A bill is about being reported for establishing a horse and cattle market in the vicinity of Pittsburgh.
The bill for erecting Pittsburgh into a city has passed the senate and is before the house, where it is expected to pass through without opposition.
The bill for erecting a new county out of parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington, and Fayette, is reported. This bill will throw off the greater part of Elizabeth township from Allegheny county. There have been no remonstrances against it received from this county; but we understand that some have been received from the other counties concerned.
The bill for erecting a Poorhouse for Allegheny county, it is expected will pass." Mercury, Feb. 24, 1816.
"We regret to say that neither from our correspondent at Harrisburg nor from the papers printed there, have we been enabled to procure an account of the legislative proceedings. We take two papers published at the seat of government, but from some unaccountable reason they do not contain the intelligence our readers require. We are reduced to the necessity of picking up here and there from letters to editors—from information derived from travellers—or from some other like inconclusive sources of information, that intelligence with which Journals published at the seat of government should supply us. They ought to be the fountains of information to the mass of the community: Instead of dabbling in politics and abusing or eulogizing party leaders, they should deal in facts. The National Intelligencer we look upon as the best model with which we are acquainted of a national journal." Commonwealth, Dec. 24, 1816.
Slavery
"Nearly all of the first residents of Pittsburg and vicinity who were wealthy enough to afford the luxury were owners of slaves. The Nevilles, John Gibson, James O'Hara, Alexander Fowler, Adamson Tannehill, the Kirkpatricks and many others owned them, and several continued to do so as late as the war of 1812. The old newspapers contained advertisements for runaway slaves even as late as 1820." Wilson's History of Pittsburg.
"The year 1780 is memorable in the annals of Pennsylvania for the passage of the act for the gradual abolition of slavery in this State…. It provided for the registration of every negro or mulatto slave or servant for life, or till the age of thirty-one years, before the first of November following, and also provided, 'that no man or woman of any nation or color, except the negroes or mulattoes who shall be registered as aforesaid, shall at any time hereafter be deemed, adjudged, or holden within the territory of this Commonwealth, as slaves or servants for life, but as free men and free women.'" Egle's History of Pennsylvania.
Advertisements from the Newspapers of 1816
SHOT, POWDER, &c.