CHAP. XIX.
Lord Lovelace
arrives governor; Convenes a new assembly; they apply to him
for a hearing on
the subject of the lieutenant governor and council's
application to
the queen; His death; is succeeded by the lieutenant
governor
Ingoldsby; The first paper currency; Arrival of governor Hunter;
A short account
of the first expedition to Canada; A new assembly chosen;
their first
session in Hunter's time.
John Lord
Lovelace, baron of Hurley, being appointed to succeed lord
Cornbury; he
summoned the council to meet him at Bergen, December 20, 1708,
published his
commission, and met a new asssembly 1 in the spring, at
Perth-Amboy, and
informed them by speech:
That he was very
sensible of great difficulties attending the honorable
employment in
which her majesty had placed him, and he hoped they would
never fail to
assist him to serve the queen and her people; that her
majesty had
shewn, in the whole course of her reign (a reign glorious
beyond example)
how much she aim'd at the good and prosperity of her
people; having
with indefatigable pains united her two kingdoms of England
and Scotland, and
continued the same application to unite the minds of all
her subjects;
that this was her great care, and ought to be the care of
those whom she
deputed to govern the distant provinces not happy enough by
situation to be
under her more immediate government; that as he could not
set before him a
better pattern, he should endeavour to recommend himself
to them, by following
as far as he was able, her example; that he should
not give them any
just cause of uneasiness, under his administration, and
hoped they would
bear with one another; that past differences and
animosities ought
to be buried in oblivion, and the peace and wellfare of
the country
alone, pursued by each individual; that her majesty would not
be burthensome to
her people; but there being an absolute necessity that
the government be
supported, he was directed to recommend that matter to
their consideration;
that they knew best what the province could
conveniently
raise for its support, and the easiest methods of raising it;
that the making a
law for putting the militia on a better footing than it
at present stood,
with as much ease to the people as possible, required
their
consideration; that he should always be ready to give his assent to
whatever laws
they found necessary, for promoting religion and virtue; for
the encouragement
of trade and industry, and discouragement of vice and
prophaneness, and
for any other matter or thing relating to the good of the
province.
The assembly, in
their turn, told the governor by address; that they
esteemed it their
great happiness, that her majesty had placed a person of
so much temper
and moderation over them, and made no question he would
surmount every
difficulty with honour and safety.
That her
majesty's reign would make a bright leaf in history; that it was
the advantage of
the present, and would be the admiration of future ages,
not more for her
success abroad, than prudence at home; that tho' their
distance had and
might sometimes be disadvantageous to them, yet they
experienced the
effect of her princely care, in putting an end to the
worst
administration New-Jersey ever knew, by sending him, whose
government would
always be easy to her majesty's subjects here, and
satisfactory to
himself, whilst he followed so great and good an example.
That they had no
animosities with one another, but firmly agreed to do
themselves and their
country justice; that they were persuaded none that
deserved publick
censure, would have a share in his esteem; and doubted
not of meeting
with his hearty concurrence in every measure, that conduced
to peace and good
order.
That they should
support the government to the utmost of their abilities,
and most
willingly so at a time when they were freed from bondage and
arbitrary
encroachments, and were convinced that vice and immorality would
no more receive
the publick countenance and approbation.
They assured him,
all his reasonable desires would be commands to them;
and promised it
should be their study to make his administration as easy
and happy as they
could.
The session
lasted a month, in which business went on with unusual
smoothness; the
assembly obtained from the governor, a copy of the address
(before inserted)
from the lieutenant governor and council, to the queen,
in 1707; they
thanked him for the favour, and requested he would desire
the lieutenant
governor, and all that signed the address, to attend him at
such time as he
thought fit to appoint, to prove their allegations; and
that the house
might have leave to be present, and have opportunity of
making their
defence, in order to clear themselves from such imputations.
The governor
shewed a ready inclination to grant this request, and
appointed a day
for a hearing; but by the artifices of those concerned, it
was evaded from
time to time: Whether they at last gain'd their point,
does not appear. Most
of the inhabitants of New-Jersey, now pleased
themselves with
the prospect of happy times: With a change of governors
followed a change
of measures and favourites; impartiality and candour
succeeded trick
and design; the tools of the former administration having
nothing but the
protection of that to support them, sunk into neglect.
