USA > New York > History of the state of New York. Vol. II, Pt. 2 > Part 14
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vessel can goe in nor out but she must come soe near the Point that from on board one might toss a biscuit Cake on
* Council Min., v., 65, 159, 170, 171; N. Y. Assembly Journ., ii., 528-535; Col. Doc .. Hi , 302, 356, 400; iv .. G30 ; Col. MISS., xxxii., $); xxxiii., 4; N. J. 11. S. Proc., viii., 162, 16 ; ante, 359, 392. 410, 412.
HOTEL
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461
THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
Shore. If the Proprietors would rightly consider it, they CHAP. IX. would find it their own Interest that that place should bee annexed to this Government for they are at a greater 1687. New Jersey charge for maintaining the present Government than the should be reannexed whole Profits of the Province (which is by quit Rents) to New York. will amount unto; for they are at the whole Charge, the Country allowing nothing towards its support soc that had they not the charge of the Government they might put that Money into their own pockets. And indeed to make Am- boy a port, will be no less inconvenient for the reasons afore mentioned, neighboring Colonys being not come to that . perfection but that one Port may sufficiently serve us all. We in this Government look upon that Bay that runs into the Sea at Sandy Hook to bee Hudson's River ; therefore The mouth there being a clause in my Instructions directing mee that son River I cause all vessels that come into Hudson's River to enter Hook.
of the Hud-
at Sandy at New York, I desire to know whether his Majesty in- tends thereby those Vessels that come within Sandy-Hook, the people of East Jersey pretending a right to the River soe farr as their Province extends which is eighteen miles up the River to the Northward of this Place. West Jer- sey remaining as it does will be noe less inconvenient to this Government for the same reasons as East Jersey, they both Inconven- making but one neck of Land and that soe near situate to port in ience of a us, that its more for their convenience to have commerce sey. New Jer- here than any where else, and under those circumstances that if there were a Warr, either with Christians or Indians they would not be able to defend themselves without the assistance of this Government. To bee short, there is an absolute necessity those Provinces and that of Connecticut be annexed."*
Collector Santen had meanwhile been admonished to be- 1686. have better, but still continued to talk "scandalously and Septem. incivilly." Charges were then filed against him, and proofs Santen made out. On his side, Santen prepared counter charges Novem. against Dongan. At length the governor and council sus- 1687. pended the collector, and ordered his arrest by the sheriff. suspended. 13 Jan'y. Thinking him "fitter for a retired life than to be the Arrested and sent to King's Collector," Dongan ordered him to be sent a prison- England.
* Col. Doc , ili., 303. 302, 498, 416, 403; Doc. Ilist., i., 95-115; Leaming and Spicer, 255- 25; Whitehead's E. J., 102-118; Chalmers, i., 621, 022; ante, 333, 369, 433, 452, 455.
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AMORY
£
462
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
1657. 2? Jan'y. :3 Febr'y. Van Cort- landt and Graham joint col- lectors.
Casr. IX. er to England, in the ship which conveyed Secretary Sprayy and Major Baxter with important dispatches to the house government. During Santen's suspension, Counselor Van Cortlandt and Attorney General Graham were appointed to manage the king's revenue. As Younge lived one hun- dred and fifty miles away from Fort James, at the east end of Long Island, was now very old, and had no estate of his own, and as the absence of Spragg and Baxter in England would leave the council without a sufficient qu .- rum, the governor swore Judge John Palmer and Mayor Nicholas Bayard to serve as counselors until the royal pleasure should be made known ; and he also nominated six others "of the fittest" in the province to supply vacancies. Dongan also asked the king to allow him to name a col- lector who lived in New York, as those who came from En- gland expected " to run suddenly into a great estate, which . this small place cannot afford them.""
28 Febr'y. Palmerand Bayard
counselors.
