USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the colonial history of the state of New Jersey, Volume VIII > Part 27
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Hundred and - - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thou-
sand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of -- on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and and the Sum
of -- on the 25! day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thou-
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ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR BELCHER.
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sand Seven Hundred and -- and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of --- on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of -on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and - and the Sum of - on the 25th day of March One Thou- sand Seven Hundred and -- and the Sum of -- on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hun- dred and -- and the Sum of -- on the 25th day of March One Thousand Seven Hundred and
and the Sum of - - on the 25th day of March
One Thousand Seven Hundred and and Shall at every of the said Terms of payment pay to the Commissioners of the Loan Office of the County of the Interest at the rate of five per Cent of the said
principal Sum of ---- and of the parts thereof remain- ing unpaid before the said respective terms of payment According to the true Intent and meaning of the said Act of General Assembly of this province, that the above Grant Bargain and Sale and every Article and Clause thereof Shall be Void, but if failure is made in any of the payments above mentioned, then the above Bargain & Sale is to remain in full force & Virtue and the said -- for himself his Heirs and Assigns doth Agree to be Absolutely barred of all Equity of Re- demption of the Premises within thirty days after Such failure; And the said -- for himself his Heirs Executors and Administrators does Covenant Grant bargain promise and agree to and with the Commis- sioners of the Loan Office of the County of -- and their Successors well and truly to pay to them all and every the Sums of money above mentioned at the times on which the Same ought to be paid as aforesaid, and that the above Bargained premises upon the Sale thereof pursuant to the directions of the said Act will
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yield the principal and Interest Aforesaid remaining unpaid at the time of Such Sale; together with the Charges of Such Sale. In Witness Whereof the Par- ties to these present Indentures have Interchangeably set their Hands and Seals the day & year above Written.
Sealed & Delivered In the presence of
Which Mortgages shall be by them respectively filled up as Occasion shall require and for the filling up and taking of each Mortgage the said Commissioners of the Loan Office Shall take the Sum of three Shillings and no more, and the said Commissioners Shall in like manner be provided with Books of Clean Paper Bound up to minute their proceedings and Accounts relating to the Bills by this Act to be made Current, in Such manner and form as heretofore hath been Customary in this Colony, together with a Sufficient Number of Spare Blank Mortgages in the form aforesaid; which Books so to be provided shall be printed and Bound up by the same person who Shall print the Bills of Credit by this Act to be made Current.
And be it further Enacted by the authority afore- said that John Wetherill Henry Fisher William Forster & Joseph Yard Esq's or in Case of either of their Re- fusal Death or Other Disability then Joshua Bishpham & Thomas Barton Esq's shall with the Others not dying or Refusing, be Inspectors of the press, and they or any three of them are to take care that the printer of the Bills of Credit doth duly perform the duty hereby enjoined him, and that the Books of Mortgages & Books to minute the proceedings of the said Loan Officers and Keep their Accounts relating to the said Bills are made of fit Size, & printed Bound up and De- livered to the said Loan Officers.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority Afore- said that it Shall and may be Lawfull for Samuel
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Nevill, Charles Read, Jacob Dehart, and Joseph Noble or any three of them, and they are hereby required to Agree with a printer for printing the Bills of Credit and Books aforesaid at as Reasonable a Rate as they can, and at Such place as any three of them shall see meet.
And Whereas it is Necessary that some provision Should be made for Defraying the Expences that may Arise on the Bills of Credit to be made Current by Virtue of this Act.
Be it Enacted by the Authority Aforesaid that the Treasurers of this Colony or Either of them Shall pay out of the first Interest money that Shall be paid into the Treasury by Virtue of this Act Viz: To the Signers who are to sign the Bills of Credit as aforesaid to be made Current by this Act, each the Sum of Seventy Pounds Money Aforesaid for Numbering Signing and Indenting the said Bills. To the Inspectors, for In- specting the press when the said Bills Shall be printed each the Sum of fifteen pounds. To the Printer who Shall print the Bills of Credit the Books of Mortgages & Other Books directed to be provided and Bound up for the Commissioners of the Loan Offices by this Act so much money as Samuel Nevill Charles Read Jacob Dehart and Joseph Noble Esq's or any three of them Shall agree with the Printer for doing the said Ser- vices, for which they Shall each receive the Sum of five pounds, All which Sums Shall be paid out of the Interest money as abovesaid, by the said Treasurers or Either of them by Virtue of Warrants to be passed in Council; and the said Warrants when Produced and Indorsments thereon Made by the Persons to whom the same may be respectively made payable Shall be Sufficient Vouchers for the said Treasurers or Either of them their Executors and Administrators for so much of the said Interest money.
