USA > New York > New York City > History of the New Netherlands, province of New York, and state of New York : to the adoption of the federal Constitution. Vol. II > Part 49
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June 9th .- The governour embargoes the port of New York for one month. The troops raised in New Jersey pass New York in batteaux for Albany.
October 13th .- Parker, the printer of the Postboy, is appointed keeper of the library in the City Hall, with liberty " to let or hire" any of the books. He announces that he has a printed catalogue, and that his terms are fourpence-halfpenny per week, for every book that shall be taken out, and security for its return. Attend- ance every Tuesday, at four o'clock P. M.
At this time, the Indians committed depredations around Al- bany, and as far south as Kinderhook.
23d-A bill was ordered to be brought in to raise £2,250 by lot- tery, towards erecting a college. The assembly and the gover- nour disagreed, and they adjourned " without leave." On the 5th of November, the house, by Colonel Phillips, Colonel Morris, Colonel Schuyler, Mr. David Clarkson, and Mr. Henry Cruger, sent to the governour a most undutiful representation, in which they blamed all his measures in fact, and particularly his patronage of one Roberts, (whom he commissioned as colonel, from being an officer of one of the independent companies, but who was connected by marriage with Lord Hallifax) and who had acted illegally with respect to publick stores at Albany. Clinton, in his reply, added fuel to the flame, and justified himself and his creatures. The house resolved that his answer was unsatisfactory, and said they would grant no more supplies, without assurances of redress. The gover- nour was alarmed, and promised redress. He then made requisi- tions for various purposes ; and among them, for "paying for female scalps."
1747 June 3d .- The common council ordered a petition to be prepared to the governour, to ease the city from the burthen of keeping a military watch, which is read next day ; by which it appears that the inhabitants kept night and day watches in
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Fort George. They wish Clinton to order down one of the inde- pendent companies from Albany, or one from the new levies at that place.
In June, the governour by proclamation prohibits inoculation for small-pox in the city of New York and county, fearing that in the event of an invasion, the country people would not come to the assistance of the citizens, from the dread of taking the disease.
October 2d .- The common-council order an Essay on the duty of Vestrymen to be printed at their expense to encourage works of this kind. Cost, £4 for fifty copies.
1748 August 11th .- Compliment of the freedom of the city of New York given to William Shirley, governour of Massa- chusetts, for his conduct in taking Louisbourg, and for meeting Governour Clinton at a council of the Six Nations at Albany.
To show the increase of the colonies from 1720 to 1748, I copy this statement of the value of imports from Great Britain to the northern colonies in ten years, from 1720 to '30; and in ten years, from '3S to '4S.
In the first mentioned ten : To Carolina, £ 394,314
New England,
1,747,057
New York,
657,99S
Pennsylvania,
321,958
Virginia & Maryland,
1,591,665
Total, €4,712,992
And 1738 to '48,
To Carolina, £1,245,091
New England,
1,812,S94
New York,
1,211,243
Pennsylvania,
704,780
Virginia & Maryland, 2,507,626
Total, £7,4S1,635
Here we see that the increase of New England is only £75,S37 While that of New York, is 553,2.15
The treaty of Aix-la-chapelle, in this year, although it deprived America of the advantage she had obtained by conquering Louis- bourg, did not secure her from the inroads and encroachments of those enemies which that conquest would have aided to protect her from. The French of Canada seized upon the disputed parts of Nova Scotia (left open to them by this surrender,) they erected forts on the western lakes and on the Ohio, and committed hostili-
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ties by European and Indian forces on the frontiers of the colonies. The colonists, withheld by their English governours (who looked to St. James's for orders,) did not attack the French in return for ' some time, and as observed by historians, " this forbearance laid them under inexpressible disadvantages."*
Another consequence of the spirit and power which New Eng- land had evinced in the conquest of Cape Breton, was, that the ministry of Great Britain looked upon the colonies generally as having attained that state which rendered them fit subjects for taxa- tion for the benefit of the mother country, who had suffered them to grow to such maturity by their own resources. Long before this one of the English governours bestowed on America, (Sir William Keith, in 1739,) suggested to his employers " that the du- ties of stamps upon parcliment and paper in England be extended by act of parliament to all the American plantations." This was thought an excellent device for evading the necessity of additional taxes in England ; but the minister of the time rejected the scheme. The ministry of 1748 revived the scheme, and consulted their tools in America : but it was thought impracticable, and relin- quished for the present.