2 March.
Dongan's By Spragg and Baxter the governor sent to the Planta- New York tion Committee his replies to their official " Heads of In- report on sent by Spragg and quiry," with a map of New York and the adjoining govern- Baxter. ments, showing " the extent and inequality of them, and of Canada alsoc;" which was accomplished " with much labor and charge." Dongan's report, although encumbered by details very interesting to himself, but of little present in- portance, is one of the most careful, as well as most honest pictures of his provincial government which an American subordinate ever sent home to his English sovereign.
Militia.
Fort James.
The several courts and the laws of New York in force were described. There were about four thousand foot and three hundred horse, besides one company of dragoons. Fort James had been repaired, covering two acres, and " though this fortification be inconsiderable, I could wish." said Dongan, "that the king had several of them in these parts-In this Country there is a Woman yet alive from whose Loyns there are upwards of three hundred and sixty persons now living. The men that are here have generally lusty strong bodies. At Albany there is a Fort made of
Prolific woman.
* Council Min., v., 173, 174. 150, 191, 186-180, 192-194; Col. MSS., xxxiii., 283 ; xxxV .. 10-15, 18-24, 32, 33, 27, 74; Col. Dec., ill., 401-414, 416, 417, 420-424, 403-500; iv., 41 -: Doc. Hist., i., 104-118 ; ante, 426, 458. Dongan's nominees for counselors were Judge Mat- thias Nicolle, Attorney General Graham, William Smith, Gabriel Minvielle, Francis Kots- bouts, and Nicholas de Meyer: Col. Doc., ili, 417.
:
463
THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
Pine Trees fifteen foot high and foot over with Batterys Cur. IX. and conveniences made for men to walk about, where are 1687.
nine guns, small arms for forty men four Barils of Powder Fort Al-
with great and small shott in proportion. The Timber bany. and Boards being rotten were renewed this year. In my opinion it were better that Fort were built up of Stone and Lime which will not be double the charge of this years repair which yet will not last above six or seven years be- fore it will require the like again whereas on the contrary were it built of Lime and Stone it may be far more easily maintained. And truly its very necessary to have a Fort there, it being a frontier place both of the Indians and French. At Pemaquid there is another Fort built after Pemaquid. the same manner, as I am informed ; A particular descrip- tion whereof I am not capable of giving having never been there, however its a great charge to this Government with- out being anything of advantage to it, having officers there with twenty men always in pay. And which makes it yet more chargeable I am forced to send from time to time provisions and Stores thither altho' its near four hundred miles from this place. If his Majesty were pleased that I might draw off the men and arms from that place with the Guns being of light carriage and that I might have leave to put them further into the Country, I would place them where I will give your Lordships an account hereafter. And then if his Majesty were further pleased to annex that Dongan place to Boston, being very convenient for them in regard annexation advises the of its vicinity affording great Store of Fishery and Islands quid to of Pema- fit for that purpose lying all along to the eastward of them sette, and Massachu- --- And in lieu of that to add to this Government Connecti- ticut to of Connec- cut and Rhode Island, Connecticut being so conveniently New York. situate in its adjacing to us and soe inconvenient for the people of Boston by reason of its being upwards of two hundred miles distance from thence. Besides, Connecti- cut, as it now is, takes away from us almost all the land of Value that lyes adjoyning to Hudson's River, and the best part of the River itself. Besides, as wee find by experience if that place bee not annexed to that Government it will bee impossible to make any thing considerable of his Majesty's Customs and Revenue in Long Island; they carry away without entering all our Oyles which is the greatest part of