It was Cornbury's
weakness to encourage men that would flatter his vanity,
and trim to his
humours and measures; these were sure of his favours; but
the case was
otherwise now: Such of the former favourites as yet continued
in the council,
were not without their share of disesteem; even the
confidence which
had been usually put in that board, on passing the
support bill, was
discontinued: The assembly declaring to Lovelace, that
tho' they had an
entire confidence in his justice and prudence, respecting
the disposition
of the money for support of government, they had not that
confidence in the
gentlemen that were now of her majesty's council; and
that this was the
reason they had altered the former method; and therefore
requested he
would favourably represent it to the queen in their behalf.2
The difference of
these administrations will appear on a short comparison.
The first on the
subject of a support, makes use of the following
expressions:
"That I may
not be wanting in my duty in the station the queen has been
pleased to honour
me with; I shall put you in mind of those things, which
I think ought to
be immediately provided for; the first of which is
providing a
revenue for the support of government; the revenue which the
queen expects is
fifteen hundred pounds a year, for one and twenty years."
Lord Lovelace,
ten months afterwards, upon the same occasion, speaks as
follows: "Her
majesty would not be burthensome to her people, but there
being an absolute
necessity that the government be supported; I am desired
to recommend that
matter to your consideration; you know best what the
province can
conveniently raise for its support, and the easiest method of
raising it."
Hence may be seen, that the inhabitants had some reason to
promise
themselves more happy times than heretofore; but to their great
disappointment,
lord Lovelace died within a few days afterwards, and the
administration
devolved on the lieutenant governor Ingoldsby, who laid
before the
assembly the design of the crown, respecting an expedition
against Canada,
under the colonels Nicholson and Vetch; they immediately
voted £.3000, for
the service, by an emission of paper bills of credit,
but did not now
pass the bill.
The lieutenant
governor adjourned them for a few weeks, and then told them,
he had given them
another opportunity of doing their duty to her majesty,
and what their
country required at their hands.
That he found in
their votes at last sitting, a resolve for raising
£.3000, for her
majesty's service; that this was now become a debt, and
they had only to
consider of ways and means of raising it; and that a
proper
application was made for the paying of their quota of men appointed
for reducing
Canada.
The assembly
prepared three bills, one for raising £.3,000, 3 another for
enforcing its
currency, and a third for the encouragement of volunteers,
going on the
Canada expedition; these bills having received the governor's
assent, the house
was adjourn'd to the first of November, to meet at
Burlington; in
November they met accordingly, but deferred business 'till
December, when
they sat ten weeks, passed 18 bills, were then adjourn'd,
and afterwards prorogued
from time to time, 'till dissolved by governor
Hunter, in 1710.4
It was in the
latter end of the year 1708, that Col. Vetch first applied
to the court of
Great-Britain, for sea and land forces, to reduce Canada;
he, with Col.
Nicholson, obtain'd a small force from England, and
instructions to
the several governors on the continent to give them what
assistance they
could:5 They had a promise of a fleet of ships of war to
follow them in
due time; they came over in the beginning of summer 1709, 6
and brought with
them the following instructions, directed to Col. Vetch.
"ANNE R.
"Instructions
for our trusty and well-beloved Col. Vetch, to be observed
in his
negotiations with the governors of several of our colonies in
America: Given at
our court at St. James's, the 28th day of February,
1708-9, and in
the seventh year of our reign.
"Whereas you
have laid before us the proposal of an enterprize on Canada
and Newfoundland,
which may turn very much to the security and advantage
of our subjects
in those parts of America, as well as to the prosperity of
our kingdoms in
general; we having taken the same into consideration, do
entirely approve
of the said proposal; and in order to execute it
effectually, have
thought fit to give you these our following instructions.
"You shall
immediately repair on board the ship appointed by our high
admiral for the
transporting of you, with officers as shall be sent under
your command, to
several of our colonies in North-America; upon your
arrival at
New-York, you are to deliver to our governor of that place a
letter from us,
and communicate to him these our instructions, acquainting
him, that we
shall expect from him a punctual and ready compliance in all
such as relate to
him; you shall represent to him, that out of a great
desire to answer
the frequent applications which have been made to us, by
our good subjects
the inhabitants of those parts, to deliver them from the
neighbourhood of
the French of Canada, which of late years hath been so
troublesom to
them; we have fitted out an expedition, the particulars of
which you shall
lay before him, and withal let him know, that we strictly
require and
enjoin him, to give such an assistance to the said expedition,
as is hereafter specified.
