USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 21
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1817. Caleb Lloyd. 1822. Peter C. Vanderhoef.
1833. Henry D. Polhemns.
1848. Arthur V. Conover.
1858. John R. Conover.
1868. Aaron R. Throckmorton.6
1882. David S. Crater.7 Now (1885) in office.
PROSECUTORS OF THE PLEAS.
1828. Corlies Lloyd.
1833. Joseph F. Randolph.
2 To fill a vacancy.
3 Resigned Nov. 19, 1882.
4 To fill vacancy caused by resignation of Thomas V. Arrowsmith.
5 Prior to 1720 the Governor was surrogate-general. In that year Michael Kearney was commissioned surrogate of New York and New Jersey. Afterwards a surrogate was appointed for each division (East and West Jersey), and (as occasion required more) sometimes one for a dis- trict of two or three counties, or one for a single county. They were, of course, removable at the pleasure of the Governor, and were simply his deputies. the probate of wills and other official acts being in his name, and under his hand and official seal, as ordinary. In 1784 Orphans' Courts were established, and provision was made by law for one surrogate to be appointed in each county, with power limited to that county. The original jurisdiction of the ordinary remained as before, until, in 1820. it was re- stricted to the granting of probates of wills, letters of ad- ministration and guardianship and to the determining of dis- putes arising thereon. In 1822 the appointment of the surrogate was given to the joint meeting, and so remained until the new constitution provided for the election of that officer by a popular vote .- Elmer.
6 Resigned February 12, 1882, to accept the presidency of the Freehold National Bank. Died March 3, 1883.
" Appointed February 12, 1882, to fill vacancy cansed by resignation of A. R. Throckmorton, Elected November, 1882.
112
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
1837. Peter Vredenburgh, Jr. 1852. Joel Parker. 1857. Amzi C. McLean. 1867. Robert Allen, Jr. 1872. W. H. Conover, Jr.
1877. John E. Lanning. 1882. Charles Haight. Now (1885) in office.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Following is a list of justices of the peace of Monmouth County (with dates of commis- sion) from the time (1850) when it was reduced to its present limits by the formation of Ocean County from the southern part of its territory, viz.,-
William H. Tilton, May 1, 1851. William Brown, May 1, 1851. Nimrod Bedle, May 1, 1851.
Jones Clark, May 1, 1851. John Statesir, May 1, 1851. Thomas Fardon, May 1, 1853.
John Headen, May 1, 1853.
Benjamin Day, May 1, 1853.
Lewis B. Carey, May 1, 1853. Daniel B. Strong, May 1, 1853.
Walter C. Parsons, May 1, 1853.
Joseph M. Smith, May 1, 1853.
W. M. D. Oliphant, May 1, 1854. Charles T. Fleming, May 1, 1854. Anthony Truax, May 1, 1854.
James S. Laurence, May 1, 1855.
Daniel M. Cubberly, May 1, 1855. John S. Barton, May 1, 1855. Amos Shaw, May 1, 1855.
John H. Rulon, May 1, 1855.
W. M. D. Oliphant, May 1, 1855.
Robert Miller, May 1, 1855.
B. Campfield Newman, May I, 1855. Benjamin D. Pearce, May 1, 1855. James Cooper, May 1, 1855. James W. Borden, May 1, 1855. Samuel C. Algoe, May 1, 1855. George Finch, May 1, 1855. Sidney Thompson, May 1, 1855.
Edward E. Pitcher, May 1, 1855.
John W. Davison, May 1, 1855. John G. Ely, May 1, 1855. James Martin, May 1, 1856.
Edmund Shotwell, May 1, 1856.
George W. Cox, May 1, 1856.
Christopher Doughty, May 1, 1856.
John Statesir, May 1, 1857. Nimrod Bedle, May 1, 1857. Daniel B. Strong, May 1, 1858.
John W. Denyse, May 1, 1858. Thomas Fardon, May 1, 1858. Benjamin Day, May 1, 1859.
