At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Friday 21st August, 1772. PRESENT: The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov ernor, &. Richard Peters, Benjamin Chew, James Tilghman, } Esquires. The Governor laid before the Board a Petition from John Durkee, a Prisoner in the Goal of Philadelphia, Setting forth that he was Indicted for a Riot on the Lands at Wyoming, at the Sessions for the County of Northampton, in April 1770, and from September following has been closely Confined in Goal; That some time afterwards he was sued for a large sum of Money due to a Gentleman in New York, with whom he has now Compounded and obtained a discharge from his suit; that he has a Wife and Children in Connecticut, who are in Great distress, occasioned by his imprisonment, &c., and therefore humbly praying Relief by means of a Nolle proseque or otherwise, &c. The said Petition being read and Considered by the Board, it was their opinion that, in Consideration of the Prisoner's long Confinement, and that he has now obtained a discharge from his Creditors, at whose suit he has hitherto been detained in Prison, as well as at the suit of the Crown, a Noll Proseque should be entered on the Indictment and the Petitioner be discharged from his Confinement, which the Governor accordingly directed to be done. MEMORANDUM, the 15th September, 1772. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor and acquainted him that the House had met pursuant to adjournment, and desired to know if his Honor had any Business to lay before them; to which the Governor replied that he had nothing at present to Recommend to their Consideration, but as soon as any thing occurred he would communicate the same to the House by a Message. At a Council held at Philadelphia, in the Council Chamber, on Saturday the 19th day of September, 1772. PRESENT: The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c. Richard Peters, Andrew Allen, Edward Shippen, Jun" Esquires. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor and presented him a Bill entituled "An Act for the Support of the Govern ment of this Province and payment of the Public Debts," which being read at the Board, the Governor sent a Verbal Message to the House by the Secretary, Requesting them to furnish him with a list of the Draughts and Certificates intended to be paid off and discharged by that Bill. The Governor laid before the Board a Bill which he had Retained since the last sitting of the Assembly, eatituled "An Act to declare and make void the pretended Marriage of Rebecca Vanikin with a Certain John Martin, and for other purposes therein mentioned," and after due Consideration thereof, the Board advised the Governor not to pass it into a Law. Mr. Fox and Mr. , Members of Assembly, then Brought up to the Governor a List of the Public Debts referred to in the Bill for the Support of Government, which was read over, and follows in these Words, Viz": Incidental Expences for the Year 1772. To Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, Agent for the Province in London, his Salary for the Present Year £500 Sterling. To William Allen, Esquire, Chief Justice of the Province, To John Lawrence, Esquire, one of the Judges of the Supream Court, To Thomas Willing, Esquire, Do., To Joseph Galloway Esquire, for Extra Services, 200 0 0 150 O 150 0 0 75 0 To Do., the Balla. of his Account for wood for the House, 13 8 9 75 0 0 11 0 0 1 10 0 10 0 0 11 0 0 10 10 0 To Andrew Allen, Esquire, Attorney General, - To ditto, for Warrants, Certificates, Proclamations, To Joseph Fox, Esq, his Salary as Barrack Master, To William Bowsman, his Salary as Ditto, for Lancaster County, 9 10 0 225 0 6 30 0 0 15 18 101 3 14 74 60 0 0 20 0 0 To Abel Evans, for his Services as Assistant Clerk, To Benjamin Lightfoot, Esq" for his Services and disbursements in viewing, &c., the Waters of the Susquehanna and Schuylkill, as p. Account, To John Sellers, Esq, for his Services and disbursements on the same duty, as Acc To Samuel Rhoads, Esq for Sundry Expences, &c., for the same Service, as p. Acc", To Mr. David Rittenhouse, for making Instruments for the use of the Committee for the above Service, 15 15 0. To ditto, for his Attendance 6 days with Samuel Rhoads, Esq on the above Service, To Edward Duffield, for his Care, &c., of the state To ditto, for his acc' of Stationary for the use of the To Lawrence Shiney, for do., as account, To Robert Erwin, for 20 Chords Hickory Wood for the Assembly, To Andrew McNair, for his Attendance as Doorkeeper to the House, 80 days, at 4 s. p. d. To ditto, for his Account for cleaning the State House, &c., To ditto for disbursements, &c., for Indians, from 11 300 23 0 0 233 10 6 7 8 11/ 69 14 0 7 4 4 17 4 30 0 0 16 0 0 April, 1772, to 31 August, both Inclusive, as p' acc, To Michael Coon, for Sawing Wood for State House, To Henry William Stiegel, a Gratuity for his Flint To the Overseers of the Poor, for Support of French To William Shed, Searjant-at-Arms, for services to 8 09 18 7 4 10 0 0 4 15 0 300 25 5 6 18 3 0 150 0 0 - 100 0 0 100 The Governor then sent down to the house, by the Secretary, the Bill for declaring and making void the Pretended Marriage of Rebecka Vanakin with a Certain John Martin, &c., with a Verbal Message that he now returned that Bill, which he had held under advisement since the last sitting of the House, and upon the most mature deliberation, he could not think it proper to pass it into a Law. At the same time his Honor Returned the Bill for the Support of Government and Payment of the Public Debts, with his Assent. Soon after, two members of Assembly waited on the Governor with a Message, Requesting to know when it would be agreeable to his Honor to receive the House, in order to pass the Bill which he had agreed to; to which the Governor answered that he was now ready to receive the House for that purpose, if it was Convenient to them. The whole House thereupon attended in the Council Chamber, and the Speaker presented to the Governor the Bill for the Support of the Government and payment of the Public Debts, which he enacted into a Law, and Signed a Warrant for affixing the Great Seal thereto, and the Secretary was directed to accompany two members of Assembly to see that the said Law was Sealed and deposited in the Rolls office. The Speaker then acquainted the Governor that the House agreed to allow £25 to be given by his Honor as a present to Keyashuta, the Seneca Indian Chief, now in town on a visit to the Govern ment. At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Monday 5th October, 1772. PRESENT: The Honorable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c. William Logan, Benjamin Chew, James Tilghman, Esquires. Edward Shippen, jun' The Governor laid before the Board the returns of Sheriffs & Coroners for the County's of Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, Lancaster, York, Berks, Northampton, New Castle, and Kent, which being duly Considered, the following persons were appointed and Commissionated as the Sheriffs and Coroners of their Respective Counties, Vizt.: The returns of the Sheriffs and Coroners for Cumberland and Sussex Counties, being now made, the Governor appointed and Commissionated the following Persons as Sheriffs and Coroners for their Respective Counties, viz": Cumberland, Sussex, Sheriff, Ephraim Blaine, S Robert Callender, Coroner, Samuel Laird, James Blaine, Sheriff, Peter Robinson, 2 Coroner, David Train, At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Friday 9th October, 1772. PRESENT: The Honorable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca. William Logan, Benjamin Chew, The Governor laid before the Board a Letter he had just received from Sir Ralph Payne, Captain General and Governor of the Leeward Islands, which was read and follows in these Words, vizt: |