burden too great for him, & yrfor desired wold be pleased to bear with his weakness, as being unacquainted with such affairs. Then ye Gor said: Sir, you are their Speaker, & I veriee well approve of their choice, & its all or duties to bear with one another's weaknesses, the best of us all being but inexpert in mainie things relating to those affairs.

Then the Governor addressing himself to the repsentatives said: Gentl, & you Mr Speaker, "You are att this time mett together, not "by virtue of anie writt nor call of mine, but by virtue of a Law "made by yorselves, or by yor repsentatives Last Sessions, & yrfor "I have the Less to say to you. I recomend to yor Consideraon a "Letter which I latelie received from his Excelly Benjn Fletcher, "Gor of Newyork."

Then y Governor desired y Secrie to read his Letter to him, bearing date y 4th of May, 1697, wherin his Excelly tells him yt Last year they sent in 300lb. pennsilvania monie, which was expended in Contingencies to feed & cloathe yr Indians, for which hee Returns thanks in behalf of yt province. Hee farther says: you know what orders I have for applying for assistance, & upon what condions ye govermt was restored to yor proprietor: yor Quota is 80 men, & the charge for one year will amount to 2000lb. & upwards; that there is now 50 men wanting to Compleat the number of forces I design to be att Albanie, of which I do apply to you for 25 men, or a proportionable sum of monie, to ansr other charges wt ye Indians, & of procuring those men; and then ye Governor gave it to Mr Speaker for ye Assemblie's Consideraon.

Cornelius Empson & Samll Richardson, two members of ye house of repsentatives, acquainted ye Governor & Councill yt yr house Requested y Governor to appoint a Comittee of Councill to join a Comittee of y Assembly, to Consider of y° sd Lettr. To whom y° Gorr made ans that hee would.

The Governor appointed Samll Carpenter, phineas pemberton, Caleb pussey, Richard Halliwell, Jno Curtis & Wm. Clark, (being one outt of each County,) a Comittee of Councill to join a Comittee of the Assemblie in y Assemblies room, to Consider of ye sd Lettr at 3 p. m. & to make report to y° Gor & Councill to-morrow morning.

Adjourned to 13th instant, hora 9 A. M.

[13th May, 1697.

Att a Councill Held att philadelphia die Jovis, 13th May, 1697.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, esqr. Governor under Wm. Penn, &c., et ysdem ut supra.

The day before y° Gor having sent for Griffith Jones to appear att Councill, as being Returned a repsentative for Councill for kent Countie, Hee this day appeared, & ye sd declaraon, profession & test being offered to him, Hee refused to be Qualified, Unles hee wer admitted upon y old Charter.

Wm. Clark, Chairman for ye Comittee appointed to Consider of Governor ffletcher's Lettr, made ye following Report in writting, viz: Philadelphia, y 12th of ye 3d mo., 1697. Att a Comittee Consisting of Several members of Councill & Assemblie, appointed to Consider of Governor fletcher demands of a further assistance to yo Governmt of Newyork, May ye 4th, 1697; Having read his Letter, & weightilie considered ye same, wee can do no less than acknowledge his & that government's regard & Candor to us, in applying y 3001b. which hee pleases to mention, sent from this governmt as intended, viz to feed & cloath the distressed Indians. Onlie this wee wold desire, hee might be given further to understand, that ye sd 300lb. was about Six mo's borrowed att Interest, upon y Credit of an act of Assemblie for raising ye same, & is not yet repaid: Therfore, Considering yo Infancie & pvertie of this governmt, which also Lyeth under other considerable debts, Wee do not find wee are capable att psent to raise any more money for yt service, which wee desire or Gor may accordinglie repsent, with or readiness to observe ye king's farther Comands, according to or religious psuasions & abilities. Signed by ordr of y Comittee. WM. CLARKE, Chairman.

Ordered, That the secrie Carrie y sd report to y° house of repsentatives for yr approbation; which hee did. James Fox, one of ye repsentatives for ye assemblie, Returned y° same Indorsed thus, viz: the within report being presented to this House, & read & Considred, was Unanimouslie approved of. Signed by Ordr of yo Assemblie. JOHN BLUNSTON, Speaker.