Thomas Ingling, May 1, 1858. John Headen, May 1, 1858.
Walter C. Parsons, May 1, 1858. William C. Erwin, May 1, 1858. Esek H. Lovett, May 1, 1858. Benjamin Wardell, May 1, 1859. W. W. Palmer, May 1, 1859. Anthony Truax, May 1, 1859.
John W. Davison, May 1, 1860.
Sidney Thompson, May 1, 1860. Thomas C. Throckmorton, May 1, 1860.
James Cooper, May 1, 1860. George L. Britton, May 1, 1860.
W. D. Oliphant, May 1, 1860. John W. Rulin, May 1, 1860. Robert Miller, May 1, 1860. Bloomfield Newman, May 1, 1860.
Amos Shaw, May 1, 1860. John G. Ely, May 1, 1860.
Samuel Rogers, May 1, 1860. P. D. Kneiskern, May 1, 1860. Joseph W. Borden, May 1, 1860. John M. Boice, May 1, 1860. Samuel Algoe, May 1, 1860. William D. Clayton, May 1, 1860.
John W. Phillips, May 1, 1861. J. Horton Cooper, May 1, 1861. S. E. W. Johnson, May 1, 1861. James Martin, May 1, 1861. James F. Earle, May 1, 1861.
Nimrod Bedle, May 1, 1862. John B. Morris, May 1, 1862.
Benjamin Day, May 1, 1862. Henry H. Wolcott, May 1, 1862.
John M. Lippincott, May 1, 1862.
T. Forman Taylor, May 1, 1862. Levi Scobey, May 1, 1862. William Y. Kennedy, May 1, 1862. Mark L. Mount, May 1, 1863.
Samuel Frake, May 1, 1863. W. H. Slocum, May 1, 1863. John Headen, May 1, 1863. D. B. Strong, May 1, 1863. Thomas 1. Bedle, May 1, 1863.
Aaron R. Combs, May 1, 1863.
Thomas Fardon, May 1, 1863.
John S. Barton, May 1, 1863. Benjamin Wardell, May 1, 1864. Elijah Combs, May 1, 1864.
Benjamin Decker, May 1, 1864. Thomas H. Lafetra, May 1, 1864. Anthony Truax, May 1, 1864.
Richard W. Strong, May 1, 1864.
William C. Irwin, May 1, 1864. Joseph MeNinney, May 1, 1864. John H. Rulin. May 1, 1865.
John S. Barton, May 1, 1865. Thomas S. Throckmorton, May 1, 1865. William D. Clayton, May 1, 1865.
113
MONMOUTII CIVIL LIST.
Jacob C. Lawrence, May 1, 1865. E. B. Wainright, May 1, 1865. Robert Miller, May 1, 1865. Isaac Herbert, May 1, 1865. Peter D. Kuieskern, May 1, 1865. Amos Shaw, May 1, 1865.
Benjamin D. Pearce, May 1, 1865. Bloomfield Newman, May 1, 1865. Abram Havens, May 1, 1865. Samuel Frake, May 1, 1865. Samuel E. Rogers, May 1, 1865. James T. Earle, May 1, 1866. John Dawes, May 1, 1866. William A. Palmer, May 1, 1866. John H. Mount, May 1, 1866. John W. Phillips, May 1, 1866. James Martin, May 1, 1866. M. H. Jewett, May 1, 1866. Alfred II. Campbell, May 1, 1867. John B. Morris, May 1, 1867. Garrett Forman, May 1, 1867. James C. Whitmore, May 1, 1867. James P. Welling, May 1, 1867. Benjamin Day, May 1, 1867. C. A. Van Cleef, March 25, 1868. Charles B. Clark, May 1, 1868.
