Comms of his Ma" Customes upon the Petic'on of Sir Thomas Lane Kn and Severall others the Proprietors of East and West Jersey in America, My Lords desire you to lay the same before the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantac'ons for their Opinion thereupon, Which you are desired to transmitt togather with the said Report to Sir Your most humble servant WM LOWNDES:

Trea'ry Chambers

8th September 1697

MR POPPLE.

[Addressed] To William Popple Esq Secret" to the R honoble the Comms for Trade and Plantac'on These

TO THE R HONBLE Y. LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF HIS MAJESTIES TREASURY

THE humble Petition of S Thomas Lane, S Jo! Moore Knts William Penn, Daniel Cox Esq Paul Dominique, William Dockwra, Peter Sonman, Thomas Hart, Walter Benthall Merchants on behalf of themselves and the rest of the Proprietors of the Provinces of East and West Jersey in America.

Sheweth

That the late King Charles the second by Letters Pattents in the sixteenth year of his Reign under the Great Seal of England, did Grant to your Pet power to constitute Marttine and other Officers and to make and Erect Ports in convenient places within the said Provinces, which power wth some other Priviledges Induced and Encouraged your Pet's to venture and lay out their Estates and to send over a Great number of People to settle and Improve the said Provinces.

That the better to prevent the breach of the Several Acts of Navigation to secure such Customes as should become due to the Crown; and to promote their own Trade, your Petitioners pursuant to the said powers have made and constituted the Townes of Amboy in East Jersey and the Townes of Burlington, Salem &

Cape May in West Jersey, to be Ports for the Lading and unlading Goods and Merchandizes.

Notwithstanding which and that y said Provinces are not any ways dependant on or part of the Province of New York, Yet the Collectors there pretend and presume to make all ships and Vessels bound to y said Jerseys, to come to New York to unlade or to pay Custome there for the Goods imported in the said Ships and Vesells, and have lately enforced Severall persons so to do, wch your Pet's are advised is illegal & greatly hinders and discourages the Trade of the said Ferries and consequently lessens his Majts Customes & Duties.

Your Pets therefore humbly pray they may enjoy ye liberty of their own Ports for the lading & unlading Goods & Merchandizes, & y' the Collects of New York may for ye future be restrain'd from y s p'tensions & practices so illegal & injurious to your Pet's

And your Pet's shall ever Pray &c.

W DOCKWRA.

WALTER BENTHALL

DAN: COX

PETER SONMANS

in behalf of themselves and the rest Whitehall Treasury Chambers

1o March 169.

The Lords Commissioners of his Majesties Treasury are pleased to refer this Petition to the Commissioners of his Majesties Customes, who are to consider the same, and Report to their Lordships a true state of ye Petitioners case, together with their Opinions what is fit to be done therein WM LOWNDES.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LOPS

In Obedience to your Lordships Commands signified to Us by Mr Lownds, on the annexed Petition of S Thomas Lane, S John Moor Knights, William Penn, Dan Cox Esq, Paul Dominique, W" Dockwra, Peter Sonmans, Thomas Hart and Walter Benthall Mer

chants on behalf of themselves and the rest of the Proprietors of East and West Jersey in America, setting forth That the late King Charles the Second by Letters Patents in the sixteenth year of his Reign, under the Great Seal of England did grant to the Petitioners Power to Constitute Maritine and other Officers, and to make and Erect Ports in convenient places with in the said Provinces, which power wth some other priviledges, Induced and Encourag'd the Petitioners to venture and lay out their Estates and to send over a great number of People to Settle and improve the said Provinces. That the better to prevent the breach of the Severall Acts of Navigation to Secure such Customes as should become due to the Crown and to promote their own Trade, the Petitioners pursuant to the said Power have made and constituted the Townes of Amboy in East Jersey; And the Townes of Burlington, Salem and Cape May in West Jersey, to be Ports for the lading and unlading Goods and Merchandizes. Notwithstanding which and that the said Provinces are not any wayes dependant on or part of the Province of New York Yet the Collects there pretend & presume to make all Ships & Vessels bound to ye sa Jerseys to come to New York to unlade or to pay Custome there, for the goods Imported in the said Ships and Vessells, and have lately Enforced Severall persons so to do which the Petitioners are advised is Illegal and greatly hinders and discourages the Trade of the said Jerseys and consequently lessens his Majestys Customes and duties. Praying they may enjoy the liberty of their own Ports for the lading and unlading Goods and Merchandizes. And that the Collector of New York may for the future be restrained from the said Pretentions & Practices so illegal and injurious to the Pets Wee do humbly Report to your Lordships, That upon hearing the Severall Parties on

both sides, It seems that the Inhabitants of New York having granted a Certain Revenue to the Crown of England for the defence of that Province arising by an Impost or Custome on Imported & Exported Goods. Indian Trading, Goods carryed up Hudsons River to Albany and Excise of Liq's retayled, The Collector of these duties hath demanded the same on all Goods belonging to the East and West Jerzeys coming within the River (which being about a Mile and half over, divides the Jerseys from New York) being as he alleageth, agreeable to former practice before his time, which is owning the chief matter of Complaint in the Petition, But the said duties being not under Our Management, or Cognizace And this Board having never given any directions Whereby the Inhabitants of the Jerzies have been denyed the use of their own Ports & Harb's We humbly submit that matter to your Lordships Consideration.

Humbly acquainting your Lordships That in the Establishment of Officers presented from hence for Virginia and other his Majesties Plantations on the Continent, which your Lordships were pleased to approve by your Warrant of the 20th of Novemb! last, there is a Collector appointed at Perth Amboy in East Jersey, and another Officer at Bridlington in West Jersey with Suitable Instructions from Us to Collect the Rates and Duties Imposed by the Act made in the 25th Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second upon Tobacco and other of the Plantation Commodities therein enumerated wch shall be Shipt or laden from thence for any other of his Majesties Plantations, as also to inspect the like Commodities which Shall be laden upon Ships bound directly to this Kingdome, And to attend the delivery of all European Goods brought from hence which are the Cheif Matters we are concerned for, and for these purposes tis necessary, That there should be such Priviledged Ports for the

Officers of the Customes attendance in Order to the dispatch of Business both Inwds and Outwards

Custome house

All which is humbly submitted London 31. Augst to your Lordships Considerations.

1697.

ROB! HENLEY

SAM: CLARKE

Jo: AUSTEN

From Secretary Popple to Secretary Lowndes, in answer to the foregoing communication.

SR

[From P. R. O., B. T.; Proprieties, Vol. 25, 148.]

To William Lownds Esq

I have laid before the Lords Com'iss's of the Council of Trade & Plantations your Lett: of the 8th Ins! to gether with the Report of the Commissioners of the Cestomes upon a Pet of the Proprietors of East & West New Jersey that were inclosed in it; Both which Papers There inclose [I] return you, according to your desire And I am further directed by their Lordships to send you the Enclosed Copy of an Instruct rela ing to the Trade of New York and the New Jersies which has been given to all the Governors of New York successively ever since that Province has belonged to the Crown of Eng'd And which therefore their Lordships desire may be laid before the Right honble the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, as the most material thing that they have to offer to their Lordships consideration, in the subject matts of the above mentioned Papers.

WHITEHALL, 14th Sep! 97,

W: P: