At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday 24th March, 1772. PRESENT: The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c. The Law having past on Saturday last, for erecting a part of the Counties of Lancaster, Cumberland, Berks, Northampton, and Bedford, in a Separate County, called Northumberland County, and it being judged proper that a General Commission be issued without Delay, appointing Justices of the Peace, &c., in the same, After due Consideration, the following persons were agreed on to be the Justices of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and of the County Court of Common Pleas for the said County of Northumberland, and Commissionated Accordingly, Viz1 : At the same time, the Governor was pleased to appoint William Maclay, Esquire, to the Several Offices following, in the County of Northumberland, by three Separate Commissions, under the Great Seal of the Province, &c., Viz: Prothonotary or Principal Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, Clerk or Register of the Orphans' Court, and Recorder of Deeds. At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Monday 13th April, 1772. PRESENT: The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c. William Logan, Edward Shippen, jun James Tilghman, The Governor laid before the Board the Transcripts of four Records of Conviction, by which it appears that at a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Goal Delivery, held at Chester, for the County of Chester, on the twenty-third day of March last, before William Allen, John Lawrence, and Thomas Willing, Esquires, Justices of the Supream Court and of the said Court of Oyer and Terminer, Patrick Kennedy, Thomas Fryer, Neal McCariher and James Dever, were Respectively Convicted of a Rape, committed on the thirtieth day of November last, upon the Body of a Certain Jane Walker, in the Township of Thornbury, in the said County, and each of them had received Sentence of Death for the same. The said Records being taken into Consideration, and the said Justices having Recommended the three last Mentioned Criminals as Objects of Pity and Compassion, the Governor was pleased to grant them a Reprieve during his Pleasure. And the Judges of the said Court having Reported no favourable Circumstances in behalf of the said Patrick Kennedy, The Governor directed that a Warrant be issued for his Execution on Saturday the 2d day of May next. The reprieve and Warrant were accordingly made out, and dispatched with a letter of Instructions to the Sheriff of Chester County next day. MEMORANDUM, the 15th of April, 1772. Joseph Galloway, Esquire, having acquainted the Governor that he had lately received a Threatning Letter from a person unknown, and requested his Honor to issue a Proclamation offering a Reward of one hundred pounds for apprehending the author of it, and a Pardon to any of his Accomplices who should inform against him, The Governor this day Issued a Proclamation in the words following, Viz1: 1 "By the Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware: “A PROCLAMATION. "WHEREAS, Information hath been made to me, that on the Fourth of this Instant, in the Evening, a Letter was left with Joseph Sellers, Blacksmith, living near the five mile stone on the Road leading from Philadelphia to Chester, by a person in Company with two or three others travelling towards Darby, with request that he would send it to Joseph Galloway, Esquire, of which Letter the Following is a Copy. "Mr. JOSEPH GALLOWAY." "I stand in need of 50 pounds & desire you would not fail to let me have it against the 10 of this month, by leaving it Close behind the 5 Mile Stone between Philadelphia & Darby. I shall pay you in a year with Interest. Sir I shall pay you to a day. N. B. If you dont leave it you shall sorely repent it in a few days and wish you had left it; you shall be sure of it again. From a "CHESTER COUNTY MAN. April 2, 1772." "Directed to Mr. JOSEPH GALLOWAY, Esq" These. "AND WHEREAS, Public Justice requires that such Dangerous Practices should be discouraged, and that the author of the Said Letter and his accomplices should be discovered and brought to condign Punishment, I have thought fit, with the advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, hereby offering a Reward of one hundred pounds to any person or persons who shall make known the writer of the said Letter, and any of his accomplices, so that they be Convicted thereof; And for the better discovering the Principal Offender, I do hereby promise a Pardon to any one of the Persons concerned with him who shall inform against him, so that he be prosecuted to Conviction. "Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the said Province, at Philadelphia, the fifteenth day of April, in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-two, and in the twelfth year of his Majesty's Reign. "By his Honor's Command. "JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun" Secretary. "RICHARD PENN. "GOD SAVE THE KING." At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Monday the 27th of April, 1772. PRESENT: The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c2 Richard Peters, Edward Shippen, Junior, James Tilghman, Esquires. It being judged necessary to make some additions & alterations in the Commission of the Peace for Philadelphia County, after due Consideration, a List of Persons was prepared at the Table, including such as were thought proper to be continued, as well as several others proposed and Recommended as fit and qualified to execute the Duty of Magistrates, who were approved of and agreed on to be the Justices of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and of the County Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, and a General Commission was issued accordingly, Viz1: It was also agreed, that the three following Gentlemen be continued Justices of the Peace and Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, by three Special Commissions, in order to accommodate them in their offices of Notary Public, by enabling them to take the acknowledgments of Deeds, &c, Viz': James Humphreys, The Governor also directed the Secretary to make out a Commission of Notary and Tabellion Public for Mr. John Ord, and a Special Commission appointing him a Justice of the Peace and Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, in order to enable him to take the acknowledgments of Deeds. The Governor laid before the Board a Return and Draught of a Road from the Southermost line of the land Belonging to the Estate of William Masters, deceased, to the old Germantown Road, laid out, surveyed and Returned into the Provincial Secretary's Office, pursuant to an Order of Council of the 16th of November last, and there appearing no objection to the said Road as laid out, The Board on due Consideration thereof, are of opinion that the same ought to be confirmed, and the said Road is accordingly by the Board adjudged to be forever hereafter a Public Road or King's Highway. It is therefore ordered, that the Supervisors of the Highways for the township of the Northern Liberties, do with all Convenient speed, cause the same to be cleared and opened of the Breadth of Sixty feet, according to the course set forth in the said Return, which follows in these words, Viz": "To the Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esq'r., Lieutenant Govnor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and to the Hon'rble Council : "Pursuant to the anexed Order of the President and Council of the said Province, We, the Subscribers, do hereby Report and Certify that we have Carefully viewed and examined the Ground be tween the Southermost line of the Land belonging to the Estate of William Masters, deceased, where the Old Public Road leading from the North end of Fourth Street terminates and the Germantown road; and being of opinion that a road Extended from thence in a strait line to Germantown Road, will be of Great Utility and Convenience to the Public, have accordingly laid out the same: Begining at the end of the said old Road, and thence extending through the said Land in one direct Course, North thirteen degrees and an half, east one hundred and Seventy perches and eight-tenths of a Perch to the Germantown Road, a draught of the Survey whereof is hereunto annexed; And we conceive that, if the said Road be opened accordingly and Confirmed as a King's Highway, it will be attended with less Expence and more Convenience to the Public, as well as greater benefit to the owner of the Ground thro' which it passes, than if laid out and opened in any other manner. "Witness our hands, the 13th day of April, 1772. "EDWD. DUFFIELD, "LUKE MORRIS, "JOS. HOX, "JACOB LEWIS, "JONA. EVANS." MEMORANDUM. The 4th of May, 1772. The Governor was this day pleased to appoint Samuel Powell and Henry Hill, Esquires, Justices of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and of the County Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia, by two Special Commis sions. 19th May, 1772. Upon the Recommendation of the Justices of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the County of Northumberland, in favor of William McClay, Esquire, The Governor was this day pleased to issue a Commission appointing the said William McClay Clerk of the Peace and of the Court of General quarter Sessions of the Peace for the said County.. MEMORANDUM. The 19th June, 1772. Isaac Hicks, Esquire, having been Recommended by the Justices of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the |