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Philadelphia, January 30, 1775.
Answers of the Governour of his Majesty' s Province of PENNSYLVANIA, in AMERICA, to the several heads of inquiry relative to the present state and condition of the said Province, transmitted by the Right Honourable the Earl of DARTMOUTH, in his Letter of the 5th of July, 1773.
1. What is the situation of the Province under your Government; the nature of the country, soil, and climate;
Answer. The Province of Pennsylvania is situated on the River Delaware, in North America, lying (agreeable to the Royal Charter) from the beginning of the 40th to the beginning of the 43d degree of Latitude; and in Longitude computed West, from Greenwich, from 75 to 80 degrees. The nature of the country is various, being in many places much broken with hills, mountains, and barrens, but this is compensated by a proportionable number of fertile vallies and plains, watered by the noble Rivers the Delaware, the Susquehannah, part of the Alleghany or Ohio, and the numerous branches, streams, and springs that empty themselves into these three great Rivers. The soil, where good, (which is a large proportion of the whole) is well adapted to the raising Wheat and all other sorts of grain raised in England, besides some others, such as Indian Corn, &c˙, suitable to our more Southern Latitude. The climate is salubrious, differing little from European climates in the same Latitude, excepting in this, that the Winter colds are something more intense from the vast extent of country to the Northwestward; but the purity of the air during the cold season, which seldom lasts above two months, compensates for its keenness. The City of Philadelphia, situated near the conflux of Delaware and one of its chief branches, the Schuylkill, is the most considerable Town in the Province, or, indeed, in North America. The State House of this City lies in North Latitude 39° 56' 53"; its Longitude, from the Royal Observatory, at Greenwich, computed West 75° 8' 45"; or, in time, 5 hours and 35 seconds. This Latitude and Longitude were both fixed by accurate astronomical observations, at the Transit of Venus, 1769. Some of the County Towns are considerable places, as Lancaster and York, the chief Towns of the Counties that go by their names; Reading, the chief Town of Berks; and Carlisle, the chief Town of Cumberland. But their Latitudes and Longitudes are not yet fixed by any accurate observations.
Easton, the chief Town of Northampton County, situated at the conflux of the main branch of the Delaware, and the Lehigh Branch, lies in Latitude 40° 43' 10' ' , and about the same Longitude as Philadelphia.
The conflux of the Popauchton, and Mohock Branches of the Delaware, lies in Latitude 41° 56' 30". And about eight miles higher than this, on the Mohock Branch, is fixed, by accurate astronomical observations, the beginning of the 43d degree of Latitude, through which the boundary line of New-York and Pennsylvania passes. Sunbury, the County Town of Northumberland, situated at the conflux of the East and West Branches of the Susquehannah, lies in Latitude 40° 48' 7".
Wyoming, on the East Branch of the Susquehannah, (where some intruders, from Connecticut, have forcibly seated themselves, under pretence of extending their Colony to the South Sea,) is situated in Latitude 41° 14' 17".
Fort Pitt, at the conflux of the Ohio and Monongahela Rivers, lies in Latitude 40° 26' 22"; and its Longitude, West from Greenwich, 79° 59' 0". This has been accurately ascertained, and leave Port Pitt undoubtedly about six miles within our Western boundary, as that part of the Delaware, which lies in the Latitude of Fort Pitt, is three miles forty-seven chains East of Philadelphia.
The Light-House, on Cape Henlopen, at the entrance of Delaware Bay, is situated in Latitude 38° 47' 8"; its Longitude, West from Greenwich, 75° 5' 18".