"You shall
signify to him our pleasure, that the governor of New-York do
furnish a quota
of eight hundred men, including the four standing
companies; and
that the city regiments of York and Albany do duty in the
forts, during the
absence of the said standing companies. You shall at the
same time
acquaint him, that New-Jersey is to furnish two hundred men;
Connecticut three
hundred and fifty, and Pennsylvania one hundred and
fifty; so that
the whole force will consist of fifteen hundred effectives;
which are to be
disposed into four battalions; each battalion to have one
of the four
regular companies mixed and incorporated in it, and to be
commanded by the
captains as colonel whose company is so incorporated in
it, and under him
by the respective officers of the country troops; the
officers that go
with you, and are designed for New York, to be
distributed among
the companies, as the governor in concert with the
commander in
chief, shall think best for the service.
"You shall
likewise acquaint our aforesaid governor, in our name, that we
do command and
expect from him, that the quotas of his government, be
ready at Albany,
with all things necessary for the expedition, by the
middle of May
next ensuing, at the furthest; and that he furnish all the
troops with what
arms and ammunition they want, out of the magazine at New
York; and that he
do forthwith get together and keep in readiness, three
months provision
for his quota of those, to be transported an lodged in
some convenient
place at the wood creek or elsewhere; for the security of
which, he shall,
in conjunction with the governments of Connecticut and
Pennsylvania,
cause to be built a large wooden store house; as also six or
more large boats,
that will carry sixty men each, for the transportation
of their heavier
stores by water; and also contract with the five nations,
to make with all
speed, as many canoes as will be wanted for the said
expedition.
"You shall
moreover enjoin the aforesaid governors in our name, to command
and engage the
aforesaid five nations, as also the river Indians, to join
with all their
fighting men in the said expedition, and promise them a
good present if
they do; you shall likewise acquaint them, that it is our
pleasure that he
give all fitting encouragement to any gentlemen, or
others, that
shall offer themselves to go as volunteers in this our
service.
"You shall
deliver a letter from us to the governor of Connecticut, and
another to the
governor of Pennsylvania, for the time being, and signify
to them our royal
will and pleasure, that they have their quotas of men
and provisions
ready by the middle of May at furthest; acquainting them
withal, that the
governor of New-York is ordered to assist them with what
arms and
ammunition they shall want.
"After
having finished your negotiations for the foregoing expedition,
with all possible
secrecy and dispatch, you shall deliver a letter from us
to our governor
of New-England, and another to the governor of Rhode-
Island, for the time
being, strictly enjoining and commanding them in our
name, to raise at
least twelve hundred of their best men, according to
their usual
proportions; and to give all fitting encouragement to any such
as shall offer
themselves to go volunteers in the expedition, whether
gentlemen or
others; as also to have in readiness a sufficient number of
transports, with
three months provisions and able pilots, whereof capt.
Southwech 7 is to
be one, and to go in his own galley; and that all may be
ready to embark
by the middle of May, upon the arrival of the fleet from
England; and for
their greater encouragement, you shall acquaint them,
that we have
ordered arms and ammunition to be sent with you, for the
number of troops
they are to furnish; which arms and ammunition you shall
accordingly
deliver to the several companies, in presence of the governor
or commissary of
the country, taking a receipt for the same, which you
shall transmit to
our board of ordnance in this kingdom.
"You shall
with the concurrence and advice of our governor of New-England,
contract with
ship carpenters, for the building of ten or more large flat
bottomd boats,
that will carry sixty men each, for the landing of troops;
and also contract
with proper persons for the furnishing of eight months
provision to the
troops that shall be left at Quebec or Montreal, if it
shall please God
to make our forces masters of those places, and to give
us the success
that we hope for from this our expedition.
"And to the
end, that nothing may be wanting on our parts, towards
engaging the
several governments to act with the utmost spirit and vigour
in this
expedition, you shall assure them in our name, that such of the
governments as
contribute towards the reduction of Canada, shall have a
preference both
with regard to the soil and trade of the country, when
reduced, to any
other of our subjects; and when they shall have concerted
among themselves
any reasonable proposals, for securing to their
respective
colonies the benefit of the said soil and trade, we shall
not be wanting to
give our royal sanction to the same.
