Philada. May 29. 1755
The Committee hereby acquaint you that the
House have resolved to defray the Expence of the cutting of the
Roads requird, so that you may go on with that Affair freely. If
there should come any orders to you from the Generall for wheat,
the Committee desire you would send him any quantity he desires of
that which was bought for the Publick above the quantity of 14,000
bushels at first order’d for the Virginia flour, or more in case
that should not be sufficient. They also desire that care may be
taken that the men be kept close to their work, and do faithfull
days works or the Expence will be unreasonably great. They are
willing to pay an Active diligent overseer what may be reasonable
for such Service.
I am [in] behalf of the Committee, Sir Your
Humble servant
At a meeting of the Committee and other members
of Assembly at the state House in Philadelphia the 29. 5mo 1755
Present Isaac Norris, Evan Morgan, Jos.
Stretch, Benja. Franklin, Wm. Callender, Jas. Pemberton.
James Pemberton reports he deliver’d to the
Governor the letter in answer to his to the Comittee pursuant to
their directions, to which the Governor was pleas’d to reply he
thank’d the Gentlemen for their good Intentions, and that he would
Inform Generall Braddock thereof but did not signify he expected
any Service from them and demanded the Generall’s letter to him
which was accordingly deliver’d.
Benja. Franklin now comunicated a letter he had
received from Wm. Shirlley secretary to Generall Braddock
requesting a Supply of sixty waggens to be hir’d on his account and
sent up to the camp with all possible dispatch laden with Oats and
Indian Corn. Whereupon it was agreed to Comply with the Generall’s
demand, and B. Franklin desird to publish Advertisements for the
hire of the quantity of waggens with four horses and a driver Each
at the rate of 15s. per day to carry a load of Oats and
Indian Corn to the Camp at Wills’s Creek and to appoint the 9th: of
next month to sett off from Philadelphia and James Pemberton to
secure a quantity of Oats and Indian Corn sufficient to lade
them.
The following letter from the Governor was also
read viz. here Insert it.
On considering which it was agreed to supply
the Governor with one hundred dollars to be sent to Ed: Shippen to
advance to Labourers to be Employd in cutting the New Road towards
the Ohio and Jas. Pemberton is desird to gett that sum from C.
Norris and pay it to the Governor for that purpose.