Abraham Thompson, May 1, 1868. Mark L. Mount, May 1, 1868. P. S. Clayton, May 1, 1868. D. B. Strong, May 1, 1868. T. Forman Taylor, May 1, 1868. Geo W. Houghton, May 1, 1868. John E. Hunt, May 1, 1868. John D. Beers, May 1, 1869. Benjamin Deckers, May 1, 1869. Thomas Cook, May 1, 1869. Benjamin Wardell, May 1, 1869. Thos. H. Lafetra, May 1, 1869. John W. Borden, May 1, 1869. Timothy M. Mason, May 1, 1869. William C. Irwin, May 1, 1869. John E. Norris, May 1, 1869. Samuel E. Rogers, May 1, 1870. Robert Miller, May 1, 1870. E. B. Wainwright, May 1, 1870. J. C. Lawrence, May 1, 1870. Benjamin D. Pearce, May 1, 1870. Bloomfield Newman, May 1, 1870. Levi G. Irwin, May 1, 1870. William C. Norton, May 1, 1870. John M. Boice, May 1, 1870. John W. Davison, May 1, 1870. Ezekiel Maynard, May 1, 1870. Isaac Herbert, May 1, 1870. Cornelins G. Matthews, May 1, 1870. James Cooper, May 1, 1870. Samuel Cowart, May 1, 1870. James F. Earle, May 1, 1871. William Child, May I, 1871. 8
John W. Perlon, May 1, 1871.
Daniel W. Thompson, May 1, 1871. l'eter D. Knieskern, May 1, 1871. Robertson Smith, May 1, 1871. John W. Philips, May 1, 1871. Hendrick Wyckoff, May 1, 1872. John B. Morris, May 1, 1872. James C. Whitmore, May 1, 1872.
IIenry Johnson, May 1, 1872. James E. Johnson, May 1, 1872. Garret Forman, May 1, 1872. William L. Conover, May 1, 1872. Theodore Sickles, May 1, 1872. Abraham Thompson, May 1, 1872.
T. Forman Taylor, May 1, 1873. John W. Denyse, May 1, 1873. D. B. Strong, May 1, 1873. George Martin, May 1, 1873. Theodore F. Suiffen, May 1, 1873.
John Statesir, May 1, 1873. R. W. Miller, May 1, 1873. A. Van Nortwiek, May 1, 1873. A. G. Lane, March 11, 1873. William J. Chamberlain, May 1, 1873. Samuel Algoe, May 1, 1873. Levi Scobey, May 1, 1873. John W. Bartleson, May 14, 1874.
William Robertson, May 1, 1874. Thomas Cooke, May 1, 1874. John E. Tilton, May 1, 1874,
Thomas H. Lafetra, May 1, 1874. William C. Irwin, May 1, 1874.
A. G. Lane, May 1, 1874. John E. Norris, May 1, 1874. J. C. Lawrence, May 1, 1875. Samuel Conover, May 1, 1875. John W. Bartleson, May 1, 1875. Robert Miller, May 1, 1875.
Benjamin D. Pearce, May 1, 1875. Bloomfield Newman, May 1, 1875. J. M. Wainwright, May 1, 1875. Harris Allen, May 1, 1875. Levi J. Erwin, May 1, 1875. William Armstrong, May 1, 1875. Samuel E. Rogers, May 1, 1875.
John W. Harker, May 1, 1875. David Warner, May 1, 1875. Benjamin M. Cooper, May 1, 1875. Cornelius G. Mathews, May 1, 1875. John J. Beers, May 1, 1875. John W. Davison, May 1, 1875. C. A. Van Cleef, May 1, 1875. Theodore Guillander, May 1, 1876. Jacob Corlies, May 1, 1876. Robert W. Miller, May 1, 1876. Frederick H. Earle, May 1, 1876. Jeremiah Bennett, May 1, 1876. Robertson Smith, May 1, 1876. Walter R. Brinley, May 1, 1876.
114
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
James C. Whitmore, May 1, 1877. William Child, May 1, 1877. Peter G. Denyse, May 1, 1877. John B. Morris, May 1, 1877. William L. Conover, May 1, 1877. Daniel H. Morris, May 1, 1877. Hendrick Wyekoff, May 1, 1877. WV. J. Cloke, May 1, 1877. James E. Johnson, May 1, 1877. George Gravatt, March 16, 1878. John W. Denyse, May 1, 1878. John Statesir, Jr., May 1, 1878. S. C. Davis, May 1, 1878. William I. Chamberlain, May 1, 1878. G. G. Denyse, May 1, 1878.