"You shall
communicate these our instructions to colonel Francis
Nicholson, who
hath offered himself to go as a voluntier in this
expedition; and
further, out of regard to his known abilities and zeal for
our service, we
do require, that you should admit him into your private
consultations
with our several governors, on the methods for putting this
your proposal
into execution; and if by reason of the distance of time and
place, any other
preparations may be necessary for the carrying on this
expedition, which
we could not here foresee, and which is not contained
in these your
instructions, you shall, with the concurrence of the
governor, who is
to assist in any such service, and of colonel Nicholson,
make any such
peparations, tho' it is not in your instructions; provided,
that it appear to
you absolutely necessary for the carrying on of the
expedition
aforesaid, and that the governor and colonel Nicholson do
entirely concur
in judging it to be so.
"A. R.
"SUNDERLAND."
Being arrived,
they did their best at raising forces on the continent; but
a difference
arising among the ministry at home, the ships of war expected
from thence, came
not: They waited without doing any thing 'till the
winter, and then
Nicholson went back to England, to solicit further
assistance, and
forward what had been proposed; to do this with more
probability of
success, four Indian sachems of the Five now Six Nations,
were prevailed
upon to take a voyage to England, to assist what they could
in persuading
this Expedition:8 With these went over Col. Schuyler: They
sail'd early in
the year; had several conference with the lords of trade;
and with
Nicholson and the forces he brought, returned in the summer, and
arrived at
Boston.
According to the
instructions to the governments on the continent, for
getting their
assistance in readiness, a considerable armament was raised,
and set out from
Boston September 18. The fleet consisted of the Dragon,
Falmouth,
Leostaff, Feversham, men of war, the Star bomb, and the
Massachusetts
province galley, with transports, in all thirty-six sail;
the forces on
board were, one regiment of marines from England, two
regiments of
Massachusetts Bay, one regiment of Connecticut, and one of
New-Hampshire and
Rhode-Island, commissioned by the queen, armed and
victualed in part
by her gift, and part by the several colonies, towards
which New-Jersey
was £.3,000; they arrived at Port-Royal, now called
Annapolis-Royal,
in six days sail from Boston; after some small canonading
and bombarding,
the French governor Subercasse, capitulated; October 5,
the fort was
given up, and Col. Vetch, according to the instructions for
that purpose,
became governor; the terms of the capitulation were, that
all the French,
being four hundred and eighty one persons, within three
miles of the
fort, should be under the protection of Great-Britain, upon
taking the oaths
of allegiance; the other French settlers were left at
discretion; that
in case the French made incursions upon the frontiers of
New-England, the
British should make reprisals upon the French in Nova-
Scotia, by making
some of the chief of their inhabitants slaves to their
Indians;
notwithstanding this, the French of L'Accadia, soon after
committed
hostilities; tho' the Port-Royal and Cape-Sable Indians desired
terms of amity
and alliance might be settled with them; which was
accordingly done.
The men of war and transports sailed again for Boston,
October the 14th,
leaving a garrison in Port-Royal of two hundred marines
and two hundred
and fifty of the new raised voluntiers from the continent;
which were the
next year relieved by four hundred of the troops destin'd
for Canada.
Nova-Scotia had continued with the French from the year 1662
(except the
momentary reduction and possession of it by sir William Phips,
in 1690. 9 )
until now; this acquisition afterwards confirmed to Great-
Britain by the
treaty of Utretcht, hath so remained ever since.
The design
respecting Canada, was for this year laid aside; the earl of
Dartmouth,
secretary of state, wrote to governor Hunter upon the subject,
and to encourage
an attempt upon Port-Royal, as follows:
"Whitehall,
August 1710
"Sir,
"The queen
commands me to acquaint you, that as she has formerly taken
into
consideration the sending over into New-England, such a number of
land forces, that
joined with those under your command, and such as the
neighbouring
colonies could have furnished, might have been of strength
sufficient to
beat the French out of Canada and North-America; so her
majesty had
caused this year all necessary preparations to be made, for
this expedition;
which her majesty has been forced to lay aside for the
present, by
reason of the contrary winds which happened, when the season
was proper for
the fleet to sail, and in regard of other important
services which
interven'd; the queen commanded me to add, that she hopes
to receive a good
account of the expedition against Port-Royal; having
sent away last
spring Col. Francis Nicholson, with such commissions,
instructions and
dispatches, as were necessary for that purpose; and that
she is very well
pleased with the accounts she has received of the zeal
with which her
subjects under your government embraced this undertaking,
and the forwardness
they expressed to promote it; her majesty therefore
for this season,
out of her tender care for their good and prosperity,
intends to pursue
this design as soon as the state of her affairs will
permit it, being
very sensible of the great advantages which may be thence
expected. And as
her majesty will not be wanting of her endeavours to
promote whatever
may conduce to the welfare and security of the colony
under your
government; so her majesty doubts not, but that proper measures
will be effectually
taken there for the common safety and interest, which
her majesty
earnestly recommends to your care.
