they not been suspended would not have a little contributed to, they being very unequall to the charge they had undertaken; but had they been as well qualified for these stations as men could be, yet the distance of their habitations from each other and from Amboy or Burlington where (by the present constitution) I am to hold assemblyes, makes their attendance very inconvenient to themselves; and that, with their not having any allowance but when the assembly Sits, and then a very Small one, are the causes that I cannot easily get a councill together when there is Occasion for them. To make it easy to them I condesended to have quarterly meetings with them unless matters of great moment required their attendance sooner; but notwithstanding this they have not attended.

The council by these Suspentions were reduced to Six inhabitants of Jersey, and one (viz James Allexander) of New York, who being building there has not attended (I think once) but upon his own busines either the late or former Sessions of the assembly; so that pursuant to his Majesties Instructions I named one viz Peter Baynton of this place to make up Seaven residents in this Province. He is A man of Superior Sence to most here has a good estate, is a considerable trader hereabouts and is heartily well affected to the present Government. He was by the Assembly named a trustee for the hyring ships and buying provisions for transporting the troops raised here, and the Only one that was not a member of their house, which I question if they would have done, had they in the least suspected that I would have Appointed him to have filled up the deficiency of the councill; and to this M' Baynton it is chiefly if not solely owing, that I have been able to send these troops off, he having advanced much on that score; the other trustees appointed by the Assembly acting (either by chance

or designe) as if they meant to retard, if not defeat the Enterprise.

The holding of Assemblys alternately at Amboy, and Burlington, & keeping two Secretarys offices, proves very inconvenient both to the officers of the Government, and the People; the assembly Acknowledge it to be so, tho' they will not Agree upon the one place to fix the seat of Government in, but have left the nomination of that to me; which I have hitherto declined doing.

Perth Amboy named from the Earle of Perth who follow'd the fortunes of the late King James, is a poor inconsiderable place; and there is little probability of its being much better. The Town or City of Burlington, whose inhabitants are mostly quakers far exceeds the other; but was neare as large twenty years since as now, and there is little likely hood of its growing much larger.

They are both Inconsiderable places and like to remain so; neither of them fit for the seat of Government, nor so conveniently Scituated for that purpose as some others.

It would be a great convenience to the People in generall, and to the Governours and Secretaries for the time being, and officers of the government, to have it fixed to Some one place; and therefore I humbly hope his Majesties will be graciously pleas'd to permit the doing of it, notwithstanding the Instruction of holding of the Assemblyes alternatively at Amboy and Burlington, which tho' they were the most convenient places fourty yeares Since, when the Surrender of this Government to the Crown was transacted, are by no meanes so at this day, or likely ever to be so; nor is the Scituation of the Landed Interest of those who made that surrender, and which induced them to propose the alternate Sittings in those two places, the same now as then, but quite different; and the reasons for their doing so not subsisting at this time.

The order of the councell as they now stand, and their numbers in each Division are as follows, viz

their Rank for the Eastern Division.

1 John Hamilton

3 James Allexander, who

resides at New York.

6 Robert Hunter Morris 7 Fenwick Lyell

Rank for the Western
Division.

2 John Reading

3 [4] John Rodman)
5 Richard Smith

Quakers

8 Peter Baynton appointed by me and makes the 7th Residing Councell

As the Councell Stood in his Majesties Instructions to me, there was Eight of the Eastern, and but four of the western division, at which those of the western division seem'd to express some dissatisfaction; but, by the death of M Hooper, and the dismission of the others, if his Majestie approves of it, and of the nomination of M Baynton they are now equall, or rather superior; M: Allexander rarely (as yet) attending.—If they stand as they do, there will still two be wanting in each division to make up the Number of twelve in the whole. In the western Division there are not so many fit for that Station who dwell conveniently to be got together (that are not quakers) as in the Eastern; and it being difficult (even as they now Stand to get a council to meet, I humbly recommend Archibald Home the Deputy Secretary for one of them; his Office as clerk of the councill obliging him to A Constant attendance, and will render the having a full councill more practicable than it has hitherto been; but, how far your Grace will think it fit, that he Should rise in rank, in case of death, dej arture, or Suspention of other (he not desiring or expecting it) is Submitted.

The other I presume to recomend for this western

division is John Allen the present Treasurer of it. I well know the man he has the character of a very honest man.

As to the Eastern division, the generall proprietors of the Soyle Seem to expect a Share with others in the Administration and its said some of them are somewhat uneasy on that score. to take off any uneasyness of that kind I recomend Richard Ashfield who ownes A whole proprietie or 24th part of the Eastern Division & something more. I take him to be an honest man

and very firm in the Interest of the present Government; as indeed are all I recom'end The other Vacancy in the Eastern Division I recommend to be fill'd by Edward Antill; he is a man of good Estate & Sence, and if admitted to that board, I hope and believe will prove an usefull and deserving member of it. But this and every thing Else Propos'd by me is most humbly submitted by My Lord

Your Graces Most Obedient and

most humble Servant

LEWIS MORRIS.

[The Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society, Vol. IV, published 1852, contains all the correspondence of Governor Morris, preserved in the library of the Society; it will be found, therefore, that it has been deemed unnecessary, with very few exceptions, to reproduce in this series the documents contained in that volume; as a reference to them there, attended, as they are, by much explanatory matter, will be of greater service than the documents alone would be if reprinted here.-ED.]

Communication from Captain Thomlinson to Secretary Thomas Hill-inclosing Schemes for putting the paper money in America on a better footing.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Plantations General, No. 11, N. 49.]

To Thomas Hill Esq' at Whitehall

Sir

Since I had the Honour of Waiting on the Lords Commiss's for Trade & Plantations on the affair of Paper Money in America, I have turn'd my thoughts that way, And indeed I think it is a most dificult affair, and of no less consequence to the plantations and all of us that are concern'd with them, Therefore I have inclosed you the outlines of a Scheme, that may very easily be carried into execution, and for anything I can yet See, If it is duely Executed may produce a general good.

If their Lordships think it worthy of Consideration and any thing therein Should want to be explain'd, I will upon the least notice wait upon their Lordships, and am with great Truth.

Sir Your most obed' humb' Serv
JOHN THOMLINSON

Great Trinity Lane

29th Oct 1740.

For want of a Staple in our Northern American Colonys, it is Impossible for Silver or Gold to continue to be a Medium, Therefore Somthing else must be Substituted in it's Stead.

And I humbly apprehend what in such case is now to be done is,

First, To call in all the outstanding Bills of Credit