Abraham Thompson, May 1, 1878.
J. E. Corlies, May 1, 1878. Garret Forman, May 1, 1878. Theodore F. Sniffen, May 1, 1878.
Thomas Cook, May 1, 1879. John E. Tilton, May 1, 1879.
Thomas H. Lafetra, May 1, 1879. James Hardy, May 1, 1879. Cyrenus V. Golden, May 8, 1879.
William L. Tilton, May 1, 1879.
Tunis D. Probasco, May 1, 1879.
William C. Irwin, May 1, 1879. William Robertson, May 1, 1879. Edward I. Pitcher, May 1, 1879. J. C. Lawrence, May 1, 1880. J. W. Bartleson, May 1, 1880. Levi G. Irwin, May 1, 1880.
George H. Sickles, May 1, 1880. Robert Miller, May 1, 1880. William L. Tilton, May 1, 1880.
George W. Truax, May 1, 1880.
James E. Rogers, May 1, 1880. David Warner, May 1, 1880. John W. Harker, May 1, 1880. Cook Howland, May 1, 1880. Thomas H. Lafetra, May 1, 1880.
William W. Ramsey, May 1, 1880.
Cornelins G. Mathews, May 1, 1880.
George W. Fielder, May 1, 1880. Harris Allen, May 1, 1880. Benjamin M. Cooper, May 1, 1880. F. R. Perrine, May 1, 1880. William J. Dunn, May 1, 1880. George D. Bradford, May 1, 1880.
Samnel Conover, May 1, 1880. Robert W. Miller, May 1, 1881. Milton Holmes, May 1, 1881. Charles H. Borden, May 1, 1881. Henry J. Child, May 1, 1881. Hezekiah Mount, May 1, 1881.
James M. Hopper, May 1, 1881. John C. Edwards, May 1, 1881. John C. Clayton, May 1, 1881. Jeremiah Bennett, May 1, 1881.
F. E. Bowman, May 1, 1881. Walter R. Bromley, May 1, 1881. William S. Cloke, May 1, 1881. James C. Whitmore, May 1, 1881. James E. Johnson, May 1, 1881. Jesse Howland, May 1, 1881. Frederick H. Earle, May 1, 1881.
Hendrick Wyckoff, May 1, 1881. A. W. Hobart, May 1, 1881. William Curchin, May 1, 1881. William L. Connor, May 1, 1881.
Cyrenus V. Golden, May 1, 1881. Stacy F. Van Arsdale, May 1, 1881. John W. Denyse, May 1, 1883. John Miller, May 1, 1883. Martin S. Bissell, May 1, 1883. Theodore F. White, May 1, 1883. John Statesir, May 1, 1883.
Edwin E. Disbrow, May 1, 1883.
Charles O. Hudnut, May 1, 1883. Samuel S. Scobey, May 1, 1883.
Eugene Britton, May 1, 1883. J. Edwin Corlies, May 1, 1883.
Daniel Thompson, May 1, 1883. Frederick H. Day, May 1, 1883.
A. K. Ely, May 1, 1884.
Joseph R. Conover, May 1, 1884.
W. C. Irwin, May 1, 1884. John E. Tilton, May 1, 1884. Thomas Cook, May 1, 1884.
Tunis D. Probasco, May 1, 1884.
Edwin W. Throckmorton, May 1, 1884.
