USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the Colonial History of the state of New Jersey, Vol. XXVII > Part 6
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After re-enacting the Section inserted in my former Piece, it is added. " And if such Offender or " Offenders, are Non-residents of this Colony, he or " they shall forfeit and pay Five Pounds, &c. And "if any Justice of the Peace, or other Officer, within "this Colony, coming to the Knowledge of any " Offence against this Act, and doth not prosecute " the same to Effect within two Months, shall forfeit " and pay the Sum or Sums to which such Offender " was liable; and the Justices, at every Sessions, " shall give the Substance of this Law in Charge to the "Grand Jury, who shall make particular Inquiry, and "present all Persons offending against the same, " whose Fines have not already been paid, and on "Conviction, said Justices shall set and impose the " Fines aforesaid, with Costs of Suit."
After such particular Pains taken by the Legisla- ture to provide an effectual Remedy for our Griev- ances, surely not a Farmer in the Province will be so wanting to himself, as to refuse his Influence
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towards obtaining the End desired, or suffer the su- percilious Sneers he may meet with, to retard his Duty ; for the good Man, conscious that his Views are laudable, smiles on his Defamers, nor deigns them further Notice, than his Pity, Diversion or Con- tempt ; and the Pleasure the generous Mind receives in succouring Innocence, and Merit, and annoying their Opposites, is such, that when but a Boy, I would step my Foot out of the Way to avoid hurting the laborious Ant, and carefully brush the useful Bee off the Rose in my Hand ; but the noxious Hornets, be- ing a' Nusance in the Creation, and withal very saucy and quarrelsome, was sure to receive a stone, when- ever they fell in my Way, and often have I been diverted, after disturbing their Kennel, to behold the Rage and Uproar of the puny Creatures.
THE JERSEY FARMER.
New Jersey, Feb. 17, 1770. -Pennsylvania Gazette, No. 2149, March I, I770.
To be sold in fee, or let for ten years, at a low rent, and may be entered up immediately,
A Tract of land, and meadow ground, situate on the upper side of Prince Maurice's river, in the coun- ty of Cumberland, in New-Jersey, now in possession of Joshua Humphries and Thomas Ellis ; containing about 190 acres, near 60 whereof is upland, the rest (on compleating a bank already begun) will make the choicest meadow ; the upland is thin and light, but with the rich mud from the marsh, may be made exceeding good. A moderate side bank will effec-
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tually secure against the tide. Such parts of the marsh as have been drained, disinterested persons say will produce, in common, from 50 to 70 bushels of Indian corn per acre, and after 5 or 6 years tillage to subdue the luxuriancy of the soil, affords the best grass in large burthens; there is a pretty good dwelling house and other buildings on the premises. Any industrious man may here find an advantageous settlement. The payment will be made easy, and a clear title given, by SAMUEL ALLISON, in Burlington, of whom, or MARK REEVE, near Greenwich, the terms may be known.
To be sold, by public vendue, on Thursday the 22d day of this inst. March ;
A good two story brick house, kitchen, and cellars under them ; with two lots of land, containing about four acres and an half, situate and being in Borden- Town. There is on one of the lots, a good tan-yard, tan-house, and currying-shop, shoe-maker's shop, barn and stables, with utensils for carrying on the tanning and currying business. Also one other lot, within one mile of Borden-Town, containing twenty acres, part thereof cleared, the other good wood land. Also cows and horses, with sundry farming utensils, sundry beds and bedding, with almost all sorts of household goods ; the estate of SAFTEY MEGHEE, late of Borden-Town, de- ceased. The vendue to begin at 10 o'clock in the fore- noon, where attendance will be given by
WILLIAM POTTS, Executors. CALEB CARMAN,
N. B. There is a quantity of BARK to be sold.
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To be sold, by virtue of the last will and testament of Clement Hall, late of Elsinborough, in the county of Salem, and province of New-Jersey, deceased, viz.
A lot of land containing upwards of 30 acres, pleas- antly situated in the town of Salem, and adjoining the old wharf. A lot of woodland, near said town, about four acres of land at the upper end of said town- Sixty acres of marsh and swamp, within a good bank, in Elsinborough, adjoining William Goodwin's land- A large tract of land on the head of Morris's river, called Broad Neck, on which there are good pines, cedar swamps, and maple swamps, that will make good meadow ; there are good streams of water thereon, fitting for saw mills. The different tracts will be sold whole, or divided, as it may suit the purchaser.
