Letter from Ferdinand John Paris to Robert Hunter Morris, in answer to his of September 11.

[From the original draft among papers of F. J. Paris in Library of N. J. Historical Society, Bundle H., No. 64.]

To the Honble Robt Hunter Morris Esq at Spa

Sir

Surry Street London 24. Sept. 1753

I have your favor of the 11th Instant, and as the Answering every part of it, in a minute manner, might give ye'self & me a good deal of trouble, I shall deferr that, until I have the pleasure of seeing you. Had you been pleased to see the Report of the Lords of Trade (w'ch you acquainted me that you declined, altho' it was offered to be shewn to you) & furnished me, after that, with any directions, I sho have followed them with great Care, as I usually do: But as you had not seen it & I found it to contain such very extraordinary matters, I believe, any faithful Agent, could have found himself, under as much difficulty & Anxiety, as I was at that Crisis of time, & would have wrote, as I did, to every place, where he imagined his L'res might have got to you. I am afrayd the proof of One very essential part is not in my hands, but rests with you; I mean, the enormous quantity of Lands, granted out by the New York Patents, & that is a Fact w'ch has great stress layd upon it & sh have, if Supported in Evedence.

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I am glad the pet" is so well approved of, but in case I had begun such an Opposition, & embarqued in a large expense therein, of my own head, without pe'ticular ord's, & that that measure had not been approved of, or had not been afterwds attended with Success, what a Case shod I have been then in ? I have got back the Drt of ye Pet" from Mr Hume, much approved, & but very little altered, chiefly, in that pt (as I expected) where his own Non attendance

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was mend Mr Barclay *

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is to give the security,

this day the Pet" is to be lodged tomorrow, & on Wednesday, I expect there will be a general Councill, at which it may be referred down to yo Comm"

tee

To hope for a Continu" of ye Act, at present, Or for a direct Reversal of the Report, would be very vain, wherefore I Imagine our endeavor must be, to get the Report, referred back again, to the Board of Trade, for Reconsideration. In such Case, it will be easy to shew them, that they have greatly mistaken ye Fact in working up this Report which is the first, of its kind, that I ever seen

I remain Sir

Your most obed' h'ble Servt

FERDINAND JOHN PARIS

Petition of the House of Representatives of New Jersey to the King-asking that the Governor may be permitted to give his assent to a Bill making current £60,000 in Bills of Credit.

[From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. 7, H. 29.]

To His Most sacred Majesty George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith

The Petition of the House of Representatives of the Colony of New Jersey in General Assembly met

Most humbly Sheweth

That the frequent remittances to Great Britain of the foreign Specie drains this Colony thereof And renders a Currency of Our own absolutely necessary which induced the Legislature here in the Years 1730

and 1733 to pass two Acts of General Assembly for emitting on Loan £60,000 in Bills of Credit; to both which Acts Your Majesty was graciously pleased to give Your Royal Assent on the 4th of May 1733 and the 4th of May 1735 and the Bills emitted on the Act of 1730 have long since been sunk according to the Tenor of that Act And the Currency of those Emitted on the Act of 1733 expired between Man & Man the Twenty fifth of March last O. S. however by the Tenor of s Act those of them yet outstanding are to be received for Six Months after by the Commiss" of the loan Office & the Treasurers of the respective Divisions of this Colony in which time there is no Reason to doubt but that the small part remaining will be fully paid in according to the Directions of the said Act & then an end will be put to a Currency which hath constantly maintained its Credit & been of great Service to the Publick.

That in Obedience to Your Royal Pleasure signified by the Duke of Newcastle and thro' a becoming Zeal for the Success & Glory of Your Majestys Arms in the late War against the Powers of France & Spain this Colony hath exerted itself to the utmost of its ability & beside other Sums advanced on those Occasions is now actually involved in Debt upon Account thereof the Sum of Fifteen Thousand three hundred and Two Pounds & four pence which for want of other Funds wherewith to raise it was discharged by Paper Bills made Current at different times for that Purpose yet remaining to be Sunk

That as no sure dependance can be placed on the foreign Specie for sinking the said Bills so some other Provision more certain is absolutely necessary to be made

That as the Interest of the Paper Currency (which for a long series of time supported the Government) will henceforth yield no further Relief and as the

Colony is involved in Debt upon Account of the late War those Circumstances concurring will render it unable to support Government so amply as heretofore unless effectually relieved

That if the Colony is not timely supplyed with a Paper Currency a Scene of want and deep distress will enevitably ensue & indeed has already found utterance in the repeated Complaints of a needy People exhibited to this House by sundry Petitions wherein they represent their distress (who have the truest Sense of their own wants) and pray for another Emission of Paper Currency in terms most moving and truly affecting to Your Majestys Pets which excite our Pity and Compassion towards them and the rather because We know their Complaints are genuine and unaffected

That such emission of Paper Currency if granted would not only yield relief in the Premises but might also prove Beneficial to the British Merchants themselves seeing it will not only be struck upon a stable Foundation & therefore not lyable to sink in Value but will also enable the Inhabitants of this Colony to discharge their Debts already Contracted for British Merchandize and likewise enable them to deal more largely for such Merchandize for the future than they could otherwise do for by this means they will be furnished with a Currency of their own not lyable to be drawn from them untill the legal expiration thereof and therefore can the better spare that little foreign Specie of which they are possessed not only in payment of such Debts already Contracted but also in purchasing such other of the British Merchandize which they may hereafter need

May it please Your Majesty

For enabling this Colony to Sink the Bills of Credit aforesaid made Current for the Service of the late War also for enabling the Colony to Support Government

as amply as heretofore likewise for relieving the distresses of a needy People and finally for the real advantage of the British Merchants themselves We Your Majestys Petitioners with great humility implore You to grant Your Royal leave to Our Governor to give his assent to a Bill for making Current £60,000 in Bills of Credit upon the like footing of those heretofore emitted within this Colony by Your Majestys Consent And We assure Ourselves Your gracious Indulgence herein will be esteemed by those We have the honour to represent as a singular instance of Your Majestys paternal care and goodness towards them and be received by us with the truest Sense of Gratitude who as in Duty bound shall ever Pray.

Signed Nov' the 2d 1753 in behalf of the House of Representatives of the Province of New Jersey

RICHARD PARTRIDGE their Agent.

[Referred to the consideration of the Lords of the Committee of Council and by their order Dec 18th 1753, sent to the Lords of Trade.]

Letter from Mr. Secretary Read to Chief Justice Robert Hunter Morris.

[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 7, H. 35.]

To Robert Hunter Morris Esq' chief justice of New Jersey to the Care of Mr David Barclay Merch at London

Dr Sir

BURLINGTON Nov! 10, 1753

I hope this will find you return'd from the Spa & at Leisure to think of your Friends here who I really think