2. What are the reputed boundaries; and are any parts thereof disputed; What parts, and by whom?
Answer. The boundaries of Pennsylvania, as described in the Royal Charter, by King Charles the Second, to William Penn, the first founder of the Province, are as follows: "All that tract or part of land in America, with the Islands therein contained, as the same is bounded on the East by Delaware River, from twelve miles distance Northward of New-Castle Town, unto the three and fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, if the said River doth extend so far Northward; but if the said River shall not extend so far Northward, then by the said River so far as it doth extend, and from the head of the said River the Eastern bounds are to be determined by
There was a serious contention between the Proprietaries of Maryland and Pennsylvania concerning the boundaries and extent of their Provinces, from the time of the original grant of Pennsylvania, till the year 1732, when they entered into Articles of Agreement for the settlement and establishment of their boundaries, by which it was agreed that a due North line should be drawn from the tangent point of the twelve miles circle of New-Castle, so far only until it should come unto the same Latitude as fifteen English Statute miles due South of the most Southern part of the City of Philadelphia, and that a due East and West line should be run in manner following: To begin at the Northern point or end of the said due South and North line, and should from thence run due West across Susquehannah River to the utmost extent of the Province of Pennsylvania, which said East and West line was to be the lines of division between Maryland and Pennsylvania. And these lines are established as the boundaries between them by a Decree in Chancery, in England, after a long, tedious, and expensive suit, instituted in that Court by the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania against the Proprietary of Maryland, for a specifick performance of those Articles. In the year 1760 another Agreement was made between the Proprietaries of these two Provinces, reciting and ratifying the Agreement of 1732, and the Decree aforesaid, and this latter Agreement was also established by a Decree in Chancery. These lines have been run and marked by Commissioners on both sides, in consequence of the several Agreements and Decrees, and at the joint Petition of the Proprietaries of each Province, the Agreements, and Decrees, and the execution of them, were ratified by his Majesty, in Council, on the 11th day of January, 1769, so that those divisional lines thus established, and the Charter bounds of Pennsylvania, so far as the Province of Maryland does not interfere, according to the Agreements and Decrees aforesaid, may be said, at this day, to be the reputed bounds of Pennsylvania, which, however, are considerably short of the intention of the original grant, which appears by the Minutes of Council at the time of the Grant, and from the expressions of the Grant itself, to have been an extent of three degrees of Latitude and five of Longitude, from which the Province of Maryland takes off about fifty miles in Latitude, in the full extent of Maryland, from East to West. A claim has lately been made by the Colony of Connecticut to a part of Pennsylvania, which they have not ascertained with any degree of precision, but allege they have a right to at least the whole forty-second degree of North Latitude, in breadth, to extend the whole Longitude of the Province of Pennsylvania. No other part of Pennsylvania is disputed, that I know of, except that Lord Dunmore, as Governour of Virginia, hath lately taken possession of Pittsburgh, and claims the country as far Eastward as the Laurel Hill, which, in many places, is at least fifty miles within the Charter bounds of Pennsylvania.
3. What is the size and extent of the Province; the number of acres supposed to be contained therein; what part thereof is cultivated and improved, and under what titles do the inhabitants hold their possession?
Answer. The extent of the Province is mentioned in the answer to the first question, viz: Three degrees of Latitude by five of Longitude, as it should be by Charter, which contains fifty-four thousand nine hundred and twelve square miles, or thirty-five millions one hundred and forty-three thousand six hundred and eighty acres. But the prior grant to lord Baltimore having been determined to interfere with the grant to Mr˙ Penn,the Southern boundary of Pennsylvania, so far West as Maryland extends, has been settled in Chancery at fifteen miles South of Philadelphia, viz: in Latitude 39° 43' 42". By this settlement Pennsylvania loses
4. What Rivers are there, and of what extent and convenience in point of Commerce?
Answer. The principal Rivers in this Province are only two, viz: the Delaware and Susquehannah, into which several smaller Rivers empty themselves, which may, with some expense, be made very useful for inland navigation. The small Rivers which communicate with the Delaware are the Brandywine, Schuylkill, Neshaming, and the Lehigh, commonly called the West Branch of Delaware. The only considerable River communicating with the Susquehannah, is the Juniata, which rises in the Alleghany, or Appalachian Mountains, and runs an Easterly course to its confluence with that River; and about forty miles higher, the Susquehannah divides itself into two large Branches, one of which takes its rise in the Western part of this Province, and the other in the Northwestern parts of New-York, and runs from thence through the Northern parts of this Province, in a general course nearly South-west. There are also within the Western limits of this Province several Rivers which rise in the Appalachian Mountains and empty into the Ohio, and these are called the Alleghany, Kiskemenetas, Monongahela, and Yauhogany, which are navigable for small boats, and only useful for inland navigation. These Rivers, being generally shallow, and not having tide-water, are of no use in point of Commerce, except the Delaware, which is a fine deep River, the tide rising in it from five to seven feet, and is navigable for Ships of six hundred tons burthen, to the extent of about one hundred and forty miles from the Ocean.
