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 52
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Among the toasts-" The farmer of Pennsylvania-and the authors of the Boston journal of occurrences --- and a total extinc- tion of implicit belief."
22d .--- Died, William Smith, (the historian of New York,) one of the justices of the supreme court, etc., aged 73. In 1753, he was made one of his majesty's council.
29th .- The house of assembly agreed with certain resolutions of the house of burgesses of the colony and dominion of Virginia, passed the 16th of May, 1769, " that the sole right of imposing duties on the inhabitants of the colony and dominion of Virginia, is constitutionally vested in the house of burgesses with the con- sent of the council and the governour. That it is the privilege of the colony to petition the king for redress of grievances, and law- ful to procure the concurrence of the other colonies in the same. That all trials for treason or felony, or any other crime committed in the colony, ought to be tried within the colony.
December 1Sth .- The assembly voted that a certain anonymous paper was a false and infamous libel. It was signed as by a Son of Liberty, and was very abusive and inflammatory because the as- sembly had voted £2000 to supply the king's troops with neces- saries. This was said to be betraying their trust and country : it was pusillanimous and contradictory to the spirit of the Massachu- setts and South Carolina assemblies : it represented a coalition between the Colden and Delancey families. That the assembly understood they must be dissolved if they refused the vote. The writer recommends a meeting in the fields. The money was granted by twelve to eleven, so nearly was the house divided.
19th .- The assembly voted that anonymous papers and hand- bills reflecting grossly on the house for granting supplies for the troops in barracks were a false, scandalous and infamous libel, and requested the governour to offer a reward for the author.
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21st .- Robert R. Livingston returned a member for the manor of Livingston, was rejected as disqualified being a judge of the supreme court. Colonel Schuyler, Colonel Woodhull, George Clinton, were for him. There were fourteen against and nine for him. This same point was debated the 25th of January, 1771, and Judge Livingston excluded.
In this year, Samson Occum, the Indian preacher, made a great impression, perhaps, from the novelty and known difficulty of cdu- cating the individuals of this people, or keeping them within the bounds of civilized society.
The celebrated Whitfield, preached with great effect, and was the precursor of Wesley's ambassadors of peace : and this year, the celebrated Daniel Boone, commenced his exploring expedi- tions into the western wilderness.
It was in this year, that, at the request of a board of commissioners, authorized by the legislature of New York and New Jersey, the celebrated David Rittenhouse fixed the point, where the parallel, which divides New York from Pennsylvania, was to be traced westward. The northern limit of New Jersey upon Hudson's river, is the 41st degree of latitude. The point where this parallel intersects the shore, was fixed by the astrono- mer at this time. The northern limit of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, upon the Delaware, is the 42d degree of latitude ; and this parallel continued westward, divides Pennsylvania from New York.
Rittenhouse was appointed by Pennsylvania, as commissioner to meet a commissioner from New. York, and determine the place where this parallel intersects the Delaware.
In this year, Sir William Draper, better known as an opponent of Junius, than as conqueror of Manilla, came to America, and travelled from Carolina northward, at New York marrying Miss Delancey. He played racket or fives, with great skill, but found his match in New York, in a tin-man, who was the hero of the Tennis court or five alley in the fields, a short distance from the celebrated publick house, Montagne's or Montanye's, where the Sons of Liberty met ; the same Tennis court, where Sir Henry Clinton threw off his coat and his dignity, some years later. The tin-man, no doubt, beat Sir William casily, and used to say, that he could have done it with a wheelbarrow tied to one hand. Sir William bore this beating better than that of Junius. The next year, the knight returned to England, carrying his bride. 1770 January 9th .- A bill for electing representatives in assembly by ballot was denied a second reading. For the bill twelve, (including Colonel Schuyler, Colonel Woodhull and George Clinton,) against it thirteen.
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11th .- A bill was introduced by Mr. Thomas to limit the gene- ral assembly of the colony to three years from every dissolution. Members of assembly at this time were chosen by frecholders only.
