Old Titles: and the Possessors profess only to desire that the Matter may come fairly before His Majesty in Council for an impartial Determination And as by general Verdicts the Merits may be prevented from coming before Your Lordships upon an Appeale We humbly Submit to Your Lordships whether it might not be proper to send an Instruction to the Governor to recommend to the Judges upon any Tryals of Ejectments for Lands in Essex Middlesex or Somerset to have all the Evidence found in the Nature of a special Verdict by which Means the whole may come fully and fairly after the Court has given their Judgment before His Majesty in Council upon an Appeal, who will take every Circumstance of Title Possession and Improvement into Consideration A Solem determination once had here will be a Rule for all Similar Cases And the Nature of the Question being once understood may Point out the Way to some general Remedy by Legislative Authority in Case any shou'd be wanted Or if the Possessor has no Title; nor such a Possession as any Act of Limitations in New Jersey can protect; but has by the acquiescence of the Legal Proprietor been permitted to settle the Plantation as if the Land was his own: That may perhaps be a Ground to apply to the Court of Equity in New Jersey for an Injunction to quiet him in the Possession in which Case likewise all the Evidence & Circumstances must come before His Majesty in Council upon an Appeal But We are apprehensive that without Authority to try or Determine, Commissioners will not be able even to State the various Questions which seem to be agitated at present in New Jersey concerning Titles to Lands; much less to quiet them. And if it should be thought Expedient to try the Questions which are alledged to have been the Cause of the late troubles there in a Summary way for a limited time; We are of Opinion that such Commission ought to have the Sanction of an Act of Assembly there or an act of Parlaiment here-All which is humbly Submitted to Your Lordships Consideration. 12th August 1751 D: RYDER George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith &ca To Our Trusty and Welbeloved Greeting Whereas it has appeared to Us by the Re port of Our Commissioners of Trade and Plantations upon the State and Condition of Our Province of New Jersey in America that Great Divisions and Distractions have arisen in Our said Province and many outragious riotous and Treasonable Proceedings have been carried on for some Years past by several of the Inhabitants of the said Province that the Goals have been broke open by large bodys of People and Prisoners set at liberty and the Publick Justice of the Province Interrupted and Stopt to the great Injury of Our peaceable and loyal Subjects the disturbance of Our Government and diminution of Our Royal Authority in those parts We being willing to be informed of all and singular the premises to the end that We may apply speedy and fit Remedys and restore Peace and Order in Our said Province And having great Confidence in Your Wisdom Diligence and loyalty do by these presents appoint You Our Commissioners to enquire into and Report unto Us a true full and Impartial State of the Case in relation to the Matters and Things which may have given occasion to the beginning and continuing of these Disorders and whether Our Subjects of the said Province have lain or do lye under any and what Grievances, which may in any measure have given rise thereto together with the Opinion of You or any of You thereupon to the End that We may take such Order and give such Directions therein as may redress all grievances and put an effectuall End to all Disturbances and secure the future well Government of Our said Province And We do hereby give You or any of You for the better Execution of Our Royal Will and Pleasure herein full Power not only to receive such Informations & Advertisem's as shall be brought unto You by or from any of Our Subjects touching the Premises but also to enquire by the Examination of witnesses on Oath (which We do hereby give You or any of You full power to Administer) or by such other Ways and Means as You or any into the Premises. or more of you shall think fit And we do further give You or any or more of You full power to send for such Persons Books Papers and Records as may be useful to You or any of You for the better carrying on the Service hereby intended Willing and requiring Our Governor of Our said Plantation his Deputy Governor and all and every other Our Officers and Subjects within the said Plantation to be in all things Helpfull and assisting to You and every of You in the Execution of this Our Commission And lastly that in the Execution and Performance of the Powers & Authoritys to You hereby given, You and every of You do carefully observe and conform Yourselves unto such Instructions as shall be given and sent unto You in writing under Our Sign Manuel and for so doing this shall be Your Warrant. Letter from Governor Belcher to the Lords of Trade about proceedings of Council. [From a copy among the Belcher Papers in Library of N. J. Hist. Soc.] Lords of Trade ELIZ: TOWN May 19. 1752 May it please your Lordships I did myself the honour of writing your Lordships the 1 Currant. Agreeable to what I then mentioned His Majestys Council met the 11 inst & I now Cover to your Lordships what they did on that Occasion by which your Lordships will see they were against taking any Steps relating to the late Riot till the Arrival of His Majestys Orders on this head which are earnestly & daily expected by this Legislature & this whole Province. I have so often represented to the Assembly of this Province the unhappy Confusions and disorders that have here Subsisted for 10 or 12 years past & have so warmly prest them to Join with the Gov' & Council in some suitable Measures for Suppressing & rooting out the Vile Spirit of Rioting and to no purpose y' when I shall meet them again I hardly know what to add & these things I have as often faithfully Represented to your Lordships nor do I think any thing will stop the Course of such Seditious and Riotous proceedings but the Arrival of such Wise Orders as His Majesty shall think fit to give in an Affair of such Importance for Supporting the Kings honour and Authority as well as the peace and Welfare of His Subjects in this Province & I heartily wish such Orders may soon come to hand. I am with great Respect My Lord Your Lordships Most Obedient Humble Servant J BELCHER Letter from Governor Belcher to Richard Partridge. [From Belcher Papers in Library of N. J. Hist. Soc.] I observe you had been at the Board of Trade to set forth the Irregularity and disproportion of the numbers of Councillors fixt in the two districts of this Province wch indeed is a violation upon the Original Compact between the Crown & the Proprietors of East & West New Jersey & which was specially stipulated at the Surrender of the Government of this Province to the Crown by the said Propriet I take a particular notice of what you say about your sending over Copy of the Order of the Privy Council & I think the Step you took by way of Mollification to be quite prudent after a Man' saying to such great People what he reasonably cou'd for his Justification if it will not be accepted there's no Contending & I really think what you did was very Innocent & what in Duty you ow'd to your Constituents. But I am sorry to tell you that Immediately after the Order already mentioned was re'd to the Assembly it was shown to several Members of the Council by a principal Member of the House of Assembly by one who pretends to be y' frd but whom I can assure you from near 5 years Experience has it not in his nature to be a Sincere friend to any body nor do I trust him in any Affairs relating to my Administration nor shou'd you in any you cou'd well avoid because I am Satisfy he wou'd at any time betray you to J. A 'and 1 James Alexander. For biographical notice of this distinguished gentleman, see Vol. IV, p. 399.-ED, |