1897.] MINUTES. 177 



ence of tins valuable and important volume in our Library, 

 at once subjected it to careful examination and found that it 

 contained many of the laws passed prior to November, 1700, 

 including the twelve missing ones, viz., one act passed June 

 9, 169-1 ; two acts passed February 10, 1699-1700 ; one act 

 passed May 16, 1700, and eight acts passed June 7, 1700. 

 Some in not quite as satisfactory form as could be desired, 

 but most of them duly attested by the Speaker of the Assem- 

 bly, signed by Governor Fletcher, and the later acts by 

 Governor Markham, and sealed Avith the " Lesser Seal " of 

 the Province. 



It is interesting to note, in this connection, that the use 

 of the " Lesser Seal " for such a purpose was a most extraor- 

 dinary proceeding, and can bear no other explanation than 

 that it was done by William Penn's orders Avith a view to his 

 claim to a veto power, which was subsequently denied him 

 by the Crown, as the later acts are all passed under the 

 " Great Seal " of the Province. 



The only copies of the laws passed prior to November, 

 1700, possessed by the State and from which the Commission 

 had intended to print, consist of unattested copies made by 

 Patrick Robinson, Secretary of the Council. Hence the Com- 

 missioners now desire to print from the duly attested copies 

 of these laws belonging to this Society, rather than from the 

 unattested copies belonging to the State. 



It is surmised that the copies contained in the volume 

 belonging to the Society may have come into the office of 

 Andrew Hamilton during the period when he was Attorney - 

 General of the Province, and were acquired by Mr. Fisher in 

 the course of his examination of the Hamilton papers depos- 

 ited at " The Woodlands." 



The finding of these acts will place the Commonwealth of 

 Penns3dvania in possession of a complete set of its legislative 

 enactments, from the founding of the Province to the readily 

 accessible " Pamphlet Laws " beginning with 1802. All but 

 two of the original thirteen States of the Union have, at one 

 time or another, attempted to make and publish similar collec- 