When the Governour " embarks" for Albany, a sloop is fitted up for his accommodation during the long and perilous voyage, and his safe arrival announced as a cause of national rejoicing.
Kalm, at this time, was in America. He describes the houses of New York as handsome ! To be sure, beauty is a matter of taste. The inhabitants of Albany were not in favour with Kalm, (see his travels.) He complains of the Dutch stoops or stoups. " Outside of the doors of the houses here are seats which in the evening are covered with people of both sexes ; but this is rather troublesome, as those who pass by are obliged to greet every body, unless they will shock the politeness of this town." These seats, and the custom of sitting on them, particularly of a summer's eve- ning, were frequent throughout New York city, in my youth. I remember the custom associated with pleasant images, and have no recollection of its troubling any body.
1749 The British cabinet at this period had a project for introducing an ecclesiastical establishment on the model of that of England, with the order of Bishops, into the colonies. This was to control non-jurors and dissenters, and to strengthen the royal prerogative. This scheme was suggested by Buller, Bishop of Durliam, and seconded by Secker, Archbishop of Can- terbury. The society for the propagation of the gospel was insti-
* See Modern History, vol. 40., p. 196, and Walsh, p. 117, etc.
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tuted as a part of this political scheme. As soon as this project was announced, its consequences to civil and religious liberty were perceived in America ; and their guardians, particularly in New England, denounced the nefarious plan, and warned the people of the danger. After much debate, the champions of Episcopacy gave up their schemes for the present.
Although this engine for strengthening royal prerogative was postponed, the views respecting colonial dependency and subservi- ence to the profit, ease, and convenience of England, were matured. It was openly avowed that the colonists were to be used for the benefit of the people of Great Britain, and restricted from all pur- suits and every branch of industry which might interfere with Bri- tish merchants and manufacturers. Already the maxim, avowed subsequently by Lord Chatham, that the colonists should not be permitted to manufacture a hob-nail, was adopted as the policy of England. But as iron abounded, and could be procured cheaper than from Sweden, and for British manufactures instead of money, that article was allowed to be imported in pigs and bars into the port of London alone. But all mills or other engines for slitting or rolling iron were prohibited under heavy penalties. The Ame- ricans had already proved that they could make nails and spikes cheaper than they could import them from England.
Another means of keeping the colonies in a state of subserviency was the introduction of negro slaves. Already, in 1745, a treatise appeared in London entitled " The African Slave Trade-the great pillar and support of the British plantation trade in America."
In this year, Benning Wentworth, the king of Great Britain's governour of New Hampshire, made a grant of a township six miles square, within the territory of New York : it was 20 miles east of Hudson's River, and six miles north of the Massachusetts boundary line. This was the beginning of a controversy that caused some bloodshed and much ill will between the inhabitants of New York and New England. This town the governour called after himself, Bennington.
Samuel Williams, in the preface to his History of Vermont says very justly, " To have expected New York would voluntarily give up part of her territory and dominion to her neighbours, when the decisions of the king and the law were in her favour, was to expect that which is never done by any sovereign or nation while they have the power to prevent it." But Wentworth had sold lands to the people of New Hampshire and others, who thought that a governour must have a right to do whatever he did ; and they re- moved upon and cleared and built houses on what they considered their rightful property. Therefore, when New York claimed these lands, made valuable by the labour of the settlers, it was not to be
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expected that these settlers "would submit, if they could avoid it," as Williams justly observes.
In November, and throughout the winter, the Post came in from Boston once a week.
In January of this year, the death of Colonel Thomas Hicks was announced, aged "above ninety." He died in Queens county : his descendants then amounted to three hundred. The death of Jacob Blackwell is recorded, who was six feet two inches in height, and weighed four hundred and twenty-nine pounds. But he only lived to the age of 42. In West Chester, John Hlad- den and Abigail, his wife, died within a few hours of each other, having lived lovingly together seventy years. He died at the age of 96, and she at 90.