October the 17+ 1754. This Bill was proposed and
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Agreed to by the House of Representatives, to be passed into a Law, If his Majesty Should be pleased to give his Governor of this Colony leave to Enact it. Signed by Order of the House. ROBERT LAWRENCE, Speaker. A True Copy from the Original Draught.
Compared by,
ABRA: CLARK JUNR Clerk of the Assembly.
Letter from Governor Belcher to the Lords of Trade, transmitting some public papers and requesting action relative to the boundary questions with New York.
[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 7, H. 58.)
ELIZA: TOWN (N J) Novbr 26th 1754.
Right Hon ble Lords Commiss's for Trade & Plantations.
My Lords
I had the Honour of writing Your Lordships, 23: Inst:, by the Way of N: York, with a Number of pa- pers relative to the Dispute, between this Governm! & that of N: York, about the Bounds, between the s! Provinces; to which I humbly pray Your Lordships, speedy Attention, for Matters in that Affair, seem to be come to a Crisis; & I am in much pain, least there shou'd be Bloodshed, among the Borderers, before the King's Orders, can arrive; which I humbly hope, will be dispatch'd, as soon as possible.
Altho' the Governm' of this Province, is in a ready Disposition, to come into a temporary Line, for estab- lishing Peace, & good Order, between the two Prov-
1
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inces; yet the Governm' of N:York, seem to shew no Inclination, towards it. I now inclose to Your Lord- ships, the following papers in the Publick Affairs of this Province; past in a Session, of the General Assem- bly of this Province, the last Month * * % these things my Lords, will give you a very full & particular Acct, of what has been transacted, since my last .- & I am sorry this Asssembly, cou'd be brought, into any Aid or Assistance of the neighboring Colonies, in their present distress'd Circumstances.
In duty to the King & from a just Regard to His People committed to my Care, I think proper to say, to Your Lordships as to the Bill, for a future Emis- sion, of a paper Currency.
That large Emissions, of Paper Currencies, have always proved very injurious, to the People of the Colonies; as the Bills are constantly depreciating,-& if this Bill shoud pass into a Law, there will be a Cir- culation, of near double the Value, of paper Currency, to what has generally been at any one time in this Province-
I wou'd therefore humbly propose, in order to pre- vent the Depreciation of it, that there shou'd be, an effectual Clause added to the Bill, that it shou'd be absolutely confin'd, to the Act of 6: of Queen Ann, for ascertaining the Rates, of foreign Coins, in Her Maj- esty's Plantations; & that if the Bills of Credit, shoud at any Time depreciate, from what they are, at the first going out, that the Province, should be obliged to make good, at all Times, such Deficiency, to the Pos- sessors of them :- & this being done, I think there can be no Injury, or Injustice, in making the Bills, a Tender in all Payments, (publick & Private)-I hope Your Lordships, will. as soon as possible, in the Spring, let me have His Majesty's Determination, on the Petition of the Assembly, in this Matter ;- for till it arrives, I have not the least hope, of the Assembly's
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taking another Step, to answer His Majesty's just Ex- pectation, of their joining with the other Provinces, for driving the French from the Ohio, &cª
I have the Honour to be, with great Respect, My Lords, Your Lordships most Obedient, & most humble Serv!
J BELCHER' ELIZA: TOWN (N J) Nov. 26: 1754 Right Honble Lords Commiss"s for Trade & Plantations.
Letter from Lieutenant Governor De Lancey, of New York, to the Lords of Trade, referring to the boundary question with New Jersey.
[From N. Y. Col. Docts., Vol. VI, p. 925.]
15 Dec 1754
My Lords (Extract). * * * I should be glad if the observa- tions I have made on the disputes between New York and New Jersey can be of any service; His Majesty is greatly concerned in that controversy, and I am sur- prised, that the construction I put on the Duke of York's grant of Jersey, had not been taken notice of before, since it appears so very obvious. I hope a temporary line of Jurisdiction will soon be settled by His Majesty's authority, that so the Mischief which is justly apprehended from the heat and violence of the Jersey Proprietors may be prevented. I inclose your Lordprs a printed copy of the Report of the Coun- cil on the steps taken by the Jersey Proprietors, to whom I had referred the consideration of these matters and your Lordpps will find in pages 20 and 21, of the printed proceedings of the Assembly, the Report of a Committee of that house on the Jersey line, and in
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page 37, the Message of the house to me on that subject; which seems to me to evince the necessity of the speedy settlement of a temporary line; and from these papers it will appear, that both the Council and Assembly advise me to exercise the Jurisdiction of this Governt up to the supposed line of the year 1686, which I shall endeavour to do in the best manner I can, yet so as to avoid if possible any mischief.
