into a Law, and with the following Amendments made to the second, Viz:

Page 14, Penult Line. dele the Words [the Assembly appoints another], and insert the Words [another shall be appointed by Act of General Assembly].

Page 16, Line 9. After the Word [Act] add the Words [and shall take the like Oath or Affirmation as their principal is hereby directed to take previous to their entering on the Execution of their said Offices].

A Committee of Assembly waited on the Governor and presented him the following Message, Viz:

A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.

"May it please your honour:

"The House have considered your Message of the 20th Instant, and beg leave to inform your Honor that they do not think it expedient at this time to repair the Barracks in the Northern Liberties, or to provide Furniture or Utensils for the same.

"Signed by Order of the House,

"E. BIDDLE, Speaker.

"December 23d, 1774."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Saturday 24th December, 1774.

The Governor laid before the Board two Bills sent up by the Assembly for his Concurrence, entituled

"An Act for the relief of John Burrows and William Walters, languishing Prisoners in the Gaols of Philadelphia and Bucks counties, with respect to the Imprisonment of their Persons;" And

"An Act for the relief of Henry William Stiegal, a languishingPrisoner in the Gaol of Philadelphia County, with respect to the Imprisonment of his Person."

Which were read and considered, and one and the same Amendment being made to both of them, they were immediately returned to the House with the Amendment, which is as follows, Viz":

VOL. X.-15.

In the first Bill, Page 13, Penult Line after the Word [sufficient], and in the second Bill, Page 12, Line 6, after the word [assigned] insert the Words [nor for any Debt due to any distant or absent Creditor, to whom Notice shall not have been given pursuant to the Direction of this Act].

The Governor also laid before the Board the Bill for preventing Frauds and Abuses in the packing and preserving of Shad and Herring for Exportation, with the following Answer from the Assembly to the Governor's Amendments, Viz':

1st Amendment.-The House dissent to the said amendment, and propose in lieu thereof, as follows: Page 14, penult-Line, dele the Words [The Assembly appoints another,] and insert the Words [The end of the next sitting of Assembly, and no longer.] 2d Amendment.-The House agreed to.

Which being considered, and the proposal of the House agreed to, the Secretary was directed to return the Bill to the House with a Verbal Message that the Governor agrees to pass the same into a Law, with the alteration proposed by the House in lieu of the Governor's first Amendment.

A Committee of Assembly, immediately after the return of the Bill, waited on the Governor with a Message, requesting His Honor would appoint a Time for passing the Bills which had been agreed to, and acquainted him that the House proposed to adjourn to the 20th of February next; to which His Honor replied that he would be ready in the Council Chamber at 2 o'clock to pass the Bills, and had no objection to their proposed Time of Adjournment.

Eodem die, Council Chamber, 2 o'clock, P. M.

The Governor having sent a Message to the Assembly by the Secretary, requiring their attendance, the whole House attended accordingly, and the Speaker presented to the Governor the five following Bills, which His Honor enacted into Laws, and signed a Warrant for affixing the Great Seal to them. The Laws were afterwards sealed and deposited in the Rolls Office, and are entituled as follow, Viz:

"An Act for erecting the North West part of Bucks into a Separate County."

"An Act to suppress the disorderly practice of Firing Guns, &ca., on the Times therein mentioned."

"A Supplement to the Act entituled An Act for emitting the Sum of one hundred and fifty thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit on loan, and providing a Fund for the payment of Public Debts."

"An Act to prevent Frauds in the packing and preserving of Shad and Herring for Exportation.'

"An Act for the relief of John Burrows, a languishing Prisoner in the Gaol of Philadelphia County; and William Waters, a languishing Prisoner in the Gaol of Bucks County, with respect to the imprisonment of their Persons."

"An Act for the relief of Henry William Stiegel, a languishing Prisoner in the Gaol of Lancaster County, with respect to the imprisonment of his Person."

Before the House withdrew, the Speaker, on behalf of the House, presented the Governor an Order on the Provincial Treasurer for the Sum of £ towards his Support, for which His Honor returned the House his Thanks.

4

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Wednesday 25th January, 1775.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor.

William Logan,

Benjamin Chew,

James Tilghman,

Andrew Allen,

Edward Shippen, jun Esquires.

