livery of all European Goods brought from home and prevent the Importation thereof from other places and likewise to take Care That all Goods be Imported and Exported in Ships Qualified according to Law which are the Chiefe Matters those Officers are charged with Nor was Establishment of a Collector at Perth Amboy any wages intended (nor can it in our humble Opinion be understood) to exempt those inhabitants of New Jersey from the Payment of any Dutyes they were before chargeable with to the Government of New York and are wholly different from those which the Collector of the Customes is charged with at Perth Amboy and are not under Our Direction as may appear from Our Report to Your Lords'ps of 31 August 1697 upon this Subject Copy whereof is hereunto annexed All which is humbly Submitted to Your Lords'ps Consideration CHARLES GODOLPHIN WALTER YONGE SAMUEL CLARK BENJA OVERTON Customhouse London 21 Feby 1698. [1698-9.] WILL ST QUINTIN Order of Council referring to the Lords of Trade a Petition from the Proprietors of East Jersey. [From P. R. O. B. T. Prop., Vol. 2, B 56.] Order of Council upon a Petition of Ye Proprietors of East New Jersey, about a port at Perth Amboy. Present At the Court at Kensington the 9th of March 1698 [1698-9] THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MATY IN COUNCILL UPON reading this day at the Board the Petition of the Proprietors of the Province of East New Jersey in America, concerning the Port of Perth Amboy in the said province It is Ordered by His Ma" in Councill that it be and it is hereby Refered to the R Honble the 'Councill of Trade to examine the matter of the said Petition, a Copy whereof is hereto annexed, And to Report to this Board what they conceive fit to be done therein And it is further Ordered that Mr Atturny Generall and M Solicitor Generall do attend the Councill of Trade at the said Examination. JOHN POVEY [Enclosed in the foregoing.] TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MATY The humble Petition of the Proprietors of the Province of East New Jersey in America. Humbly Sheweth THAT the Earle of Bellomont Your Mays Governor of New York in America in November last, Commanded Thirty or Forty Armed Men to Seize the Ship Hester, then Riding at Anchor within the Harbor of Perth Amboy in East Jersey (ready to sail with the product of that Country to the Maderas) and to carry the said Ship up to New York, where his Excellency caused an Information to be fil'd, in Order to her Condemnation, for not Entring and clearing at that Port.' 1 At a Council held at Perth Amboy the 26th of November 1698. The Governor did Inform this Board that yesterday in the afternoon Capt. Mathews & Mr. Hungerford with between fifty and Sixty men in Arms did come from New York & by Surprise forcibly entr'd the Ship Hester & forcibly detain'd her, and also forcibly do keep & retain Capt Richard Wise Com'ander of the s'd Ship & all the Seamen & Mariners (to her belonging) prisoners aboard the Said That the Earl of Bellomont Justifies his Proccedings by vertue of your Mays Order in Councill made the twenty fifth day of November 1697, in Confirmation of a Report of the R Honoble the Councill of Trade, wherein ther LoPPS declare their Opinion that your Petitioners have no Grant of any Port in East Jersey, And that the Allowance of such a Port will be Detrimentall to New Yorke. That the said Report is grounded upon Severall misInformations of matters of Fact, and the Proprietors had no Notice of the said Report or of your Matys confirmation of it, till the same were published by the Earl of Bellomont in America, whereby yo! Pet's lost all opportunity of asserting their Right of Entring and Clearing Ships in East Jersey. That your Pets are advised by Eminent Councell that they have an undoubted Right of Entring and Clearing Ships immediately at East Jersey, and if they are deprived of a Common benefit of a Port (enjoyed by all other English Colonies) that fertile Country will be Deserted by the Inhabitants and return to a Wilderness, and your Pet's Estates there (which have lost them great Summs of Mony to purchase and Improve) will be totally lost. That to obviate all objections which have been or can reasonably be made by the Inhabitants of New York against a Port in East Jersey, your Pet's will oblige themselves to procure an Act of Assembly of that Province for Imposing the same Dutys upon Goods, Ship, and have hurt & wounded Several of the sd Marriners: His Honour the Govern'r doth desire the Opinion & advice of this Board, whether he shall convene the Country & forcibly retake the Said Ship, or forbear & Suffer those people to do what they please. It is the positive & unanimous Opinion of this Board that there be no force to retake the Said Ship Hester." At a subsequent meeting December 12th the following was recorded "It is the positive and uanimous Opinion of this Board, the Governor do not medle or concern any further with the Ship Hester any manner or way, in Complyance with the Govern'r or Goverm❜t of New York."-Records of Governor and Council 1682–1703 pp 201, 202.-Ed. to be Imported into and exported from East Jersey as are or from time to time shall be payable for the Goods at New York, and to be applyed to the like uses as the Customes of that Port are applyed. Your Pet's therefore most humbly pray that your Maty will be graciously pleased to permitt the free use of the Port of Perth Amboy, upon their procuring such Act of Assembly for Imposing the like Customs as aforesaid, Or that (for yo! Pet's vindication against the clamor of the Inhabitants of East Jersey, upon this occasion) your Ma's will direct Your Attorney Generall, to Consent to a Tryall at Barr in West Minister Hall, upon a faign'd Issue, whereby yo' Pet" claim may receive a Judiciall Determination. And yo! Pets as in duty bound, shall ever pray &c. Memorial from the Proprietors of West Jersey, asking for the appointment of Andrew Hamilton as Governor. [From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties, Vol. (2) B 57.] TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COUNCILL OF TRADE AND PLANTATIONS. The humble Memoriall of the Proprietors of West Jersey in America. May it please Your Lordshipps Collonell Andrew Hamilton having executed the Office of Governour of the provinces of East and West Jerseys for severall yeares past with great Fidelity & reputation and the Props of East Jersey having againe made choise of him to serve in the same Station, and humbly besought his Majesties Approbation of him by their Petition which is referred to Lour Lordsp: Wee humbly represent to Lords? That wee have likewise elected Collonell Hamilton Governour of West Jersey, as the fittest Person in our Judgment to serve the King's Interest, and give satisfaction to his Ma'ties Subjects in that Colony And do therefore humbly request Your Lords" That in the Report which Your Lord shall think fitt to make upon that Petic'on of the Props of East Jersey, Your Lords pleased to certifye to his Majesty Our Election of the said Collonell Hamilton to be Governour of West Jersey and Our humble desire of his Majesties Approbation of him. [March 13th 1698-9] THOS LANE will be PAUL DOCMINIQUE JOHN MOORE MICHAEL WATTS JOHN BRIDGES ROBT MICHEL WM HAMOND Andrew Hamilton to Secretary Popple, relative to the action of the Lords of Trade on his appointment as Governor of New Jersey. [From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties No. 1, B. 59.] Lr'e from Mr Andrew Hamilton to ye Sec" desiring a speedy Report upon the Petic'on & Meml! of of ye Jersies ab his being appointed Gov Being inform'd that their Ld'ps have been taken up with multiplicity of affairs, I was unwilling to interrupt their Ld'ps with any motion of mine. |