1682.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 141 



A question propounded by the speaker — "Whether any abso- 

 lute note of distinction betwixt one officer and another should 

 be concluded on by vote, as the carrying a white rod or reed," 

 shows there was some disposition to follow the etiquette of the 

 home government. This question was left in suspense. 



A petition was presented, "for an act of Union" between the 

 freemen of the three lower Counties, and those of Pennsylvania. 

 It was ddlvered by John Moll and Francis' Whitwell, in the 

 name of the rest of the Freeholders, and "was accepted and ap- 

 proved of by the whole house." 



The act providing for the "aforesaid Union," after being re- 

 gularly passed, was carried by the President and Christopher 

 Taylor to the Governor, in order to get "his subscription as an 

 established law." 



A petition is presented to the Governor from the Swedes, 

 Finns and Dutch, that he "would bo pleased to make them as 

 free as other members of this province, and that their lands may 

 be entailed on them and their heirs forever." 



"The printed laws and the written laws or constitutions" 

 were at length brought before the house, and after having been 

 altered or amended, were finally adopted. "The power of the 

 Free Society of Traders was also debated." This ended the 

 second day's proceedings. 



"The house met again about half an hour past seven in the 

 morning of the 7th day of the 10th month, 1682." The Gover- 

 nor assuming the chair expresses himself in an obliging and reli- 

 gious manner to the house." After having been consulted by 

 the President on " divers material concerns," the Governor 

 . "urges upon the house his religious counsel." 



A debate, of some warmth, appears to have ensued in respect 

 to the time to which the Assembly should adjourn; twenty-one 

 days appears to ha\e been fixed on, at which the members of the 

 lower counties " were in a great strait." Two members were 

 thereupon appointed to inform the Governor of it, who returned 

 with intelligence that the Governor is willing "that the assembly 

 adjourn for twenty-one days, which was done by order of the 

 speaker." 



There was probably no meeting held at the end of twenty-one 

 days, or at any other time by this first legislature. There are 

 no minutes of such a meeting, nor laws of that date.' 



No list of members being given, the names of all the represen- 

 tatives from Chester County cannot be given. The following 

 Chester County names appear incidentally in the minutes: — 

 John Simcock, Thomas Brasey, Ralph Withers, and Thomas 

 Usher. It would appear that the members of the "first Assem- 

 bly" received no pay for their services. The next Assembly did 



1 Votes of Assembly. 