The Governor laid before the Board two Papers, delivered to him by Captain St. Clair, which were read, and are as follow, Viz':

"Westmoreland, ss:

"Before us, Robert Hanna and Arthur St. Clair, Esquires, two of His Majesty's Justices for Westmoreland County, personally appeared Samuel Whiteside, keeper of the Gaol of the said County, and being duly sworn according to Law, deposeth and saith that on this Instant, twenty-fourth of December, a number of armed Men came to the Gaol of the said County, and ordered him to open the Prison Doors, and turn out a certain William Thomas, then in his Custody on sundry Executions; that he believes a certain William Christy and Simon Girty, who seemed to be Officers from their Dress, were at the Head of their Party; That he, this Deponent, refused to deliver his Prisoner, or open the Door where he was confined; that they then talked of throwing down the House, when a certain Major Conolly came up, enquired who resisted the releasement of the Prisoners, threatened to tie and carry off him; this Deponent ordered the Party to fire their Pieces against the House, and strip off the Roof, on which he, (this Deponent,) being afraid of ill Consequences, both to his Person and Property, did open the Door to allow the Prisoner to speak to the Party, and one of them rushed in, seized him, and dragged him out, and also turned out a certain William Dawson, who was likewise in his

Custody on Execution, and that it was Conolly himself who laid Hands on Thomas and dragged him out; and further saith not. "SAMUEL WHITESITT. "Sworn and Subscribed, December 24th, 1774, before us. "ROBERT HANNA, "AR ST. CLAIR."

"WHEREAS, I am well informed that certain Persons, by written Instructions, directed to different People through this Country, under the denomination of Collectors, are apparently authorized to break open Doors, Cupboards, &c, and to commit sundry other acts of Violence in order to extort Money from the Inhabitants, under the Appellation of Taxes; These are, therefore, to acquaint all His Majesty's Subjects, that as there can be no Authority legally invested in any Persons for such Acts at this Juncture, that such Attempts to abuse public Liberty are unwarrantable, and that all Persons have an undoubted natural, as well as lawful Right, to repel such Violence; and all His Majesty's Subjects are hereby required to apprehend any Person, whatever, who may attempt a seizure of their Effects in Consequence of such imaginary Authority, to be dealt with as the Law directs.

"Given under my Hand, at Fort Dunmore, this 30th Day of December, 1774.

"JOHN CONNOLLY."

Captain St Clair appearing at the Board and representing that William Crawford, Esquire, President of the Court in Westmoreland County, hath lately joined with the Government of Virginia, in opposing the Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania in that County, the Board advised the Governor to supercede him in his Offices as Justice of the Peace and common Pleas. A Supersedeas was accordingly ordered to be issued.

The Chief Justice having recommended to the Governor, as an Object of Mercy, a certain William Thomas, who was convicted of Burglarly, at a Court of Oyer and Terminer, held the 19th of November last, at Reading, for the County of Berks, the Board advised the Governor to grant him a Pardon, which the Secretary was accordingly directed to make out.

All Endeavors hitherto used for the apprehending the Person who shot and murdered Edward Carey, late of the Northern Liberties, on the 25th of December last, on the Germantown Road, having proved ineffectual, it was the unanimous Opinion of the Board that it would be advisable for the Governor to issue a Proclamation offering a public Reward of one hundred Pounds for apprehending him. The Governor thereupon directed the Secretary to prepare a Draught of a Proclamation for that purpose, in order to be published in the next papers.

January 27th, 1775.

A Proclamation being prepared by the Secretary, agreeable to an Order of Council of the 25th Instant, and now approved, was this day issued by the Governor, and ordered to be published in the several News Papers, and the same is as follows, Viz':

"By the Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware.

"A PROCLAMATION.

"WHEREAS, it appears by an Inquest lately taken before the Coroner for the City and County of Philadelphia, that on the twenty-fifth day of December last, about eight o'clock in the Evening, a certain Edward Carey, late of the Northern Liberties, was inhumanly shot, and murdered in his Waggon on the Germantown Road, within three Miles of this City, by some Person unknown: And Whereas, all Endeavours hitherto used for the discovering the Murderer have proved ineffectual, and it is of the utmost importance to the safety and well being of His Majesty's Liege Subjects, that the Authors of such atrocious Crimes should be detected and brought to condign and exemplary punishment, I have, therefore, thought fit, with the Advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, hereby strictly enjoining and requiring all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, Constables, and other Officers, as well as all other His Majesty's liege Subjects within this Province, to make diligent search and enquiry after the Author and Perpetrator of the said Murder. And as an Encourgement for the discovering and bringing the Offender to Justice, I do hereby promise and engage that the public Reward of one hundred Pounds shall be paid to any Person or Persons who shall discover, apprehend, and secure him, so that he be prosecuted to Conviction, according to Law.

"Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the said Province at Philadelphia, the twenty seventh day of January, in the fif teenth Year of His Majesty's Reign, and in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

"By His Honour's Command.

"JOSEPH SHIPPEN, J Secretary.

"JOHN PENN

"GOD SAVE THE KING."