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DROd BAMOUT
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£
464
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
CHAP. IX. what wee have to make returns from this place : And from
1687. Albany and that way up the river our Beaver and Peltry.
Scotch, and Irish im- migrants:
This Government too has an undoubted right to it by Char- Right of New York to Connec- ticut. ter which his late Majesty of blessed Memory granted to our present King. And indeed if the form of the Govern- ment bee altered, their people will rather choose to come under this than that Government of Boston, as your Lord- ships will perceive by their present Governor's letters di- rected to mee." * * * "I believe for these seven years last past, there has not come over into this Province twenty Eu- English, glish, Scotch or Irish families. But on the contrary, on Long Island the people increase soe fast that they com- plain for want of land, and many remove from thence into French. the neighbouring province. But of French, there have, since my coming here, several families come both from St. Christophers and England, and a great many more are ex- pected; as alsoe from Holland are come several Dutch fam- ilies, which is another great argument of the necessity of adding to this government the neighbouring English Colo- nies, that a more equal ballance may be kept here between his Majesty's naturall born subjects and Foreigners, which latter are the most prevailing part of this government." Petition of The governor at the same time forwarded a petition of French Protest- " the new-come naturalized French" Protestants, thanking aut -.
Dutch.
the king for the privileges he had granted them, and ask- ing that they and those who followed them might be allowed to trade with all the British American colonies. In reply to the inquiry about religious persuasions in New York, Dongan reported : "Every town ought to have a minister. New York has, first, a Chaplain belonging to the Religious persua- sions. Fort, of the Church of England; secondly, a Dutch Cal- vinist ; thirdly, a French Calvinist ; fourthly, a Dutch Lu- theran. Here bee not many of the Church of England ; few Roman Catholicks; abundance of Quakers preachers men and Women especially ; Singing Quakers; Ranting Quakers ; Sabbatarians ; Anti Sabbatarians ; some Ana- baptists; some Independents ; some Jews: in short, of all sorts of opinions there are some, and the most part of none The Dutch at all. The Great Church which serves both the English Church in New York, and the Dutch, is within the Fort, which is found to bee very inconvenient. Therefore, I desire that there may bee
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465
THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
an order for their building another; ground being already Cuar. IX. layd out for that purpose, and they not wanting inoney in store wherewithall to build it. The most prevailing opin- 1687. ion is that of the Dutch Calvinists. It is the endeavor of all persons here to bring up their children and servants in that opinion which themselves profess; but this I observe, that they take no care of the conversion of their slaves. Every town and county are obliged to maintain their own No beggars poor, which makes them bee soe' careful that noe vaga- nor idlers. bonds, beggars, nor idle persons are suffered to live here. But as for the King's natural-born subjects that live on Long Island and other parts of Government, I find it a hard task to make them pay their ministers."*
The Corporation of the metropolis, wishing a confirma- 13 Jan'y. tion of their charter from Dongan under his royal commis- sion, authorized Mayor Bayard and Recorder Graham "to procure the same." They also addressed the king, defend- Address of the Corpo- ing their charter, which no one was displeased with except ration of New York Collector Santen, " the author of those clamors;" and urged to the king. " the absolute necessity there is that those adjacent parts of Connecticut, East and West Jersey, Pennsylvania, or at least soe far of Pennsylvania as extends from the Falls of Susquehannah should bee united to this your Majesty's Prov- ince; the effect whereof will not only secure your Majesty's Government, but will likewise make it formidable against all that may become your Majesty's enemies, ease your Majesty of the charge, and alsoe bring in considerable profit unto your Majesty's coffers."t
Among the domestic incidents was the case of Francis Stepney, a dancing-master, who, having been forced to leave Boston, and having no visible estate, was ordered not : Jan'y. Case of to teach dancing in New York, and to give security that he stepney, a dancing-
would not become a public charge, or else to quit the prov- master. ince. But, upon Stepney's petition, he was allowed an ap- & Jan'y. peal to the king in person .;
* Col. Doc , ilf., SS0-417, 419, 420 ; ix., 300, 512 ; Doc. ITist., i., 95-118 ; Val. Man., 1530, 450-456; Col. Rec. Conn., ill., 292-264. ante, 316, 331. 435, 445-447. The Rev. Alexander Innis succeeded Josias Clarke as chaplain to the garrison in October, 1656 ; Domine Hen- ricus Selyns was the Dutch minister in New York, Daille was pastor of the French Calvin- ists, and Arensins of the German Lutherans : Col. Doc., iii., 4:5, 651, 740; Doc. Hist., ii., 247; fii., 259, 707 ; Secret Ser., Ch. II. and Jac. II., 130 ; ante, 174, 273, 329, 380, 407. 457. + Min. of C. C., i., 308; Val. Man., 1944-5,, 318; C.L. Doc., iii., 412, 424, 425 ; ante, 426, 43S.
