"anie thing in my power you can think of for yor ease & Satisfac"tion. I sett up for no arbitrarie Comand, have putt no stranger "" over you, treated no man rudely, & am as readie to grant what is "in my power to serve you as you to ask. I have as great a regard "to the interests of yor proprietor as anie man in the government, "and would not go about to hurt it; But I find you slow in business "which makes mee think that we shall have no sessions this time. "Gentl. Some of you may Remember I proposed to the last As"semblie to Consider of some fund for the support of the government, which is verie needfull, butt they did not think fitt to Con"sider it further than that they franklie & generouslie gave a pennie "in the pound to their Maties, and designed one half therof as a mark "of their respects to mee, for which I thank ym. I doe resolve you "shall see how the other part of it is disposed & what the whole "amounts to befor I leave you; I have Issued Orders for the speedie "Collecting of it, and if there is nothing else for you to doe, I will "adjourn for some time untill it come in; Therfore, gentl. I shall แ expect yor ansr If you'll give anie thing to feed and Cloath our "Indians; Consider of it, and of what I have now said. Gentl. 66 may withdraw to yor House. Adjourned till 30th instant.

[30th May, 1694.

Att a Councill Held att Philadelphia the 30th of May, 1694.

PRESENT:

His Excellie BENJAMIN FFLETCHER, &c.

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Leivt. Governor.

you

His Excellié Ordered Wm. Clark, Esqr. to acquaint the assemblie that his Excellie expects their answer to what he had offered to them yesterday afternoon, & desired to know if ther was anie bussines to offerr; Who returned in answer that they had nothing to offerr this morning; that they wer upon the Consideraon of what the Governor spoke to ym yesterday, and believed they should have something to offerr this afternoon.

Adjourned to the afternoon.

Ordered, the Secrie ask the assemblie if they have anie thing else to offerr to his Excellie & Councill this afternoon. The Secrie Returned that they had something to offer presentlie.

Wm. Biles, &c., from the House of representatives brought up two Bills and presented them to his Excellie; The one Concerning the regulaon of tobacco Cask, the other to stopp the transport of tobacco from Maryland to the Lower Counties, by land or otherwise, not having first paid the dutie to their Maties.

The said two bills wer read the first time. reading of the bill to regulate the tobacco Cask.

Ordered a second

Ordered, The Leivt Governor, Andrew Robeson and Wm. Clark, Esqrs. be a Comittee of the Councill to conferr with a Comittee of the Assemblie Concerning the bills for regulating the Cask for tobacco, and agt transporting of tobacco from Maryland, without the king's dutie being paid.

Ordered, Secrie Robinson to acquaint the House of this ordr, & desire them to appoint their Comittee, to meet the morrow morning. Adjourned to the 31st of May instant.

[31st May, 1694.

Att a Councill Held att philadelphia the 31st day of May, 1694.

PRESENT:

His Excellie BENJAMIN FLETCHER, &c.

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr, Leivt Governor.

The Comittee for Considering the two bills Having Returned them with amendments, they wer ordered a third reading, and George Forman to Carie them down to the house.

The house of representatives sent up severall new bills & a regulation of fees.

Adjourned to the 1st of June, 1694.

[1st June, 1694.

Att a Councill Held att philadelphia the 1st of June, 1694.

Ordered, the bill for Levying Countie rates be read the first time, which was done. Ordered a second reading.

Ordered, the Law concerning fees be read the first time.

Ordered, the reading of the bill for regulating weights & measures, which was done.

Ordered, the reading of the bill for Continouing three Laws, which was done. VOL. I.-20.

His Excellie Ordered Wm. Clark & Geo. Forman, to acquaint the House of representatives that his Excellie did expect to hear from them something in ansr to the Queen's Letter, to know what they are a doing, and to desire them to dispatch this affair, and appoint a Comittee of their house to join a Comittee of the Councill this afternoon to Conferr upon some amendments of those bills sent yesterday.

The Leivt Governor, Andrew Robeson, Robert Turner, pat. Robinson & Wm. Clark, are appointed the Comittee to Conferr with a Comittee of the House of representatives accordinglie, this afternoon att three of the Clock, in the old Councill roome.

[2d June, 1694.

Att an Assemblie Held att philadelphia the 2d of June, 1694.

Wm. Clark, Esqr. returned the bills, with the amendments agreed upon to be presented by the Comittees of Councill and Assemblie and humblie Submitted, which wer ordered to be read.

His Excellie the Governor and Councill doe agree to the bill for regulating weights & measures, with these amendments; That the Governor, with advice of the Councill, appoint the officers in philadelphia and Newcastle, and the forfeiture of five pounds therin to be to the king.

