measures of the British Ministry, or the defence of the. present established Constitution and the liberties of this Colony.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person or persons shall be reimbursed, by virtue of this act, for any losses or damages sustained from persons acting in open hostility against the present Constitution of Government, and the liberties of this Colony, unless the said reimbursement be, on application, and oath made of the damages actually sustained, deemed just and reasonable by the General Assembly of this Colony, or such other body, or persons, as the Legislative body of this Colony shall appoint: Provided always, nevertheless, That such person or persons, to whom such reimbursement shall be thought reasonable, do first, before the receipt thereof, take and subscribe the oath of fidelity ordained in the present Constitution, if such person or persons had not before taken and subscribed the same.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the fines and penalties to be incurred, by virtue of this act, shall, upon recovery thereof, be paid into the Colony Treasury, to be applied to, and for such uses and purposes as are herein mentioned.

G. G. POWELL,
Speaker of the Legislative Council.
JAMES PARSONS,
Speaker of the General Assembly.

In the Council-Chamber, the 11th day of APRIL, 1776:

Assented to:

J. RUTLEDGE.

PENNSYLVANIA ASSEMBLY.

Monday, February 12, 1776.

Mr. Speaker, with nineteen Members, met pursuant to adjournment, [November 12, 1775,] and a quorum not appearing, they adjourned to three o’clock to-morrow afternoon.

Tuesday, February 13, 1776.

Mr. Speaker, with twenty-four Members, met pursuant to the adjournment of last night, and a quorum not attending, they adjourned to ten o’clock to-morrow morning.

Wednesday, February 14, 1776.

Mr. Speaker, with the Members present last night, met this morning, and a number sufficient to proceed on business not yet appearing, they adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.

Post Meridian.

A quorum met pursuant to adjournment.

Ordered, That Mr. Rodman and Mr. Pennock wait on the Governour, and acquaint him that a quorum of the Representatives is met in pursuance of their adjournment, and ready to receive any business his Honour may be pleased to lay before them.

The House adjourned to ten o’clock to-morrow morning.

Thursday, February 15, 1776.

The House met pursuant to adjournment.

The Members appointed to wait on the Governour with the message of last night, reported they had delivered the same according to order, and that his Honour was pleased to say he had no business at present to lay before the House.

Mr. Hunter and Mr. Thompson, Members for Northumberland and Westmoreland, this day appearing in the House for the first time since their election, were qualified as usual, and took their seats accordingly.

Mr. Speaker acquainting the House that Joseph Fox, Esq., had requested leave to resign his office of Barrackmaster, and his resignation being admitted, a Petition from Captain William Masters, of the Northern-Liberties, for the said office was presented to the Chair, read, and

Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Hillegas produced at the table an Account from Mr. Fox, amounting to two hundred and eleven Pounds seventeen Shillings and six Pence, for repairs lately made at the Barracks; which was read by order, and referred to further consideration.

A Petition from Henry Hale Graham, Esq., Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, and Deputy Register for the Probate of Wills, &c., in the County of Chester, was presented to the House, and read, setting forth that the Publick Records of the said County are, by legal authority, ordered to be kept within the Borough of Chester, in the said County; that, soon after the Petitioner’s appointment to the said offices, he did (at his own private expense) erect a building, (detached from all others,) constructed in such manner as to preserve these Records from any common accident of fire, and from being destroyed by vermin, in which the said Records have ever since been lodged and kept; that a number of the inhabitants of the said County have “requested the Petitioner to remove those Records to some place of greater security, (out of the said Borough,) being fully sensible of the importance of their preservation, and being apprehensive from their situation that they may be easily destroyed by an armed force from the river;” that although the Petitioner might look upon himself highly justifiable, in case of an actual invasion, to remove those Records out of the said Borough, yet he cannot think himself warranted in doing it until such a case did actually happen, (which might then be too late for their preservation,) unless directed so to do by legal authority; that the Petitioner, therefore, apprehends it to be his duty to apply to the honourable House, and humbly to request, that they would be pleased to take the premises into consideration, and do therein what shall appear to them expedient and necessary.

Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Montgomery informing the House that Thomas Beard, appointed Collector of Excise, in October last, for the County of Cumberland, had declined to serve in that office, and that John Bowman, of the said County, is a proper person to execute the same,

Resolved, That the said John Bowman be, and he is hereby appointed, Collector of Excise in the said County of Cumberland, for the remainder of the present year.

The House adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.

Post Meridian.

Mr. Speaker, with twenty-six Members, met pursuant to adjournment, and a quorum not attending, they adjourned to ten o’clock to-morrow morning.

Friday, February 16, 1776.

A quorum met pursuant to adjournment.

By the Return of the Sheriff of the County of Philadelphia, it appearing that Joseph Beed, Esq., was, on the 26th ultimo, duly elected a Representative in Assembly for the City of Philadelphia, and the said gentleman this day attending the House, he was qualified as a Member, and took his seat accordingly.

Mr. Hillegas produced at the table a Receipt from Richard Butler, Agent at Pittsburgh, for the sum of one hundred Pounds, voted by the House at their last sitting, as a present to Petapanihila, (alias George Allen,) an Indian, for his services to this Province; which sum was ordered to be carried to the account of the eighty thousand Pounds lately emitted.

Two Petitions from John Britton and John Ladd Howell, of the City of Philadelphia, for the office of Barrackmaster, were presented to the House and read.

Ordered to lie on the table.

The Committee, for Battalion Expenses produced at the table an Account for raising and training a Troop of Light-Horse, and requested the opinion of the House on some charges therein; which being examined, the said Account was referred back to the Committee for settlement, after making such deductions as they may judge reasonable.

The House taking into consideration the Account from Joseph Fox, Esq., for repairs made at the Barracks, referred the same to the Committee of Accounts for settlement.

The Petition from Henry Hale Graham, Esquire, being again read and considered,

Ordered, That Mr. Hillegas, Mr. Reed, Mr. Gibbons, and Mr. Pearson, be a Committee to prepare and bring in