The Returne of Chester was Read; the persons Returned were: JOHN SYMCOCK, to serve in Councill ye 3 Years next Ensuing. FRANCIS HARRISON, to serve in Councill in Room of Wm. Wood Deceased.

They were both attested and Subscribed thereunto, then took their places in Councill.

The Returne from Bucks County was Read: y° persons Returned

were:

ARTHUR COOK, to serve for a member of Councill for yR three next Ensuing Years.

Robert Turner Came in to ye Councill, was attested and Subscribed thereunto, and took his place at ye board.

Arthur Cook Came in, was attested and subscribed, and took his place at ye board.

The Councill appointed a Comittee to Inspect y° Laws and Receive Complaints, and Report y° same to ye Councill, Vizt: being one of Each County:

Robt Turner,

John Cann,

COMITTEE:

Phi. Pemberton,
Wm. frampton,

John Symcock,
Wm. Clark.

The Board understanding by the Respective members of Severall Counties, that severall appeals were granted from their County Court to y next Provll Court at Philadelphia, Upon Which y Councill did according to Law, nominate three persons, Viz: Arth. Cook, Wm. Clark & John Cann, to be Comissionated Provll Judges, and Ordered the Comission to be forthwith Drawn.

Adjourned till three in y° afternoon.

POST MERIDIEM.

The Comission from y Govr to y Provll Councill, Impowring them to act in his Stead, with ye Memorendum on the back side therof, was Read

Saml Hersen, High Sheriff of Philadelphia, was sent for by the Councill to Come forthwith before them, and to bring with him his Comission. He Came, but Excused himselfe for not bringing his Comission, telling the Presidt and Councill yt ye Chest wherein yo Com'n was, was Lock'd up in a Roome, and ye man yt had yo Key was out of Towne.

The Councill Ordered him to bring it to-morrow morning.

A Letter from John Brinkloe was read, Requesting to be Dismissed from his Office as Clerk of Kent County.

Ordered y' Wm. Berry be Commissionated in his Roome, and y his Commission be forthwith Drawne.

Adjourned till Eight to-morrow Morning.

At a Meeting of the Councill in ye Councill Room at Philadelphia y 1st day of ye 2d Mo., 1686.

According to an Order yesterday, Sam" Hersent Came before y Councill, and brought with him his Commission for high Sheriff of y' County of Philadelphia, wch was dated ye 23d of ye 8th month, 1684, and was made to Stand in force for One whole year, or till further Order; he was Ordered to withdraw, and then ye Presid' putt it to ye Vote whether Sam" Hersent should be authorized to execute the Office of High Sherriff untill further Order. It was Carried in y Affirmative; the Order Subscribed on ye Old Commission and ye Seal put to it, ye wch is Recorded.

The Commission formerly granted to Sam" Hersent, bearing date ye 15th 11th Mo., 1685-6, Impowring him to be Atturney for ye County of Philadelphia, to prosecute all offenders that break ye penall Statues of this Province, was Read. It was put to ye Vote whether a Sheriff should be an atturney in the same Court he is Sheriff: was Carried in yo Negative, Nemine Contradicente, with an Order thereunto to be made.

Ordered by the Councill, y' no Clark of any Court within this Province and Territories should be allowed to plead 'as an atturney any Cause in yt Court he is Clark off.

Itt was put to ye Vote whether there should be an Order of Councill That there should be tenn days Respite between Judgment and Grant of Execution in all Civill Causes between man & man, In all Courts within this Province and territorys, it was Carried in yo

Affirmative. The Makeing the order was referred to y° next sitting of Councill.

Adjourned

till Seven to morrow Morning.

At a Meeting of the Councill in the Councill Roome the 2d day of y 2d Mo., 1686.

The last minute of yesterday's Councill was Read, about Respiting Execution after Judgmt, and there upon was ordered yt there should be tenn days Respite between Judgmt. given in ye County Courts within this Province and Territoryes in all Civill Causes, and signing the Execution thereoff, and that in the Provll Court no Execution shall be served untill Eight days after Judgmt given.

John Roades being Sick Requested leave of this board to withdraw, wch was granted.

Several Bills to be past into Law were Read three times this day and passed, And Ordered they should be promulgated, wch were as followeth, Verbatim :

The President and freemen in Provll Councill Mett, at Philadelphia, the thirtyeth day of ye first Month, One Thousand six hundred Eighty Six, have prepared to be published according to Charter, these following Bills, for the notice and Concurrance of the freemen in Assembly to meet the Tenth day of y° next Third month, in ye Towne of Philadelphia, in the form and Style of Laws, then and there to be Confirmed, amended or rejected, as the Genall Assembly shall in their Wisdome See meet:

1. Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that these following Chapters and paragraphs be additionall Laws of ye said Province & Territorys thereunto annexed, that is to say; all those Laws made at Chester by y Assembly, in y 10th Month, 1682, and at Philadelphia in y° first Month, 1683, and at y° same place in the 8th month, 1683, and at New Castle in y° 3d month, 1684, and at Philadelphia y' 3d Month 1685, shall and are hereby Continued to Stand and be in full force and Vertue untill ye End of the first Session of y° next Generall Assembly, and afterwards untill the Publication of Other Laws to be past in the next Genall Assembly, be had, made and done, Except such Laws, or part of Laws, as are by any of y° following Laws Explained, Varied or added unto, and that these Bills Ratisfyed by the Genall Assembly, shall Continue in force untill y publication of Laws in the next Generall Assembly following.

