The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Friday, November 18th, 1785.

PRESENT:

The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esq'r, Vice President.

The petition of John Potts, late of the county of Lancaster, praying the remission of his corporal punishment and fine imposed upon him on conviction of having stolen two horses, with a recommendation from sundry inhabitants of the county aforesaid, was read, and an order taken that the fine payable by the said Potts to the Commonwealth, and all the farther punishment to which he was sentenced, except thirty-nine lashes, be remitted.

The fine payable by John Barclay, of Berks county, to the Commonwealth, on conviction of having sold spirituous liquors without a licence, was remitted.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Henry Kammerer, for one hundred and fifty-three pounds thirteen shillings and four pence specie, in full of his account for paper furnished for printing the bills of credit of the last emission, according to the Comptroller General's report.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, November 19th, 1785.

PRESENT:

The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of James Pearson, for the sum of fifty pounds specie, for repairs done to the State House, for which he is to account.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Monday, November 21st, 1785.

PRESENT:

The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President.

The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, agreeably to the Comptroller General's reports:

In favor of the Honorable David Jackson, Esquire, for his services in Congress, four hundred and eleven pounds specie.

In favor of Melchior Steiner, for printing done for the Council of Censors, one hundred and ninety five pounds specie.

The Comptroller General's reports upon the accounts of Maxwell Chambers, dec'd, late a Sub-Lieutenant of the county of Lancaster, upon the pay-roll of Captain Thomas M'Dowell's company of Cumberland county militia, untill the first of August, 1780. The subsistance account of Captain Jacob Sweyer, while on the late expedition to Wioming. The pay account of Joseph Grey and Rowland Chambers, for militia services in 1779. The account of William Wilkin, of the county of Washington, for a horse lost on the Sandusky expedition; and upon the account of George Kleinfelter, for a gun taken from him in 1776, were read and approved. The Comptroller General's report upon the claims of John Scott, late a Stewart of the General Hospital, for depreciation of pay, was read, and an order taken that they be admitted.

The Comptroller General's report upon the case of

Long,

a Captain of the Northampton county militia, was read and referred again to the Comptroller General.

The petition of Joseph Smith was referred to Edward Shippen, Esquire, for investigation into the facts alledged in the petition aforesaid, and for inquiry into the State of the prisoners generally.

The petitions of Mary McKensie and Hugh Jones, praying the remission of the fines payable to the Commonwealth upon their respective convictions, the one of larceny and the other of an assault and battery, were read and granted.

The Comptroller General's report upon the account of Robert Cather, Paymaster of the Garrisons of Billingsport, Red Bank and Mud Island, was read and approved.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer for the sum of thirty-nine pounds nine shillings, State money, in favor of Michael Sly, in full for principal and interest due upon his certificate of having furnished a horse for the public service.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, November 22nd, 1785.

PRESENT:

His Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President.

A letter from John Pierce, Esquire, of the fifteenth of November, inclosing a resolution of the eleventh day of October, 1785, was read, and an order taken that Mr. Pierce be advised that Mr. Nicholson is appointed to receive the certificates belonging to the inhabitants of this State, issued under the above mentioned resolution.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, November 23rd, 1785.

PRESENT:

His Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President.

The following orders were drawn under a resolution of the House of this day, vizt:

For the sum of six pounds ten shillings, in favor of Paul Baldy, Thomas Clayton, John Backinstoss, John McPherson, and Samuel Quinn, respectively; and for seven pounds in favor of John Nelson; and for eight pounds in favor of Ezekiel Fleming; due for attendance on the House as witnesses in the case of the contested election for Northumberland county.

A resolution authorizing and requesting Council to enter into a negotiation with the States of Maryland and Delaware, on the subject of an inland navigation within this State.

The Comptroller General's reports upon the accounts of David Kennedy, Francis Johnston, and John Lukens, Esquires, were read, and an order taken that the charges made by these officers for printing and wood are not authorized by law, and that therefore, such part of the reports as relate to those articles be disapproved.

A farther order was taken that the Surveyor General be informed that he may be accommodated with an apartment in the State House for holding his office; that the room assigned to him for this purpose is that lately occupied by the General Assembly, and that no allowance can hereafter be made to him for office rent.

The following deeds were signed by his Excellency Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, President, for the ground whereon the old jail and workhouse lately stood, vizt:

To John Fries, for a lot of ground at the corner of High street and Third street, twenty-two feet in front by eighty feet in depth. Cons'n twelve hundred & fifteen pounds.

To Martin Baish, for a lot of ground on the south side of High street, of the same dimensions, adjoining the last described lot.Consideration money one thousand pounds

To Jacob Barge, ditto., on High street, of the same dimensions, adjoining the last described lot. Consideration nine hundred and thirty-five pounds.

To Thomas Goucher, ditto, situate on the south side of Third street, adjoining the back ends of the three above described lots, twenty feet in front by sixty-six feet in depth. Consideration mo

ney

To John Britton, for a lot of the same dimensions, adjoining the last described lot, on the west side of Third street. Consideration money six hundred and forty pounds.

To John Hubley, Esquire, for a lot on the West side of Third street, adjoining the last described lot. Consideration money six hundred and seventy-five pounds.

To Samuel McLane, for a lot of the same dimensions, on the west side of Third street, adjoining the last described lot. Con. sideration five hundred and thirty-five pounds.

To John Steinmetz, for a lot of ground on the west side of Third street, of the same dimensions, and adjoining the last described lot. Cons'n five hundred and thirty-five pounds.

To Thomas Poultney, for a lot of ground on the west side of Third street, of the same dimensions, and adjoining the last described lot. Cons'n five hundred and thirty-five pounds.

Deeds dated the twenty-third day of November, 1785.

A petition from the clerical and lay deputies of the Church of England to the late Episcopal Convention held in this city, praying a certificate from this Board, that by the laws and Constitution of this Commonwealth, they are at liberty to obtain a succession of clergy after the usages of the Church aforesaid, by any means which will not interfere with their allegiance to this State, was read, and an order taken that the following certificate be given:

The Supreme Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania, do hereby certify and make known to all whom it may concern, that by the frame of Government and laws of this Commonwealth, the clergy and others, members of the Church of England in Pennsylvania, are at liberty to take such means as they think proper, for keeping up a succession of religious teachers: Provided, only, that the means they adopt for this purpose, do not induce a subjection to any foreign jurisdiction, civil or ecclesiastical.

On motion of Mr. Balliet,

Ordered, That Lewis Stacker and Jacob Morey, Esquires, of the county of Northampton, be commissionated Justices of the Court of Common Pleas for the said county.

A resolution of the House appointing Jacob Barnitz, Esquire, Register for the Probate of Wills, &ca., and Recording of Deeds, in and for the county of York, was read, and Mr. Burnitz commissionated accordingly.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Samuel Vanleer, Captain of a company of Chester County militia, for the sum of eight pounds five shillings specie, in full of his account for two tours of service within the years 1777 and 1778, to be paid out of the militia funds of Chester county aforesaid.