from a Gentleman of Character, in the County of Lancaster; as it seems to be a Matter of some Consequence, the Council request you to take the Trouble of making Inquiry, and in Case the Facts are as stated, to forewarn Musser proceeding, as the Lands are unqestionably the Property of the State, having been reserved, not for Proprietary Use, but that of some Indians, who appear to have forsaken them. Mr. Hall, the Agent for confiscated Estates, will follow such Directions as you may please to give in the Matter.

I had promised myself the Pleasure of seeing you before you left Town, as I wish'd to have had your Opinion and Advice on some Matters of a public Nature-but your close Attendance upon Court deprives your Friends of the Pleasure of seeing you so often as they wish.

This Opportunity going immediately, I must beg if you see your Brother soon, to present him my Regard, and acquaint him that I have received his Letter, which I shall answer in a short Time, and am, with Compliments to Mrs. Atlee and Family, with much Esteem,

Dear Sir, Your most obed't and very humble Servant. JOSEPH REED, President. The Hon. Wm. Atlee, Esq'r, One of the Justices of the Supreme Court.

Charles Hall to President Reed, 1780.

Lancaster, February 26th, 1780. SIR: Yesterday I made Seizure of the tract of Land in Mannor Township known by the Name of the Indian Town, said to contain about five hundred Acres; the Roads having been very bad prevented my doing it

This Morning Mr. John Musser of this Town came to me seemingly much displeased that private Property should be Struck at, and drew a paper out of his pocket, which he said was an Abstract from the Original Deed from the Chief Sachims to Mr. Penn for the Lands purchased from them at the treaty at Fort Stanwix, wherein this tract is particularly Described and Conveyed to Mr. Penn. He said he was much Amazed I had not Received orders not to Proceed, as he had shewn the aforesaid paper to your Excellency and the Honourable Council, who, he said, was satisfied. The Land is now in the Hands of tenants who have worked it on Shares and have lived there since the Year 1771, and say they have made Sundry improvements in Buildings and fences, which they hope they will be Allowed for. As the season is now approaching that the Land should be prepared for Spring Grain, I shall be glad if Council will send me instructions, if Possible by the Bearer of this, how I am to proceed with the tenants; but if the Land is to be Rented at a Certain Rent I shall be exceedingly obliged to Council to Name the Rent and Let me have the first Offer.

I have Settled my Accompt with the Commissioners Appointed by

Law to Settle the Accompts of the Commissioner for Confiscated Property, and have their Certificate that I am in Debt one Hundred and four Pounds, seven shillings, to the State. I have Paid to the State Treasurer Eightyeight thousand four Hundred and forty-nine Pounds, one shilling, and three pence.

I am your Excellency's very humble Servant,

CHARLES HALL. Directed To His Excellency Joseph Reed, President, Philadelphia. Per favour Col. Crawford.

At this place and in this connection it seems proper to reprint the following transactions belonging to an earlier period:

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday 16th May, 1775.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor.

James Tilghman,

Andrew Allen,

}

Esquires.

The Governor acquainted the Board that eight Cayuga Indians came to Town on Saturday last from Canasadego, on the Cayuga Branch of Susquehanna, on some Business with this Government, and that he now proposed to hear what they had to say. Whereupon the Board agreed that they should be immediately sent for, and they were accordingly introduced. Their names are as follows, Viz:

[The names are not here inserted.]

The Governor then acquainting them that he was ready to hear them, addressing himself to the Governor, first went through some short usual Ceremonies of clearing the Throat and Heart, and opening the Ears, &c., and then producing a Belt of Wampum, spoke as follows, Viz: That three of their Company, who were present as the nearest surviving Relations of the old Seneca Sohaes, who lived for many Years with his Family and Connections on a Tract of Land within the Manor of Conestogo, in Lancaster County; that the old Man with his Family and Relations were several Years ago Murdered there by some wicked Men belonging to this Government; and that the said Tract of Land, containing about 500 Acres, now became the Property of his three Relations present, one of whom is Sohaes' Brother; that they had come down at this time to see their Brother Onas, and to make Sale of the said Land to him; That the Land is very rich, and worth a great deal of Money, but as their Brother Onas was himself well acquainted with its value, they desired he would purchase it from them for such a price as he thought reasonable, and they would be entirely satis fied. He then delivered the Belt of Wampum to the Governor, and told him that he had finished what he had to say.

The Governor thereupon acquainted the Indians that he and his Council would take their Speech into Consideration, and give them an answer on Thursday morning.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Thursday, 18th May, 1775.

PRESENT:

The Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor.

William Logan,
Benjamin Chew,

Andrew Allen,

Edward Shippen, Junr.,

Esquires.

The eight Cayuga Indians being sent for, attended at the Board in order to receive the Governor's Answer to their Speech on Tuesday last, which the Governor in part delivered to them; but as it appeared to the Board that the Indians did not clearly and fully comprehend his meaning, the Person who undertook to interpret to them not being sufficiently acquainted with their Language, and the Indians expressing great Dissatisfaction on being informed that this Land had already been purchased and paid for, it was agreed that Isaac Still, a Delaware Indian Interpreter, should be immediately sent for, to interpret the Governor's answer to the Indians in Council, on Saturday morning next.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Saturday 20th May, 1775.

