ployed and in an Insolent and contemptious. maner Railed and disowned the authority and power of the Court and of the P'sident' and Justices there sitting, calling the P'sident W Rascall and challenging him and the Rest of the Justices out of the Court severall times often giving the P'sident the Lye and Bidding him Kiss his arse, and grossly abused the Kings Attorney Generall and the foreman of the Grand Jury, and used and uttered words and Actions wholly unfitt to be mentioned with his sentences ushered in by many oaths soe that the Court by Reason thereof could not proceed in the hearing trying and Determining of the Matters before them.

Whereupon it was ordered that the high Sheriff of the County doe take the Body of the s Sam Carter into his Custody for his Insolency and contempt aforesaid And the P'sident and Justices are vnanimously of opinion (not one dissenting) that this matter (being a violence and Irruption of the Laws and soe high a Contempt and so Impudent Behaviour to the dignity and Authority of the Court then sitting, which may if not timely prevented turn to a Convolsion in Goverm to the Ruine of the Collony) ought to be Represented to the Honourble the Govern and Council of this Province that such care may be taken by them as they in their prudence shall think fitt, that the Dignity of

appears to have come to the Province from the West Indies. He became owner of most of the land between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers. He is first named as "Captain " (of the militia) in 1675,

he then residing in New York, and served subsequently in the councills of both Governors Rudyard and Lawrie. When the office of President of the Court of Sessions was conferred upon him it is not known. He died in 1692, leaving several children by Mrs. Sarah Whartman, to whom he had been legally married, as he acknowledged in his will, but who "for some considerable reasons had not been allowed to bear his name."

East Jersey Under the Prop'rs, 2d Edition, p 116.-ED.

the Governm and the Authority of the Lawes may be supported and maintained, And Ordered that the high Sheriff do safely keepe the Body of the s Sam"! Carter without Bayle or mainprize untill he shall be Delivered according to Law, Then the Court were forced to adjourne themselves till tomorrow morning nine of the clock: which was done accordingly, but attended with almost a Generall noise and hollowing with vnseemly actions and Insolent Gestures, which seemed Rather to Looke like a Rebellion than otherwise, The Persons most forward in this Contempt were Sam"! Whitehead: Benjamin Price: Ephram Clarke: Sam"! Potter: John Luke: William Luke-Joseph Haines: Jonathan Haines & John Willes etca

A true coppie of the Record of Court given by me GEO: POWELL [GEORGE JEWELL] Clarke A true copie taken out of yo Records of ye sd County Court Geo: Jewell clerk thereof & therewith Compared & Examined & me

THOMAS GORDON D Sec`y

Minutes of the County Court of Middlesex, held at Piscataway.

[From P. R. O. B. T. Proprietors, Vol. 6. G. 28.]

A Record of ye Justices of Midlsex Proceedings for Piscataway ye 3rd of March 1699

1700.

ATT A MEETING OF Y JUSTICES OF YE COURT OR COURT OF SESSIONS FOR SP COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX IN YE TOWN OF PISCATAWAY THIS 19TH MARCH 1699.

SAMUEL DENNIS

Present

Capt JOHN BISHOP

SAMLL HALE

BENJ GRIFFITH

MACHIELL VANWEGHTIE

Justices

WHEREAS this day being yo day appointed by Act of

ye Generall Assembly of this province for holding y County Courts for ye sd Town of Piscataway in ye Publick meeting house there they ye sd Justices went to ye sd publick meeting house And finding ye dooer thereof shutt they Inquired who had the Keyes of it Answer was made by Some of ye Inhabitants of s Town yt s house belonged to their Town & y' they had nayled the doores thereof to wch ye Justices Replyed the house belonged to ye Country so as to keep Court there by Act of Generall Assembly & so demanded Entrance wch being Ref:sed ye gd Justices commanded ye Sheriff to break open ye doore of s house wch he attempting & Endeavouring to do Edward Slater of sd Towne layd violent hands on him & John Longstaff wth other Persons of s1 Town stood close by ye doore to hinder ye Sheriff to Obey ye Justices Command, and the Sheriff & sd Edward Slater wrestling together y people Called out let them have room & fair play, & y Sheriff geting Clear of sa Edward Slater went to ye house doore & pushed it up with his foot & went into ye house & Severall others crouded in after him amongst whom were John Langstaffe Thomas Higgens Joseph & Benjamin Mannen with others of sd town and y s John Langstaff said let us turn ye Sheriff out again for wee are men Ennough here to do it and there being a great noise & confusion in ye house Severall persons said to Justice Dennes will you stand here and lett ye Sheriff be murdered in ye house, upon W-ch ye sd Justice went to another doore of ye sd house & pnshed it open with his foot & Entring in Some persons of s Towne whom he knew not layd hold on him & Edward Slater Came to him & took him by the Coller wth design as he Supposed to Strick him & said what do you come here for to whom ye sd Justice answered only in peace to keep his Majties Court but finding y1 not acceptable he called Yelverton Crowell & WTM Englie to his Assistance who accordingly Re

m

lieved him from ye sd Edward Slater. Also John Keyse & Sam" Walker asked Severall times by what authoritie they came to keep Court there and when it was answered to them by ye Kings authoritie they Replyed y' they had no Lawfull authoritie to keep any Courts there & yt ye house was ye towns & ye Justices had nothing to do with it, and so ye Justices finding such Resistance & opposition withdrew from ye s house and went to ye Constables house of s towne & made this Record of their proceedings

Samtalenes
Joon Bishop

Sami Halo
Benj Griffith.

MACHIELL VANWEGHTIE

Thomas Gordon &

Attor. Gen!

John Barclay

A true Copie taken from the originall & therewith

Compared & Examined P me

THOMAS GORDON D Secry.

Letter from William Penn to Samuel Leonard.'

[From Penna. Archives, Vol. I., p 129.]

Unknown Friend.

In answer to thyne of 20th ye last month, please to take w' follows' [I need not transcribe ye ques. to ye first I say I am humbly of opinion that if every quere is not answered he'l think they are puzling questions, pardon me s if I offer my own & beg you to improve them & thro them into your own Mold.

1st The prop being strangers to the Method of obtaining approbations G B.' pretending to know it, They committed the management of that affair to him, who reported to those that he was approved as the Law directs & as an evidence of it produced the Dedimus Potestatem, wch he called his Commission of approbation but they afterwards discovered that he had overated his interests & hopes, & are therefore excusable if they told the prop he was approved, believing he would not have been so positive to his own hurt and theirs.

2d The want of an approbation doth not unquallyfy a man to be a Gov! but only lays him under a penalty if (neglecting to pursue the means of obtaining it), he act without it, for otherwise the act of Parl gives the King a Negative, there needing no more to break the prop commission or any other of the like nature, than for the King to refuse to approve, let the person be

Ba

ama Leonardy

of the Aldermen of Perth Amboy.

is first mentioned as one of Gov. Hamilton's Council in 1700. In 1718 he was one

At this point in the original Wm. Penn's handwriting gives place to that of Andrew Hamilton, which coutinues to and includes his signature when Penn's writing is resumed.-EDITOR OF PENNA, ARCHIVES.

Penn merely transmits to his "unknown friend" an opinion previously received from Governor Hamilton.-ED.

* Governor Basse, See East Jersey under the Proprietors, 2d Edition, p 193.-ED.