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upon, how far any of them will be advantageous or disadvantageous to the Province of New Yorke. But in the meanwhile we can offer to your Lordship no other rule for your conduct towards those Provinces both of East and West New Jersey than what his Majesty has already given you.

In your letter of the first of July 1698 beginning with the dispute you had with M Bass about the Jerseys, you mention two pirates sent for from thence, which for want of proof against them you had admitted to bail; and two others that you had sent for from Connecticut and Rhode Island; upon which you desire directions what to doe with them, and more particularly whether to send them or others in the like case to England or no, especially when you have not evidence there sufficient to convict them. This we have in part answered already by our letter of the 25th of October last, and we now further add that we can conceive nothing more proper to be done in order to their conviction, than by threats and promises to some that are apparently guilty, to induce them to give evidence against their accomplices. But as for sending or not sending them home (upon which we cannot of ourselves make any determination) we expect shortly some order of the Lords Justices in Council upon a Representation that we laid before them the 10th of this month on occasion of some pirates set on shoare in Pennsylvania and West New Jersey by a New York ship called the Nassau, commanded by one Shelly; which business we hope will in the end produce some regulation for the conduct of all his Majesty's Governors in the Plantations in the like cases

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Your Lordships most humble servants

Signed

PH: MEADOWS

Whitehall August the 21st 1699.

JN° POLLEXFEN

JNO LOCKE

ABR. HILL

Account of the Inhabitants of West Jersey in 1699

[From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey Vol. 1, B 7.]

Account of the Inhabitants of West New Jersey, as taken in the Year 1699.

Board by Mr Dockwra.

Presented to the

Daniel Leeds in his Almanack for the Year 1701, in the Page of Nov gives the following acc!

In Sep 1699. The Freeholders in West Jersey were computed as follows

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NOTE. The Quakers are more numerous in Burlington County than all the other Countys. Salem County has two to one for Gloster and 58 over Tho the Quakers will have the latter double the Number in the Assembly to that of Salem; Contrary to Justice and Equity. Wherefore Salem will not Send Members till they have equall with Gloster They paying double the Tax and more than Gloster.

Secretary Popple to William Dockwra, inquiring as to the operation of the Act against fraud &c. in East & West Jersey, and in whose hands are their respective Governments.

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The Lds Com's for Trade & Plantations being required to represent to his Majesty in Councill how far the late Act for preventing Frauds & regulating Abuses in the Plantation Trade, past here in the 7th & 8th years of his Majt's Reign has been complyed with, in relation to his Majesty's Allowance and Approbation of the Gov's of Proprieties in the Plantations; Their Lord have commanded me to desire you to inform them what has been done in that matter by the Proprietors of East & West New Jersey respectively And further to let them know how the Government of each of those provinces now stands, and in whose hands the Administration thereof at present lies I am &c

Whitehall

Octob' the 25th 1699

W. P.

William Dockwra to Secretary Popple in answer to the foregoing.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties, Vol. 4 D 20.]

L're from M Dockwra excusing his not yet answer ing y 2 L'res lately writ him abt E. & W. New Jersey.

Sir

I have recd yor of the date hereof taking notice of

Another letter of a similar purport was written to Mr. Dockwra on Nov. 14th; this not having received any attention.-ED.

yo! former wch wants an answer, if it had been my particular Concern I should soon have perform'd my duty to their Lopps com'andes by yo! letter.

But the Subject of that Letter is ye busines of a Committe of the Proprietors who are lately so dispersed (& Sundry of them in the Country) that indeed. a Committe could not be made up since the receipt of yo! first Letter, but am in hopes to gett them together in few days & then so soon as I have their instructions for my Order, an hour shall not be lost, before an Answer be dispatch'd by

Worthy Sir

Yo! most humble Serv!

Chief Office Penny Post'

Nov! 14° 1699.

WM DOCKWRA

Secretary Popple to Attorney Generall Trevor, asking his opinion respecting a new mode of hav ing Proprietary Governors approved.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Proprietors, Vol. 26, p 130.]

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The Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations having under consideration that part of the Act of Parlam for preventing frauds & regulating Abuses in the Plantation Trade, past in the 7th & 8th of his Majt's Reign, wch relates to his Mats Approbation of the Gov of his respective Plantations, and observing

1 Mr. Dockwra at one time had the management of the London Penny post.-See Vol. 1 p 378, note.-Ed

a Difficulty in the Execution thereof with respect to the Proprieties and Charter Goverments, especially such whose Gov's are chosen annually in the said Plantations, They have commanded me to desire you to give them your Opinion, Whether his Ma" may not impower the Earle of Bellomont by name, or the Governor of New England, or the Governor of any other neighbouring Plantation for the time being without name, to approve or Disapprove any of the said Governors of Proprieties or Charter Goverm's from time to time I am &c

Whitehall Nov 20th 1699

W. P.

Memorial of the Proprietors of East Jersey to the Lords of Trade, insisting upon a clause in their new charter, establishing Perth Amboy as a Port of Entry.

[From Grants and Concessions, p 597.]

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS OF THE COUN CILL OF TRADE AND FOREIGN PLANTATIONS.

The humble Memorial of the Proprietors of the Province of East New-Jersey in America.

The Proprietors in all their Applications to your Lordships, and particularly in their last Proposals, having expressed a great readiness of complying with his Majesty's Pleasure in relation to their Government, so as their Properties might be preserved to them by such Commissions of his Majesty's Part as are necessary to that End, are surprized at the dubious Answer returned by your Lordship's to the Second Article of their Proposals concerning the Establishment of a Port at Perth Amboy, for entering Ships and importing

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