By an Act of this Colony passed so long ago as the 13th of William the 3d. it is enacted that Waghackemack,' and great and little Minisink should be annexed to the County of Ulster, and that the Inhabitants thereof should give their votes for Representatives in the County of Ulster, so that it evidently appears that these places were setled above fifty years ago under this Province; and can anything be more unreasonable than that the Proprietors of Jersey should remove these ancient settlers upon a bare claim, and before any proof of rights. This Act 13. Will™ 3ª is entituled: "An Act for the more regular proceedings in the Elections of representatives for the several cities and Counties within this Province" and was not made with a view to any dispute with the Jerseys, but on disputes which had arisen between the County of Orange, which lies next to Jersey, and the County of Ulster which lies to the Northward of Orange. Your Lordpps will see the readiness of this Province to come to a final Decision of the Controversy by the Act inclosed. *
I am My Lords Your Lordpps most obedient and most humble servant
JAMES DE LANCEY.
1 The Patent of Waghaghkemick was granted to Thomas Swartwout and others in 1697. It lies on the Neversink River, in Orange County, N. Y .- Dr. O'Callaghan.
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ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR BELCHER. [1754
Letter from Governor Belcher to Sir Thomas Robinson, Secretary of State-about affairs of the Province.
[From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 68.1
SIR T. ROBINSON
SI
ELIZA TOWN (N J) Dec! 17: 1754
I wrote you the 5: of the last Month, by way of N: York, & Duplicate of which, is since gone; both com- mitted to the Care, of M: Partridge; & was as full & particular, an Answer, as I could give, to yours of 5: of July preceeding.
I am now, S., to own the Honour, of yours of 25: & 26: of Oct! past, which came to my hands, Yesterday, by the way of Boston, -& I shall now answer, accord- ing to the best Information, & Judgment, I have had, or can make, of the Circumstances of the Affairs, of this Province, relative to your Letters, above men- tioned; & in which I shall with all care, practice my Duty, to His Majesty, to the utmost of my Power.
I observe, the King has been pleased, to appoint James Pitcher, Esq! to be Commissary, of the Musters, of all His Majesty's Forces, that are, or shall be em- ploy'd in His Majesty& Colonies, & Provinces, in North America.
I shall therefore, in Obedience to His Majesty's Orders, on my Part, be aiding & assisting, to the se James Pitcher Esq!, in the Execution of his Duty.
I have read yours, S., of the 26: of Oct! past, with the most sedate Attention, to every Article, contain'd in it,-& I shall summon, His Majesty's Council, to meet me here, as soon as they can; most of them, be- ing at Distances, of 20 to 50 Miles, & the Roads very difficult in the Winter season; when they come, I shall communicate to them, the Letters I have rec!
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from you, & ask their Advice as to what can be done, at present, for his Majesty& Service, & Honour, in such an important Exegency, & whether it may be expedient, & of any Utility, in the Affair, to call the Assembly together, who have been lately sitting, on this very affair.
As to my own sentiments, I must in Duty & Fidel- ity, to His Majesty, say, I have little or no hope, or Expectation, that the Assembly of this Province, will afford any Aid, or assistance, till they receive a full answer, to the Petition they lately sent, to be laid be- fore His Majesty in which they propose, to grant to His Majesty's Use & Service, in this Matter, the Sum of about Six thousand Pounds St.
I shall therefore, be impatiently expecting, His Majesty's Determination on the said Petition, & His further Orders, in this great Occasion .- & I shall in the mean Time, be punctually corresponding with the King's Governours, of the neighbouring Provinces, in every way & Manner, that may contribute to His Ma- jesty's Honour, & Interest.
I have, S., the quickest & strongest sense of His Majesty's Paternal Regard, for these Parts of His Dominions, so that I need no stimulating, for pressing this Assembly, to their Duty; but after all, the Grant of Money & Supplies, is with them.
As anything new & material, may occur, in this capital Affair, in this Province, I shall be duly writing you.