Any person inclining to purchase, may apply to Ed- ward Hall, in Mannington, Margaret Hall, Execu- trix, in Elsinborough, Salem county, or John Mason, Executor, living near Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania .- Pennsylvania Chronicle, No. 165, March 5-12, 1770. -
Mr. PARKER,
S TOME Time since, Mr. Gaine, communicated to the
Public through the Channel of his Paper, a Let. ter from a Person at Elizabeth-Town, which gave a particular Account of the Riot that had been in the County of Essex, and of the Proceedings at the Court of General Quarter Sessions for that County, and as the Public may be desirous to know the final Issue of an Insurrection, in the Event of which they are so much interested, I beg you will give a Place
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in your next Paper, the following short Narrative of the Proceedings of a special Court of Oyer and Ter- miner, that was this Week held for the Trial of sev- eral of the Rioters, who were indicted at the Court of Quarter Sessions.
A Number of them that were indicted, on being arraigned on their Indictments, plead Guilty and sub- mitted themselves, and as they shewed strong Marks of. Contrition, they were only fined in trifling Sums, but three others (to wit,) John Dodd, David. Dodd and Lewis Crane, plead Not Guilty, and took their Trial, in which they were allowed Council. The Jury was composed of some of the most respectable Freeholders in the County, (who having heard the Evidence on the Part of the Crown, which was so fully pointed, that the Defendants instructed their Council to make no other Defence than only exam- ining one Evidence,) when the Jury without going from the Bar, found them all Guilty; and the Court punished them in the following Manner to wit, John Dodd, to pay a Fine of £. 100, and to be imprisoned for Four Months, David Dodd to pay a fine of £.60, and to be imprisoned for Three Months, and Lewis Crane, as some Circumstances appeared in his Favour, was only fined £.30.
After which the Grand Jury found Bills of Indict- ment against a Number of them, and presented .the following Address to the Court.
To the Honourable FREDERICK SMYTH, Esq ; Chief Justice and his Associates, the Fustices of the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General
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Gaol Delivery, now sitting at Newark, in and for the County of Essex.
WE the Grand Inquest for the Body of the Coun- ty of Essex, beg Leave to address your Honours on the present alarming Occasion, which hath rendered a Court at this Time, absolutely necessary.
In discharge of our Duty, we can assure the Court, that we have made every Enquiry in our Power, and presented every Person that appeared to us, in any Manner guilty of the late riotous and tumultuous Disorders.
At the same Time, that we have endeavored to do our Duty in presenting Offenders, we cannot but think it incumbent on us to declare our Detestation and Abhorrence of all such Crimes, and, in the Name of the Freeholders of the County of Essex, to give your Honours the strongest Assurances, that we will steadily oppose every Attempt to disturb the publick Peace, every Insult to the Magistrates, and every Kind of Contempt to the Authority of Courts of Justice.
Duly sensible that our Liberties and Properties are protected by the Laws, and that every Measure that has the least Tendency to disturb that Order and Tranquility, so essential to the Happiness of Society, ought to be steadily opposed : We beg Leave to de- clare to your Honours, our Resolution to support and protect every Branch of Government and by every Means in our Power, to curb that licentious Spirit, which has lately dared to raise its Head in this Country.
It gives us great Satisfaction, and we doubt not
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your Honours will heartily join us in reflecting, that however vainly these mistaken People have boasted of their Numbers and Power, it has eventually ap- peared, that the Inhabitants of the County of Essex, have exerted sufficient Spirit to oppose the enemies of Peace and good Order, to support the Dignity and Authority of the Laws, and to bring the daring Invaders of their Liberties to condign Punishment.
Among the Persons presented by us we are sensi- ble that many seem to merit the Mercy of the Court, and as the Persons principally concerned in the late Disorders have been prosecuted and Justly. punished for their Offences : We request the Court that those men indicted, who appear to have been ruled by de- signing Men, may have such Favour extended to them as shall be consistent with public Justice, and the Dignity of this Court.
By Order of the Grand Jury,
ISAAC WOODRUFF, Foreman.
Newark, February 23, 1770.
Mr. PARKER,
As a Friend to the People of New-Jersey, much distressed, it is hoped by many of your Custom- ers, that you will publish the inclosed in your Paper as soon as possible.
Shrewsbury, Feb. 24, 1770.
