tituled "An Act for preventing Tumults and Riotous Assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual Punishing the Rioters;" which the Governor took into his immediate Consideration, and having approved thereof, he went directly to Mr. Charles Norris's House, where the Assembly were sitting, on account of the Speaker's indisposition, and returned the said Bill to the House by the Secretary, with a verbal Message, that his Honour agreed to it, & was waiting there ready to pass it into a Law. The Governor then, by the desire of the Speaker, entered the room where the House sat, & the Speaker presented the Bill entituled "An Act for preventing Tumults and Riotous Assemblies, &c" which His Honour enacted into a Law, and by his Warrant ordered the Great Seal to be affixed thereto. At a Council held at Philadelphia on Saturday the 4th Febr 1764. PRESENT: The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca. William Logan, Richard Penn, Benjamin Chew, The Commissioners acquainted the Governor that they had received Intelligence by a Letter from Lancaster County, & from Mr. Waine, a Member of Assembly, that a very considerable number of the people living on the Frontiers of that & other Counties, were actually assembling themselves with an intention of coming to this City to put to death all the Indians in the Barracks under the protection of this Government; & that to-morrow Morning was the time fixed on for the execution of their unlawful design. The Governor thereupon desired the opinion of the Council as to the best measures to be taken on this occasion. They advised him to give written Instructions to Captain Schlosser to defend the Indians to the utmost of his power, by opposing, with the Detachment of the King's Troops under his Command, any attempts to destroy them, the riot Act being first read by a proper Civil Officer. To order Notice to be sent to all the Inhabitants of the Town to meet the Governor at the State House this afternoon at 4 o'Clock, to acquaint them there of the present Danger that threatned the Publick Peace, to desire they would immediately take Arms and put themselves under his Command in defence of the Government, and in Support of the Laws. To propose that 150 of the Gentlemen of the Town should assist the Soldiers in guarding the Barracks this night, and request that hereafter, upon any Alarm made by the ringing of the Bells, the Inhabitants would turn out with their Arms and repair to the Barracks; or, if the Town should be attacked, that they would meet at the Court House, & defend the City. It was recommended to the Commissioners, to purchase a quantity of Arms and Ammunition to be sent to the Barracks, & to employ a number of Carpenters to erect some works at the Barracks to make them more defensible, & to send 4 of the Cannon there from the State House, with the proper Artillery Stores. Spies were dispatched up the different roads to observe the motions of the Rioters, & to bring intelligence of their Approach. The Governor laid before the Board a draught of a Message he proposed to send to the Assembly, which was read and approved, & the Secretary was ordered to carry it to the House as soon as they should meet next Week. The Message follows in these words: A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. "Gentlemen: "I am sorry to inform you, that the same Spirit & frantic Rage, which actuated those who lately put to death the Indians in Lancaster County, Still prevails among them, & that, instead of having any Remorse for, or in the least dreading the bad Consequences of their Conduct, I have just reason to believe they are daily strengthening their Party, and adding greatly to their numbers, and threaten to come down armed in a body, and repeat the same Acts of cruelty on the Indians in the Barracks in the Northern Liberties of this City, determined to spare none who oppose the Execution of their wicked designs. They have already given abundant Proof, that neither Religion, Humanity, or Laws, are objects of their consideration, or of sufficient Weight to restrain them, & in our present weak and defenceless State, no one can answer a Moment for the Security of the Government itself, or any individual in it; there is still less reason to expect, if they should attempt to put their Threats in execution, and their numbers are half so great as it is reported, that the Soldiery, who are ordered to guard the Indians, will be able to afford them protection. It is further to be considered, that it will not be long before the Guard, which General Gage has kindly sent to support the civil Power, will be necessarily ordered on Duty elsewhere, and be employed against our open Enemies. "The Government must then at least depend solely on the Exertion of its own Force and Powers, not only to defend the Indians, but to support itself and curb the violence of this licentious sett of people. In this critical situation, therefore, Gentlemen, think it my Duty to His Majesty, & to the good people of this Province, most earnestly to recommend to you to frame a Militia Law, in a manner as little Burthensome to the Inhabitants as pos- ble, as the only natural and effectual means of preserving the publick Tran quility, and enabling the civil power to enforce the Laws and vindicate the Honour of the Government. "February 4th, 1764." "JOHN PENN. Friday, 10th February, 1764. The Governor's Message of the 4th Instant was carried to the House of Assembly by the Secretary this forenoon, a Quorum not baving met this week till last Night, on account of the alarm in the City occasioned by the Approach of an Armed body of Rioters. Saturday, 11th February, 1764. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor with the following Message from the Ilouse: A Message to the Governor from the Assembly. May it please your Honour : "Your Honour's Message of the 4th Instant we received Yesterday, and as we are of opinion that it contains matters of the utmost importance to the Welfare of this Province, we shall take the same into our most serious Consideration, & as soon as possible acquaint you with the Result; and notwithstanding the Rioters upon their approach near this City, and a discovery of the spirited Resolutions of the Citizens to oppose their barbarous and illegal designs, are dispersed, your Honour may be assured that nothing in our power consistent with the Trust reposed in us, shall be wanting for the security of the Government, & the protection of the Inhabitants, against the future violences of such licentious People who disturb the publick Tranquility, and trample on all Laws divine and human. "Signed by Order of the House, "February 11th, 1764." ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. At a Council held at Philadelphia on Tuesday the 14th February, 1764. PRESENT: The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieut Governor, &ca. Benjamin Shoemaker, William Logan, Richard Pena, Richard Peters, Thomas Cadwalader, Esq } The Governor laid before the Board a Memorial from the Reverend John Jacob Schmick, Missionary among the Indians, which was read and is as follows, viz" : "Memorial of several Discources, which John Jacob Schmick, Missionary among the Indians, hath lately had with Pompunagh and several others of the Indians now in the Philadelphia Barracks, under the protection of this Government, vizt: "That the said Pompunagh & Comp were lately favoured with a Message from this Government to the five Nations, and to the friends of the Indians that were killed in Lancaster county, and as the said Messe for reasons well known to the Governor, has not been forwarded, the said Pompanagh desires to have an opportunity to let his Honour, the Gov know, "That at his, the said Pompunagh's, leaving the Indian Country some of his friends apprehended that he and his Company would be killed by the White People: That he promised the Indians he would soon let them know how he and the other Indians among the English did: That there is now about days past since his leaving the Indian Country and no words sent to them: That this delay cannot fail to create Suspicion in the Indians, as if Pompunagh and his Company were cutt off; Besides that the destroying of the Indians in Lancaster County is already, or soon will be, known by the Indians, some of the White People being ill natured enough to go and tell the Indians such Stories as will draw their Resentment upon the English, and if even that was not done, the Indians might perhaps catch a few of the back Inhabitants, and force them to tell what is the matter with the Indians that were of late among the English; That if the Indians on Susquehanna, should by any such means come to the Knowledge of the Lancaster affair, and if they should hear and believe that all the Indians now under the protection of the Government of Pennsylvania were actually destroyed by those who have often threatened to do it, the said Pompunagh doth apprehend the Indians would be very angry, and fall upon the back Inhabitants, which they could not well have done before now, as having been hindered by the deep Snow on the other side of the Mountain; but as good deal of Snow is already melted away, and if we should have some more thaw, the road would soon be fit for them to come down upon the Inhabitants. "Therefore, the said Pompunagh thinks it is high time that he or some other Indians, in whom the Governor can place confidence, should go up to the Susquehanna Indians and tell them-1. That the murder committed on the Lancaster Indians was done and countenanced by some People that are ill affected to the Government, & that the Governor had issued two several Proclamations to the effect that these murtherers might be discovered, apprehended, and brought to Justice. 2. That the rest of the Indians were under the particular care and protection of this Government, all in good health and safety; that they had a strong Guard of the King's Troops given them by the General, to defend them against all Insults whatsoever. "That the said Pompunagh offers his Service to the Government to go out for this purpose; That he will leave his Wife here, and the other Indians who came down with him; That he thinks he has some Influence with the Indians, & that they will believe what he says; That he will recommend to them the tenderness of the Governor and the great men of this Province towards the poor Indians, in respect to their maintenance & Protection, &ca. "That a Chief of the Nanticoes is at present residing on Susquehanna, who is deputised by the five Nations, and is a great Counsellor among them; That Pompunagh intends to go and see him, by whose means he thinks that the Sentiments of this Government in respect to the Lancaster affair, can be properly conveyed to the five Nations, and also the minds of the other Indians made easy; That he promises himself a good Effect from this Journey, so that the Indians shall not resent the Lancaster affair upon the Inhabitants of Pennsylva, as he intends to argue with them, the said Indians, that if they should take their own Revenge, they would be no ways further intituled to any Satisfaction which the Governor otherwise had engaged to procure to them by the Course of the Law; Beside that, the white people would be so much more incensed against the remains of the Indians among them, that it might be out of the power of Government to protect them any longer. "Philad Febr. 3rd, 1764." "JOHN JACOB SCHMICK. The said Memorial being taken into Consideration, it was proposed by some of the Members that a Message should be sent with Papounan, to the Indians on the Susquehanna; But the Governor observed that the Indians at Wighalousin lately had a Message delivered to them, inviting them down here, which was never sent by the Government, but by some private people, who took every opportunity in their power to interfere & meddle in Indian Affairs, and to counteract the public Measures, by |