& Instructions, wch, when I Judg Seasonable to Ingage in, I shall Communicate vnto you. And lastly, to lett you know that I quit ye place of Goverr as a man that sought to be discharged from it. In pvrsuance whereof, this being ye place where, (after some debate amongst your selves,) you Declared your acquiesceing wth my Governmt, I doe here with all heartiness, declare my Rejoycing in ye Opportunity and leave I have of Resigning and Surrendering it vp. And I doe accordingly very ffreely and fully resigne and Surrender all ye powers and authorityes in my Commission and Instructions from y Honble Proprietor, given me as Goverr, into your hands and acceptance, viz: to ye Provinciall Councill. And ffor yt you are ffallen into times of difficulties and Danger, (perhaps greater than some of you are aware of,) I Doe and Shall pray y Lord y God of all wisdome, that he would gratiously Enlighten your minds, and over rule your debates and Counsels, in and vnto Such wayes of truth, wisdome, quietness and agreement with his will, and one with another, as may Conduce with his glory, the Honr of Their Majts our Most Gracious King & Queen, the Security of Their Province and territoryes, the Interest and Rejoyceing of the Proprietor's heart and worthy ffamily, and ye Generall good, happiness and prosperity of ye people of all perswasions now Committed to your Charge; and that he will alsoe Indow you wth Courage and resolution proportionable to ye Trust and Station you are Sett in; that Impartiall Justice may run with a mighty Streame ffrom your administration amongst them, to ye terrour of Evil doers, and prayse of all others. Gent., I begg your pardon of my Ignorances & weaknesses; (I call my doings so, for yt I bless God I am not vnder any Conviction of haveing wickedly Departed from ye Rule of my Duty therein;) I mean your Charter and Laws, so ffarr as they have ffoundation in ye King's Patent, and are not contrary to ye Laws of England. I begg also yor acceptance of my vnfeigned thanks ffor what Respects you have shewed me in ye advices and assistances you have Supplyed vnto me, as I doe also fforgive y° Disrespects & neglects of any persons in this Government; and Lastly, I assure you that though I have not been acceptable to you as yor Goverr, ffrom y° very first day you saw me, (wherof I was Early made Sensible,) I will indeavour to improve these faylors to the approveing myselfe a Pattern and instance of personate humble deference, Submission and Obedience to those who Succeed me in ye Governmt whilst I Remaine amongst you, which y vnfitness of ye Season & Danger of my age and Constitution, to travell so long a jorney as to ye place whence I Came, will probably Constrayn me vnto Some months. Gent. I now both voluntarily and ffreely quitt this Seat, to be ffild vp as by these two Commissions; (which I here deliver to you ffrom y Proprietor,) In order to your Consideration whereof I think it my duty to give you his owne words Concerning them, which are these, vizt: [I have sent two Commissions about Settling ye Govermnt there in a condition that may please yo Generallity. Let them be y Choosers. could Either of them shall satisfie me.] By which you See how much his heart is Sett vpon your agreeing one with an other, not offering violence by Imposeing vpon ye Lesser number. He proposes that y° Generallity be y Choosers, not ye bare majority, and give me leave to tell you ffrom my own Experience, 'twere yet better if you gaine the universality ffor what you shall pitch upon as things now stand, for 'tis Harmony must be your strength and Continuance, and a Small complaint added to this change of y Hands, will argue you to have little regard to ye Proprietor's present ill circumstances, and shake your whole foundation." Here is also a Letter directed to you, wch I received in my paquet ffrom y Proprietor, and when I vnderstand you have so made your Election, and settled y° Deputation according to these Commissions, I shall ffurther address to you in what I shall conceive propper ffor your respective Cognizance relating to ye Proprietor's services agreeable to what ffurther Instructions I have from him. And if I may be any way serviceable to him or you whilst I remain in these parts, be pleased to honor me wth your Commands. In ye meantime I take my leave of you, and pray ye Lord be with you. The Govr then withdrew, and then was Read by y Secretary two Commissions from Wm. Penn, absolute Proprietary of y° Province of Pennsilvania & Countys annexed, to ye Provinciall Councill, wch are as followeth verbatim, viz: WILLIAM PENN, Absolute Proprietary of The Province of Pennsilvania & Countys annexed, To his Trusty