fused to comply, alledging that the said tract is vested in the Commonwealth, by the act of Assembly of November twenty-seventh, 1779, against whom ejectments have been brought for the recovery of the said lands; that the petitioners are desirous to settle with those who have title, whether the Commonwealth or the said late Proprietaries, and praying Council to direct an enquiry into the title to the said lands, and take such further order as may relieve them in their present embarrassing situation, was read the second time; and thereupon,

Resolved, That as suits at law have been instituted to try the title to the said lands, this Board cannot comply with the prayer of the said petition, and that therefore the petitioners have leave to withdraw the same.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, November 28th, 1789.

PRESENT:

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

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honorable James Read, Esquire, for the sum of thirty-three pounds, in full for his attendance in Council from the sixteenth of October till the twenty-eighth of November, 1789, both days included.

On motion,

Resolved, That Colonel Miles, Doctor Gregg and Jonas Hartzell, be appointed a committee to enquire and to report what islands in the river Delaware are the property of this State.

A letter from Adam Grubb, Esquire, a Justice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas in the county of Delaware, requesting Council to accept his resignation of the said offices, was read, and an order taken that the said resignation be accepted.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Monday, November 30th, 1789,

PRESENT:

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

John Minor, Esquire, was appointed and commissionated a Justice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Washington, upon a return made according to law from the district of the township of Green, in the said county.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, December 1st, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, Presid't. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

Abraham Smith,

Frederick Watt,

Samuel Edie,

John Wilkins, and

William Wilson,

A letter from the Surveyor General, dated the twenty-eighth of November, nominating James Johnston, Esquire, a Deputy Surveyor of district No. 5, in the new purchase, was received and read and thereupon,

Resolved, That this Board concur with the said nomination, and that Doctor Robert Johnston and John Johnson, High Sheriff of Franklin county, be accepted as sureties for the said James Johnston's faithfull performance of the said office, according to the act of Assembly passed the eighth of April, 1785.

An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Charles Biddle, Esquire, for the sum of fifty pounds, towards defraying the expence of the lamps and watch-houses placed in the State House

yard, and for paying wages to the Watchmen employed in guarding the public offices, agreeably to an act of Assembly passed the twenty-seventh day of March last, for which sum he is to be accountable.

Mr. Wilkins was appointed a member of the Board of Property for the present month.

A return of the General Election of a Councillor, held in the county of Huntingdon on the thirteenth day of October last, by which it appears that Benjamin Elliott, Esquire, was duly elected to represent that county in this Council, was received and read. On motion,

Resolved, That Mr. Gregg, Mr. Edie, and Mr. Read, be appointed a committee to consider of, and report what fee may be proper for Council to allow Mr. Bradford and Mr. Ingersol, Attorneys for the State, in the cause of the Chief Justice against the Commonwealth.

A patent to Jacob Clement, for four hundred and thirty-eight acres and one hundred and forty-six perches of land in Northampton county, (to correct the errors of a former patent granting only two hundred and seven acres and a half, and in which the length of one of the lines is mentioned to be sixty-nine perches instead of two hundred and seven perches and a half,) being presented by the Secretary of the Land Office, the same was signed by the President, agreeably to the direction of Council.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, December 2nd, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, Presid't. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt:

In favor of the Honorable George Ross, Esquire, for one hundred and twenty-five pounds, being one quarter's salary due to him as Vice President of the State on the fifth day of last month.

In favor of Frederick Sneider for fifteen pounds, being the amount of his accounts for his wages as Door-keeper to Council from the first to the thirtieth day of November, 1789, inclusive.

On motion,

Resolved, That Tuesday next be assigned for taking into consideration the report of the Commissioners, appointed by act of Assembly of the twenty-ninth day of September, 1787, to regulate the district of Southwark, and to lay out new streets, lanes and alleys therein.

Upon the petition of Samuel Shannon, a negro, now confined in the jail of this city for larceny, praying a pardon, and a recommendation from Joseph Thatcher, the person injured,

Resolved, That the said Samuel Shannon be and he is hereby pardoned.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, December. 3rd, 1789.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, Presid't. The Honorable GEORGE ROSS, Esquire, Vice President.

Henry Taylor Esquire, Councillor elect for the county of Washington, appeared, and being qualified as the Constitution of this and the act of Congress of the first of June last direct, was admitted to his seat at the Board.

The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the fol. lowing accounts, were read and approved, vizt:

Of Edward Crawford, junior, Esquire, Prothonotary of the county of Franklin, for money received for tavern and marriage licences since the first of April and until the fifteenth of October, 1789, amounting to fifty-nine pounds fifteen shillings and nine pence.

Of William Poyntell, for seven hundred quills furnished for the use of Council between the twenty-eighth of May and twenty-seventh of November, 1789, amounting to four pounds eleven shillings, for which sum an order was drawn in his favor upon the Trea

surer.

Upon the petitions of Michael Snoddy, Thomas Welch, and Joseph Gillings, alias Jennings, now confined in the jail of this city for larceny, praying remission of the several fines imposed upon them,

Resolved, That the prayer of the said petitions be granted, it appearing to Council by a certificate from Mr. Reynolds, the jailer, that their terms of servitude are expired.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Friday, December 4th, 1789.

PRESENT:

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

A monthly statement from the Comptroller General of certificates received and delivered by him in exchange, was received and read.

A letter from the Commissioners appointed to view the river Delaware, being a general account of their proceedings, and containing observations on the improvement of the navigation of that river, was also received and read.

Agreeably to the Comptroller General's reports, the following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt:

In favor of Andrew Brown, for thirteen pounds nine shillings and five pence, amount of his account for six copies of the Federal Gazette for one year, furnished for the use of Council, till the first of October last, and for printing work done for Council untill the third instant.

In favor of Abraham Morrow, for twenty-eight pounds seventeen shillings and nine pence, payable out of the fund appropriated for claims and improvements, according to act of Assembly passed the twenty-ninth of September last, being granted in lieu of a former order for his services in repairing public arms, which remains unpaid, and is now delivered up and cancelled.

The Mayor of the city laid before Council a certificate of Doctor Benjamin Duffield, "That Margaret Skinner, Sarah Smith, and Anne Smith, convicts, are in such diseased situations as to require a removal from the work house to some more comfortable place," which was read; and thereupon, it was

Resolved, To pardon the said Margaret Skinner, Sarah Smith, and Anne Smith, in order that they may be removed for their

cure.