1751 Crime was, in . proportion to the number of inhabitants, wonderfully prevalent. A rogue and his wife, in the city of New York, enticed a person into a situation which seemed to give the husband a right to demand satisfaction, and by way of compromise he took a note of hand for £50. But the dupe, more tender of his money than his reputation, divulged the affair to a magistrate, and when the rogue demanded his money, he was se- cured for examination, exposure, and punishment.
A fact is mentioned of a man who had been confined in jail, who on his discharge, not being able to pay the jail-fees, was " sold out," to pay the dues. This is so mentioned as to appear a thing of usage. The selling of convicts for the benefit of Great Britain, and emigrants (to pay their passage) and slaves from Africa, and Indians who had been robbed or cheated of their hunting-grounds, seems to have liad the effect of all evil habits upon our colonial ancestors. Even now, the atrocity of seizing upon a man, because black, and putting him in jail .on suspicion of the crime of endea- vouring to regain his liberty, is followed by the further atrocity of selling him (when he has proved that he never was a slave, or has been legally manumitted) to satisfy the fees or charges made against him, by those who had incarcerated him. Such things have been · done in that portion of republican, free America, which is stained by the appellation of the slave states.
The City Hall in Wall street was then, as heretofore, the jail, and the prisoners procure to be published a call upon the charita- ble, saying, that they are without fireing, "not having a stick of wood to burn, nor have had for several days," and being " most of them strangers in the country, are destitute of the necessaries of life." This is dated from the City Hall. On the 16th of March they return thanks for relief.
In May, of this year, it is noticed that "as some workmen were digging down the bank of the North River, just back of the English
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Church, in order to build a still-house, a stone wall was discovered, between four and five feet thick, near eight feet under ground, and it is supposed to have been a breast-work of a battery, though we can't learn that the oldest men living among us, know any thing of such a battery being there." So soon does the memory of events pass away. We have seen that the Dutch erected a battery to protect their New Amsterdam on the bank of the river, (i. e. on the ground behind the present Trinity Church, the river occupying Lumber street,) and in the space between 1615 and 1751 the remains had been buried, and the remembrance of such a place of defence passed away !
Houses in the city of New York not being numbereds the adver- tisements describe them by situation, or vicinity to some well known person, or the last occupant.
There appears at this time an attack upon Benjamin Woolsey, (the son of a clergyman of that name, who lived and died at Oyster Bay) charging him with injustice to the writer, Joel Burroughs, in his conduct as the guardian of said Burroughs's sister. The cha- racter of Mr. Woolsey was above all impeachment.
June 2d .-- Mourning is ordered for the death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, (son of George II. and father of George III.) by authority. Some of the churches were hung with black.
There was an assembly at Albany, in 1751, of commissioners from several provinces to meet the chiefs of the Iroquois. Clin- ton, governour of New York, attended. The commissioner of South Carolina brought with him several sachems of the Catawbas, between whom and the Iroquois, deadly feuds had long existed. The commissioners prevailed on the hostile tribes to conclude a
treaty of peace.
1752 St. George's Chapel, in New York, built; that is, finished, it being mentioned in 1750. It was consecrated on Wed- nesday, July 1st : Mr Barclay the preacher on the occasion .*
Localities-The Long Bridge was in Broad street, a planked walk leading from the Exchange toward Wall street, and covering a sewer, the remains of the creek, which formerly extended to Gar- den street, at the foot of Flattenbarick Hill. The Coffee-house Bridge, was in Wall street, a similar planked walk covering a sewer, between Queen street and Water street ; this was a place for publick vendues or auctions of negroes, horses, or any other articles of sale : but whether this bridge existed in 1752, is doubt- ful. Cart and Horse street is described, as " leading to Rutgers's brewhouse," that is, from Maiden Lane to the present John street,
* This was Henry Barclay, rector of Trinity Church. This building was burnt on the night of the 5th of January, 1514, and rebuilt, so as to be consecrated in 1615.
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and is now part of Gold street. The brewhouse was burnt on the memorable 25th of November, 1783, in the evening of the day the English troops embarked and left the city to Americans. Rotten Row, was a slip, or inlet, or creek ; for in January, 1752, the river being full of ice, the shipping was " squeezed into Rotten Row for shelter," and the publick is congratulated, that that place had not been filled in.
