Page:Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison Vol. 1.djvu/127

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
HARRISON: MESSAGES AND LETTERS
89

Your Memorialist therefore prays, that a law may be passed, authorizing and requiring the Superintendant of Indian Affairs or other persons empowered to issue Licences to Indian Traders, within the Indiana Territory, to receive for each Licence issued, such a Sum for the Use of the said Territory, as in your wisdom may be thought reasonable. And your Petitioner as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c—

WiLLM. Henry Harrison

Indiana Territory

A Resolution requesting the Governor to make application to congress for the purposes therein mentioned Published at Vincennes the seventh day of November one thousand eight hundred and three, by William Henry Harrison Governor and Thomas T. Davis and Henry Vander Burgh Judges in and over the said Territory. Whereas in the present circumstances of this Territory the revenue is inadequate to the necessary expences thereof. And Whereas the Territory frequently incurs expences by reason of prosecuting on behalf of the United States, to defray which, there is no provision by any law of the United States. Resolved that the Governor be and is hereby requested to make application to Congress for leave to impose a reasonable tax, yearly, on all persons trading with the Indian tribes within this Territory to and for the use thereof. The foregoing is hereby declared to be a law of the Territory and to take effect accordingly. In Testimony whereof we, William Henry Harrison, Thomas T. Davis and Henry Vander Burgh have caused the seal of the Territory to be thereunto affixed and signed the same with our names.[1]

Willm Henry Harrison
Thomas Terry Davis
Henry Vander Burgh

I do hereby certify that the above is a true Copy of the Original on file in the office of the Secretary of the Indiana Territory.

for John Gibson Secretary
John Gibson Jun,

.

  1. The territorial judges of Indiana were: William Clarke. Henry Vanderburg. and John Griffin. Clarke died suddenly Nov. 11, 1802 and was succeeded by Thomas Terry Davis who served till his death at Jeffersonville, Nov. 15, 1807. Davis was succeeded by Benjamin Parke who continued as a federal judge of Indiana till his death, July 12, 1835. The other two served their terms out.
    Esarey, Courts and Lawyers of Indiana, I, 404