February 2d .-- In common council, " Mr. Mayor communicated to this board, that he lately received a letter directed to him in the words following : To the Worshipful Whitehead Hicks, Esq., Mayor of the City of New York ; Sir, --- A very great number of the inhabitants are determined to erect another liberty pole, as a memorial of the repeal of the Stamp Act ; they consider no place so proper for it as that on which the other pole stood ; but if con- trary to all expectation the corporation should not be disposed to give leave to have it raised there, we cannot conceive that they can have any objection to its being fixed opposite Mr. Van Dan Bergh's near St. Paul's church, a small distance from where the two roads meet, which we have reason to suppose will next to the other place be most acceptable. If the board should not think proper to grant liberty for its erection on neither of the above places, as in that case no monument of freedom will appear in the fields, (the most publick place) the people are resolved to procure it a place in the fields on private ground, and as the pole will be fin- ished in a few days, we are appointed a committee to wait on you to request that you will be pleased to quicken an answer from the corporation on this subject. We are, Worshipfull Sir, your hum- ble servants, Jacobus Van Zandt, Isaac Sears, Joseph Bull, Jo- seph Drake, Alexander Mc Dougal.
" Which letter being read, a debate thereupon arose, whether the request therein made should be granted, and the question being put thereon, it was carried in the negative in the manner following. For the negative-Mr. Recorder, (Thomas Jones) Messrs. Filkin, Desbrosses, Gautier, Duykman, Buyce, Jacob Brewerton, Hlug- git, and Van Wagoner. For the affirmative-Messrs. George Brewerton, Blagge, Lott, Abeel, Curtenius, and Van Varick. Ordered therefore that the above application be rejected, and the same is accordingly."
Mr. Van Varick moved that the doors of the common council be left open during sittings, which was adopted eleven to five. Elias Desbrosses, Andrew Gautier, John Duykman and Matthew Buyce voting in the negative.
15th .- Two large chairs ordered-one for the mayor and the other for the recorder. And rules ordered to be drawn up to be · observed when the doors are open.
May 9th .- The lieutenant-governour and council, and several members of the general assembly, [of course not the whole assem- bly, and probably a small minority] state that " they are desirous that the statue of his present majesty which is now daily expected from England, might, on its arrival, be erected in some part of the
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Bowling Green fronting the fort. The leave of the common coun- cil is requested. This was unanimously agreed to.
August 21st .- Being the birth-day of Prince Frederick, (the father of George III.,) " an elegant equestrian statue of his present majesty, George III. was erected in the Bowling Green, near Fort George. On this occasion, the members of his majesty's council, the city corporation, the corporation of the chamber of commerce, the corporation of the marine society, and most of the gentlemen of the city and army, waited on his honour, the lieu- tenant-governour, C. Colden, in the fort, at his request ; where his majesty's and other loyal healths were drank, under a discharge of thirty-two pieces of cannon from the Battery, accompanied with a band of musick. 'This beautiful statue is made of metal," [the writer did not on such an occasion like to say what metal repre- sented his royal majesty, the best of kings-it was lead,] " being the first equestrian one of his present majesty, and is the workman- ship of that celebrated statuary, Mr. Wilton, of London. We hear that in a few days a marble pedestrian statue of Mr. Pitt will be erected in Wall street." This statue of George III. stood till some time in 1776. I saw it in 1775. In 1776 it was thrown down, and tradition says, converted into bullets, to resist his gra- cious majesty's soldiers, when sent to enforce the doctrine of " thie sovereignty of British parliament over the colonies, in all cases whatsoever"-the doctrine of Mr. Pitt, Lord Chatham, which he died in an effort to enforce. The pedestal stood until long after the revolution. No fragment of the horse or rider were ever seen after its overthrow ; and so completely had the memory of this event, (the erecting the only equestrian statue ever set up in New York,) been lost, that I have never found a person who could tell me on what occasion itwas ordered, or when placed, in the Bowling Green. It was not until recently, that I met with the foregoing announcement in Holt's Gazette.
September 10th .- Governour's Island is still called Nutten Island. Announced, that on the 7th, a marble pedestrian statue of Lord Chatham was erected in Wall street. The statue is de- scribed as being in the Roman habit ; the right hand holds a scroll partly open, wherein we read Articuli Magnac Chartae Libertatum ; the left hand is extended-the figure being in the attitude of one delivering an oration. On the south side of the pedestal is the following inscription cut in the marble. " This statue of the Right Honourable William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, was erected as a pub- lick testimony to the grateful sense the colony of New York retains of the many eminent services be rendered to America, particularly in promoting the repeal of the Stamp Act, Anno Dom. 1770."
24th .- John M'Clean, who had been a drummer in the army of William III., died in Orange county, New York, 109 years old.
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30th .- The celebrated Whitfield died at Newburyport.