Adjourned to 2 p. m.

POST MERIDIEM.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia die Jovis, 13th May, 1697, P. M.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, esqr., Governor undr Wm. Penn, &c., et ysdem

ut antea.

The Governor Ordered the Secrie to read ye Law post Anno, 1696, for raising an assessment of One pennie per pound; which hee did. Ordered that the Secrie Call James Fox, Receiver of y° said tax, to appear before y Governor and Council; Who appeared. Ordered that James Fox bring in His accots to this board; which hee did. Then y Governor appointed Samll Carpenter, phineas pemberton, Richard Halliwell, Caleb pussey, John Curtis & Wm. Clark, a Comittee to examine the said Receiver's accots of the sd Tax, & to make Report thereof to this board.

Adjourned to ye 14th instant, hora 10 A. M.

[14th May, 1697.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia die Veneris, 14th May, 1697,

A. M.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, esqr., Governor under Wm. Penn, &c., et ysdem

ut antea.

Wm. Clark, Chairman of ye Committee appointed to examine James Fox, receiver, his accots, & what hee had received of the said tax, made report by an accot in writting, That by his owne accot It appeared that hee had received in all 356£. 11s. 10d, & that severall of ye Collectors had neither brought in the monies they had Received, nor the duplicats of their precincts, nor y° names of the deficients. Ordered that warrants be Issued from ye Governor, Comanding the Sheriff of Bucks Countie to sumons Jno Rowland & Francis White, Collectors of Bucks Countie, And to the Sheriff of the County of Newcastle, to Sumons Richard Reynolds, Tho. Wollaston, Richard Cantwell, & George Harlen, Collectors of the Countie of Newcastle: As also, to the Sheriff of the Countie of philadelphia, to Sumons Jno Carver, peter Taylor, Attwell Wilmerton, Joseph phipps, Nicholas Skull, Richard Townsend, Arnold Castle, John palmer, Joseph knight, Edward Shute, Samll Nicholls & Robert Barrow, Collectors of the Countie of philadelphia, forthwith to appear before the Governor & Council, & to bring with ym the duplicates of y originall assessment for their sd rexive Counties, & the monies they Have received, & the names of y deficients in their respective precincts, Under ye pains & penalties mentioned in the Late Law for raising the said assessment; Which was accordinglie done.

James Fox & Joshua Hoopps, from the House of Repsentatives, Requested the Gor would be pleased to appoint a Comittee of Council to join a Committee of Assembly, to Consider of the amendment of some laws, & the making of some new ones.

Ordered, That Samll Carpenter, Joseph Growdon, Caleb pussey, Richard Halliwell, Jno Curtis & Jno Hill, be a Comitte to join a Comittee of the House of Repsentatives, to Consider as desired; And to make Report to-morrow morning.

Adjourned to 15th instant, Hora 9 A. M.

[15th May, 1697.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia die Sabbatti, A. M. 15th May, 1697.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Governor under Wm. Penn, &c. & all ye members except peter Alriches.

Joseph Growdon, Chairman of the Comittee appointed to join a Comittee of Assemblie, to Consider ut supra, made report to the Gor & Council, That they had proposed severall amendments of some former laws, & some new ones to be made, Which y° members of Comittee for y Council left to ye Repsentatives for the assemblie to he drawn up into Laws.

James Fox & Luke Watson, from the Repsentatives of Assemblie, presente e Gor & Council an accot presented to yr house by

Charles Sandes & Compa, amounting to 231. 4s. 1d., due to & expended by him by order of Tho. Lloyd & Wm. Markham, formerlie Gors, upon the Indians, & desired the Governor & Councill's advice yrupon.

After some debate, & it being found that the sd monie was due to ym for the service of y governmt, It being putt to yo vote whether ye sd accot should be allowed as a publick charge of ye government, It was caried in ye affirmative, nemine contradicente, & returned to y Assembly for yr approbaon.