I have the Honour to be, with great Deference and Regard, Honourable Sir,
Your most obedient, & most humble Servant,
J. BELCHER.
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ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR BELCHER. [1754
Letter from Governor Belcher to the Lords of Trade, with answers to certain queries relating to the present state and condition of New Jersey.
[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 8, I. 4.] TO THE LORDS OF TRADE
ELIZA TOWN (N J) Dec! 28 1754 My Lords
I have for several Months past, had lying before me, a Number of Queries, rect formerly, from Your Lord- ships Board, respecting the State & Circumstances, of this Province, & into which, I have been inquiring with all the Care and Thought, I possibly cou'd, of such Persons, in the several Parts of the Province, as I judged capable, of giving me, the best Information; & to this, joining my own Observations, for several Years past, I have now made Answer, to each Query, in the most Intelligent, & best manner I can, & have the Honour to inclose them, to your Lordships.
I am with great Respect, My Lords, Your Lordships Most Obedient, & most Humbe Serv! J BELCHER.
Queries From the Board of Trade. to Jona- than Belcher Esq!, Governour of New Jersey.
Query 1 What is the Situation of the Province. under Your Government ? The Nature of the Coun- try ? Soil ? & Climate ? the Lattitude and Longitude, of the most considerable Places in it ? or the neighboring French, or spanish Settlements ? have those Lattitudes been settled by good Observations, or only by common Computation ? and from whence are the Longitudes computed ?
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Answer The Bounds express'd in the Deed from the Duke of York, to the Proprietors of New Jersey, in the Year 1664, 1674, 1680, & 1682-3, best answer this Question, & they are these,
" All that Tract of Land, adjacent to New England, " & lying & being, to the Westward of Long Island, " & Manhattans Island. & bounded on the East part, "by the main Sea, & Part by Hudson's River, & hath "upon the west Delaware Bay, or River, extending "southwards, to the main Ocean as far as Cape May, "at the Mouth of Delaware Bay & to the Northward, "as far as the Northermost Branch, of the said Bay, or "River, which is in 41º 40' of Latitude & crosseth over "thence, in a streight Line, to Hudson's River, in 41 "of Latitude."
The southermost Part of New Jersey, to wit, much the greatest Parts, of the Counties of Cape May,- Gloucester, -Cumberland, Burlington, & Monmouth are Pine & barren, sandy Lands, also a considerable Part, of Middlesex County, is of the same Nature; tho' each of those Counties, have a considerable Quantity of good Arable Land; the Counties of Bergen, Essex,- Somerset,-Salem,-& Hunderton, & the northermost part of Middlesex, & Burlington, are generally good arable, & meadow land, yielding great Quantities of Grain, of all kinds, & Cattle.
The County of Morris was lately divided, into two Counties, viz:, Morris & Sussex, are chiefly mountain- ous, rocky Land, which yields plenty of Iron Ore, & Timber; & there are now three Furnaces within them, which yield, a considerable Quantity, of Pig Iron, & a great Number, of Forges, for melting Bar Iron, of the Pigs, & a considerable Number of Forges, or Bloom- eries, which make Bar Iron, out of the Oar; These Counties, are so well timber'd, that they can supply Coal enough, for a long Time, for those, & many other Iron Works.
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The Line between N: York, & N: Jersey, cuts whats call'd, the drowned Lands, esteemed about 20,000 Acres, leaving about three Miles thereof, in N: York, and about ten Miles thereof, in Sussex County, in N: Jersey; which, by Reason of the Disputes, about the Line, have hitherto, been of no Use, to either Province, but were the Line settled, & those Lands drained, (which its suppos'd might be done for about £1000 Charge, in widening and deepning the Mouth of the River, that runs thro' them, ) its suppos'd they would be fit, for raising Hemp, which. with the Iron, that Sussex County can make, might greatly en- large the Exportation of those Commodities, to Great Britain.
The Climate of N: Jersey, is good & healthy, tho' some Places there are, subject to Fevers & Agues, in the Fall of the Year, & to Plurisies, in the Spring; but as the Country has been clear'd, & Marishes drain'd, it has grown more & more healthy.
By the 6: Vol:, of the Abridgement of the Philo- sophic Transactions, Pag: 414 21, the Latitude of N: York, is said, to have been formerly determined, 41° 40', but that is esteem'd only a round Number, from many Observations, that have been made, it is nearest 40° 42'; & in the same Book, pag: 414, & in the follow- ing page, (calld 413) the Longitude of N: York, is by Observations, computed to be +" 564 or 74° 4' west from London; N: York is situated on the southermost Part, of Manhattan's Island, in Hudson's River, which is Part of the East Boundary, of N: York; & from N: York, N: Jersey may extend 18 Northward, upon Hudson River.