# Council Min., v., 191; Col. MSS., xxxV., 3, 7, S. II .- GG
466
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
CHAP. IX.
1687. 4 April. New York postmas- ter.
As the colonial post-office, established by Dongan in 1685, had been modified by the appointment of Randolph to be deputy postmaster of New England under Lord Treasurer Rochester, the governor appointed William Bogardus to be postmaster for the province of New York .*
In place of Graham, who was now joint collector with Van Cortlandt, Dongan appointed William Nicolls, a son of Judge Matthias Nicolls, and a regularly educated law- yer, to be attorney general of the province.t
11 April. William Nicolls attorney general of
. New York.
June. A New York ship pillaged by an Irish pirate.
Notwithstanding all the laws passed against pirates by order of James, the American waters were infested by freebooters. The pink Good Hope, or Hopewell, Captain George Heathcote, on her way from New York to En- gland, was stopped between Long Island and Nantucket by a pirate from Youghal, in Ireland, who pillaged money from the master and men, and a sail, provisions, and a boat from the pink. By their speech, the pirates seemed to be "North countrymen."
The Iro- quois the of New York against Canada.
In his report, Dongan described the Iroquois as the " bul- "bulwark" wark" of New York against Canada. The metaphor was admirable. The Five Nations were the " most warlike" savages in North America; and Dongan, following the ex- ample of Andros, suffered "no Christians to converse with them any where, but at Albany," and then only with his li- cense. His policy was "to keep them peaceable and an- nexed to this Government," so that upon any occasion he could have three or four thousand of their warriors at a call to aid New York. Dongan accordingly recommended that the boundary with Pennsylvania be run westward from latitude 41° 40' on the Delaware River; that forts be built Dongan'a advice to the king. on that line, and also at Niagara; and that, to counteract the French Jesuits, the English priests, whom he had prom- ised the savages, should be sent over as soon as possible. Above all, it was "very necessary for us to encourage our young men to go a beaver-hunting as the French do." But, while the king's governor of " the centre of all his Domin-
' Council Min., v., 106; Col. MSS .. xxxv., 52; Col. Doc., ilf., 349, 250, 256; ante, 413, 434. t Licenses, Warr., etc., v. ; Col. MSS., xxxiv. (il.), 59; Col. Doc., ill., 412, 424, 429, 209 ; Wood, 144; Thompson, ii., 391; ante, 312, 402.
Ellia Corr., i., 830 ; Col. Doc., iii., 299, 374, SST, 490, 496; C. Wolley, 01, 97; ante, 256, 2ST, 450.
THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
ions in America" was giving this good advice, James the CHAP. IX. Second was meditating other arrangements .* 1686.
Colonel Sir Edmund Andros, governor general of the 19 Decem. king's "Territory and Dominion of New England," had Andros at Boston.