5. What are the principal Harbours; how situated; of what extent; and what is the depth of water, and nature of anchorage in each?
Answer. This Province having but one outlet to the Sea, which is the River Delaware, there is properly but one Harbour, and that is the River itself, and may be said to be about forty miles in extent, viz: from what is called the Bite of New-Castle, to the North end of the City of Philadelphia; in which extent the depth of water in the channel, at low water, is from three to seven fathom. The bottom of the River being, in general, muddy and free from rocks, the anchorage is very safe and good.
6. What is the Constitution of the Government?
Answer. By the Royal Grant, made by King Charles the Second to William Penn, the Proprietaries for the time being are appointed Governours-in-Chief, but they have generally acted by the Deputy Governours, commissioned by them, and approved of by the Crown. By the Constitution there are only two branches of the Legislature, viz: the Governour, and the Representatives of the people, who are elected annually on the first day of October; but all laws passed by them are subject to the repeal of his Majesty in Council, within six months after they are presented to them. By the Proprietary Charter of Privileges, the Assembly sit on their own adjournments,
7. What is the Trade of the Province; the number of Shipping belonging thereto; their Tonnage; and the number of Sea-faring Men, with the respective increase or diminution within ten years past?
8. What quantity and sorts of British Manufactures do the inhabitants annually take from hence; what Goods and Commodities are exported from thence to Great Britain, and what is the annual amount at an average?
9. What Trade has the Province under your Government with any foreign Plantations, or any part of Europe, besides Great Britain; how is that Trade carried on; what commodities do the people under your Government send to, or receive from foreign Plantations, and what is the annual amount thereof at an average?
10. What is the natural produce of the country, staple Commodities and Manufactures, and what value thereof, in sterling money, may you annually export?
For a minute and precise answer to these last four heads of inquiry, I beg leave to refer to the copy of a Report made by the Deputy Collector of his Majesty' s Customs, for the Port of Philadelphia, from the Custom-House Books, herewith transmitted.
11. What methods are there used to prevent illegal Trade, and are the same effectual?
Answer. There is but one Port for the lading and unlading Goods within the Province of Pennsylvania, which is that of Philadelphia, where there is a regular Custom-House established, and a number of subordinate Officers, as Surveyors, Searchers, and Tidesmen, kept in pay, whose duty it is to prevent illicit trade. A Schooner, well manned, belonging to the Customs, is employed in cruizing up and down the River Delaware, to examine all vessels coming into, or going out of Port, and there generally is at least one armed vessel of his Majesty in the same service. The seizures made from time to time shew that these precautions do not effectually put a stop to the practice of smuggling; however, there can be no doubt but that they have a very considerable effect in checking the progress of that kind of trade.
12. What Mines are there?
Answer. There are no Mines in this Province except Iron Ore, though in two or three parts of it there have been found some appearances of Copper Mines, but the attempts hitherto made to discover any quantity of Ore have proved expensive and fruitless.
13. What is the number of Inhabitants, Whites and Blacks?
Answer. From the best information and estimate I have been able to procure, there are in the Province of Pennsylvania three hundred and two thousand souls, of whom three hundred thousand are Whites, and two thousand Blacks.
14. Are the Inhabitants increased or decreased within the last ten years; how much, and for what reasons?
Answer. There has been a great increase of inhabitants within the last ten years. This is evident from the numerous grants of lands and new settlements which have been made within that period; but it is impossible for me to say, with the least degree of certainty, how great that increase has been, as I have not been able to procure any materials on which I can form a judgment. The population is owing to the annual importation of German and Irish servants and passengers, and the natural increase of the inhabitants, who marry earlier, and more generally, here than is usual in Europe.
15. What is the number of the Militia, and under what regulations is it constituted?
Answer. No Militia has ever been established in this Government.
16. What Forts and places of defence are there within your Government, and in what condition?
Answer. Since the conclusion of the last war no Forts
17. What number of Indians have you, and how are they inclined?
Answer. Before the late Indian war there were a number of Indians settled in several parts of the Province, but during that war and since they have withdrawn themselves beyond the Western and Northern limits of the Province.