December 17th .- The common council resolved to close the doors of their chamber, during their sittings. The vote stood eight to five.
Edmund Burke was in this year appointed agent for the province , of New York.
1771 In Holt's New York Journal, or the General Advertiser, of January 3d, is to be found the following curious narrative, of what we must presume, to have been spontaneous combustion : " On Monday evening, the last day of the year, the following dreadful and surprising accident happened at a house in Division street, in this city. One Hannah Bradshaw, (who on account of her large size, robust appearance, and bold behaviour was com- monly known by the name of Man-of-war Nunce,) said to be about 30 years of age, has lived a dozen years or more in this city, was a healthy, hearty looking woman, remarkably industrious and neat in her person and manner of living, but bore a bad character with respect to chastity and sobriety-living in an upper room, which had no connection with the rooms below, occupied by a family. On the evening of the 31st December, she desired a young woman who worked for her, and was going home, to come again early the next morning ; and about 7 o'clock the same evening, another acquaintance of her's parted from her, at which time she seemed to have drank a little too freely. No person lived with her, and she was generally alone in her room, close shut. She was neither heard nor seen again till next day, when the young woman came to work, who, after knocking and calling, and having waited till - past 11 o'clock, with the assistance of the man who lived below, she got through a back window, and opened the door ; when, looking within a screen which went quite across the room, and was fitted to reach the ceiling, she beheld the remains of the unhappy Hannah Bradshaw the most shocking spectacle imaginable. The body, or rather the bones were lying near the middle of the floor, wherein a hole of about four feet diameter was burnt quite away, and the bones lying on the ground, which was about a foot beneath that part of the floor. The flesh was entirely burnt off the bones of the whole body and limbs, except a small part on the skull, a little on one of the shoulders, the lower part of the right leg and foot, which was burnt off at the small, almost as even as if cut off, and left lying on the floor, the stocking burnt as far as the leg and no farther. The bones, some of which were black, and others white, like a pipe-stem, were so thoroughly burnt that they might be crumbled to dust between the fingers ; the bowels remained un- consumed. One of the sleepers, which lay under the shoulders, was burnt almost through ; part of the head lay on the planks, at the edge of the hole, and near it a candle-stick, with part of a candle
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in it, thrown down, but did not appear to have touched any part of the body, or to have set any thing on fire ; the tallow was melted off the wick, which remained unscorched by the fire, as also the screen, which almost touched the hole. The leg of a rush-bot- tomed chair, and about half the bottom were burnt, so far as they were within the compass of the hole on the floor, and no further. The ceiling of the room, which was white-washed plaster, was as black as if covered with lamp-black, as also part of the walls and windows, and the heat had been so great as to extract the turpen- tine from the boards of the wainscot. After all these operations, the fire went entirely out, so that when the body was found, not a spark remained. It is extremely surprising that with such an in- tense degree of heat as was necessary so entirely to consume the floor, etc., with the body, and to calcine the bones, the fire should have stopped of itself, without burning the house or even scorch- ing the screen ; which is hardly conceivable if the fire had blazed, and if it did not, it is equally inconceivable that the heat should have been so intense. As there was a chimney in the room, and a cellar under part of the floor, with which the fire opened a com- munication, it could not have stopped for want of air. It is said, the person who was left in company with the woman, at parting, told her he should see her no more till another year-little think- ing, as it was so near, that she would not live to see it-that she was then on the brink of eternity ; and that before morning light her soul would be required of her."
Some apparent discrepancies may be noticed ; such as the wo- man's apartment being called an upper room, and yet some of the bones having been found on the ground in the hole ; but I account for this by the supposition that another tenant of the small wooden house lived in a cellar, under a part of this upper room ; an upper room only from its being above ground.
In Gaine's Mercury, of January 7th, 1771, the same account is published. If there had been any thing wrong in the statement, four days would have brought it to light.
February 25th .- Mr. Justice Livingston, who had three times been refused a seat in the assembly, was again elected for the ma- nor of Livingston.
May 3d .- The common council resolve, " whereas, the general assembly of this province, hath lately been at the great expense of sending for an equestrian statue of his present majesty, and crected the same, on the green before his majesty's fort in this city, and this board conceiving, that unless the said green be fenced in, the same will very soon become the receptacle of all the filth, and dirt of the neighbourhood, in order therefore, to prevent which, this board has unanimously agreed, to fence in the saine with iron rails and a stone foundation, according to the plan now exhibited to this
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board, and have contracted with Richard Sharpe, Peter T. Cur- tinius, Gilbert Forbes, and Andrew Lydall, for compleating the same, for the consideration of ES00."