In the year 1719, the Latitude of 41º 40', upon Dela- ware, was settled by Commissioners, & Surveyors, appointed by N: York, & N: Jersey, by Virtue of Acts of Assembly, of both Provinces, & certified by them, by Tripartite Indentures, under the Hands & Seals, of
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all, as the north Partition Point, between East N: Jersey & West N: Jersey, and a Line was run, & mark'd by order, of the Commissioners, & Surveyors, to Hudson's River, & many Observations, were then taken, by several Surveyors, for discovering the Lati- tude of 41 on Hudson's River, & tho' the Surveyors, had Observations enough for discovering & Settling it, yet it was finally settled, by Deed, as the north Parti- tion Point was, & it remains unsettled, to this Day; as to the other Parts of N: Jersey, the Longitudes & Latitudes thereof, Lewis Evans: Map points them out.
2. What are the reputed Boundaries? & are any parts thereof, disputed? what Parts ?- & by whom?
A. The Reputed Boundaries, of N: Jersey from the Year 1664, untill this last Year were according to the Bounds, describ'd in the Deeds thereof, under the Answer, to the first Question; always esteem'd to ex- tend, from the Latitude of 41º 40', on Delaware River, to the Latitude 41 on Hudson River; but last Year, & this, the Owner of two N: York Patents, of Minisink & Wawaganda, have made sundry Pretences, to the con- trary, to justifie some Incroachments, they had made, on N: Jersey; by which Pretences, they denied the Lati- tude 41º 40', to be a mutual Limitation, on Delaware, between the two Provinces, of N: York & N: Jersey, & as by one of these Pretensions, on the Part of New York, it was endeavour'd to carry New York, above 80 Miles down, into New Jersey, so in Answer, on the part of N: Jersey, it was endeavour'd to show, that laying aside, the Limitation of the Latitude of 41° 40', as attempted on the Part of N: York, the Words of the Deed, of N: Jersey, must carry it, to the Head of Del- aware; which is above 80 Miles, above the Latitude of 41° 40', especially as the Deeds, of New Jersey, are all from one Subject, to other Subjects ;- the Proprietors of New Jersey, have expended several thousands of Pounds, in endeavouring to have the Line settled; &
6
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on the other Hand, the Assembly of N: York, has ex- pended, near as much, of the Money of that Province, in obstructing the Settlement, of the Line; the En- deavours of both Sides, appear by a Memorial, of the Council, of the Proprietors of East N: Jersey, of Nov! 20: 1753 & by sundry Papers, annex'd to it, from N.º 1, to 17 Inclusive, all printed in 59 Pages, folio; to which I refer, for the Reasons of this dispute; I having al- ready sent s! Papers, to Your Lordships.
3. What is the Constitution of the Government?
A. Its nearly the same, as that of N: York, viz. A Governour and twelve Councellors, appointed by the Crown; & twenty four Representatives, chosen by the People, to represent them, in the Legislature.
The Proprietors of New Jersey, exercised the Gov- ernment, from 1664 to 1702, when they Surrendered their Government, to the Crown; & before the Sur- render a Sett of Instructions were settled, & agreed on, between the Crown, & the Proprietors, for the better Preservation. of their Properties: which In- structions, have been duly continued, to all Governours, of N: Jersey, ever since the sd Surrender; & the Dif- ference, between the Constitution, of N: York, & N: Jersey, chiefly consists, in those Instructions.
4. What is the Trade of the Province? The Number of Shipping ?- Their Tonnage ?- And the Number of Seafaring men ?- with the respective increase, or Dimi- nution, within ten Years past?
A. The Exports in Trade, are in Provisions & Lum- ber, exported to Europe, & the West Indias; carried on by about twenty Vessels; their Burthen about fif- teen hund! Tuns; & navigated by about, one hund! & sixty Men; very little Increase, in the Trade, for ten Years past.
5. What Quantity, & Sorts, of British Manufactury do the Inhabitants annually take from hence?
A. It is computed, that the Province takes from
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Great Britain, in Woollens,-Cutlary,-Haberdashiry, -Braisery,-Hats,-East India Goods,-annually, to the Value of twenty five thousand Pounds Sterling; but this is guess Work, & a certain, for an uncertain Sum.
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