A LETTER from a Gentleman in Hunterdon County, to his Friend in Monmouth County. SIR,
IT is with the greatest Concern that I behold the late and present Disturbances in your County,
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as well as those in some other Parts of the Prov- ince; for whatever be the Grievances which the People complain of, whether they be true or false, well or ill founded, it is certain they have pursued unjustifiable Measures, such as must not be suffered with Impunity in any Government; indeed, there is an End of Government, when private Men take upon them to shut up the Courts of Law, by their own Authority, Anarchy and Confusion must ensue ; and this, I believe is what some few desperate Wretches, who are foremost in the Cry of Liberty; are wish- ing to bring about; they can lose nothing, in the Confusion they are in hopes of getting something ; but I am far from believing, that this is the Case with the Majority of even those who have appeared in those Tumults ; it cannot be the Case with those who have any Property to lose, unless we suppose they have lost their Senses; their Case I apprehend to be what is the Case of two Thirds of the People of this Province, and that of every Degree, more or less ; they are in Want of Money ; they are in Debt ; and do not know how to extricate themselves; they are hard pressed by their Creditors, and cannot pay ; they are sued, Judgments are obtained against them, they try to borrow, offer good Security for the Mon- ey, but all in vain, there is no Money, nor Money lenders ; Execution issues against them, a heavy Bill of Cost arises, the Sheriff levies, advertises and sells the Effects for one fourth or fifth part of their Value, not because the Effects are not wanted, but because there are really no Buyers who can furnish the Mon- ey ; hence a Man possessed of an Estate worth
6
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£5000, will have it torn from him, tho' all his Debts amount to but £1000 ; a Situation which will natur- ally make a Man feel desperate; 'tis this has made many even of the better Sort of People wink at, and secretly encourage the illegal Steps that have been taken ; and it is really an alarming Situation for a Province to be in ! every proper legal Remedy ought to be sought and applied ; but the Measures those desperate People have lately gone into, will by no Means prove a Remedy ; on the Contrary, it must make our Situation infinitely worse; In their Dis- tress they naturally catched at any Thing that had the Appearance of Relief, and joined the Cry against the Lawyers, without examining whether or not they were the real Cause of their Distress, whether the Suppression of the Lawyers would be a real Relief to them, or whether the Measures pursued by them have not a direct Tendency to put an End to all Law and Government in the Province. When they come seriously to consider the Matter, they will find that it was not the Lawyers who have brought this gener- al Distress upon them ; that in bringing a Suit for a Debt against a Man, they are no more than mere Agents to the Creditors ; they are to follow the com- mon regular Steps prescribed by Law, for the Receiv- ing of the Debt, and when they have done so, their Bills of Costs are regulated by Law, and these Bills are taxed by the Judges ; if any of them exceed in their Charge what is allowed by Law, they are open to a Prosecution or Complaint to the Court, in which Case, I doubt not they will meet with proper Chas- tisement : In some Instances they may have been
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faulty and extravagant ; but I am convinced, it is by no Means so general, as has been complained of, or to have amounted to a public grievance ; this is evi- dent, from what happened at Burlington last Fall, during a Session of near two Months, Half of the Time of the Assembly, was employed in Enquiries into this pretended Grievance, and that by some, who would willingly have exposed the Lawyers in the worst Light : But after enquiring into all Complaints and charges made against them, they found one Gen- tleman guilty of having charged 3 s. 6 for the Copy of a Paper not allowed in the Ordinance, and 2 S. 2 for Parchment.1
I was much prejudiced against the Practices of Lawyers, but this Enquiry opened my Eyes, and I think it much to the Honour of the Profession in this Province, that they have stood the Test so well.
But yet the People are distressed, and how shall they be relieved? The Legislature of this Province at their last Meeting were sensible of this Distress, they had been convinced of it long before ; they sought a Remedy, and considering that the immedi- ate Cause of the Distress, was owing to the Want of Money ; they hit upon the only Remedy, that with Justice could be adequate to the Evil; they deter- mined to supply them with Money, to strike £.100,000 Currency, in Paper, Bills, to lend this to the People, at the moderate Interest of Five per Cent. on their giving double the Value in Land as a Security ; and in order that every Part of the Prov-
1 For an account of this popular uprising against the lawyers of New Jersey. see Field's Provincial Courts of New Jersey, 164-173.
