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At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Saturday, 7 th of May, 1774:
Present, the Honorable John Penn, Esquire, Governor, Benjamin Chew, James Tilghman, Andrew Allen, Esqrs.
Mr˙ Tilghman, and Mr˙ Andrew Allen having agreed, at the particular request of the Governor, to undertake a journey to Williamsburg, as Commissioners from this Government, to treat with the Governor of Virginia on the subject of the disturbances in Westmoreland county, occasioned by his extending the jurisdiction of his Government within the western limits of this Province, and to negotiate such other matters with him as were agreed upon in Council the 21st of last month, one of the members laid before the Board a draught of a commission, and a letter of instructions, to the above named gentlemen; and also a letter to be sent with them to the Earl of Dunmore, which being severally considered, were fairly transcribed and signed by the Governor, and follow in these words, viz:
To James Tilghman and Andrew Allen, Esquires, two of the Council of the said Province and Counties, Greeting: Whereas his Majesty King Charles the Second, by his letters patent, bearing date the fourth day of March, Anno Domini 1681, did, for the considerations therein mentioned, give and grant the Province of Pennsylvania, by the bounds and limits therein particularly set forth and described, to William Penn, Esquire, his heirs and assigns, forever, constituting him and them Proprietary and Proprietaries thereof, with divers powers, franchises and jurisdictions, for the better government thereof, as by the said letters patent may at large appear: And whereas the western lines and bounds of the said Province, specified in the said letters patent, having never yet been regularly and precisely run, marked out or ascertained, divers differences and disputes have of late arisen between the Right Honorable the Earl of
In testimony whereof, I have set my hand, and caused the great seal of the said Province to be hereunto affixed at Philadelphia, the seventh day of May, 1774.
JOHN PENN.
Mr˙ Tilghman and Mr˙ Andrew Allen appointed Commissioners
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John Penn, Esq˙, one of the Proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware,
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Dunmore, Governor and Commander-in-chief, &c˙, of his Majesty' s Colony or Dominion of Virginia, and the Honorable the Proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania, their respective grantees, tenants, and officers, respecting the western bounds and limits of the said Province, and the jurisdiction of the said Colony or Dominion and Province, which have been productive of great troubles and disquiets to the settlers and inhabitants there, and endanger the King' s peace and the public tranquillity: To the end, therefore, that the evils which have already arisen, and which are likely to arise in the premises, may be remedied and prevented, I have nominated and appointed, and do by these presents nominate and appoint you, the said James Tilghman and Andrew Allen, Esquires, to be Commissioners on the part of the Proprietaries of this Province, to confer and treat with his Excellency the Right Honorable the Earl of Dunmore, of and concerning the premises, and to agree upon such measures as you shall judge most expedient for settling and composing the said differences, troubles and disquiets, either by a temporary line or boundary of jurisdiction, or otherwise, as may best answer the good purposes of preserving his Majesty' s peace, and quieting the minds of the inhabitants on or near the borders of the two Colonies or Provinces, until the final settlement of the said boundaries shall be effected, hereby ratifying and confirming whatever you shall do in the premises.