the govern-
meanwhile reached Boston in the frigate Kingfisher, ac- companied by Francis Nicholson, his lieutenant governor, and the Irish soldiers who were to maintain his authority. The next day Andros landed; and, after being received 20 Decem. with "suitable demonstrations," quietly assumed the power assumes Andros which Dudley and his associates had temporarily adminis- tered. It is remarkable that this event happened about gland. New En- the very day on which "the Pilgrimns" from Leyden and England landed on Plymouth beach, sixty-six years before. But the anniversary, now so ostentatiously celebrated, was then passed by in Massachusetts without observance. A council was held a few days afterward at Boston, which 30 Decem. was attended by members from Plymouth and Rhode Isl- and. The Records of Massachusetts, obtained with diffi- culty from Rawson, were intrusted to Secretary Randolph, 1687. 25 Jan'y. in whose place Dudley was appointed licenser of the press, Dudley li. censer of " according to previous colonial custom." Among the first the pre-r. of his acts, Andros was obliged to reprove Hinckley, the 5 March. late governor of Plymouth, for his intolerance in distrain- ing the property of Quakers to pay compulsory rates for the support of other sectarian ministers. The governor soon afterward organized the Royal New England judi- ciary, by appointing Dudley chief justice, and William 5 April. Stoughton and Peter Bulkley associate judges of the Supe- New Eu-
Judges of rior Court; while George Farewell, a lawyer who had just gland. come from New York with West, was made attorney gen- eral of the dominion.t
The assumption by Andros of the government of New
* Col. Doc., iii., 391-396, 402, 415, 416, 418, 423 ; Doc. ITist., i., 96-101; Val. Man., 1353, 458-464; ante, 806, 307, 309, 395, 429, 4 10, 442, 447, 452.
t Chalmers, L, 421, 422 ; Col. Rec. Conn., ili., 370 ; R. I. Rec., iii., 218-224, 257 ; Douglas, i., 413, 473; Mass. II. S. Coll., xxvii., 159, 156, 162, 166, 171 ; xxxv., 149, 190; Hutch. Mass., i., 353, 354, 355, 351. 353 ; Cell., 555, 557 ; Arnold, i., 409-502 ; Barry, i., 486-4SS; Palfrey, iii., 486, 511, 515, 517-522, 526; Force's Tract-, iv., No. 2, p. 16; Palmer's Impartial Account, 22; Adlard's Sutton Dudleys, 77; Val. Man., 1-62, 741; Col. Doc., ill., 657, 663; Col. MSS .. xxxiii., 308, 342; ante, i., 133; ii., 445, 446, 451. The Records of the Royal Government of New England, which Hutchinson, i., 354, states were ". secreted or destroyed," are preserved, in the hand-writing of Secretary Randolph, or his clerk, in the British State Paper Office. and the Library of the Worcester Antiquarian Soci ty : Chalmers, i., 463: Palfrey, iii., 497, 493, 518; Mazs. H. S. Coll., xxix., 1ST. The private papers of Andros were probably " buirt, or otherwise made away with," in 1680: Hutch. Coll., 515 ; post, 553.
IHISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
war. Ix. England concerned New York both directly and incident- 1657. ally. He had been her governor, and many of her people esteemed him as their friend or patron. Among these was John West, the clerk of the New York Common Council. who resigned that office and went to Boston, where, through 3 May. We-t goes ( Beton and be- the influence of Andros, he hired from Randolph his place of secretary of New England. As soon as Dongan received the king's orders of 19 September, 1686, he surrendered Pemaquid to Andros, who sent thither Ensign Joshua Pi- pon, with some of the newly-come soldiers, to receive pos- Pemaquid, session and garrison Fort Charles. The transfer from New York of its distant county of "Cornwall" to the govern- ment of New England was cheerfully made by Dongan, who had recommended it as expedient. But James the Sec- ond did not see fit to annex Connecticut to his own old province, as the desired equivalent .*
. cones ecc- retary. 24 Feb'y. March. Dongan surrenders or " Corn- wall," to Andros.