18. What is the strength of the neighbouring Indians?
Answer. As there has been no intercourse between this Government and the neighbouring Indians since the general superintendency of Indian Affairs was committed to Sir William Johnson, I cannot well ascertain their number and strength.
19. What is the Revenue arising within your Government, and how is it appropriated and applied?
Answer. The present Revenue of the Government arises principally from two temporary Acts of Assembly; one, an Act for laying an Excise on Wine, Rum, Brandy, and other Spirits, the other an Act for emitting on Loan at five per cent, interest, Bills of Credit struck for that special purpose. The nett amount of this Revenue is about eight thousand Pounds sterling. The appropriation is made by the Governour and Assembly, and has been hitherto applied by them to the defraying the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of Government mentioned in the next question. This is exclusive of an annual sum of fifteen thousand Pounds sterling raised by Tax on the Real and Personal Estates of the inhabitants, for sinking and destroying the Bills of Credit issued at different times during the late war, and granted by way of supplies to his late and present Majesty. These Taxes were by Act of Assembly, till sufficient sums should be thereby raised for the above purpose, and will not cease for two years to come. Neither does the above state of the Revenue include a duty of Tonnage on Vessels, imposed by an Act of Assembly, amounting yearly to about the sum of one thousand Pounds sterling, which, by law, is appropriated towards the paying for, and maintenance of, a Light House, lately erected at the Capes of Delaware, and Buoys placed in the Bay and River; nor a duty of twenty Pounds per head laid on Negroes and Mulattoes, Slaves imported, which produces about the nett sum of fifty Pounds sterling, and is appropriated to the payment of the owners of such Slaves as are executed for capital offences, and the surplus, if any, to be disposed of by the Governour and Assembly.
20. What are the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of your Government?
Answer. The ordinary expenses of the Government of Pennsylvania, communibus annis, amount to about the sum of three thousand Pounds sterling. This is exclusive of the charges and expenses of each County yearly for paying the wages of their Representatives in Assembly, making and repairing of Roads, maintenance of their Poor, erecting and repairing of Court Houses and Prisons, building of Bridges, and other local purposes, all which are raised by Tax on the Real and Personal Estates of the inhabitants. The extraordinary expenses of Government consists in Presents and expenses to Indians who occasionally come on business, or pass and repass through this to the neighbouring Colonies, Messages to and Treaties with Indians, to settle differences which happen from time to time between them and our frontier inhabitants, furnishing bedding and other necessaries for his Majesty' s Troops in the several Barracks, raising, paying, and victual ling Rangers, to guard and protect our frontier inhabitants from Indian incursions and depredations, clearing Rivers and Creeks for inland navigation, making Provincial Roads, publick rewards for the discovering and apprehending Murderers and other capital
21. What are the establishments, Civil and Military, within your Government, and by what authority do the Officers hold their places? What is the annual value of each office, Civil and Military, how are they respectively appointed, and who are the present possessors?
Answer. There are no Military establishments in Pennsylvania. The Civil establishments are as follows:
The Honourable James Hamilton, Esquire, Joseph Turner, Esquire, William Logan, Esquire, Richard Peters, Esquire, Benjamin Chew, Esquire, Thomas Cadwallader, Esquire, Richard Penn, Esquire James Tilghman, Esquire, Andrew Allen, Esquire, Edward Shippen, Junior, Esquire, the Council, being in the nature of a Privy Council, having no Legislative power; appointed by the Governour, no Salary or Perquisites.
The Honourable Benjamin Chew, Esq˙, Chief Justice; by the Governour, Salary l200.
John Lawrence, Esquire, Thomas Willing, Esquire, John Morton, Esquire, Assistant Judges of the Supreme Court; by the Governour, l100 each.
Benjamin Chew, Esquire, Register-General for Probate of Wills and granting Administrations; by the Governour, l200.
Andrew Allen, Esquire, Attorney General; by the Governour, l50.
Joseph Shippen, Junior, Esquire, Provincial Secretary and Clerk of the Council; by the Governour, l200.
Jared Ingersoll, Esquire, Judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty for the Provinces of New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, held at Philadelphia, appointed by his Majesty, l600.
John Smith, Esquire, Register of the Vice-Admiralty Court; by his Majesty, l40.
Arodi Thayer, Esquire, Marshal of the Vice-Admiralty Court; by his Majesty, l30.