2. Bee it Enacted by y° Authoritye aforesaid, that Every Offender Legally Convicted and fined for the breach of any penall Law, shall forthwith pay his or their fine or penalty, or give security Speedily to doe it; but in Case it be not paid, or secured to be payd, as above

sayd, that then ye Court or Justice who Imposed the fine, shall forthwith, by Warrant directed to ye Sheriff or Constable of ye respective place, cause the same with Costs that shall arrise thereupon, to be Levyed on ye Goods or Chattells of y party offending, by distress and Sale, rendring the overpluss to the party; but if noe goods Can be found to satisfye such fines that then the Sheriff or Constable shall take and Secure the body of such person til satisfaction be made, and yt ye Sheriff or Constable soe Collecting the said fines, shall make returne to the next County Court, or such Officer as the Govr and Provll Councill shall appoint, to ye End such fines may be distributed according to Law.

3. Whereas y Law for Deffraying the respective Charge of Each County, Authorise ye County Court to Assess in Open Court ye necessary Charge of ye same, It is Enacted by y Authority aforesaid, yt the said Courts are hereby further Impowered to grant their warrt upon non payment for ye Levying of ye said Assessments by distress and Sale of Goods, rendering ye overpluss to the Owners.

4. Whereas al Charters, Gifts, Grants and Conveyances of Land & all Bills, Bonds, & other writings, wch by y 44 Chapter of Laws made at Upland, were required to be Registered or Inrolled in y° publiq Inrollemt Office, according to the Mannor, & within ye time there prescribed, under ye penalty of being Voyd in Law, yet notwithstanding, were not brought to ye Inrollmt Office to be accordingly recorded; Now for ye satisfaction of severall purchasers of Lands and Inhabitants within this Provinceand Territories, who, some of them being under a mistake concerning ye Intent of ye said Law, Others under Considerable Incumbrances and a sort of Inconsiderateness upon their begann Settlement, have neglected and lapsed ye time, to the manifest hazard & making Void such respective Instruments or writings.

It is hereby Enacted and Declared, by the president and Provll Councill, with ye freemen, in Assembly mett, that all such Charters, Gifts, Grants, & Conveyances of Land, and all such Bills, Bonds, Spetialty's tho' they were not Legally Recorded, that they are hereby reputed, and shall be deemed and Stand authentique in Law, and are Indemnified hereby; provided that all such Charters, Gifts, Grants, & Conveyances of Land wch are or shall be, or Come into this Province & Territories, shall be brought to be Registred in the Respective Inrollment Office for this Province and Territories, within six months after the five and twentieth day of y° next Third Month, otherwise such Charters, Gifts, Grants & Conveyances of Land to be Voyd in Law, any thing in ye said 44 Chapter of Laws for the making Null such Writings & Instruments to ye Contrary notwithstanding.

For the a Voyding of to frequent Clamours and manifest Inconveniences wch usually attend mercenary pleadings in Civill Causes, it is Enacted by y authority aforesaid, that noe persons shall plead in any Civill Causes of another, in any Court whatsoever within this Province and Territories, before he be Solemnlye attested in open Court, thas he neither directly or Indirectly hath in any wise taken

or received, or will take or receive to his use or benefit, any reward whatsoever for his soe pleading, under y penalty of 5lb. if the Contrary be made appear.

The President adjourned yo Councill till further Ordr.

At a Meeting of ye Councill at the Councill Roome in Philadelphia ye 3d of y 2d Mo., 1686.

Ordered that Commissions be drawne for such Counties whose Comissions of y Peace are expired or upon Expiring.

Edwd. Green, one of ye Councill, complayneth against Wm. Philips for not performing his part according to Order of Councill, yo 28th 7th Mo., 1685, The Councill did this day order that y° Difference Depending between Edwd. Green and Wm. Philips should be heard before Peter Alrichs and John Cann, and that they should report the same to the Councill.

Report being made by ye Members of Bucks County, That Richd. Ridgway is a fitt person for ye Keeping an Ordinary in yt County, a Lycence was Ordered accordingly.

Ordered yt John Barnes be sent for to appear the next sitting of Councill, and give reasons for his absence, or suffer fine.

The Presidt adjourned y Councill till 9th Inst.

At a Meeting of the Councill in ye Councill Roome, The 9th of y 2d Mo., 1686.

PRESENT:

WM. CLARK, President, Chosen by y Councill.

Arth. Cook,

Edwd Green,

John Barnes,

John Cann,

Wm. Markham, Sec.

After y members of Councill were sett, the comission from y° Govr Impowring them to choose one from amongst themselves in the absence of Tho. Lloyd, to be their Presidt, was read, and they unanimously chose Wm. Clark.

The Petition of Widow Hilliard and John Hilliard, junr, against Griffith Jones, was read, setting forth yt the sd Griff. Jones having obtained an Execution agt yo Estate of John Hilliard, Deceased, would not Execute y same on no other part of y° sd John Hilliard Estates then the Plantation on wch shee, ye Widow of ye sd Hilliard, and her children lives on, tho' there be enough in other places to satisfie ye Execution of ye Effect of Deceased's estates.

The Councill considering the same, was pleased to send for y Sheriff of Kent County, who was then in Philadelphia, and told him