And however improper so extensive a Law may be in its principles yet considering that upon a faith of the said Law several Citizens have sperit much labour and money for which they are not yet reimbursed -- and notwithstanding the Legislature may have a right to Repeal Laws which convey grants that are highly injurious to the General Welfare yet the resuming such Legislative grants ought never to be done unless upon the most pressing necessity.

Your Committee therefore beg leave to offer the following resolutions, viz.

Resolved that the prayer of the petition of James Rumsey be granted, excepting so far as it respects the propelling of Boats by the force of Fire or Steam.

Resolved that the prayer of the petition of Henry Voight cannot be granted.

The above is a true Copy of the origmal report remaining on the files of the General Assembly.

J. Shallus Asst Clerk.

Philadelphia 13th. December 1788. Honoured Sir :

As it is so very inconvenient for me to attend your Assembly this Session to answ^er the repeated vexatious Claims of James Rumsey I have taken the Liberty to enclose to you a petition to your Honorable House, several Certificates, a Pamphlet, a Report of the Committee of Pennsylvania &c all which I pray you to lay before your Honorable House.

There is one part of the pamphlet which may require a little explaining as they hinge much and their whole dependance of the Pipe Boiler rests on it where speaking of M^. Voight and the Pipe Boiler Page 14 I say that I am indebted to him alone for the improvement yet it cannot be denied but I laid a Drawing of a Pipe Boiler before the Philosophical Society many months before he pretends to have [done so] therefore I hope your House will not [conceive his words] to convey more than the very expression itself |and that theyj may not be construed instead