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, extituled "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. £. s. d. To William Allen, Esquire, Chief Justice of the Province, 200 0 0 Te John Lawrence, Esquire, one of the Judges of the Supream Court, 150 0 0 To Thomas Willing, Esquire, Do., 150 0 0 75 0 0 11 0 0 To Andrew Allen, Esquire, Attorney General, - To ditto, for Warrants, Certificates, Proclamations, To Joseph Fox, Esq his Salary as Barrack Master, 2 caster County, 1 10 0 10 0 0 11 0 0 10 10 0 9 10 0 225 0 30 0 0 15 18 10 3 14 71 60 0 0 20 0 0 To Abel Evans, for his Services as Assistant Clerk, 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 house Clock, To Mess Hall and Sellers, for printing Laws, Proc- To ditto, for his acc1 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, To ditto for disbursements, &c., for Indians, from 11 To ditto, as Doorkeeper to the Council, To Michael Coon, for Sawing Wood for State IIouse, 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 300 23 0 0 233 10 6 7 8 11 69 14 0 7 4 4 17 4 30 0 0 16 0 0 809 18 7 4 10 0 0 4 15 0 300 25 5 6 18 3 0 150 0 0 - 100 0 0 - 1 0 0 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, Edward Shippen, jun' James Tilghman, Esquires. 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, 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, Edward Shippen, jun 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: "Sir: "It is with the most poignant Concern that I acquaint you, that on Monday the 31st day of August last, it pleased the Almighty to visit this, and all the other Islands of my Governments, with a Huricane more violent and dreadful than perhaps ever before happened in the Memory of man, and unparralled (I believe) in its Effects by any Recorded in the annals of History. The scene of Ruin and Desolation which this Event has laid, as well over the Face of the Country as in all our Roads and Harbours, where most if not all the shipping has perished, cannot be described to you; but the terrors of the storm are Scarcely Superior to the Misery of its Consequences, and among the other dreadful Shapes in which these have already appeared, is the Malencholy Prospect of an Approaching Famine, unless this Terrible disaster is averted by the early arrival of Provisions from the Continent of America. The Legislature of this Island have come to the Resolution of dispatching Vessels Immediately to the Neighbouring Collonies from whence such Succour may be expected, and it is upon this account, Sir, that I trouble you at Present, as I persuade myself that you will not only very Sincerely simpathize in our distress, but will Contribute your best Assistance to relieve it, by making our Necessities Known throughout your Government, and by promoting a Commerce with us at this time, which is Immediately and indispensably essential to our very Existance. "It will be a very alleviating Circumstance to my Concern, while I Contemplate the Calamitous state of my own Government, to hear that the unparalleled ferocity of the late Tempest in the Leeward Islands, has not extended so far Northward as Philadelphia; but that your Government, Sir, with the rest of his Majesty's American Collonies, has been preserved from the Desolating Hand of a Destiny, whose Vengeance will long Continue to be felt and deplored, when its immediate Terrors are past away and buried in Obli vion. "I hope you will forgive this Trouble, and be perswaded of the very sincere Pleasure which I shall enjoy in Co-operating with you, Sir, at all Seasons and upon all Occasions, for the Service of our most Excellent Sovereign, as well as in testifying to you by every Opportunity, the very high esteem and Respect with which I have the honor to be, "Sir, your very faithful and most Antigua, September 14th, 1772." The Board taking the said Letter into Consideration, were of opinion that the request therein Contained should be Complyed with without the least delay, by notifying to the Publick by a Proclamation the distressed Situation of his Majesty's Subjects in the |