W. S. B. Parker, May 1, 1884. Arthur M. Brown, May 1, 1884.
D. B. Strong, May 1, 1884. Charles T. Fardon, May 1, 1884. Edmund 1. Pitcher, May 1, 1884.
Politically, Monmouth is almost uniformly Democratic, there having been but one instance in the present half-century when the county has failed to give a majority of its vote to the Democratie Presidential nominee. The votes of the county in each Presidential election dur- ing that period are here given, viz.,-
1
1836. Van Buren (Dem.), 2549; Harrison (Whig), 2344.
1840. Van Buren (Dem.), 2880; Harrison (Whig), 2953.
1844. Polk (Dem.), 3434; Clay (Whig), 3221.
1848. Cass (Dem.), 3450; Taylor (Whig), 3119. 1852. Pierce (Dem.), 3179; Scott (Whig), 1806; Hale (Free Soil), 5.
1856. Buchanan (Dem.), 3319; Fillmore (Whig), 1815; Fremont (Free Soil), 1003. 1860. Fusion Ticket, 4089; Lincoln (Rep.), 3096. 1864. McClellan (Dem.), 4410; Lincoln (Rep.), 3001.
115
MONMOUTH COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.
1868. Seymour (Dem.), 5236; Grant (Rep.), 3771. 1872. Greeley (Dem.), 4705; Grant (Rep.), 4250. 1876. Tilden (Dem.), 6942; Hayes (Rep.), 4720. 1880, Hancock (Dem.), 7614; Garfield (Rep.), 5693 ; Weaver (Greenback), 47.
1884. Cleveland (Dem.), 7552; Blaine (Rep.), 6446.
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CHAPTER IX.
MONMOUTH COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.
To tell the story of the part taken by the county of Monmouth in the war of the Revo- lution, and of what the people of the county did and suffered and sacrificed in the great struggle for national independence, it is not necessary, nor, indeed, proper, to give a de- tailed account of all the long and bloody con- fliet between the colonies and the mother-coun- try, but only of such of its military and civil events as occurred within, or in the near viein- ity of, the territory of the county, and of such parts of the Revolutionary drama as, being en- aeted elsewhere, yet were participated in by men of Monmouth as prominent actors.
The causes which drove the American eolo- nies into the conflict which finally resulted in their separation from Great Britain have been too frequently enumerated and too fully set forth in general history to need a reeital here. These causes first began to operate between the years 1760 and 1765, when measures were proposed in the British Parliament looking to the taxation of the American subjects of the English King to raise a revenue for the support of the home government. The general feeling of discontent awakened among the colonists by the inauguration of these measures was intensi- fied by the subsequent passage of the odious " Stamp Art," the imposition of a duty on tea and other similar schemes of taxation ; so that, when intelligence was received of the passage of the "Boston Port Bill," on the 31st of March, 1774, there arose an almost universal murmur of indignant remonstranee against a policy which was stigmatized as nnendurable tyranny. The measure last named had been directed especially against the chief port of
New England, but all the other colonies were in sympathy with that of Massaelinsetts Bay and made her cause their own, as well they might, for it was clear to the understanding of all intelligent persons that if such acts of op- pression were submitted to in Boston, they would ere long be enforced in all the colonies, from New Hampshire to Georgia.
This conviction produced among the people a feeling, not of indignation alone, but of alarm at the dangerous invasion of their rights; and, although as yet there had been awakened no general sentiment of disloyalty to King George, there were not a few among the more elear- sighted of the colonists who even then foresaw that they might, and probably would, be finally driven to the dread alternative of armed resistance. " Nothing could have been devised 2 by the wit of man more effective for the speedy education and enlightenment of the people of the colonies than these obnoxious measures. The colony of New Jersey broke out in a simultaneous blaze of indignation from Sussex to Cape May, and immediate measures were taken to organize the various counties into a combination of the friends of liberty which should secure prompti- tude and unity of action throughout the prov- ince."
It was not the passage of the l'ort Bill, how- ever, which first led the friends of liberty in this province to combine for mutual safety, for it is found that more than seven weeks before the passage of that act, and three months 2 be- fore the announcement had reached the shores of America, a general " Committee of Corre- spondence and Inquiry " had been constituted here, having for its object consultation with the most prominent men in the New Jersey coun- ties, and correspondence with similar committees in other colonies. The particulars of the for- mation of this committee, it- composition, and the duties with which it was charged are shown by the following extract from the Minutes of the House of A -- embly of New Jersey, dated
1 The language of Mr. Charles D. Deshler in a paper read by him before the New Brunswick Historical Club at its fifth anniversary, December 16, 1875.