"This is
what I have in command from the queen, who would have you to
communicate this
letter in the usual manner, to her loving subjects.
"I am, sir,
your most humble servant,
"DARTMOUTH."
Brigadier Hunter
arrived governor in the summer this year[1710],10 called
a new assembly 11
to meet the 6th of December; they chose John Kay, of
Gloucester,
speaker, received the governor's speech; we give it in his own
words:
"Gentlemen,
"I am little
used to make speeches, so you shall not be troubled with a
long one; if
honesty is the best policy, plainness must be the best
oratory; so to
deal plainly with you, so long as these unchristian
divisions which her
majesty has thought to deserve her repeated notice,
reign amongst
you, I shall have small hopes of a happy issue to your
meeting.
"This is an
evil which every body complains of; but few take the right
method to remedy
it; let every man begin at home, and weed the rancour out
of his own mind,
and the work is done at once.
"Leave
disputes of property to the laws, and injuries to the avenger of
them; and like
good subjects, and good christians, join hearts and hands
for the common
good.
"I hope you
all agree in the necessity of supporting the government, and
will not differ
about the means; that it may the better deserve your
support, I shall
endeavour to square it by the best rule that I know, that
is the power from
whence 'tis derived; which all the world must own to be
justice and
goodness itself.
"There are
several matters recommended to you by her majesty, to be passed
into laws, which
I shall lay before you at proper seasons; and shall
heartily concur
with you in enacting whatsoever may be requisite for the
publick peace and
welfare, the curbing of vice, and encouraging of virtue.
"If what I
have said, or what I can do, may have the blessed effect I wish
for, I shall
bless the hour that brought me hither; If I am disappointed,
I shall pray for
that which is to call be [me?] back, for all power except
that of doing
good is but a burthen." The assembly's address:
"May it
please your excellency,
"We
sincerely congratulate your accession to the government of this
province, and hope
the long wished for time is come, in which the
unchristian
causes of our divisions will be taken away, which we persuade
ourselves you
will be as willing, as we conceive you are able to do, by
divesting a few
designing men of that authority, which they use to the
worst purposes.
"We have
experienced repeated instances of her majesty's care over us;
among which one
was, the sending the good lord Lovelace, who put an end to
an administration
the then assembly of this province, with great justice,
stile the worst
New-Jersey had ever known; that good man lived long enough
to know how much
the province had been oppressed, tho' not to remove the
causes: Another
instance of her majesty's royal favour, we esteem, is the
sending your
excellency to govern us, and we persuade ourselves your
conduct will
evince it so to be.
"We hope
great things from you, and none but what are just; let not ill
men be put or
continued in power to oppress; let her majesty's subjects
enjoy their
liberties and properties, according to the laws, and let
not those laws be
warpt to gratify the avarice or resentment of any, and
then we may
safely leave disputes of property to them; this we are
humbly of
opinion, is the greatest honesty, and we make no question you
esteem it to be
the best policy.
"We always
thought it equally reasonable to support a government, and to
deny that support
to tyranny and oppression; we should be glad our
abilities would
come up to what we esteem your merits; what we are able to
do, shall be
sincerely done, and in as agreeable a manner as we are
capable; all your
desires, which we doubt not will be reasonable, shall be
commands to us,
who will be always ready to join in any thing that may
conduce to the
publick benefit, and your own; and hope you may never want
will and power to
punish wickedness and vice, and encourage true religion
and virtue; which
if you do, we shall esteem you our deliverer, and
posterity shall
mention your name with honour.
"Divers
members of this assembly, being of tbe people called quakers,
concur to the
substance of this address, with their usual exception to the
stile."