January 10th .- The bay was so frozen, that a " merchant's double sled" passed to and fro on the ice to Long Island and back again.
The word now pronounced and printed " Bos," was at this time printed truly " Baas." It is the Dutch for master. But an ap- prentice now disdains to call any one master, and is unconscious that he only uses another word for the same thing.
February 3d .- It is announced, that " several of the glass lamps put up about this city, were taken down by persons unknown, and left whole in the meat market ; thought to be done by some daring rakes."
The severity of the winter continued, and at this date, vessels were frozen up in the cove, at Sandy Hook.
In May, William Bradford, printer, died, aged ninety-four. Was he the man who established the first printing-press in New York in 1693? He came to Philadelphia, or rather to the place where Philadelphia was laid out, about the year 162, from England, where he was born. He was printer to the government of New York more than fifty years. He was conspicuous for temperance. James Parker, who as printer of the Gazette and Postboy, gives this account of Bradford, says, he served eight years with him as an apprentice. His funeral took place May 25th, 1752.
July 6th .- A house was broken open near the Merchants' Cof- fee-house, and the burglar, E. Lee, apprehended ; but on the 19th showed that he could break jail as well as house. He escaped by sawing off his irons, and making his way to a dungeon below the place of his confinement, and from thence he found little difficulty in getting clear of the City Hall and prison, which was one build- ing, and in Wall street.
The street now called Cortlandt street, (and long so called) ap- pears to have had no name in 1752, as it is described thus : " the street leading from the Oswego market to the river side." In 1729, the Oswego market did not exist. 1753
Doctor Johnson, Episcopal minister at Stratford, in Connecticut, was invited to take the president's chair of the new College instituted at New York, and Mr. Whittlesey, a Presbyterian minister, of New Haven, as second master in the new institution. The great seal was put to the charter of the Col- . lege, by which none but Episcopalians were eligible as presidents
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The justice or propriety of this measure is questioned in the paper of this time, called " The Independent Reflector, or Weekly Es- says," etc. printed in 1753, " until tyrannically suppressed," says the title-page. After the province had by lotteries raised the sum of £3,443 for the use of a college, an Act was passed the 25th of November, 1751, to vest that sum in the eldest counsellor, the speaker of the general assembly, judges of the supreme court, mayor, etc. and virtually a college was established, and placed in the hands of gentlemen of the Church of England. This, the Reflector combats, taking the ground that no sect founded and supported by priests, should have a preference over Christians professing to be guided by revelation alone. The anthor claims the right to expose the views of men who would exalt one sect upon the ruins of all otliers.
It appears that at this time, the enemies of liberty, (that is the king's governour and council) having engrossed the "New York Mercury," another paper is set up, entitled " The Occasional Re- verberator," at the new printing-office, Beaver street.
The improvements in travelling were at this time so great, that a man might (wind and weather and other circumstances favouring) arrive at Philadelphia from New York, or vice-versa, in three days, as the following notification specifies. " A commodious stage-boat will attend at the City Hall Slip, near the Half-moon Battery to receive goods and passengers, on Saturdays and Wednes- days ; and on Mondays and Thursdays will set out for Perth Am- boy Ferry ; there a stage-wagon will receive them, and set out on Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning, and carry them to Cran- berry ; and then the same day, with fresh horses, to Burlington, where a stage-boat receives them, and immediately sets out for Philadelphia." 'That the reader may judge of the comfort and speed of this travelling, I will state, that the packet-boats were small sloops, navigated by a man and boy, or at most by two men, (a captain and mate ;) and that, by the " outside passage," that is, through the Narrows, leaving Sandy Hook south, and proceeding by the great Amboy Bay, the vessel might be driven (and I have known instances) to sea ; and when the weather discouraged the crew or captain from attempting the " outside passage," they went by the " Kills," or Arthur Kull sound, between Staten Island and the main land; which passage I have known to occupy three days, though ordinarily performed in one.
The improvements in travelling may as well be summed up here, as they continued much the same until after the revolution.