The eight Cayuga Indians, by desire of the Governor, again attended the Board, with the Indian Interpreter Isaac Still, and having taken their seats, the Speaker repeated over the speech he had delivered to the Governor on Tuesday last, which was the same in substance as entered on the minutes of that Day, and the Governor returned them his Answer, which was fully explained to them by Isaac Still, and is as follows, Viz:

"BRETHREN: The Tract of Land you mention, consisting of 500 Acres, part of the Conestogo Manor, where old Sohaes dwelt, was included in a purchase long since made from the Indians, notwithstanding which, I agree that Sohaes and his Family had the Proprietaries' permission to live thereon as long as they chose to remain in the inhabited part of the Country. Some time after the Death of Sohaes, and all his Family that resided there in the year 1768, there was a Treaty held at Fort Stanwix, to which I was invited by Sir William Johnson, in order to treat with the Indians, concerning the Purchase of a large Tract of Land, part of which lay in the King's Governments and part in the Province of Pennsylvania; At this Treaty the last great Indian purchase

was made, for which I then paid the Indians ten thousand Dollars. But before the Treaty was finished, Sir William Johnson informed me that the Indians expected to be paid for the 500 acres of Land, part of the Conestogo Manor, where Sohaes dwelt; I accordingly agreed to pay them for it. The Price agreed on was two hundred Pounds, York Money, or five hundred dollars, the Value of which was then delivered in Goods to Togaiaio, the Cayuga Chief, to be distributed as he thought proper, and the Deed I now show you, for the land I bought of the Indians at that Treaty, signed by the Chiefs of the Six Nations, expressly includes this five hundred acres of Land.

"Having, therefore, already purchased the Land twice, it cannot rea sonably be expected that I should pay for it again. However, as you have come from a great Distance, under an Expectation of selling this Land, and perhaps did not receive so great a Proportion of the Goods I delivered at Fort Stanwix, as should have been paid to the Relations of Sohaes, and to show you the Desire I have to preserve Peace and Friendship with the Indians, and that when they pay me a visit they should not go away dissatisfied; I am willing to make you a Present, which I hope you will think a generous one; I, therefore, desire you will accept of these three hundred Dollars.

A Belt.

The Indians, accordingly, very gladly accepted the three hundred Dollars, and signed a Receipt for the same on the back of the Deed executed at Fort Stanwix, expressing it to be in full Satisfaction of all claims of Sohaes' Family to the said five hunded Acres of Land.

William Henry to President Reed, 1780.

Lancaster, July the 3d, 1780.

SIR: In a Letter from Col. Atlee, of the 1st inst., I have the following Paragraph from your Excellency's of the 22d ult.:

"The Deficiencies of Lancaster County in the Taxes is become a most serious Consideration. The Treasurer informs us that only Three Townships have paid off their Fifteen Million Taxes, while the Counties here which have been invaded, distressed and plundered, have paid off their Fifteen Million, their Forty-five, and Three of their Monthly Taxes. Is not this melancholy?" I am sorry Mr. Rittenhouse has not understood my last Letter to him on that Subject, though perhaps the Fault may be my own; be that as it may, the Fact is, that the whole of the First Tax for 1779, except a Balance in the Hands of Three of the Collectors (who are sued) is paid into my Hands; and I have paid at Sundry Times about £163,000 to the Treasurer, and by his Order, &c.; and have Orders of Congress for more than the Amount of the First Tax; at the Time I wrote so the State Treasurer there were but Three Townships who had

made their first Payments on the second Tax for 1779, since which Three other's have made each a small Payment; but there lays an order of the Treasurer in favour of Col. Blaine for 150,000, in the hands of Mr. Slough, 30,000 of which I have discharged. I was obliged to lend Col. Atlee £1,500 to forward the Pennsylvania Volunteers, except which I have not lent or laid out any Monies, either in Trade or otherways, belonging to the publick. I beg leave to observe, that there seems to be more expected from Lancaster County than was in our Power to perform. The Act Levying the second Tax for 1779, was made in November last, and the Laws were not sent up till January. To my knowledge the Commissioners began to lay the Tax by the Act published in the Newspaper, and as they received Instruction from Council which differed from the Method they had pursued, were obliged to Order the Returns to be made over again. The weather then set in so severe that there was no Travelling till April. The Taxes were laid as soon as the Returns could be got in; and the Appeals were held in May and Collectors appointed.

That Philadelphia City and County Taxes are so far forward is no Merit in their Board of Commissioners, as the Snow was not a fourth Part of the Depth there that it was here; besides, there is little difficulty in procuring Assessors, Appraisers and Collectors in Philadelphia City and County, &c., to what there is here where there are few people in many of the Townships but such as are disaffected. I hope, Sir, you will do me the Justice to believe that I have done, and am doing, all that is in my Power to forward the Collecting the Taxes. The large Sums owing by the Quarter Masters and Commissaries of Purchases, &c., will very much lessen the sum of Money expected from the Taxes of this County. I am, with due Respect, Sir, your most humble Servant, WILLIAM HENRY, C. T.

His Excellency Joseph Reed, Esq'r.

On February 1, 1781, Council fixed the rate of Continental money at $75 for one dollar specie, and on May 15, ordered that after June 1 next following only specie or its equivalent should be received for taxes.

William Henry to Pres. Reed, 1781.

Lancaster, Mar. 3d, 1781.

SIR: I think it my Duty to inform you that the Recruiting Service goes on but slowly; the Officers are very indifferent about the Matter and do not receive the Two Dollars allowed them for each Recruit, but give it to the Sergeants. There is none of them have beat up in Town. yet; the Reason is obvious, they want to have large Sums of Money advanced and to be allowed to account for Recruiting Expenses, &c. I have sworn no more than 12 and for several Days not One has been brought notwithstanding the Recruiting for the Classes is over.