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A draft of a message to the General Assembly was prepared and laid before the Board, which being read, was agreed to as follows, vizt:

A message from the President and Supreme Executive Council to the General Assembly.

GENTLEMEN :—We herewith transmit letters from His Excellency the President of the United States, of the eighth of June, ninth, twenty-third and thirtieth of July, and of the fourth, tenth and eleventh of August, 1789, with their enclosures, vizt:

1st. An Act to regulate the time and manner of administering certain , passed the first day of June.

2nd. An Act for laying a duty on certain goods, wares and merchandizes imported into the United States, passed the fourth of July.

3rd. An Act imposing duties on tonnage, passed the twentieth of July.

4th. An Act for establishing an Executive department, to be denominated the department of Foreign Affairs, passed the twentyseventh of July.

5. An Act to regulate the collection of the duties imposed by law on the tonnage of ships or vessels, and on goods, wares and merchandizes imported into the United States, passed the thirtyfirst day of July.

6. An Act for settling the accounts between the United States and individual States, passed the fifth of August.

7th. An Act to provide for the government of the Territory north-west of the river Ohio, passed the seventh of August.

8th. An Act for the establishing and support of light houses, beacons, buoys and public piers, passed the seventh of August; and

9th. An Act to establish an Executive department, to be denominated the department of war, passed the seventh of August.

We likewise transmit a letter from His Excellency Governor Clinton, of the fifth of May last, with a resolution of the Senate and Assembly of New York of the fifth of February, on the subjoct of amendments to the Constitution of the United States.

The purchase of the Lake Erie tract of country from the Indians hath necessarily exceeded the estimate of Council, and the sums appropriated by Act of Assembly. That excess has arisen principally from the length of time the Commissioners were obliged to wait for the Indians. We recommend to the General Assembly to provide by law for the payment of the money which remains due on that purchase, and for the expence of one hundred and thirteen pounds and six pence, incurred by Council in receiving his Excellency the President of the United States in this city, on the seventeenth day of April next.

The accounts of the purchase of the Lake Erie tract, and of the expence of receiving His Excellency the President of the United States, accompany this message.

Council have not had it in their power to procure a lot proper for a powder magazine out of the city limits, as the resolve of Assembly directs. Several city lots near the River Schuylkill, and sufficiently remote from the buildings of the town may be purchased at reasonable prices.

The principal part of the money intended to have been raised by Lottery, and directed by Act of Assembly to be applied to the repairing of that part of the Lancaster road called Jones's lane, and towards improving the navigation of the River Schuylkill, hath been reported to Council by the managers to be outstanding. By the Act of the fifteenth day of March, 1784, the managers were instructed to lay before the Comptroller General from time to time when there unto required, a true state of the Lottery, and when the drawing of the same should be compleated, and the prizes and incidental charges paid to render their accounts to the Committee of Accounts of Assembly for final settlement A general statement of the product of the Lottery and of the money which remains to be collected is sent herewith.

Annuities to the widows and children of deceased officers of the Army, Flying Camp, State Regiments and State Navy, have heretofore been paid by virtue of the Act of Assembly dated the first day of March, 1780, out of any monies in the hands of County Treasurers, upon orders drawn by the Orphans' Courts of the respectives counties. But all public monies being by subsequent acts appropriated to other purposes, there remains no provision for the payment of those annuities which amount to eighteen hundred and fifty pounds.

The expence of repairing the banks of Mud island since the first day of March last, according to the Comptroller General's report to Council, hath been four hundred and fifty-seven pounds ten shillings.

The exportation of Pot Ashes from the port of Philadelphia merits the attention of the General Assembly. We are of opinion the pot and pearl ashes should be made subject by law to inspection.

The Act of Assembly intituled An Act for allowing a further time to distribute the donation lands promised to the troops of this Commonwealth, will expire on the thirteenth day of September next.

