That he hath this niorning seen with surprise in the public papers, that a petition has been presented to your honorable body by James Rumsey praying you to grant him an exclusive right to the use of Steam boats, the very right which by special Act of Assembly passsed the 28'^ of March 17S7, is vested in your petitioner, who is confident he need do no more than remind the Honorable House that such a law exists, when he conceives it will be even unnecessary to pray that you will not grant that to another which has already been granted to him -- Justice, Honor and d#ingerous president forbid the depriving an honest citizen of the fruits of his dear earned labour and to whom the faith of the government has been so solemnly pledged -- the very attempt to draw the House into such a measure, is your petitioner conceives offering them the greatest indignity -- Your petitioner's property in the exclusive right to all Steam boats in the State of Pennsylvania is as firmly established in him as the right of any man in the state to his House or his Farm he therefore trusts that Honor of the House to protect him from so cruelly an intended injury -- and your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray. John Fitch.

Philad"^ September 6th ]788.

A true copy from the original read September 6. 1788.

J. Shallus Asst. Clk. of the General Assembly.

To the Honorable the House of Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania