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In his Voyadge home, he was unhappily taken by A French Ship, where he Lost some Accounts relating to them as their Agent, notwithstanding they were so well satisfied wth his former Conduct, that they gave him A commission in the year 1692, & if what his Acusers alleadge were true, and he so faulty as they would paint him to your Lordships they were unwise for so doing.

He return'd to New Jersie, and by Virtue of this new comission tooke the Goverment on him, and his administration was to ye greate Service of the Crowne, and universall Satisfaction of the Inhabitants, as his present Accusers do owne in So many words in a Petition to their Excellencys the Lords Justices.

No B: And ye Same Persons, in yt Petic'on do allso acknowledge, y' the reason of their appointing Basse, was because they would Avoid any Colour of Offence Against the Act, of Parliament made in the 7th and 8th yeare of his present Majesties reigne, Entituled: An Act for preventing frauds, and regulating abuses in y Plantation trade, and they write over to Coll: Hamilton in New Jersie, thanking him for his past administration, and Asuring him that he Should not have been remov'd by them, had he not been unquallified on y Score of his Nation so it was neither the breach of his duty, nor that they were provokt by his usage, as they falsely aleadge, that Induc't them to remove him, and put Basse in his roome.

What opposition or afronts, Basse met wth Coll Hamilton was not concern'd in, but diswaded them. It was from me he receiv'd Some of them, not put on by Coll: Hamilton or any body elce; I did nothing but what I might Lawfully do, and am ready to Justifie every thing I did (on y' Score) when call'd to an Account for it.

Bass's Administration was Such, y the Generallity of the country extreamly dislik't it, and writ home to

ye Proprietors, complaining of him, upon which they Gave Collo Hamilton a new commission notwithstanding all that they alleadg'd against him, and writ a verry Sharpe letter to Basse & Councill. blaming them for classing the Kings Naturall Subjects, into English and Scotts wth all telling them, they had don Coll Hamilton right in reinstating him in that Government, from which by A mistake they had remov'd him.

Captain Bowne that quiet man, wth some others Were So Netled at this Letter, which had So Severely Censured their Ill conduct, during Bass's administration, that they would not continue in the Councill, not because they had any aversion to A Scotts man or to Coll Hamilton in Perticuler, (who they profest A great respect to) but because the Proprietors had afronted them, as A Letter under captain Bowns hand to Coll Hamilton makes apeare, and All those dire Effects they talke of, proceeded from their aversion to the Proprietors whose Impruden Conduct Influenced by M: Dockwra) not only gave rise to Our unhappy divisions, but by A Series of repeated follies, added fuell to those flames which rage amongst us wth so much fury for that

No C: Small part of the Proprietors who are now Coll Hamiltons Acusers, finding y Captain Bowne and that partie, had so farr resented the Affronts they rece'd from them, as to sacrifice the Publick peace to gratifie their revenge, began now to move in the tother extream, and descending from ye Heights of an Arogant and Imperiouse Stile, to ye lownesse of adressing to their Adversaries like humble Supliants; they askt their pardon for their past usage, and Intreated their Assistance for the future, this base and mean trucling, as it rendred them to all Persons ye Objects of A just derision. So those they Adress't to turn'd their fury into Scorne and Spurn'd at their Authoritie with an

Equall contempt, & to add A delicacy to their revenge, and render those Proprietors as ridiculous, and despicable, upon record to future Ages, as their Conduct justly deserv'd, they attempted to Prevaile wth them, to make Andrew Bowne (the verry Person that headed the faction Against them) their Governour; & chose those two Persons who had publiquely Apeard Against the Government (on all occasions) to negotiate that affaire and by meanes of M: Dockwra's mediation (who as is writt from New Jersie, received A Bribe of one Hundred pounds Sterling) they Succeeded in the Attempt, and Procur'd A Commission for said Bowne, wthout ever so much as consulting the rest of the Proprietors, and sent it over wh one Salter (A person not of the best reputation) giving him Power (in case Bowne refus'd) Either to take ye Goverment himself, or Constitute Such other P'son as he thought fit, An Action (to say no worse of it) Verry unjust and unreasonable.

When this commission arriv'd in Jersie, the Prope there, finding So few hands to it, judg'd y' it was hatch't Privately in A corner, without ye Knowledge and consent of the rest; Enter'd their Protest against it, as a thing Surreptitiously and basely obtain'd; write to y Small part of the Proprietors here, y' gave that commission to Bowne, and Expostulate wth them about it, & tell them that Six Proprietors in New Jersie, have as much right to constitute A governour, as Six in England & Coll: Hamilton whose commission was signed by as many Proprietors, as make up two thirds of the whole, by farr ye Majority (wch by the common reason of Mankind, in all Societies concludes ye minor will not nor ought not so far betray that trust ropos'd in him by the rest, as to give up the Publique records or Seale, or any way to Part wch that Authoritie he is Cloath'd wth, till an Authority more Sufficient Apeares to demand it.

This may it Please your Lordships is A short Naration of Fact, and deffence of Coll Hamilton against his Acusers, and I beg your Lordships wont admit Such generall, and (Possibly) untrue allegations, to Lesson a Person in your L'ps Esteem, who has so well deserv'd of the Crowne as Coll: Hamilton has, & Since ye Proprietors have Agreed to Pay the Governour till a Sufficient fund be rais'd in ye Country for that End (provided they have the naming of him) its hop't your L'ps will Judge it reasonable, to oblige them in it; Especially when they name A Person, yt will be So generally acceptable to ye people, who (Excepting A Small number) have no Avertion to A Scotch man, nor to y Coll in Particuler.

The Inhabitants there (I am Sure) and I believe ye Proprietors here, have receiv'd no Injury from Coll Hamilton, nor in his Male administration ye motive to their Surrender, but because the maintaining their Government is A charge, and no Proffit to them, their authority not Obey'd, the Province in Confusion, and no Prospect of its being otherwise, till its put under his Majesties more Imediate Administration.

A Governour Skill'd in Military affaires, is not Amisse in any of the King's Plantations, at any time, Coll Hamilton is not unskill'd; and to Opose Forreign Enemies, and Quiet Intestine feuds, a whole Regiment So Skil'd will do more Service. The whole is offer'd to: your Lordships, to do as your Lordships in your wisdom Shall thinke fit by:

My Lords:

Your Lordships most humble

Servant

LEWIS MORRIS.

Representation from the Lords of Trade to the King, transmitting drafts of a Commission and Instructions to the Governor to be appointed over New Jersey.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties, Vol. 27, p. 319. Printed from an early certified copy in the Library of the N. J. Hist. Society.]

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

May it Please

your Majesty.

Having been directed by their Excellency's the Lords Justices, upon a Representation which We humbly laid before them, concerning the Disorders in Your Majestys Provinces of East and West New Jersey in America, to prepare Draughts of a Commission and Instructions for a Governor to be sent thither by Your Majesty, and to Consult therein the Proprietors of those Provinces, in Order to the Surrender of their pretended right to the Government of the same; We humbly lay before Your Majesty the Draughts, which We have prepared accordingly, with such Clauses as We conceive proper to enable the Governor (for whose Name We have left a Blank) to proceed in Settling a Government in that Country, comformable (as near as the Circumstances of the Inhabitants will permit) to the methods of Government Settled by Your Majestys respective Commissions, in Your other American Plantations, and withal to prevent the interfering of that Colony, with the Interest of those other Plantations.

We have, also, in Pursuance of their Excellency's directions, communicated the said Draughts to Sir Thomas Lane and others, the Principal Proprietors of West New Jersey, and to Mr William Dockwra, Secretary, and others the principal Proprietors, of East

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