His Excellie the Governor and Councill, doc agree that the three old Laws agt usurie, Sale of Intestate's Land, and taking Lands in execuon for debts which did expyre by their own Limitation, be formed into bills & enacted de Novo.

Ordered, George Forman, Esqr., doe require the Speeker and the whole House to attend his Excellie in Councill forthwith; who giving attendance,

His Excellie said: "Mr. Speaker and you gentl. the representa"tives of this province, there are some Laws which wer Comitted to "a Comittee of Councill and Assemblie yesterday afternoon. They "are returned this morning with some amendments agreed unto by "the Comittee. I am willing to agree to what I find the opinion of "the Comittee, Onlie there is one Law which verie much concerns "you & yor posteritie, which I cannot approve of. It is the Law "for raising monie to defray the Countie charges. I disapprove of "the method which you propose, being repugnant to the Law of "England. You may bring a Slaverie upon yor posterity after you, "which I will not consent unto. I have the appointment of Justices "of y peace over you, but I declare I cannot answer for everie per"son that is recommended to me for that trust. By the Law of

"England, if understood right, no monie Can be raised to defray the "Countie Charge but by the consent of the grand Jurie, which re"presents the people of the Countie as you doe the bodie of the "whole province. I am as willing yor debts be paid, and everie "thing needfull should take effect for yor ease and good as yor selves; "but this I take to be otherwise. I have no Interest in it nor can

"have none. Mr. Speaker, you must needs know this to be repug"nant to the Law of England, therfore, wold have you Consider of "it, & of a proper method for paying yor Countie debts, & I shall 66 agree thereunto."

Gentl., There is one thing more; I wold have you to Lett me know how manie bills you have before you. The time is short, therfor, pray dispatch them.

[4th June, 1694.

Att a Councill Held att philadelphia the 4th of June, 1694.

PSENT:

His Excellie BENJAMIN FLETCHER, &c.
WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Leivt Governor.

Andr. Robeson,

Robert Turner,

His Excellie Ordered Secrie Robinson to ask of the Assemblie if they had anie thing to offerr this forenoon, who returned in ansr that they would have nothing to offerr till 4 o Clock in the after

noon.

Adjourned till 4 in the afternoon. .

[5th June, 1694.

Att a Councill held att philadelphia the 5th day of June, 1694.

Edward Blake, from the Representatives, brought in a bill for re

gulating fees.

Adjourned to 6th instant.

[6th June, 1694.

Att a Councill held att philadelphia the Sixt of June, 1694.

PRESENT:

His Excellie BENJAMIN FLETCHER, &c.

WM. MARKHAM, Esq., Leivt Governor.

The bills agt Usurie, taking Land in execuon, & sale of Intestates" estates, read a third time; that of Usurie to be amended, & the word (divided, &c.) taken away, and instead thereof: (the one half to the use of the king, the other to the informer,)

The Bills about Weights and Measures, Regulating Tobacco Cask, and Tobacco transported by Land from Maryland, read a third time.

Adjor. to 7th instant.

[7th June, 1694.

Att a Councill Held at philadelphia the 7th day of June, 1694.

PRESENT:

His Excellie BENJAMIN FLETCHER, &c.

WM. MARKHAM, Esqr., Leivt Governor.

His Excellie ordered the reading of a bill giving one pennie in the pound, wherof 200lb. to Coll. Markham, 200lb. to Mr. Lloyd, and the remainder towards presents to the Indians.

His Excellie desired the opinion of the Councill Concerning the sd bill.

The Councill are of opinion that the sd bill Cannot pass, and that it is no answer to the Queen's Letter, nor does anie thing towards the support of the government.

His Excellie sent for the Speaker and the whole house, and then said:

"Mr. Speaker, &c. You have mistaken the form of the bill. I can pass no bill to Leavie monie on their Maties Subjects for my"self, or for the use of anie other person whatsoever. Their Maties, "or their particular service, must be first regarded in all Leavies, "and if you design a favour for Coll. Markham or Mr. Lloyd, your "method is to raise a fund answerable to the Queen's Letter and "their Maties expectations for the securitie of the fronteers and as"sistance of Newyork, and then to pray their Maties would be pleased to allow out of that sum what you intend for these gentl. "I find you goe about to appoint your owne Collector: As you "Cannot raise monie or give it to anie other but their Maties, So "( you Cannot appoint such an Officer; Indeed it appears an Unman"nerlie distrust of the person in that office alreadie Commission"( ated, and it Looks Like putting it outt of their Maties power, "(if you could,) to disallow of your act. I shall suspend my deter"mination as to the other bill till you Consider better of this, and "doe again putt you in mind of a possitive answer to their Majes"ties Letter."

Adjourned till morrow morning.