22 Decem.
28 Decem.
26 Jan'y. Artful let- ter of C'on- nectient to Lord Sun- derland.
1686. As soon as he could, Andros notified Governor Treat, of Connecticut, that the king had authorized him to receive the surrender of the charter of that colony, if tendered, and to take charge of its government, as a part of New En- gland. A few days afterward Randolph served another writ of Quo Warranto upon Treat, suggesting that the pev- ple of Connecticut had "no way to make themselves hap- py" but by an early application to Andros. In this crisis 1687. a General Court was convened at Hartford, which left the business of the charter in the hands of Treat and his. coun- cil. An evasive answer was returned by them to Andros. But a very artful letter was sent to Lord Sunderland, stat- ing that they were unable to make a " suitable return" to the Quo Warranto, and adding: "We are his Majesty's loyal subjects, and we are hcartily desirous that we may continue in the same station that we are in, if it may con- sist with his princely wisdom to continue us so. But if his Majesty's royal purposes be otherwise to dispose of us, we shall, as in duty bound, submit to his royal commands; and if it be to conjoin us with the other Colonies and Provinces under Sir Edmund Andros, his Majesty's present Govern-
* Maine II. S. Coll., v., 110, 130, 131, 264, 265, 266; Williamson, i., 352-586; R. I. Rec., ili .. 223, 224; N. Y. Deels, viii., 75; Col. Doc., ill., 291, 417, 513, 515, 657 ; ix., 919; Col. MES , xxxV., 6 ; ITatch. Masa., i., 358, 339 ; Coll .. 535, 557; MAse. II. S. Coll. xxvii., 175, 150. xxxV., 156, 176; Palfrey, ill., 525, 501; ante, 319. 415, 452, 463. On the 25th of July, 165 ;. Sheriff John Knight (ante, 425) was appointed clerk of the New York Common Council in place of West, resigned : Min. of C. C., 1., 313.
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469
THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
or, it will be more pleasing than to be joined with any oth- CuAr. IX. er province."*
1687.
4
A curious intercolonial intrigue now followed. Andros, who had just come from London, and was fully acquainted with the king's policy about New England, did all he could to induce Treat and the other chief men of Connecticut to submit with a good grace to his government. But Dongan was not equally well aware of the intentions of James in regard to that colony; at all events, he was not informed by Andros, who regarded his royal fellow-servant and suc- cessor in the government of New York with personal jeal- Andtros ousy, and always acted toward him with extreme official re- Dongan. serve. Both governors coveted Connecticut. Andros, who, as the Duke of York's deputy, had thought it a part of New York, was now anxious that it should be a part of New En- gland ; while Dongan sturdily maintained that what would have been advantageous to James as duke, would be more advantageous to James as king. Accordingly, Dongan, with less light than Andros, sent Palmer and Graham as 13 April. commissioners to induce the people of Connecticut to sub- sends Dongan Palmer
jealous of
mit to the government of New York, and to insure them of and Gra- ham to
the enjoyment of their estates, offices, and other advan- Connecti- tages. Dongan also wrote earnestly to Treat in the same 21 April. strain. But the New York effort did not succeed. Palmer and Graham, although commissioned by Dongan to repre- sent his views, appear to have sympathized with the present designs of their earlier patron, Andros. They wrote to him 5 May. from New Haven that they found the leading men in Con- York The New necticut " all united in one mind that it was their only in- write to agents terest to be joined to York, and they did expect that his Andros. Majesty would accordingly dispose of them that way; but they were so foolishly fond of their charter that they unan- imously agreed to be passive and not active in the case ; that is, they would never surrender, but if it were his Maj- esty's pleasure to take their charter from them, they would subinit thereto." And then the New York agents told the governor of New England that Treat and most of his coun- cil were on his side, but that the king would be obliged to
* Col. Rec. Conn., Ill., 292-926, 375-379; Mass. IT. S. Coll., xviii., 192, 237, 236 ; xxvii., 103, 105, 106 ; xxxv., 147; Hutch. Mase., i., 839; Chalmers's Ann., i., 279, 228, 300, COT; Palfrey, iii., 557, 538; ante, 452.
470
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
1657. Duplicity of Palmer and Gra- ham.
4
12 May.
12 May. Treat's reply to Dongan.
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