beloved ffriends, The Provinciall Councill ffor y° Province of Pennsilvania, &c., Greeting: Since the Providence of God hath disappoynted my reall Intentions and Ernest Inclinations of Comeing to you for some time longer, and to y End ye Inhabitants thereof may be assured I have & Seek noe other Interest then what is agreeable with theirs, I doe Consent that you please yourselves, & therefore doe hereby Impower you to Chuse Three persons within ye said Province or Countys annexed, to present to me by ye very ffirst opportunity, out of wch I shall Chuse and till my mind therein one for my Deputy or Lieftenant Goverr; is knowne, I doe hereby order that he that has ye most votes, or is first Chosen by you, shall ffrom ye time of yor Choice, Act as my Deputy or Lieftenant Governor, over ye said Province & Territorys, according to ye Power and Limitation of fformer Commissions, you takeing Care to Support him in yt Capacity, Revokeing all fformer Commissions to any else granted, & requireing all persons concerned to give him that respect due to his high Station. Given at London, ye 25th day of y° 7th Mo., 1689. WM. PENN. WILLIAM PENN, absolute Proprietary of The Province of Pennsilvania and Counties annexed, to his Trusty and Beloved ffriends, the Provinciall Councill ffor the Province of Pennsilvania, &c., Greeting. Since y Providence of God hath disappoynted my reall intentions and Earnest inclinations of Comeing to you for some time longer, & to the end the Inhabitants thereof may be assured I have and Seek no other Interest then what is agreeable to theirs, I have thought fit to appoynt you my Deputy & Lieftenant in Government, and do accordingly hereby constitute you my Deputy, to act & doe in all things in my name and Stead, according to ye power and Limitation of fformer Commissions. I doe also Impower you to elect ye President ffrom time to time, as you see Cause, so as he and you Exactly answer ye Charter and Laws of ye Country, Requiring all persons Concerned to give you ye Respect due to your high Station, wch Commission shall Continue so long as I shall see convenient. London, this 25th of ye 7th month, 1689. Given at WM. PENN. Then was read a Letter from ye Proprietary, bearing date yo 12th of y 6th Mo., 1689, wch follows verbatim : ffriends, I heartily wish you all well, and beseech God to guide you in ye ways of Righteousness & peace. I have thought ffit vpon my ffurther stopp in these parts, to throw all into your hands, that you may all see the Confidence I have in you, and the desire I have to give you all possible Contentment. I doe earnestly press your Constant attendance vpon ye Government, and y° Diligent persuit of peace & vertue, and God Almighty strengthen your hands in so good a work. I also recommend to you the perticular Discipine of That Towne you meet in, that Sobriety and Gravitie be maintained, & Authority kept in respect. As it coms in your way, Countenance my Officers in Collecting my Small Revenue. Lett y Laws you pass hold so long only as I shall not Declare my Dissent, that so my Share may not be excluded, or I ffinally Concluded, without my notice: in ffine, lett them be Confirmable by me, as you will See by y Commission I Left when I Left the Province. And if you Desire a Depty Goverr rather, name Three, or ffive, and I shall name one of them, so as you Consider of a Comfortable substance, that y Governmt may not go a begging. I do not this to be binding President; but to give you and ye people you represent the fullest pledges I an able at this Distance, of my regard to them. What Ever you do, I desire, beseech & charge you all to avoyd ffactions and parties, Whisperings & reportings, and all animosities, that putting yor Common Shoulder to ye Publick work, you may have the Reward of Good men & Patriots, and so I bid you heartily ffairewell. Given at London, this 12th of ye 6th Mo., 1689. W. P. P. G. WM. PENN. To my Trusty and well beloved ffriends, y Provinciall By ED. BLACKFAN. The members of Councill present being unwilling to Enter Immediately vpon debate wch of The two foregoing Commissions is most requisite should be put in Execution, did vnanimously agree at this time to Depart, and to meet againe to morrow, at nine in y ffore noon. At a Meeting of y° Members of Councill in y Councill Roome, y° 2d 11 Mo., 1689-90. It was Debated wch of ye Two Commissions that was Read yesterday should be put in Execution, and Resolved vnanimously, that yo Commission wch Impowred y Councill to be Deputy Goverr or Leivetenant, to be accepted: accordingly, ye Councill Elected Thomas Lloyd President. It was put to ye vote whether the other Commission should be Canciled or not: