou'd be deem'd Papers of Course, for that all Papers so sign'd wou'd be look'd on as the Act of the Council, by virtue of such Vote, & others conceiving that they cou'd not legally make such Vote, as it wou'd be deem'd a delegation of the Power of the Council, & the Council being themselves only in the Place of a Lieutenant or Deputy Governor, & consequently invested in a Trust not transferable, cou'd not Delegate their Power; the question was put whether it be the opinion of the Board that the Council can legally impower the President to sign Marriage Lycences, Publick House Lycences, Pedler's Lycences, Indian Trader's Lycences, Registers of Vessells & Let Passes, without the Concurrence of at least four of the Council, & it Pass'd in the Affirmative.

The Board then took into their Consideration the alterations proper to be made in the forms of Marriage Lycences, Let Passes, Public House Lycences, & other papers of Course, and not coming to any determination, the same is referr'd to the next Meeting of Council which is appointed at 10 of the Clock on Monday Morning, and the Secretary is order'd to wait on the Attorney General to desire his attendance here at that hour.

The Secretary inform'd the Board that Marriage Lycences were immediately wanted, whereupon the President Signed four Marriage Lycences, and deliver'd them to the Secretary to be distributed as they shou'd be apply'd for.

The Board being of Opinion that the Council Chamber in the State House wou'd be the most commodious Place for them to meet in, the Secretary is directed to wait on the Speaker to know if the same be now in order, or can with any conveniency be put into order for the use of the Council.

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