plantations, prevent the making any more for the future than what his Majestie will please to direct, render the Several Governours, Councellors and Officers of the Government independant on Assemblies for their Support, and consequently prevent those mean Condescentions that are too often made to Obtain a Scanty Subsistance, prevent the Governours from bartering the Kings Prerogatives or Lands for bread, give the Councils a greater weight and Influence than they at Present have and be a means of Keeping Assemblies within their Just and proper limmits.

Some of these things are very desireable; but to Obtain them seem to require the Aid Either of the Several Legislatures in the Plantations (which it is not to be Expected any of the Assemblies will give into, if they can Avoid the doing of it) or that of a Brittish Parliament and how far they will Judge it fit bills of any kind should be current in the Plantations is what I cannot say.

The People who are the borrowers, and who truly only Support this Government would be Very indifferent whether such Bills were made by the Authority of a British Parliament or Jersie Assembly, or whether lent by the Government here or the King, so as they could have them at a Moderate Interest.

Where Gold and Silver is wanting that it is necessary there should be Something to pass current as A medium of trade in Lieu of it Seems to me Evident.

Inclosed is a Proclamation Issued in Obedience to the commands of the Lords Justices, we are not in much Danger in this Province of their Acting contrary to the Act of Parliament, and I will do my utmost Endeavours that such as do shall be prosecuted. I am My Lords Your Lordships most Obedient Humble Servant

LEWIS MORRIS.

Lords Commissioners of Trade & Plantations.

Memorial of the Committees of the Proprietors of East and West Jersey to Governor Morris-relating to the line between New York and New Jersey.

[From Papers of James Alexander, Surveyor General, in Rutherfurd Collection, and Papers of F. J. Paris in the New Jersey Historical Society Library, Vol. IV, p. 125.]

NEW JERSEY S

TO HIS EXCELLENCY LEWIS MORRIS ESQ" Captain General and Governour in Chief in and over his Majesty Province of New Jersey and Territories thereon depending in America and Vice Admiral in the Same &c THE HUMBLE REPRESENTATION of the two Committees appointed by the Eastern & Western Division of the Council of Proprietors for making an Order to promote the settling of the Division line Between the Provinces of New York & New Jersey And also the line between the Eastern & Western division of this Province

May it Pleasure Your Excellency

We being appointed by the Councils of Proprietors of the Eastern & Western Division of the Province to Conferr about the settling & Adjusting the Division lines above mentioned, Have been applyed to by some of the Iubabitants of this Province Who dwell contiguous to the Supposed line between this Province and the Province of New York, in Order to redress many Grievances and Injurys said to be offered them from that Neighbouring Government: And having made a strict Inquiry into the Affair Do find upon the best information We were able to procure, that the

People of that Government have Encroached on the lands within the limitts of this Province and thereby dispossessed many of his Majestys Subjects Inhabiting therein of their unquestionable Rights, under pretence that the said Lands so by them possessed & Claimed were within the limitts of New York Government, And also Offered divers outrages & Insults to many of the Officers of Your Excellency's Government in the actual discharge of their Dutys & Commissions within the undoubted bounds of this Province, And Caused many of them to pay quitt Rents and other Taxes for lands certainly within this Province of New Jersey held under the proprietors thereof, And as We Imagine that the many inconveniencys the Inhabitants in that part of this Province undergo are principally owing to the Division line not being run pursuant to the Acts of Assembly for that purpose made in both the said Provinces.

WE most humbly desire Your Excellencys Assistance & Interest in the procureing the said line to be run Between the said Provinces in such manner as to Your Excellency shall seem most proper & in the mean time to use Your Excellencys influence to put a Stop to all Outrages & unjust proceeding by the Government of York against the Inhabitants of this Province

Dated 24 Sept 1741

WE are your Excellency's most Obed! h'ble Serv

Western Division

John Reading

Mahlon Stacy

Clem: Hall

John Coxe

Eastern Division.

Rich Ashfield

Da: Don: Dunster

Sam Leonard

Sam" Nevill

[Under date of June 28th 1742, no action having been taken by the Governor on the above representation, he was again appealed to by the Council of Proprietors of East Jersey: they said "As there was at that

Time a Governor daily expected at New York, it was then thought proper to let the Affair rest till he should arrive, But as no Governor of New York is yet arrived, and the present unsettled Situation of Affairs in England renders it uncertain when any will, the unhappy Differences now subsisting between the Inhabitants of New Jersey and New York, occasioned by the said Partition Line being yet unsettled, and which seem to threaten dangerous Consequences, oblige us, Sir, to remind you of our former Petition We therefore pray Your Excellency to write to the present Lieutenant Governour of New York to join with Your Excellency in endeavouring to bring the Settlement of the aforesaid line to a Speedy Conclusion."]-ED.

*

Representation of the Council and Assembly of New Jersey to Governor Morris-relative to encouragement for the making of iron.

[From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. IV, F. 46 x 47.]

To His Excellency Lewis Morris Esq Captain General & Governour in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of New Jersey and Territories thereon depending in America and Vice Admiral in the Same &c.

The Humble Representation of His Majesty's Council and the House of Representatives of the Province of New Jersey in General Assembly met and Convened.

May it please Your Excellency.

We the Council and House of Assembly beg leave to Represent to Your Excellency, That this His Majestys Province of New Jersey under Your Government and

other the British Colonys in North America (by the Divine Indulgence) are abundantly Stored with Iron Ore as also with Suitable Conveniences and proper materials for making the Same into Pigg mettal and Barr Iron; and could under due Encouragement largely Contribute towards, and probably in some years wholy supply Great Britain and Ireland with that necessary Commodity for which they become Annually greatly Indebted to Sweeden and other fforeign Nations.

That We are well informed that on repeated proofs made of American Iron before the Officers of His Majesty's Navy and other Skillfull persons, the Same has been declared to Equal if not Excell in quality the best Sweedish Iron.

That the Inhabitants of this and the other Northern Colony's have hitherto made but small Advantage therefrom having Imported but very inconsiderable quantities Either of Pigg mettal or Barr Iron into great Britain or Ireland by reason of the great discouragement they lye under from the high price of Labour in the said Colonies and the Duties by Act of Parliament on those Com'odities Imported from his Majesty's Plantations in America.

That should it please the British Legislature to take off the duties at present payable on Importation and to Allow such Bounty thereon as to them in their Great Wisdom might seem reasonable the Inhabitants of this and other His Majesty's Colonies in North America would be thereby the better enabled to discharge the Respective ballances due by them to their mother Country, And greatly to encrease the quantities of her Manufactures to them Exported (as their Returns would be in those only) whereby the Annual Debt by her incurred to Sweeden and other fforeign Nations for Iron would be considerably Lessen'd and the Navigation and Ship building throughout the Brittish Dominions greatly encouraged and enlarged.