OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 115 



At a Council lield at Philadelphia, May 8th, 1729. 



PRESENT : 



The Hoii^le PATRICK GORDON, Esq., Lieut. Governor. 



William Fishbourne, Ralph Asheton, ') 



Clement Plumsted, Samuel Hazle. |- Esq'rs. 



Thomas Laurence, j 



A Bill sent up from the House entitled an act for erecting the upper 

 parts of the Province of Pennsylvania, lying towards Sasquehannah, Con- 

 estogoe, Dunnegal, &c., into a county was read, to which it was proposed 

 and agreed that a clause should be drawn up and sent to the House to 

 be inserted therein, for continuing all such suits and actions as are now 

 depending in the county of Chester, against any inhabitant of the county 

 of Lancaster, and that the same may be brought to issue in the said 

 county of Chester; which, with some other small amendments, were or- 

 dered to be carried down with the Bill. 



Then the Governor recommended to the Board to consider of proper 

 persons to be appointed Justices of Peace of the said county of Lancaster, 

 and be commissionated for the office ©f Sheriff' and Coroner, and the fol- 

 lowing persons were named for Justices, viz : John Wright, Tobias Hen- 

 dricks, Samuel Blunston, Andrew Cornish, Thomas Edwards, Caleb 

 Peirce, Thomas Reid and Samuel Jones, Esquires. 



Robert Barber was likewise appointed Sheriff, and Andrew Galbraith 

 Coroner, and Commissions were ordered to be prepared accordingly. 



May 10th, 1729, the House of Representatives waited on the Governor, 

 and the Speaker presented among others the following Bill to be passed 

 into law, which was accordingly by the Governor passed into a Law of 

 this Province, and warrant was issued for affixing the great seal thereto. 



"An Act for erecting the ITpper Parts of the Province of Pennsyl- 

 vania, lying towards Sasquehanna, Conestogoe, Dunnegal, etc. into a 

 county. 



"Whereas, A great number of the inhabitants of the Upper Part of 

 Chester county have by their Petition humbly represented to the Gov- 

 ernor and Assembly of this Province, the great hardships they lie under 

 by being at so great a distance from the town of Chester, Avhere the 

 Courts of Justice are held, and the Public offices kept ; and how hard and 

 difficult it is for the sober and quiet inhabitants of that part of the county 

 to secure themselves against the thefts and abuses almost daily committed 

 upon them by idle and dissolute persons, who resort to the remote parts 

 of the Province, and by reason of the great distance from a Court or 

 Prison, do irequently find means of making their escape; for the re- 

 moving which inconveniency, and relief of the said inhabitants, Be it en- 

 acted by the Honourable Patrick Gordon, Esq., Governor of the Prov- 

 ince of Pennsylvania, etc., by and with the advice and consent of the 



