The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Friday, September 21st, 1787. PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President, An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Major Samuel Hodgson, for one hundred and fourteen pounds seven shillings and nine pence, for defraying sundry expences of a party of Indians, conducted by John Woods, an Indian Interpreter, on their way from this city to Fort Pitt, according to the Comptroller General's report, this sum to be charged to the United States. Upon application of Colonel John Bull, purchaser of a negro named Port, (formerly the property of Edward Stiles,) at a sale of confiscated property in Philadelphia county in the year 1778, Ordered, That William Bradford, Jun'r, Esquire, Attorney General, be employed to support the right which the said Colonel Bull has to the said negro under his purchase from the Commonwealth, in a cause depending between the said Colonel Bull and Edward Stiles. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, September 22nd, 1787. PRESENT: His Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt: In favor of Captain Joseph Stiles, for eleven pounds, for one barrell of gunpowder purchased by him for the public use. In favor of the Honorable William Maclay, Esquire, for fifty pounds seven shillings, in full for his attendance in Council untill this day, inclusively, and his mileage. Monday next was assigned for going into the appointment of a Prothonotary of the county of Huntingdon, divided of from Bed ford. Several papers containing intelligence of an armed banditti hav ing assembled at Tioga, within this State, in a riotous manner, with an intention to resist the Government, were laid before Council; and On consideration, The President was desired to write a letter to the Governor of the State of New York, inclosing the said papers and requesting the concurrence of the government of that State in concerting measures for effectually suppressing the said rioters; and also that our Delegates in Congress may be permitted to hold a conference with him for that purpose. A letter was written to the Delegates of this State in Congress upon the same subject. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Monday, September 24th, 1787. PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. The appointment of a Prothonotary for the county of Hunting ton, was postponed untill to-morrow. Bethuel Covalt, Esquire, was appointed and commissionated a Justice of the Peace and of the Court of Common Pleas, in and for the county of Bedford, upon a return made according to law for the district of Bethel township. The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Tuesday, September 25th, 1787. PRESENT: His Excellency BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Esquire, President. The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. A Dedimus Potestatem was issued for the county of Northampton, directed to John Arndt, and Robert Levers, Esquires, the Re-corder and Prothonotary of that county. Jonathan Shoemaker was appointed and commissionated a Jus tice of the Peace for the districts of the townships of Cheltenham and Abington, in the county of Montgomery, and Joseph Scott, Esquire, was appointed and commissionated a Justice of the Peace for the district of Robinson township, in the county of Washington. Jonathan Shoemaker and Joseph Scott, Esquires, were also appointed and commissionated Justices of Courts of Common Pleas, in their respective counties. The fine due to the State, imposed upon George Wright, upon his being convicted of keeping a tipling house in the county of Northampton, was remitted." Mr. Baird was apointed to attend the Vice President as a member of the Board of Property, in the room of Mr. Maclay. Agreeably to the order of yesterday, Council proceeded to the election of a Prothonotary of the county of Huntingdon; and the ballots being taken, it appeared that Lazarus Melene, Esquire, was duly elected by a majority of votes. Whereupon, it was Ordered, That Lazarus McLene, Esquire, be commissionated Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Huntingdon. On motion, Ordered, That Lazarus McLene, Esquire, be appointed and commissionated Clerk of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery, Clerk of the Orphans' Court, and a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Huntingdon. The following draft of a Proclamation was read and approved: WHEREAS, It appears from the deposition of John Wigton, and other testimoney, that John Franklin, Leriah Beach, John McKin stry, and John Jenkins, have violently opposed the exccution of the law in the county of Luzerne, and drove many of the claimants under Pennsylvania from their habitations out of the county: And whereas, it is of the utmost importance to the good people of this State, that the perpetrators of such atrocious offences should be brought to condign punishment; we have thought proper to issue this Proclamation, hereby engaging that the public reward of four hundred dollars shall be paid to any person or persons, who shall apprehend and secure John Franklin; and the public reward of two hundred dollars shall be paid to any person or persons who shall apprehend and secure John Jenkins; and the public reward of two hundred dollars shall be paid for apprehending and securing Leriah Beach, and John McKenstry, or one hundred for either of the said Leriah Beach or John McKenstry. The above rewards to be paid on the offenders or offender being secured in the jail of the city and county of Philadelphia; and we do hereby charge and require all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, and Constables, to make diligent search, enquiry after, and to use their utmost endeavours to apprehend and secure the said John Franklin, Leriah Beach, John McKenstry, and John Jenkins, so that they may be dealt with according to law. GIVEN in Conncil, under the hand of the Honorable Charles Biddle, Esquire, Vice President, and the Seal of the State, at Philadelphia, this twenty-fifty day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven. CHARLES BIDDLE. ATTEST-JAMES TRIMBLE, For John Armstrong, Jun'r, Secretary. GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH! The Council met. PHILADELPHIA, Wednesday, September 26th, 1787. PRESENT: The Honorable CHARLES BIDDLE, Esquire, Vice President. The following orders were drawn upon the Treasurer, vizt: In favor of the Honorable Thomas McKean, Esquire, for two hundred and fifty pounds, being one quarter's salary, due to him as Chief Justice of the State, ending the 25th instant, and in favor is of the Honorable George Bryan, Esquire, for one hundred and fifty pounds, being due to him on the same day, as one of the Judges ir of the Supreme Court, according to the Comptroller General's report. A Committe from the General Assembly, Mr. Fitzimmons, Mr. Wynkoop, Mr. Findley, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Whitehill, attended in Council: requested some information respecting the operation of the late Law for confirming to the people called Connecticut claimants, the lands by them claimed in the county of Luzerne. The Committee were informed that the Commissioners appointed under the law had not yet made a report of their proceedings. The following draft of a Proclamation, was laid before Council, read and adopted: Pennsylvania, ss: By the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, A certain agreement was entered into between this Commonwealth and the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the thirtyfirst day of August, 1779, which agreement was afterwards, to wit: on the twenty-third of June, 1780, confirmed by the State of Virginia, subject to several conditions, one of which was: "That the private property and rights of all persons, acquired under, founded on, or recognized by the laws of either State, previous to the twenty-third of June, 1780, aforesaid, be secured and confirmed to them, although they should be found to fall within the other; and E that in the decision of disputes therein, preference shall be given to the elder or prior right, whichever of the said States, the same shall have been acquired under; such persons paying to the State within those boundary their lands shall be included, the same purchase money which would have been due from them to the State, under which they claimed the right, &ca." And whereas, It hath been made manifest to Council, that divers persons have applied to the State of Virginia, and have procured patents after the said twenty-third of June, 1780, whereby this Commonwealth is deprived of part of one of the branches of the revenue, and many well disposed persons may be led by such examples to procure patents in the same manner, to the future loss and damage of themselves, and of such as may come into their place by purchase or otherwise: We do therefore, Warn all such persons who have procured patents from Virginia, since the said twenty-third day of June, 1780, not to rely on them as good titles to their lands, as also all such as are entitled to a confirmation of their titles to unpatented lands. whether originating in Virginia or Pennsylvania, that the Act of |