We lay before the General Assembly a copy of the instructions of Council to the Comptroller General, relative to the exchange of certificates.

A representation from the Wardens of the port of Philadelphia, and a letter from John Dunlap, the purchaser of certain public lots in Southwark, whose case we recommend to the Legislature.

THOMAS MIFFLIN, Pres't. Council Chamber, Philad'a, August 25th, 1789.

Ordered, That the Secretary present the same to the General Assembly, together with the several papers therein mentioned.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, August 26th, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

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A transcript of the record of the conviction of Francis Wilson, Thomas Wilson and Wiliam Elder, of the county of York, for an assault and battery upon a certain William Jordan, was laid before the Board and read, by which it appears that they have been sentenced by the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery of the said county, to pay to the use of the Commonwealth the following fines, vizt: Francis Wilson, twenty two pounds ten shillings; Thomas Wilson, nine pounds, and William Elder, seven pounds ten shillings.

Council taking into consideration the said record, and also a recommendation from some of the members of Assembly for the county of York, and from a number of respectable inhabitants of said county in their behalf for remission of the fines aforesaid.

Resolved, That the said several fines be and the same are hereby remitted.

A letter from the President of the United States of the twentyfourth of this month, inclosing an Act of Congress passed the twentieth, intituled "An Act providing for the expences which may attend negociations or treaties with the Indian Tribes, and the appointment of Commissioners for managing the same," was received and read, and the same transmitted to the General Assembly.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, August 27th, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

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A letter was written by the President of this Board to the President of the United States, acknowledging the receipt of his letter of the twenty-fourth instant, inclosing an act of Congress of the twentieth, intituled "An Act providing for the expences which may attend negociations or treaties with the Indians tribes, and the appointment of commissioners for managing the same."

Council being informed that a number of persons were attending agreeably to notice giving, in order to be heard upon a complaint made to the Board on the eighth instant, of irregular proceedings at an election of Justices of the Peace in Northampton and Southampton townships, in Bucks county,

Resolved, That Mr. Watt, Mr. Baird, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Smilie, be a committee to hear the parties, and that the said committee report their proceedings to Council.

On motion,

Resolved, That Wednesday next be appointed for the consideration of the report of the committee appointed to investigate the complaint against John Jones, Esquire, health officer.

On motion,

Resolved, That the Vice President, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Woods, be a committee to confer with a committee of the General Assembly, on the subject of annuities to the widows and children of deceased officers.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Friday, August 28th, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

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A notification from Henry Weisner, of Newtown, in Bucks county, to the President, that a certain person named John Metotonica died intestate, leaving no issue or relations, and that it is supposed his property escheats to the Commonwealth, was received, and thereupon, an order was taken that the same be referred to the Escheater General.

A petition from a number of inhabitants of Bedford county, late militia men in actual service, complaining of certain exactions of the late Lieutenant of that county, George Woods, Esquire, was received and read and referred to the Vice President, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Willing, the committee appointed the twentieth instant, upon the letter from the Comptroller General relative to the conduct of Mr. Woods.

John Christ, Esquire, was commissionated Register of the Probate of Wills, and granting Letters of Administration and Recorder of Deeds for the county of Berks, agreeably to an appointment of him to those offices by the General Assembly, on the twenty-sixth instant, a certificate of which appointment was laid before Council this day.

On motion,

Resolved, That to-morrow be appointed for the consideration of the petition of Christiana Gulielma Gaskell, praying "that the Attorney General may be directed to receive a declaration in ejectment on her demise, to try her title to three equal fourth parts of divers lots of ground, containing in breadth north and south one hundred and two feet, and extending across the intervening streets of the city, from the west side of Delaware Fourth street to the river Schuylkill."

On motion,

Resolved, That Mr. Miles, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Baird, be a committee to confer with a committee of the General Assembly, on the subject of the proceeds of the lottery, under an act of Assembly passed the fifteenth of March, 1784.

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