This session
continued better than two months; the governor and assembly
agreed cordially,
but a majority of the council differed from both,
notwithanding an
accession of divers new members.
Ever since the
surrender, the province had been involved in great
confusion, on
account of the people called quakers being denied to serve
on juries, under
the pretence that an oath was absolutely necessary; the
inhabitants in
many parts, were chiefly such, and juries could not be got
without them; the
assembly seeing the confusion that had and would
unavoidably
follow such refusal, passed a bill for ascertaining the
qualification of
jurors, and enabling the people called quakers to serve
on them, &c.
and another respecting the affirmation: The reports of the
committee, will,
among other things, shew the conduct of the council on
this occasion
"The house,
according to order, resolved itself into a committee of the
whole house, to
consider farther of the papers laid before this house by
his excellency;
and after some time spent therein, Mr. speaker resumed the
chair, and doctor
Johnston reported from the said committee, that the 43d
article of her majesty's
instructions being read, requiring an act to be
passed, for
settling the properties and possessions of all persons
concerned in this
province; they do think it to be a matter of the
greatest concern,
for the quieting the minds of the people and making the
province happy,
and do think it will be to no purpose at present to spend
time about such a
bill, seeing the council has put them out of all hopes
of having any
such act to pass.
"Doctor
Johnson also reported from the said committee, that the 60th
article of her
majesty's instructions being read, requiring an act to be
passed, for those
people that make a religious scruple of swearing, to the
like effect of
that passed in the 7th and 8th of king William the third in
England, so far
as may be consistent with good order and government;
that the house
have already sent up such an act to the council for their
concurrence, as
near to the like effect as the circumstance of this colony
will admit; which
the council rejected without committing the same.
"And
further, that the 94th article of her majesty's instructions being
read, requiring
an act to be passed ascertaining qualifications of jurors;
that the same was
included in the bill, entitled, 'An act for ascertaining
the
qualifications of jurors, and enabling the people called quakers to
serve on them,
&c.' which the council rejected without committing the
same, as is
reported before to the 60th article.
"And that he
was desired to move, that they might have leave to sit again."
By this report,
it seems the assembly had no expectation of obtaining these
matters this
session; they took into consideration the militia act, passed
in Cornbury's
time, by which the quakers in many parts of the province had
been greatly oppressed;
they appointed doctor Johnston, Isaac Sharp, Jacob
Spicer, Williarn
Sandford, John Reid, and Robert Wheeler,12 a committee,
to prepare and
bring in a bill, for explaining an act of this province,
past in the third
year of her majesty queen Anne, entitled, 'an act for
settling the
militia of this province, and for relieving persons aggrieved
thereby.'
A Bill was
brought in, and divers officers who had been more rigorous in
distressing, than
the law warranted, were sent for, to answer for their
conduct at the
bar of the house, and ordered to render account of the
goods distrained;
this gone through, the bill passed, in which provision
was made for the
relief of the sufferers; but the council rejected it, as
they had done the
other bills. Next came on the consideration of the
charges made
against a former assembly, to the queen, whose vindication
they undertook.
"A copy of a
paper entitled, The humble address of the lieutenant governor
and council of
Nova-Caesaria or New-Jersey, in America, to the Queen's
most excellent
majesty;13 signed by Richard Ingoldsby, William Pinhorne,
Roger Mompesson,
Thomas Revell, Daniel Leeds, Daniel Coxe, Richard
Townley, William
Sandford, and Robert Quarry, in the year 1707; was read
in the house; and
being taken into consideration, the question was put,
whether the said
humble address (as it is called) of the lieutenant
governor and
council to the queen's most excellent majesty, be a false and
scandalous
representation of the representative body of this province, or
not? it was
carried in the affirmative. A motion being made, and the
question being
put, whether this house do address her majesty for the
justification of
the proceedings of the representative body of this
province, in the present
and former assemblies, or not? it was carried in
the affirmative.
"A motion
being made, and the question being put, whether any person that
has signed the
above mentioned false and scandalous representation of the
representative
body of this province, be a fit member to sit in this
house, unless he
acknowledge his fault to this house, or not? it was
carried in the
negative.
"Major
Sandford, one of the members of this house, having acknowledged
that he signed
the above mentioned address to her majesty, was asked if he
would acknowledge
his fault to this house for the same? his answer was, he
signed it as he
was one of her majesty's council, and was only accountable
to her majesty
for the same; wherefore the question was put, whether major
Sandford be
expelled this house for the same, or not? it was carried in
the affirmative.
