Address of the Assembly to Governor Franklin in relation to the Riots in Monmouth and Essex Counties.

[From Votes and Proceedings of the General Assembly of New Jersey.]

To His Excellency WILLIAM FRANKLIN, Esq; Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief, in and over the Colony of Nova-Cæsaria, or New Jersey, and Territories thereon depending in America, Chancellor and Vice-Admiral in the same, &c.

The Humble Address of the Representatives of said Colony, in General Assembly convened.

May it please your Excellency,

Heartily grieved at the Occasion of our Meeting at this Time; we cannot sufficiently express the Concern we feel, that there should be Persons in this Government, so lost to a Sense of their inestimable Privileges as not to distinguish between the Use and Abuse of them; and that because some may have been, and others imagined themselves severely treated and oppressed by a particular Sett of Men, that therefore they would deprive both themselves and others who never offended them, of one of the greatest Bulwarks of English Liberty, a Free Court, wherein all Persons whatever have, and ought to have an undoubted Right to appear, according to the Mode of our excellent Constitution, to hear and be heard, make known their Complaints, and have them redressed. There are or have been Abuses in most or all Professions; if these were to operate against their Use, what would be the Consequence, but a total Deprivation of all the

Benefits attending the due Execution of them. Where the Law and Constitution have provided Remedies in any Case; these and these only ought to be pursued. With Respect to any Abuses or Oppression from the Practitioners of the Law, the legal Modes of Redress are justly pointed out by your Excellency, plain and easy to the meanest Capacity, and to which in general we know of but one Objection, that the People oppressed are sometimes not of sufficient Ability to prosecute their Complaints; but this can have no Existence, when it is considered, that there are none so poor but may make known their Distress by Petition. to the Assembly, or to the Members thereof, who live in their County; and from the past Conduct of this House, it must be evident, that as the Grand Inquest of the Province, Attention will always be paid to the Complaints of the People.-There are few but what have, or may have in future a lawful and honourable, and we think, the best Remedy, in their own Hands, against any Abuses from the Practitioners of the Law, an honest Care to fulfil Contracts; and a patriotic Spirit of Frugality and Industry, would soon make this evident. We are however, and shall be at all Times, ready to hear, and as far as may be in our Power, redress every real Grievance that may come to our Knowledge.

We could not, thro' Concern for these deluded People, but thus far lament their unhappy Mistake. Government must be supported, and the Laws duly executed; from the strictest Attention to these Points, we can never vary; our Regard for good Order and the Peace of the Province, calls loudly upon us to thank your Excellency, for the Care you have taken, that the public Tranquility might be preserved; at the same Time we are well assured, it is necessary there should be a Regulation in the Practice of the Law, which we believe would greatly contribute to quiet the

Minds of the People, if not totally prevent such tumultuous Proceedings in the future; and we hope, if any Remedy can be provided, so that the heavy Expence sometimes attending Law Suits, may be regulated and lessened, it will have your Concurrence. And we cannot but express the great Satisfaction we feel at the virtuous Conduct and Spirit shown by the Magistrates, Sheriff and People of the County of Essex, in supressing the first Appearance of Riot in that County; had a like Spirit been exerted in Monmouth, it probably had prevented the Disturbance since.

We on our Part do assure your Excellency, we shall ever discountenance such riotous Proceedings, and will heartily join in all necessary Measures to bring every Offender to condign Punishment, and for ensuring Obedience to the Laws; for this salutary Purpose we shall give due Consideration to what your Excellency hath recommended.

As the Persons accused of the late Riots, have been and are in a Way of Trial according to Law, we cannot think it necessary at present to alter the constitutional and established Mode of Trial to another County; nor will it be necessary at this Time to make any Provision for Expences that may hereafter arise, as the Assembly of this Colony have always honourably paid the extraordinary Exigencies of Government; so your Excellency may be assured, should the like Disorders occasion it, we shall not be wanting in our Duty to defray the Expence.

We must take Notice to your Excellency, that the Meeting of the Assembly at this Time, ought to have been at Amboy, according to established Custom, and however the Necessity of the Business now to be done, may excuse our going into it, we desire it may not be drawn into Precedent,

By Order of the House,

CORTLAND SKINNER, Speaker.

March 20, 1770.

Proclamation of Governor Franklin, offering a reward of £25 for the discovery of the person or persons who set fire to the stable and outhouses of David Ogden.

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

A PROCLAMATION

Whereas I have received Information that on the night of the ninth day of January last the Stable and some other out Buildings of the Honorable David Ogden Esq were consumed by Fire: and that there is great Reason to believe they were wilfully set on Fire by some wicked Person or Persons unknown. And Whereas the House of Assembly of this Province by their Message of this day, have requested me to issue a Proclamation offering a reward of twenty five Pounds for discovering and bringing to condign Punishment the Person or Persons guilty of that attrocious and Alarming Villany, I have therefore thought fit, by and with the Advice and Consent of his Majesty's Council to issue this Proclamation hereby requiring and Commanding all Judges, Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs and other Officers to be particularly vigilant in detecting the Perpetrator or Perpetrators of so horrid a Crime, and promising the said reward of twenty five Pounds to any Person or Persons who shall discover the said Offender or Offenders so that he, she or they be convicted of the said Crime.

And I do hereby farther promise his Majesty's most gracious Pardon to any Accomplice who shall discover and prosecute to Conviction any one or more of the said Offenders.

Given under my hand and Seal at Arms at the City

of Burlington in the said Province of New Jersey the twenty first day of March in the tenth year of his Majesty's Reign Anno Domini 1770

[From Book AB of Commissions, in Secretary of State's Office, at Trenton, fol. 54.]

An Ordinance For the better Establishing a High Court of Chancery in the Province of New Jersey and for appointing the Chancellor or Judge thereof By his Excellency William Franklin Esq. Captain General Governor and Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Jersey and Territories thereon depending in America and Vice Admiral in the same & in Council this twenty eighth day of March in the tenth year of his Majestys Reign, Annoque Domini One thousand seven hundred and seventy. Whereas there always hath been a Court of Chancery held in the Province of New Jersey and the same at present requires regulation. His said Excellency the Governor by and with the Advice and Consent of His Majestys Council for the said Province, and by virtue of the Powers and Authorities to him given by his Majestys Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date the ninth day of September in the Second Year of his present Majestys Reign, hath thought fit to ordain and declare, and by and with the Advice and Consent of his said Majestys Council doth hereby ordain and declare that his said Excellency William Franklin Esq. is hereby constituted and ap