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ince may equally partake of the Benefit, a propor - tionable Part of it is to be distributed to each Coun- ty, and not above {.100, to be lent to one Man ; and to make the Payment the more easy, the Borrowers are allowed to pay in Five per Cent. of the principal yearly, which will reduce the whole in Twenty Years Easier Terms could not be desired, nor could a wiser Remedy have been applied to the Distresses of this Province. This Act of the Legislature is gone Home for the Royal Assent, and I have no doubt, but that in a few Months, we shall be enabled to carry it into Execution, and thereby put an End to the Grievances so generally complained of. But, says the Man whose Estate is levied on by the Sheriff, of which there are a very great Number, what shall I do in the mean Time? must I see my Estate torn from me, and sold for a Song, when Help is so near at Hand : Cannot I be permitted to enjoy the Bene- fit of Part of that Relief, which the Legislature in- tended should extend to every Part of the Province ; that very Relief which the Legislature provided for me and others, now in the like Situation ; Or, is an Accident to the Packet, an Adjournment of the Privy Council, a Delay in a Secretary of State's Office, or any other Retardment of the Intelligence of the Royal Assent to the Act, to defeat the principal De- sign of the Act; for undoubtedly the Cases of those who were distressed at the Time of passing the Act, were the Objects which the Legislature chiefly had in View : The Case is hard-the Legislature have it in their Power to extend the Remedy to you,-but it is exerting their Power to a dangerous Length.
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However, in extraordinary Cases, that Power may, and ought to be exerted ; they can by an Act sus- pend all Sales by the Sheriff, until the beforemen- tioned Act obtains the Royal Assent, and is carried into Execution in this Province ; this it seems to be reasonable they should do, and is the only Remedy which the Legislature can provide for your unhappy Situation. Wherefore, I would advise my Country- men, to join in Petitions from every County, to the Assembly, to pass a Bill for this Purpose, and to lower the Lawyers Fees in such Articles as are now too high ; and in the mean Time, that they discoun- tenance and discourage every Thing that is Riotous, or is in any Shape repugnant to the Laws and good Order of the Community.
A. B.
New-York, March 5. We hear from Freehold in Monmouth County, in New-Jersey, that on Tuesday last, a special Court of Oyer and Terminer was held there; that in the Forepart of the Day, a great Number of People met at the Court House, in order to prevent the Courts being held, or rather to pre- vent any Lawyers coming there ; but on some Gen- tlemen's coolly reasoning with them, and represent- ing the evil Consequences that must attend such ille- gal Measures, they all dispersed and suffered Busi- ness to go on as usual.
WHEREAS, the Subscriber, living in Hopewell, County of Hunterdon, in New-Jersey, having agreed for a certain Piece of Land, in the Township of Am- well, (late the Property of Grover Stout, assigned to
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him by his Father Joseph Stout of the same Place) sold by George Brown and James Perall, Assignees of said Grover Stout. And as I am apprehensive there may be other Demands on the said Estate, take this Method to advertise all those who have any Demands on the same, to come and prove their Property in the same, between this and the First Day of May next, otherwise they will be debarr'd, as the Money will then be paid by
NATHANIEL STOUT.
February 17, 1770.
-N. Y. Gazette or Weekly Post Boy, No. 1418, March 5, 1770.
New-Jersey. B DY Order of Nathaniel Pettit, and Thomas Van Horn, Esqrs, Judges of the inferior Court of Common Pleas, for the Coun- ty of Sussex : Public Notice is hereby given to the Creditors of Sarah Leonard, Edward Pigott, Corne- lius Cole and John Allen, insolvent Debtors, and long confined in the common Goal of said County, that Thursday, the Twenty Second Day of March next, is appointed by said Judges, to meet at the Court- House of the said County, to shew Cause, if any they have, why said Insolvents may not be discharged agreeable to the Directions of the late Act of Gen- eral Assembly, for the Relief of insolvent Debtors.
Feb. 20, 1770.
-N. Y. Fournal or General Advertiser, No. 1418, March 8, 1770.
WHEREAS the subscriber living in Hopewell, Hun- terdon county, New-Jersey, having agreed for a cer-
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tain piece of land in the township of Amwell (late the property of Grover Stout, assigned to him by his father Joseph Stout of the same place) sold by George Brown and James Perall, assignees of said Grover Stout. And as I am apprehensive there may be other demands on the said estate, take this meth- od to advertise all those who have any demands on the same to come and prove their property in the same, between this and the first day of May next, otherwise they will be debarred, as the money will then be paid by NATHANIEL STOUT.
Capt. Creighton from Lisbon, the 5th of February, the next day [the 19th], 85 leagues S. E. by S. from our Capes, spoke the Sloop Polly, Jona- than Robeson, from Wilmington on Christeen for Jamaica, out 2 days all well .- Pennsylvania Journal, No. 1422, March 8, 1770.