Carried in the affirmative, N. C. D., and was accordingly Canciled at y⚫ board. Then was Read this following Clause in a Letter from the Proprietary to his Commissioners of The same, viz: Whereas, there is 600lb, due to me wch has been neglected or refused to be paid, if y° Province will build me a house in the City ffor my reception, vpon my Lott, Leaving me to make additions hereafter, if there be occasion, I hope to be there as soon as that is finished. I have sent Capt Wm. Markham my model Or stock, y° Three Plantations of my Three Children, wth Each two Hundred pounds, wch Comes to ye sum, I shall take it well, and this may be sooner and safer done yn returning me yt sum, tho' here it would have done me most good. The Petition of Thomas ffairman was Read, setting forth his greivance from y County Court of Philadelphia, in the Case between him & Mary Jeffs, wherevpon it was ordered yt y County Record be brought to y Councill, to Exammine ye proceedings in that Case. Adjourned to Nathll Ibel's house y season being very Cold. The Secretary was Orded to acquaint Jon Blackwell, Esqr., ye Late Govrr, in writeing, of the Board's Readiness to Receive any thing ffrom him Communicative to them, and to wayt vpon him with it himselfe, wch was accordingly done, and it is as ffolloweth, viz: Sir: The Councill has this morning vnanimously accepted of y Commission Impowring y Provinciall Councill to be Deputy Goverr or Leiut, and have accordingly made Choyce of Thomas Lloyd to be president, and vnder the fforme, ye Provinciall Councill is Ready to Receive what you have to Communicate to them. I am, Sr, your Humble servt, WM. MARKHAM. Wherevpon y Said Blackwell, late Goverr, attended wth y Secretary, Came to ye Councill, and after Congratulation, presented them with Instructions from ye Proprietary, and an abstract of Severall Instructions from ye Proprietary to himselfe in private Letters; both wch are here at large sett done, verbatim : Instructions ffor Lt Governor Blackwell, or whome else it may Con cerne. First that things be transacted in my Name, viz: Absolute Proprietary of Pennsilvania, (provided it agrees with our Charter and Laws, as I think it dos,) &c. 2. That all Commissions signed by me and sealed here with y Lesser Seal, be taken for Sufficient warrts & Directions for passing them vnder y broad seal, without any other Instrument of Authority. 3. Thirdly to Collect ye Laws that are in Being, and sent them over to me in a stitcht book, by ye very first opportunity, which 1 have so often, and so much in vaine, desired. 4. To be carefull that Speedy, as well as through and Impartiall Justice, be done; Virtue in all Cherished, & vice in all punisht. 5. That ffines be in proportion both of ye ffault and ability of y party, yt so they may be paid. 6. That ffewds between perswasions or Nations, or Counties, be Suppressed & Extinguished, if any be, & if none, that by a good Conduct they may be prevented. 7. That ye Widdows, Orphans, and Absent, may be particularly Regarded in their Right, ffor their Cry will be Loudest in all Eares; but by Absent I mean Such as are so by Necessity. 8. To Countenance y Commrs of Propriety, where land is vnseated, or people are vnruly in their settlements, or Comply not wth reasonable Obligations about bounds, banks, Timber, &c. ffor tho' wee Came to a wilderness, it was not that we should Continue it so. 9. That y Sheriffs of ye Respective Counties be Charged wth The Receipt of my rents, ffines, &c.. as they doe in England, & give Security to ye Receiver Generall ffor ye same. 10. To have a Speciall Care that Sheriffs & Clarks of y' peace Impose not vpon y people, and that ye magistrates live peaceably & soberly, ffor I would not Endure one loose or litigious person in Authority; Let them be men having some ffear of God, and hateing coveteousness, whatever be their persuations: to Employ others is to prophane an Ordinance of God. 11. That Care be taken of y Roads and Highways in y Country, that they may be streight & Commodious ffor Travellers; for I vnderstand they are turned about by ye planters, wch is a mischief yt must not be endured. 12. Rule y meek meekly, and those that will not be so Ruled rule wth Authority; And God Almighty prosper all honest and prudent Endeavours. Lastly: Consider by what means or methods ye Good and prosperity of y Plantation may be promoted, and what Laws in being are vnnecessary or Defective, and what are wanting, and in Each particular hereoff, Lett me have advice as Distinctly and as speedily as may be. Given at London, ye 25th day of ye 7th Mo., 1689, was signed WM. PENN. An Abstract of Severall Instructions Recomended to me by ya |