The petition of severall of ye Inhabitants of y town & Countie of Chester & others, to the Gor & Council, for an ordr for building a bridge over Chester Creek, In or neer Chester-town, being read; As also another paper, Containing several reasons offered agt ye sd petion, signed by several; being read & both debated, And it being by the Governor putt to the vote, whether it's more convenient that the sd petion be considered rather by a grand Comittee of both Houses than by the Gor & Council, Caried in the affirmative, nemine Contradi

cente.

Then the Governr Resolved the Council Into a grand Comitee, to Join a Comittee of ye members of Assemblie, to consider ye sd petion & paper, & to make report to him & Council y 24th instant. Adjourned to 17th instant, Hora 9 A. M.

[17th May, 1697.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia die Lunæ, A. M. 17th May, 1697.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, esq., Governor under Wm. Penn, &c., et ysdem

ut antea.

David Lloyd, Co-exer. with Isaac Norris, of Thomas Lloyd deceased, exhibited to y Gor & Councill a draught of a Law to enable them to sell some parts of ye Real estate of ye sd Tho. Lloyd, for paymt of His debts. After some debate yrupon, & some amendments made yrof, it was Recomended by ye Governor & Council to the house of Repsentatives for y° assemblie.

John keighin, who married Sarah Griscom, the widdow, relict & exrix. of Andrew Griscom, deceased, exhibited to the Gor & Council, a draught of a Law enabling them to sell some parts of the estate of the sd Andrew Griscom, for paymt of his debts. After some debate yrupon, It was recomended to the House of repsentatives for yo Assembly.

Cornelius Empson & Samll Richardson psented to the Governor and Council from the house of Repsentatives, several bills for their

assent.

The petion of the Representatives for the Countie of Sussex for some defence for yt Countie being read, It was ordered to be considered to-morrow, p. m.

Adjourned to 18th instant, hora 9 A. M.

[18th May, 1697.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia die Martis, A. M. 18° May, 1697.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Governor under Wm. penn, et ysdem ut supra, except pet. Alrichs & Jos. Growdon.

James Fox & Samll Richardson, from the assemblie, presented to the Governor & Council another bill for their assent.

The Sheriff of the Countie of Bucks His Return of y° Sumons directed to him being read, Jno Rowland, one of the Collectors of ye sd Countie," appeared & brought in the duplicate of ye rate of his precinct, & declared hee had done no farther, & also declared that rather then he wold demand, collect, or strain for y° sd assessment, hee wold pay the fine in the Law mentioned.

Adjourned to 2 post meridiem.

POST MERIDIEM.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia, p. m.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Gor, et ysdem ut antea, except peter Alrichs.

The Gor did resolve the whole members of Council into a grand Comittee, to meet the whole house of repsentatives for assemblie, to be a grand Comittee of both houses, to examin what monie is brought in according to the Late act, & to Consider what may be necessarie to be done for the speedy paymt of the arrears of yo sd tax, & to report to-morrow morning.

Adjourned to 19th instant, Hora 9, A. M.

[19Mth ay, 1697.

Att a Council Held att philadelphia die Mercury, A. M. yo 19th May, 1697.

PRESENT:

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Governor undr Wm. Penn, &c., et omnibus membris, except peter Alrichs.

William Clark, Chairman of ye Grand Comittee of both Council & Assembly, to whom the matter of the Assessment Laid in 1696, was Comitted to be Considered, made Report in writting, viz: That Having examined y accots, found that divers Collectors have neglected to bring in their duplicats of ye tax they wer rexivelie charged with in yr rexive Counties, & y monies therein rated, And that it being putt to y Question whether it be necessarie to prepair a bill for the better enabling the Justices & Collectors in their rexive Counties to Collect such sums as are in arrear & Unpaid, due by y aforesaid Law, and that the sd Law be reinforced & Continued untill ye same be collected, It was carried in the affirmative. And that it being also putt to ye question, whether it be necessarie that the Go