Cumberland County Goal, March 1, 1770.
PURSUANT to an act of the General Assembly of the Province of New-Jersey, lately passed, intitled, an act for the relief of insolvent Debtors, I, the subscriber, be- ing confined in Cumberland Goal, and having peti- tioned Alexander Moore, and Ephraim Seeley, Es- quires, Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Cumberland, for the benefit of said act, do hereby give notice to all my creditors to appear, and shew cause, if any they have, on the 30th day of this instant March, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon ; before the said Judges, at the house of Richard Gayford, Inn- holder, in Bridge-town, why I should not be discharged from my confinement, agreeable to the Directions of said act.
JOSEPH MORTON.
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This is to give notice to all persons, that the sub- scriber, now living in the Jerseys, has a quantity of GARDEN SEEDS to dispose of, viz --- Charlton dwarf pease, dwarf marrowfat, the common dwarf, the early horspur, the Spanish marat, the green oston, the white and brown sugar pea, the rich marrowfat, the bush pea, and Windsor beans : and all sorts of kid- ney beans ; with all other sorts of garden seeds, the best of their kind. The customers may be supplied, at a covered stall, at the upper end of the Jersey Market, north side; or at Caleb Hewes's, Hatter, a few doors from the New Printing Office, where cus- tomers may depend upon good usage, by
RICHARD COLLINGS, Gardiner.
N. B. Any person that has a boy that inclines to learn the art and mystery of a Gardiner, may apply as above.
Philadelphia, February 27, 1770.
There is now in the goal of this city, three runaway servants There is also a certain James Gipson, in said goal, who absconded from his bail, Daniel Harker, Constable of Pilesgrove, Salem county, West Jersey &c.
JEHU JONES, Goaler.
-Pennsylvania Gazette, No. 2150, March 8, I770.
Mr. PARKER :
As a Talent for Falsehood and Defamation, seems natural to some unhappy Beings, it may appear strange to such, that I should have been surprized at a Publication in Your Paper signed at Newark, Feb.
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[15] 25, 1770, in which (I can justly say) there is but one single Fact, (the Manner of balloting for the Referees) truly represented.
However it may be expected that I should answer this pitiable Scribler, on Account of the respectable Public, whose good Opinion every honest Man would wish to preserve, yet even in doing this, I can by no Means descend so low, as to take any partic- ular Notice of the Author of this wicked and malic- ious Performance.
I shall content myself with barely stating the Facts, simply and without Comment, as I am no fur- ther concerned, having neither seen or heard of the Publication of the 15th January, (referred to in this Paper) till it came out in print.
Some Time in the Year 1761, I was applied to by a Committee of the Complainants in two Bills in the Chancery of this Province : They declared the De- sign of their Application, to be the expediting a Hearing in these Causes, not wanting any Opinion on the Validity of their Title. On this Principle alone, I became their Solicitor and Council, without either reading their Bills (containing near 400 Sheets) or examining into the Merits of their Dis- pute.
Considering these People as entitled to a Hear- ing, I served them for several Years in such Manner as to give them the utmost Satisfaction ; so that it was said by some, that I might have done my Duty to them as my Clients, without interesting myself as their Friend. These Causes having been of many Years standing, some of the Parties dead, and from
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several other accidental Circumstances, it became necessary to file a new Bill, which I undertook and perfected at their earnest Request. In order to per- form this Service it became necessary that I should be Master of the Controversy, and therefore applied myself to examine the Merits of the Cause, which re- quired Time and Attention. It was then that I first became acquainted with the true Nature of the Dis- pute, having never before had the necessary Means for understanding the Cause, nor had I been request- ed to examine it. As soon as the Bill was finished, I informed the Committee, that I was afraid they were not able to prove the several Matters they had set forth in it. I was repeatedly assured, "they could obtain sufficient Proof of every material Fact, and that the Defendants in their Answer, must con- fess many of them." To this Bill an Answer was soon filed, in which every essential Fact was posi- tively denied on the Oaths of all the Defendants. I acquainted the Committee of this, and advised them by no Means to proceed farther without a full Exam- ination into their Proofs, by all the Council con- cerned, as this was a Cause of more than common Consequence. The Committee were convinced of the Necessity of proceeding with Caution, and there- fore prevailed on me to attend a Meeting of their Council at New-York, for that Purpose.
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