Edward Shippen, Esquire, Judge of the Court of Admiralty for the Province of Pennsylvania; by his Majesty, of little or no value since the establishment of the preceding Court.
Richard Peters, Junior, Esquire, Register of the Provincial Court of Admiralty; by his Majesty; of little value.
Judah Foulke, Esquire, Marshal of the Provincial Court of Admiralty; by the Judge; of little value.
William Parr, Esquire, Master of the Rolls and Recorder of Deeds; by the Governour, l40.
Laughlin M' Cleane, Esquire, Principal, John Patterson, Esquire, Deputy, Collector of his Majesty' s Customs for the Port of
Philadelphia; by his Majesty, l1,000.
Zachariah Hood, Esquire, Comptroller; by his Majesty, l300.
Richard Penn, Esquire, Naval Officer; by the Governour, l600.
Owen Jones, Esquire, Provincial Treasurer; by the Assembly, l300.
Edward Shippen, Jun˙, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Supreme Court; nominated by the Judges, and approved and commissioned by the Governour, l200.
Charles Moore, Esquire, Clerk of the House of Assembly; by the Assembly, l100.
James Tilghman, Esquire, Secretary of the Proprietaries' Land Office; by the Proprietaries, l500.
Edmund Physick, Esquire, Keeper of the Great Seal; by the Proprietaries, l25.
John Lukens, Esquire, Surveyor General; by the Proprietaries, l250.
James Hamilton, Esquire, Principal, James Biddle, Esquire, Deputy, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia; by the Governour, l500.
John Lawrence, Esquire, Principal, William Parr, Esquire, Deputy, Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace for Philadelphia County; nominated by the Justices, and approved and commissioned by the Governour, l70.
William Dewees, Esquire, Sheriff of Philadelphia County; two persons being elected by the people, are presented to the Governour, who approves and commissions one of them, l300.
John Knight, Esquire, Coroner of the County of Philadelphia; appointed in the same manner as the Sheriff, l40.
William Crispin, Collector of the Excise for Philadelphia County; by Act of Assembly, l100.
Levi Hollingsworth, Flour Brander for Philadelphia County; by Act of Assembly, l300.
Henry Hale Graham, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions for Chester County; by the Governour, l120.
Nathaniel Vernon, Esquire, Sheriff of Chester County; as Sheriff of Philadelphia, County, l100.
John Bryan, Esquire, Coroner of Chester County; as Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l20.
Thomas Tucker, Collector of Excise for Chester County; by Act of Assembly, l30.
Isaac Hicks, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions for Bucks County; by the Governour, l100.
Samuel Biles, Esquire, Sheriff of Bucks County; as Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l100.
George Fell, Esquire, Coroner of Bucks County; as Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l10.
John Wolston, Collector of Excise for Bucks County; by Act of Assembly, l20.
Edward Shippen, Senior, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Lancaster County; by the Governour, l300.
John Ferree, Esquire, Sheriff of Lancaster County; as the Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l140.
Samuel Boyd, Esquire, Coroner of Lancaster County; as the Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l15.
Sebastian Graff, Esquire, Collector of Excise for Lancaster County; by Act of Assembly, l30.
Samuel Johnson, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of York County; by the Governour, l150.
Charles Lukens, Esquire, Sheriff of York County; as the Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l75.
Joseph Adlum, Esquire, Coroner of York County; as the Sheriff of Philadelphia County, l5.
Henry Miller, Collector of Excise for York County; by Act of Assembly, l10.
Turbutt Francis, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Quarter Sessions for the County of Cumberland; by the Governour, l150.
Robert Semple, Esquire, Sheriff of Cumberland County; as the other Sheriffs, l75.
James Pollock, Esquire, Coroner of Cumberland County; same as the Sheriffs, l5.
Thomas Beard, Esquire, Collector of Excise for Cumberland County; by Act of Assembly, l7.
James Read, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Quarter Sessions for Berks County; by the Governour, l250.
Henry Vanderslin, Esquire, Sheriff of Berks County; as the other Sheriffs, l125.
Peter Brecht, Esquire, Coroner of Berks County; as the Sheriffs, l5.
John Biddle, Collector of Excise for Berks County; by Act of Assembly, l15.
Lewis Gordon, Esquire Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Quarter Sessions of Northampton County; by the Governour, l75.
