of the ground upon which Trenton, the capital of New Jersey, now stands. Seven years afterwards, in 1721, he removed to this property, then called Littleworth, but afterward known as Trent's Town, and subsequently changed to Trenton. It was, however, nothing but a hamlet, there being only two or three houses there at the death of Trent, which occurred in 1724, and only nine months after he became Chief Justice. His term of office was so short that very little can be said of the performance of its duties. He was stricken down with apoplexy, and died on Christmas day. His death was thought to be a public calamity and was universally lamented. The courts of Hunterdon County, in which Trenton was then situate, had been held at that place. Trent, before his death, donated to that county the lot on which the first Court House was built.

Trent was succeeded by Robert Lettice Hooper, who was an appointee of Governor Burnet, and who took the oath of office on the 30th day of March, 1725. He was a member of the Assembly when he was appointed. There is a very great scarcity of material about this man's history, either private or official. He held the office about

three years, and seems to have been universally respected.

Thomas Farmar, in 1728, succeeded Hooper. He came to New Jersey in 1711. He soon began to take a great interest in public affairs, was for many years a member of the Assembly from Middlesex, and while such member was appointed second judge of the Supreme Court. He continued to hold his seat in the Legislature even after he ascended the bench. This did not seem to be incompatible with propriety in those days, as there is more than one instance where the same person held those two offices at the same time. Farmar was one of these persons. But his continuance in the office of Chief Justice was very short, as he held it only from March, 1728, until November term, 1729, when Hooper resumed the position. Farmar became insane, and was at times so violent that his friends were obliged to confine him closely. He continued in this condition of mind for several years.

Lewis Morris was one of the most noted characters in the colonial history of New Jersey. He was at one time appointed second judge of the Supreme Court; but no record can be found that he ever took his seat on the bench. It is believed that he never did, as very soon after his appointment he was made Chief Justice of New York, and removed to that colony. He seems to have been a restless man of great ability,

and always assumed the popular side in the quarrels between Lord Cornbury and his antagonists in New Jersey. He was a member of the Council which was appointed by Queen Anne for her cousin, when he was made Governor. But Cornbury could not consent that so refractory a spirit should be a member of the board which had, in a measure, a sort of control over his movements. So Morris was expelled, and Roger Mompesson took his place. In the subsequent quarrels between the royal governor and the Assembly, Morris took a very prominent part. He was the author of the remonstrance to Queen Anne against Cornbury, and it can well be imagined that the expelled member of the Council did not spare the Governor. After his expulsion, he was returned a member of the Assembly, and had ample opportu nity of revenging himself. The indictment against Cornbury, which he presented to the Queen, was a document of tremendous power and did not spare the Governor, nor did it fail to expose his meanness and entire unfitness for the position.

Daniel Coxe was an associate justice who sat on the bench with Hooper. He was appointed in 1734, and was the son of Dr. Daniel Coxe, whose connection with West Jersey and some others of the American colonies was such as to make him one of the most remarkable men of his time. He was one of the Proprietors of West Jersey, and, at one time, its governor. He was also one of Lord Cornbury's Council, and Speaker of the Assembly. A hundred years before his son became associate justice, a patent had been granted by Charles I to Sir Robert Heath, of a very large extent of territory then called Carolina. A little more than thirty years after it was granted, the patent was declared to be invalid and a few years after that, it was assigned to Dr. Coxe, who anticipated large returns from his investment. He submitted his claims under the patent to the King, who referred them to the Attorney General. After a full examination, the former decision as to the invalidity of the patent was reversed, and it was declared valid. After his death, the associate justice revived his father's claim and made several unsuccessful efforts to induce settlers to immigrate into the country covered by his patent. To accomplish this, he wrote and circulated a pamphlet which deserves more notice. than has generally been awarded to it. It contained a description of the province granted to Heath, which exhibits the lamentable ignorance of the men of that time as to the geography of the continent. In his pamphlet, Coxe claimed that there was an easy communication be

tween the Mississippi River and the South Sea which lay between. America and China, by means of several large rivers and lakes, "with the exception of about half a day's land carriage." But the pamphlet is more remarkable for the proposal it made of a plan of union between the American colonies for mutual protection and defence. This plan is the same afterward proposed by Benjamin Franklin, called the "Albany plan of Union," and for which Franklin received so much. credit. Franklin needs no borrowed glory and his memory can afford to allow the credit to be given to the real author of this admirable scheme. The plan was this: That all the North American colonies should have a common union, presided over by an officer to be called a Lieutenant or Supreme Governor; each colony was to be represented in a general council composed of two delegates chosen by the Legislatures of the respective colonies. This general council was to be convened, whenever necessary, by the Supreme Governor, and to it was to be confided all measures providing for mutual defence and for offensive operations against the common enemy, such as the quotas of men and money needful to be raised. The acts and proceedings of this general council were to be subject to the veto of the Governor, but he could take no aggressive action without the consent of the Council. In 1754, Franklin proposed his plan, which was almost identical with the one recommended by Coxe in his pamphlet. The justice of history demands that this New Jersey Judge should receive his due meed of praise too long witheld.