"Ordered,
that major Sandford be expelled this house, for signing a false
and scandalous
paper, called the huinble address of the lieutenant
governor and
council, to her majesty, in the year 1707; and he is expelled
this house
accordingly."
1 For the Eastern
division: Elisha Lawrence, Capt. Price, G. Mott, ---
Shepard, J.
Johnston, T. Gordon, J. Harrison, Tho. Fitzrandolph, Geo.
Duncan, John
Trent, Law. Vanbuskirk. Western division: John Kay, speaker,
P. Fretwell, J.
Kaighn, H. Sharp, T. Lambert, John Lewis, Samuel
Smith, ---
Dennis, Jacob Spicer, Robert Wheeler, William Bustill.
2 The law
regulating the qualification of representatives to serve in
general assembly,
now passed, is yet in force; the substance of this and
the additional
one passed at a different session, but in the same year, is,
that every voter
shall have 100 acres of land in his own right, or be
worth £.50
current money; that the persons elected, shall have 1000 acres
in his own right,
or be worth £.500 current money, in personal estate;
that the
representatives and electors shall be freeholders, and have
estates
sufficient to qualify him or them in the division where electing
or chosen; that
the house of representatives shall be judges of the
qualification of
their members; that the same forfeitures shall attend
undue returns as
in England; and that no person shall be chosen a
representative,
who with his family, does not reside in the province. See
also the laws of
1725 and 1730. Vol, 1, p. 142, 195.
3 Here began the
paper currency in New-Jersey: The care of the legislature
respecting it, in
this and all the succeeding emissions being to render
the funds for
sinking, according to the acts that created it, secure, and
to prevent the
currency failing in value; by changing the bills as they
became ragged and
torn, and allowing no re-emissions on any other account
whatsoever; it
has thence from the beginning, preserved its credit, and
proved of great
service to the proprietors, in the sale of their lands,
and to the
settlers, in enabling them to purchase and contract, and pay
English debts,
and go on with their improvements; the securities when
issued on loan,
were double the value in lands, or treble in houses, and
five per cent.
interest; but now (1765) there is none current on this
footing: The
funds for sinking by tax the money created for the expedition
and other
purposes, are mortgages (secured in the acts that make the
respective
emissions) on the estates real and personal, in the province;
hence they are
secured as firmly as the province itself; they are a legal
tender to all the
inhabitants in the province, and elsewhere, but not to
others, except while
in the province: The remittances of this province to
England, being
chiefly from New-York and Philadelphia, and the bills no
legal tender
there, they can never operate to the prejudice of English
debts; let
exchange be as it may, because none there are obliged to take
them; this is a
particularity only belonging to the state of trade, of New-
Jersey, and
renders a paper currency there, free from the objections
usually made
against it in England.
4 For a few
months before governor Hunter's arrival; William Pinhorne, as
president of the
council, exercised the office of commander in chief.
5 The
instructions to the governor of New-York and New-Jersey, were as
follows:
"ANNE R.
"Right
trusty and well beloved, we greet you well: Whereas we are fitting
out an expedition
with great expence, for the security of our subjects in
your government,
from the neighbourhood of the French at Canada, which has
been very
troublesome to them of late years: According to certain
proposals laid
before us by our trusty and well beloved colonel Vetch, and
pursuant to the
many applications that have been made to us by our
subjects, who
have suffered very much from the French in that
neighbourhood; we
do hereby strictly require and command you, to be
assisting to this
expedition, after the manner that the said colonel Vetch
shall in our name
propose to you, and that you look upon those parts of
his instructions
which relate to you, and our governments under your care,
and which we have
ordered him to communicate to you, in the same manner as
if they were our
positive commands directed to yourself, and that you pay
the same
obedience to them: And whereas there may be some particulars in
our above
mentioned instructions, as that which concerns the place of
rendezvous, in which
you who live in the country, may be the most proper
judge; we do
therefore leave this and the other the like circumstances, to
be altered at
discretion; provided, that colonel Vetch and colonel
Nicholson, do
agree with you in any such alteration; and provided you do
punctually
observe the number of men which you are to furnish, and the
time when they
are to appear and be on a readiness to enter upon their
expedition: And
so we bid you farewell. Given at our court at St. James's,
the 28th of
February, and in the seventh year of our reign.