Henry Fullert, Esquire, Sheriff of Northampton County; as the other Sheriffs, l40.
Jonas Hartzell, Esquire, Coroner of Northampton County; as the Sheriffs, l5.
Jesse Jones, Collector of Excise for Northampton County; by Act of Assembly, l7.
Thomas Smith, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Bedford County; by the Governour, l50.
James Piper, Esquire, Sheriff of Bedford County; as the other Sheriffs, l30.
John Chesna, Esq˙, Coroner of Bedford County; as the Sheriffs, l5.
Thomas Urie, Collector of Excise for Bedford County; by Act of Assembly, l3.
William Maclay, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Northumberland County; by the Governour, l40.
William Cook, Esquire, Sheriff of Northumberland County; as other Sheriffs, l25.
James Murray, Esquire, Coroner of Northumberland County; as the Sheriffs, l3.
Thomas Lemon, Collector of Excise for Northumberland County; by Act of Assembly, l2.
Arthur St˙ Clair, Esquire, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas, and Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Westmoreland County; by the Governour, l50.
John Comaghan, Esquire, Sheriff of Westmoreland County; as other Sheriffs, l35.
James Kincaid, Esquire, Coroner of Westmoreland County; as the Sheriffs, l3.
Thomas Coombe, Esquire, Collector of the Duties on the Tonnage of Vessels; by Act of Assembly, l30.
Thomas Coombe, Collector of the Duties on Slaves Imported; by Act of Assembly, l15.
Answer of the Governour of his Majesty' s Province of Pennsylvania
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the Latitudes and Longitudes of the most considerable places in it; have those Latitudes and Longitudes been settled by good observations, or only by common computations; and from whence are the Longitudes computed?
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a meridian line to be drawn from the head of the said River unto the forty-third degree. The said land to extend, Westward, five degrees in Longitude, to be computed from the said Eastern bounds; and the said lands to be bounded on the North by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, and on the South by a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New-Castle Northward and Westward unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, and then by a straight line Westward to the limits of
Longitude above mentioned."
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eleven thousand sixteen square miles, or seven millions fifty thousand two hundred and forty acres, being something more than one-fifth of the whole grant; indeed, if the Southern boundary was to be continued quite through to the Western extremity of the Province in the aforesaid Latitude of 39° 43' 42", one-fourth of the whole Royal Grant to Pennsylvania would be lost. But as Pennsylvania reaches about fifty-one miles West of Maryland, it is presumed that there at least the Province should run South to the fortieth degree, and then West to the end of five degrees from Delaware, after which the aforesaid quantity of seven millions fifty thousand two hundred and forty acres will be still deficient of what it was the gracious intention of Government to grant to William Penn, and it may be submitted to his Majesty' s goodness, whether this deficiency ought not to be made good somewhere. It is not easy to ascertain what proportion of the Province is cultivated, but, on the whole, it is a much larger proportion than in any other Colony of the same age in North America, the country being, in general, very fully settled as far as the quality of the lands and purchase from the Indians will permit, The lands are held by the inhabitants under patents from the Proprietaries, and yearly quit-rents of various denominations, the highest one Penny per acre; a great part only a half Penny, and many of the old patents, under small acknowledgments in Corn or Wheat, &c.
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but are liable at any time to be convened by the Governour' s Writ, when the publick exigency requires it. The Governour has a Council, consisting when full of twelve members, which is only in the nature of a Privy Council, and has not a Legislative capacity. By Act of Assembly the President and Council, upon the death or absence of the Lieutenant Governour, have the exercise of all the powers of Government, except that of Legislation.
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or places of defence have been kept up within this Government; but there is, at present, a stone Fortification, which was began about three years ago, at the expense of this Province, on an Island in the River Delaware, called Mud Island, about ten miles below the City of Philadelphia, intended for the security and protection of the City against Privateers and other small vessels of force, which might otherwise, in time of war, without any difficulty or interruption, pass up the River to the City, and plunder and destroy it in a few days; but this Fort is left unfinished for want of sufficient funds provided by the Assembly to complete it?
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offenders, and like publick purposes. As many of these expenses are in their nature contingent, no certain account can be given of the annual amount of them. They are defrayed as occasion requires, out of the surplus money arising from the Revenue, stated in answer to the 19th question.
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