July 9th .- An address ordered, and the freedom of the city, to William Tryon, Esq., captain-general, governour, etc., etc. The gold box to cost 20 pistoles. And, that the City Hall, New Jail, Work-house, and Ferry-house, at Nassau Island, be illuminated, " as a compliment to his excellency, Governour Tryon."
The British ministry at this period, appear to have been per- plexed, both by European and American affairs. Many were the writers, both in England and in the colonies, who employed their pens and the press, on the subjects in controversy between Great Britain and America. The Dean of Gloucester, Dr. Tucker, boldly advocated an immediate separation of the contending parties. He contended, that the situation of the British colonies, was now such, that it was for the advantage of England to release all claims upon them, and establish them as independent states. It is need- less to say, that (like others, who are in advance of the time in which they live,) he was considered by his countrymen as wild and visionary. Yet, a few years convinced them, that he was a wise man, and a seer. Of a very different character were other Eng- lish writers, Adam Smith, Samuel Johnson, and George Chalmers, who were distinguished among the many champions of the right of Britain, to rule her colonies with the rod. On the other hand, Price and Priestly, stood forth in defence of the rights of their fel- low subjects beyond the Atlantick. Among ourselves, Otis, Dick- enson, and Franklin, were at this time most conspicuous as au- thors in support of American self-government. Of these, Otis was snatched from the ranks of patriot combatants in this year, by an aberation of reason, perhaps, occasioned by his intense devoted- ness to the cause of his country. Nor must we forget the efforts of Witherspoon, who pleaded the cause of the country he had chosen, both in his sermons, and by addressing the Scotch resi- dents in America, his native countrymen and fellow subjects.
The population of the city of New York at this period, is said to be 21,163 ; Long Island, 27,731 ; of the whole province 163,335. The flying machine used to go once a week, to and fro, between New York and Philadelphia.
1772 January 12th .- The assembly voted Governour Tryon a salary of £2,000. He informed them, that the king's instructions forbade him from receiving any present or gift from the assembly .*
* Lord Dunmore, his immediate predecessor, had refused a similar offer .-- See Vol. 1, p. 449.
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16th .- The assembly resolved, that a person must have been a resident for six months previous to election in the place he is elected to represent.
1773 February 2d .- The governour recommends an increase of the salaries of the judges of the supreme court, the pre- sent annual allowance being wholly inadequate.
March Sth .- The assembly entered at large on their journals,
! a state of the right of the colony of New York, with respect to its eastern boundary on Connecticut river, so far as New Hampshire was concerned. They contended for the priority of possession by the Dutch. They (the Dutch) had in 1612, a town and fort, (near New York) and in 1614, a town and fort, (near Albany.) Previ- ous to 1614, the tSates-General, granted a patent to some of their subjects, with the privilege of an exclusive trade in this country, which they called New Netherland. In 1623, the Dutch erected Fort Nassau, on the east side of Delaware bay, and Fort, Good Hope, on Connecticut river, thirty-five miles above the mouth, (Hartford.) The Dutch enjoyed the exclusive trade, and posses- sion of the whole of Connecticut river, long before the English had approached it : and they had purchased almost all the lands on both sides of it, from the natives. It is clear, they claimed all the country to the west of Connecticut river, and as far north, as the river St. Lawrence. [They refer to Ogleby's America, pub- lished in 1671, with his map ; and to Blave's America, published at Amsterdam in 1662, Vol. II., and his map : and to Johannes Van Kulen's Atlas. ]
The Dutch governour, Stuyvesant, in his letter of the 2d Sep- tember, 1664, in answer to a letter from Governour Nicolls, denies the king's title, and insists on the right of the States-General, founded on first discovery, purchase from the native proprietors, and long, and uninterrupted possession. He was obliged to sur- render all the country on the 27th August, 1664, with a stipula- tion that his people should enjoy their land, wherever they were in the country. The States-General ceded the country to Great Britain by the treaty of Breda, 1667, and again by the treaty of London, 1674. The Duke of York's title to the tract of country so conquered, was by patent, 12th March, 1664, confirmed 29th June, 1674. It included Manhattan and Long Island and Hudson's river, "and all the land from the west side of Connecticut river, to the east side of Delaware bay," The Duke of York's commission to Governour Andros, July 1st, 1664, and to Colonel Thomas Dongan, September 30th, 1653, expressly comprehended all the land as aforesaid. The Duke of York's. right as proprietor, was merged in the royal authority when he became king, and on his abdication, it passed to King William as lord proprietor. All the royal commissions to the
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governours, were to the province of New York, and the territories depending thereon. The province has been diminished by the erection of New Jersey-by the agreement of the boundary line with Connecticut, in 16$3, and by the limits of Quebec in 1763.