Daniel Coxe was associate justice until the time of his death, which occurred at Trenton in 1739. He was implicated, in the early part of his life, with Cornbury, in his quarrels with the Assembly, and after Cornbury's time, his conduct in the strife with Governor Hunter was not much to his credit; but his later career was such that he secured the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. His judicial duties were performed with ability and honor to himself.

Robert Hunter Morris succeeded Robert Lettice Hooper as Chief Justice. He was the son of Lewis Morris, of whom mention has already been made, and inherited some of the peculiar characteristics of his eccentric father, and much of his ability. He was in office twentysix years, but did not burden himself much with the cares of his position. So far as accomplishments were concerned, he was perhaps as well equipped as any one of the Chief Justices who sat on the bench. prior to the Revolution. He had been carefully educated, and owed

very much to the influence of a most excellent and careful mother, and enjoyed all the advantages which could be obtained at his time in the very best educational institutions of the country. He had an ample fortune, was of a very fascinating address, possessed a handsome face and person, was a persistent disputant, and one of the best talkers in the province. At first, he paid enough attention to his position to introduce some reform, to reduce pleadings to stricter rules, and to insist upon more regularity and precision in the forms of procedure. But he soon wearied, apparently, of the irksome confinement which an honest. performance of his duties involved. He was a young man when he assumed, in 1738, the position of Chief Justice. In 1749, he visited England with a view, it is supposed, of securing the nomination to some office in the colonies. About that time a plan was contemplated of uniting the two provinces of New York and New Jersey, and placing in the hands of one man the office of chief magistrate. The nominal object which sent him to the mother country was to protest, at the request of the Council of New Jersey, against the proposed plan. Perhaps injustice is done him in the charge that he was covetous of political preferment. But, he was an ambitious man and tarried long in England. He certainly was a candidate for the position of Lieutenant Governor of New York. He returned after five years' absence, with the commission of Governor of Pennsylvania in his possession, so that he was not only Chief Justice of New Jersey, but, also, chief magistrate of another colony. He appreciated the incongruity of his holding the two offices at the same time and tendered his resignation of the position of Chief Justice, which was not accepted,—for what reason, does not suf ficiently appear. He did not, however, hold the office of Governor for any great length of time. He received that appointment in 1754, resigned it in 1756, and returned to his duties as Chief Justice. In 1757, he again. visited England. During his absence a strange state of affairs was originated. Morris held his office, according to his commission, during good behavior; but while he was absent in England, William Aynsley was appointed Chief Justice. He held the position, however, only a few months. He took his seat on the bench, 1758, but died soon after, probably in the same year. Shortly after his death, Nathaniel Jones received the appointment to the apparently vacant office. He arrived from England in November, 1759, and went at once to Amboy, where he was formally commissioned by Governor Bernard. From there he went to Elizabeth Town, where he was received with great honor.

Speeches were made by the Mayor and the new-comer, and general congratulations were exchanged. The next term of the court was held in March, 1759. Mr. Jones appeared at that time and requested that he might have the oath of office administered to him. But, unfortunately for him and his aspirations, there was another Chief Justice, in the shape of Robert Hunter Morris sitting in the place which Mr. Jones proposed to occupy. This was a dilemma which Mr. Jones found to be exceedingly awkward. However, he had his commission read, and in his argument referred to some minutes of the court when Chief Justice Aynsley was present and had taken part in the proceedings. This was certainly quite embarrassing for Morris, who had possession. But he was equal to the occasion; he produced his commission, dated in 1738, by which he was undoubtedly vested with the office. Morris referred to the condition upon which he was to hold the position; he was to have it during good behavior, and he had not been removed. Chief Justice Morris took no part in the debate which ensued, except to say that David Ogden and Charles Read would appear for him. Associate Nevill decided the case, declaring that the court could not recognize Mr. Jones as Chief Justice; that Robert Hunter Morris had the first right to the office, and that Mr. Jones must seek his remedy in another tribunal and by a due course of law. The defeated aspirant for office abandoned the controversy, and that was the last that was ever heard of the contention which at one time bid fair to become a cause célèbre. Mr. Morris held the office without further molestation until his death, which occurred under very sad circumstances. In 1764, he made a visit to a relative in Shrewsbury and in the evening attended a dance in the village; while dancing with his relative, he dropped to the floor and expired instantly, without a struggle.

Morris had two associates while he was on the bench; one was Richard Saltar, of whom very little can be said. When Morris attempted to resign his office of Chief Justice, upon being appointed Governor of Pennsylvania, he recommended Mr. Saltar as his successor. Samuel Nevill was then also on the bench; but, although he appears to have been much more fit than Saltar, Morris passed him by with the remark that he did not think Samuel Nevill would do; "his circumstances are so low, and he is from that reason unfit to be trusted in the principal seat of justice."

Samuel Nevill was born in England and had received a liberal education. At one time, before he came to America, he had been editor of