2 The news of the passage of the Port Aet was received in Boston on the JOth of May.
p.
116
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
Burlington, Tuesday, February 8, 1774,- viz. :
"The House resumed the consideration of the sev- eral Letters and Resolutions of the other Houses of Assembly on the subject-matter of the common Rights and Liberties of the Colonies; and the House resolved itself into a Commitee of the whole House upon Mat- ters aforesaid; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair, and Mr. Crane, Chair- man of the Committee (by order of the House), re- ported the Resolutions of the Committee, as follows, viz .:
"1. Resolved, That it is the opinion of the Committee that the House should heartily accept of the Invita- tion 1 to a mutual Correspondence and Intercourse with onr Sister-Colonies; to which the House agreed Nemine Contradicente.
" 2. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this commit- tee that a Standing Committee of Correspondence and Inquiry be appointed, to consist of the following persons, to wit : James Kinsey, Stephen Crane, Hen- drick Fisher, Samuel Tueker, John Wetherill, Robert Friend Price, John Hinchman, John Mehelm and Edward Taylor, Esquires, or any five of them, whose business it shall be to obtain the most early and au- thentiek intelligence of all Acts and Resolutions of the Parliament of Great Britain, or the Proceedings of Administration that may have any Relation to or may affect the Liberties and Privileges of His Majes- ty's Subjects in the British Colonies of America, and to keep up and maintain a Correspondence and Com- munication with our Sister-Colonies respecting these important considerations ; and that they do occasion- ally lay their Proceedings before the House; to which the House agreed Nemine Contradicente.
"3. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Com- mittee that the said Committee of Correspondence do write Letters to the several Speakers of the Assem- blies on the Continent of America, inclosing these Resolutions, and requesting them to lay the same be- fore their respective Assemblies; and that they do return the thanks of the House to the Burgesses of Virginia for their early Attention to the Liberties of America ; to which the House agreed Nemine Contra- dicente."
The Governor, William Franklin (son of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, but, unlike his father, a man of strong royalist proelivities), was op- posed to the formation of such a committee, and in a letter written by him to the Earl of
Dartmouth, on the 31st of May, 1774, ex- pressed his opinion as follows :
" The Virginia Assembly some time ago appointed a Committee of Correspondence, to correspond with all the other Assemblies on the Continent, which ex- ample has been followed by every other House of Representatives. I was in hopes that the Assembly of this Province would not have gone into the mea- sure; for though they met on the 10th of November, yet they avoided taking the matter into consideration, though frequently urged by some of the members, until the Sth of February, and then I believe they would not have gone into it but that the Assembly of New York had just before resolved to appoint such a committee, and they did not choose to appear sin- gular."
On the 1st of June, the day next following the date of Governor Franklin's letter, a mect- ing (probably the first one) of the Committee of Correspondence and Inquiry was held at New Brunswick, and a brief mention of it is found2 in a letter written by one of the mem- bers of the committee, under date of June 2, 1774, from which the following is extracted, viz. : " I returned yesterday from New Bruns- wick, where six of our Committee met. We answered the Boston letters, informing them that we look on New Jersey as eventually in the same predicament with Boston, and that we will do everything which may be generally agreed on. We have signed a request to the Governour to call the General Assembly 3 to meet at such time as his Excellency may think proper, before the first of August next. Our Committee is well disposed in the cause of American freedom." The Monmouth County member of this first Committee of Correspond- ence and Inquiry for the colony of New Jersey was Edward Taylor, Esq. The meeting of the committee at New Brunswick was immediately followed by gatherings of the people in nearly
1 The "invitation" referred to was a proposition made by the House of Burgesses of the colony of Virginia to the Assembly of New Jersey to appoint from its members a Standing Committee of Correspondence for the objects re- ferred to above.