As to the Connecticut claim --- The New England colonies were founded on the grant of King James I., November 3d, 1620, to the council of Plymouth, of property and jurisdiction in America from 40 to 4S degrees, north latitude. This patent was not in- tended to interfere with the Dutch, for it states, that the king is given to understand, that there are no other subjects of any Chris- tian state, or by any authority from their sovereigns, actually in possession of any of the said lands, and that the premises intended " were not then actually possessed or inhabited, by any other Chris- tian power or state." 'This patent was founded on false sugges- tions, and the saving clause excluded the Dutch.
The council of Plymouth by deed, 19th of March, in the third year of Charles Il., granted Massachusetts to Sir Henry Roswell and others ; and in 1628, March 4th, they obtained a royal char- ter, with ample powers of government. The grants were east and west from sea to sea. But still founded on the patent of 1620, and valid only, so far as that was ; and there was in that, an express declaration, that if the lands were at the time possessed by any Christian power or state, the grant as to such part, should be utterly void. The Massachusetts charter was vacated, and recalled, and the title of Massachusetts rested on the new charter of 1601.
The colonies of Hartford and New Haven, settled at first with- out any legal authority. They assumed jurisdiction as voluntary associations. The Dutch at first considered the people of Hart- ford as their tenants, by the Dutch resolution, entered on their re- cords at the fort in Amsterdam, at New Netherland, July 9th, 1642. The English never acceded to the idea. In 1643, the four colo- nies, (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Hartford, and New Haven,) federated against the Dutch and Indians. Governour Stuyve- sant, in 1660, considered his situation most critical, from the de- mands, encroachments, and usurpations, of his eastern neighbours : --- But he says, " the right of both rivers by the purchase and pos- session, is our own without dispute."
The Connecticut patent of 1663, was not intended to interfere with the Dutch colony. For in this year, afterward, the king ex- pressly granted all the country to the westward of Connecticut river, to the Duke of York. Governonr Nicolls, when he took possession for the Duke of York, found the colony of Connecticut already in possession of Greenwich and Stanford, and he recom- mended to the Duke, to release his rights, and in 1653, a line twenty miles east of Hudson's river was agreed on. The
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agreement was confirmed by the king, 20th March, 1700. This was a settlement by compromise. The Duke claimed to Connecti- cut river : Connecticut, to the South Sea.
Massachusetts .--- Their old charter was adjudged void in 1684, in chancery. They submitted and accepted a new charter, 1691. That strictly could not go further than Connecticut, then legally did. Massachusetts has unjustly wrested from New York, the coun- try west of Connecticut river, to within twenty miles of New York. Now in 16S5, the patent of the manor of Rensselaerwick extended from Hudson river, on the east and west sides twenty-four miles. Hosick was granted in 16SS, and extends above thirty miles from the river. These grants could not be affected by the Massa- chusetts charter of 1691; and are evidences that it was not in- tended to affect the Duke of York's patent. The colony of New York has a title to the country to Connecticut river, and north to the Canada line, by the submission and subjection of the Five Na- tions, by treaty, as early as 1633, with the governours for New York. The country on Lake Champlain, belonged originally to the Five Nations ; and this fact is proved by all the ancient maps. The lake was called, Lake Iroquois, and that was the name of the Five Nations. In 1696, a colony grant was made to Godfrey Dellius for a tract of land from the north bounds of Saratoga, to the Rock Rouen, which is a station indisputable, and lies on Lake Cham- plain, north of Crown Point. This tract extends twelve miles east of Wood Creek. The grant was repealed by statute in 1699, as being extravagant. The faithless encroachments of the French- their fortifying Crown Point and Ticonderoga-their depredations and the savage and merciless devastation of the northern frontiers, have prevented the settlement of this northern country.
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