A second way to Philadelphia was by crossing the bay to Staten Island, in a perriaugur or pettyanga, a boat without keel, with two masts and two large sails, the lack of keel supplied by lee-boards-
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all these managed by one man, who was likewise helmsman, and very frequently drunk. In a gale of wind you confided to this man (and perhaps an assistant boy) all your worldly hopes-in- cluding that of reaching Staten Island, which, if you arrived at. you crossed to the Ferry at Arthur Kull sound, and a scow carried . you to the " Blazing Star," (the sign of the Ferry-house being a comet) at Woodbridge ; from thence you proceeded, crossing the Raritan in a scow at Brunswick, and the Delaware in another, at Trenton ; another river was crossed on a floating bridge of planks, and on the third or fourth day, you might arrive at Penn's city. The third and most common route was to cross the North River to Paulus Hook in a boat similar to that above called a perryau- gur, with the same protection and guidance, but a shorter distance and less time for suffering ; you then were dragged through marshes to Hackinsack river, and were ferried over in a scow ; then to Pa- saick river, and as before, with no haste, ferried over ; and then as above said, over three more rivers, and in about three days you might be set down at the " Indian Queen," in Philadelphia.
In June, this year, by his advertisement, we learn that Hugh Gaine had his printing-office, and issued the Weekly Mercury, opposite the Old Slip market.
July 23d .- Gaine's Mercury says : " Last Monday, twenty-two ladies of pleasure, who were taken out of several houses of ill re- pute in this city, were committed to the work-house ; and next day five of them were condemned to receive fifteen lashes each, at the whipping-post, which was performed accordingly, before a vast number of spectators, with orders to depart the town.".
October 9th .- In common council, a committee was appointed to invite his majesty's council, such members of the assembly as shall be in town, the captain of the man-of-war, with such gentle- men as came over with the governour, the treasurer of the colony, the king's attorney, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Penn, and Mr. Oliver Delancey, to dine with his Excellency Sir Danvers Os- borne, Bart., at the house of George Burns ; and to order a dinner to be prepared, and a bonfire on the commons, near the work- house, and to procure three dozen of wine to be sent to the said fire ; and that the City Hall, the Alms-house, and the Ferry-house be illuminated ; that a half barrel of cannon-powder be provided to discharge some cannon that lie on the common, near the bonfire.
1754 April Sth .- " A subscription is now on foot" to raise money for erecting and maintaining a publick library in this city. Seventy gentlemen had subscribed £5 principal and 10s. per annum.
May 2d .- Trustees clected for the City Library for one year : James De Lancey, the lieutenant-governour, James Alexander,
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Joseph Murray, John Chambers, John Watts, William Walton, Rev. Henry Barclay, Benjamin Nicolls, Robert R. Livingston, Wil- liam Livingston, William P. Smith, William Alexander.
July .- At this time Whitfield preaches in New York.
October 14th .- The first books sent for, for the New York City Library, arrived with Captain Miller.
Of crimes and punishments, we notice that a lad convicted of manslaughter, is " burnt in the hand accordingly." And a woman for stealing is whipt "at the whipping-post in this city." She is said by the reporter, to have afforded diversion to the mob by resistance and otherwise.
In this year the government of the province of New York is thus stated in a publick document. It is immediately under the govern- ment of the crown. The governour is the representative of the king ; a council and court of judicature resembling in some mea- sure the house of lords ; and a house of representatives resembling imperfectly the house of commons. The governour is appointed by the king ; has the power of calling, proroguing, and dissolving the assembly, and has a negative on all laws presented to him. The council are appointed by the king, and are assistant judges with the governour, as chancellor, and in the court of appeal. The general assembly, elected by the people, choose their own speaker and officers, pass bills to send up to the council, and claim a right that all money bills should originate with them. From 1738 to the present time, the assembly have passed a bill yearly, in September, to provide for the salaries of the governour, judges, and other offi- cers for the ensuing year, and to discharge other demands. 1755 In this year, the government of New York passed a law by which if one or more slave or slaves above the age of fourteen shall in time of alarm, or invasion, be found a mile or more from his or their owner or owners, without a certificate from the owner showing that he or they were authorized to be in such place, it should be judged felony without benefit of clergy, and making it lawful for any person to shoot or otherwise destroy them.
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