2 Vide Minutes of the Provincial Congress and Council of Safety, 1775-76, page 4.
3 In a letter addressed by Governor Franklin to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Burlington, June 18, 1774, he said, "I have likewise had an application made to me by some of the members of the House of Representatives to call a meeting of the General Assembly in August next, with which I have not and shall not comply, as there is no pub- lick business of the province which can make such a meet- ing necessary."
117
MONMOUTH COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.
all the counties of New Jersey. The object of these meetings (which were convened at the call of prominent and influential citizens of the several counties) was to perfect, as far as possi- ble, a general organization of citizens opposed to encroachments on the rights of the colonies by the home government, and especially to pro- vide for the selection of persons to represent them in a general congress of deputies from the several colonies, proposed by the burgesses of Virginia, to be held for the purpose of forming a plan of union, and, in general, to devise measures for the public welfare.
The first of these local gatherings of the people was held in Monmouth County, and is reported in the Minutes of the Provincial Con- gress and Council of Safety, 1775-76, as fol- lows:
"At a meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Township of Lower Freehold, in the County of Monmouth, in New Jersey, on Monday, the 6th day of June, 1774, after notice given of the time, place and occasion of this meeting ;
" Resolved, That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting that the cause in which the inhabitants of the town of Boston are now suffering is the common cause of the whole Continent of North America, and that unless some general spirited measures for the public safety be speedily entered into, there is just reason to fear that every Province may in turn share the same fate with them; and that, therefore, it is highly incumbent on them all to unite in some effec- tnal means to obtain a repeal of the Boston Port Bill, and any other that may follow it, which shall be deemed subversive of the rights and privileges of free- born Americans.
"And that it is also the opinion of this meeting that, in case it shall appear hereafter to be consistent with the general opinion of the trading towns, and the commercial part of our countrymen, that an en- tire stoppage of importation and exportation from and to Great Britain and the West Indies, until the said Port Bill and other Acts be repealed, will be really conducive to the safety and preservation of North America and her liberties, they will yield a cheerful acquiescence in the measure, and earnestly recom- mend the same to all their brethren in this Province.
" Resolved, moreover, That the inhabitants of this township will join in an Association with the several towns in the county and, in conjunction with them, with the several counties in the Province (if, as we donbt not, they see fit to accede to the proposal), in any measures that may appear best adapted to the weal and safety of North America and all her loyal sons.
"Ordered, That John Anderson, Esq., Messrs. Peter Forman, Hendrick Smock, John Forman and Asher Holmes, Captain John Covenhoven and Doctor Na- thaniel Seudder be a committee for the township, to join with those who may be elected for the neighbour- ing townships or counties, to constitute a General Committee, for any purposes similar to those above mentioned; and that the gentlemen so appointed do immediately solicit a correspondence with the adja- cent towns."
"On Tuesday, July 19, 1774,1 a majority of the Committees from the several Townships in the County of Monmouth, of the Colony of New Jersey, met ac- cording to appointment, at the Court-House at Free- hold, in said county; and appearing to have been regularly chosen and constituted by their respective Townships, they unanimously agreed upon the pro- priety and expediency of electing a Committee to represent the whole county at the approaching Pro- vincial Convention, to be held at the City of New Brunswick, for the necessary purpose of constituting a Delegation from this Provinee to the general Con- gress of the Colonies, and for all such other important purposes as shall hereafter be found necessary. They, at the same time, also recorded the following Resolu- tions, Determinations and Opinions, which they wish to be transmitted to posterity as an ample testimony of their loyalty to his British Majesty, of their firm attachment to the principles of the glorious Revolu- tion, and their fixed and unalterable purpose, by every lawful means in their power, to maintain and defend themselves in the possession and enjoyment of those inestimable civil and religious privileges which their forefathers, at the expense of so much blood and treasure, have established and handed down to them:
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