"By her
majesty's command,
"SUNDERLAND.
"To our
trusty and well beloved John Lord Lovelace, our captain general
and governor in
chief of our province of New-York and New-Jersey, in
America, or in
his absence to the commander in chief of the said provinces
for the time
being."
6 The colonels
Nicholson and Vetch both appearing at a council held at
Amboy, the 30th
May, 1709, it was concluded, that George Riscarricks
should be
forthwith sent to Weequehala, the Indian sachem, to acquaint
him, that the
lieut. governor Ingoldsby expected his attendance on that
board forthwith;
and that captain Aarent Schuyler should forthwith send
for Mahcotuinst,
Cohcowickick, Ohtossolonoppe, Meskakow and Teetee,
sachems of the
Minisinks and Shawhona Indians; who appearing soon
afterwards,
joined in the undertaking; and Ingoldsby, governor of New-
Jersey, G.
Saltonstall, governor of Connecticut, and C. Gookin, governor
of Pennsylvania, jointly
commissionated colonel Peter Schuyler, the 23d of
May, 1709, to be
over these and the other Indians on this expedition; and
soon afterwards
the said three governors joined in a petition to
Nicholson, that
he would take upon him the chief command of the
expedition; after
which he bore the name of general Nicholson.
7 He was master
of the province galley, belonging to the Massachusetts
government.
8 Indians in
England were then a strange sight; these sachems were also
considered in
proportion to the faithfulness and importance of the nations
they belonged to,
and accordingly much taken notice of: The court was in
mourning for the
death of George prince of Denmark, the sachems at the
queen's expence
had under-cloaths of black, covered with a scarlet mantle,
edged with gold;
they were carried to court in coaches, and introduced in
form to the
queen; one of them made a speech, setting forth, that they
doubted not the
queen was acquainted with their long and tedious war
against the
French, in conjunction with her children, (subjects) that they
had been a strong
wall for the security of these, even to the loss of
their best men,
as Quider and Anadagarjaux (Schuyler and Nicholson) could
testify; that
they were glad an Expedition to Canada had been undertaken,
and had assisted
in the preparations on the lake, whilst Anidiasia (Vetch)
at the same time
was raising an army at Boston; that as some important
affair had
prevented the expected fleet, and rendered the design for that
season abortive;
they were left much exposed; and if the Queen was not
still mindful of
them, they with their families must forsake the country,
and seek other
habitations, or stand neuter; either of which would be much
against their
inclinations; they concluded with presenting some belts of
wampum. After
this they were magnificently entertained by several of the
nobility, and
were once present at the review of the guards in Hyde-Park,
with the duke or
Ormond at their head; to him they made a speech, and
presented him with
three skins, to enforce a request, that he would
forward their
business with the queen. On their return, at Southampton,
Admiral Aylmer,
who commanded a fleet there, sent his yatch to bring them
on board; they
dined with him, and then sailed for America.
9 Vid. lieut.
governor Hutchinson's hist. of the Massachusetts Bay, p.
397, &c.
10 The members ot
council in his instructions were, Lewis Morris, William
Pinhorne, George
Deacon, Richard Townley, Daniel Coxe, Roger Mompesson,
Peter Sonmans,
Hugh Huddy, William Hall, Thomas Gordon, Thomas Gardiner,
Col. Robert
Quarry.
11 The Members
were,
For the town of
Burlington: Isaac Decow, Robert Wheeler.
The county of
Burlington: Thomas Lambert, Joshua Humphreys.
Gloucester: John
Kay, John Kaighn.
The town of Salem:
Hugh Middleton, John Mason.
The county of
Salem: Bartholomew Wyat, Isaac Sharp.
Cape May: Peter
Fretwell, Jacob Spicer.
The town of
Perth-Amboy: John Johnston, John Reid.
The county of
Middlesex: Thomas Farmer, Adam Hude.
Essex: Joseph
Marsh, John Trent.
Bergen: Andreas
Vanbuskirk, William Sanford.
Momouth: Gershom
Mott, William Lawrence.
Somerset:
Cornelius Longfield, John Tunison.
12 The two last
had left the quakers, with G. Keith, and Sandford had
distinguished
himself against them.
13 See above.