Letter from Governor Lewis Morris to the Duke of Newcastle-about the raising of troops in New

Jersey.

From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. XII, p. 229.]

On his Majesties Service To his Grace the Duke of Newcastle his Majesties principall Secretary of State at White Hall These

Burlington 31st August 1740

May it Please your Grace.

Had

The short notice I have had of this Conveyance (and wch its doubted whether I shall reach) give me only time to inform your Grace that we have raised in this Province three companies of one hundred men each which have been compleated for some time. Commissions come for Officers as was expected from Your Graces letter and his Majesties Instructions I could easily have rais'd two more: but no more commissions being sent than for two companies prov'd a great discouragement, and rendered it difficult to raise more at this time that I have done.

I have got also from the Assembly £2000 for to hire transports and purchase provisions but of this I shall be more full when I transmit their Acts and proceedings. They have Appointed Managers and as I am told by them the provisions are purchased and transports hyred for their transportation & I am in hopes we shall be ready to send them from hence about the 20th of September. I am

My Lord Your Graces most humble

and Obedient Servant'

See "Papers of Gov. Morris," p. 107.

LEWIS MORRIS

Letter from Governor Morris to the Duke of Newcastle-upon New Jersey affairs.

[From P. R. O. America and West Indies Vol. 12, p. 230.]

Burlington October 18th 1740.

May it Please your Grace

I receiv'd your graces of the 5th of Jan'ry 1739-40 on the 10th of April following via Virginia, and on the 24th of June via New York a Second of April ye 5th with his Majesties Instructions concerning the Intended expedition against the Spaniards in the West Indies. Your Graces first letter came to hand upon the first meeting of our assembly, and I recommended the affair to them as your Grace will see at the end of my Speech made to them at their meeting; which comes inclosed, and I afterwards published (pursuant to your Graces direction) the inclosed proclamation. and upon receipt of your Graces second letter with his Majesties Instructions (the Assembly being then sitting) I communicated to them what his Majestie required of them, and earnestly press'd them to comply with his Majesties 8th Instruction; as your Grace will see by my Speech to them on y' head.

They could not handsomely directly deny what was in so strong terms required of them, but was far from having any inclination to do it; and would fain have shuffled it off, under pretence of waiting to see what their neighbours of Pensilvania, and New York would do; and accordingly sent me a message desiring leave to Adjourne for a fortnight.-I too well gues'd what was to be expected from the Assemblyes of either of these provinces (as they then stood) to comply with their requests in this case; which plainly appear'd to me to be made with intent to evade the doing what his

Majestie required of them; and believ'd that if I permitted them to Adjourne, and discover the inclinations of their neighbours in York and Pensilvania, ye Consequence would be either that nothing would be done, or much less than would be procured at a time when they could not well know the Sentiments of those people; and therefore wrote the inclosed letter in answer to their message; and kept them together.

They then entred upon it, and sent up a bill for the raising of two thousand pounds for transporting troops &c we comes inclos'd with the others. This bill instead of raising any money, only applied money already rais'd, and apply'd for the Support of Government by other acts.

They omitted making provision for other necessaries as required by the 8th Instruction, and made their Managers only Accountable to y assembly; and (in the opinion of the Councill) the whole bill was Very confus'd and scarce intelligible; so that a conferance was desired with them upon it, which with much ado was Obtain'd; but without Effect; the assembly being predetermined not to admit of any alteration to what they were pleas'd to call a money bill; and it was suppos'd that the true reason of drawing of it in the manner it was done was to defeat the doing of the thing required of them; because they conciev'd neither the councill, or I, could, or would assent to it in the manner drawn, however, the councill (for reasons that will appeare to your grace in their minutes) chose to assent to it rather than lose y bill. I had talk'd with severall of them, who seem'd to agree that the amendments propos'd were reasonable, & I had still hopes y' they might be prevailed upon to come into other measures; & therefore (after the councill had agreed to the bill) I adjournd for about a fortnight to get in their harvest thinking that might gain upon them and on their meeting Spoke to them as your Grace will see by the

inclosed; but without Effect: for they would not depart from the bill they had drawn nor come into the making a Law against mutiny and desertion which in his Majesties name I recomended to them. finding all the methods in my power ineffectuall to get a bill of a better forme, I consented to it as they and the councill had pass'd it; at the same time declaring against its being brought in future times for a precedent, as your Grace will see by my Speech at the prorogation of them.

I have raised three companies, and could easily have raised five had a number of blank commissions been sent, as was expected from, your Graces letter and his Majesties instructions; but there coming no more than two for this Province rendred the raising more than three companies impracticable at that time.

These companies are all (but about eighteen or twenty men) raised in the Eastern division of new Jersie, and I am told not above three servants amongst them and those no long time to serve.

Your Grace will see by what comes with this the difficulties I have had to prevaile upon our assembly to come into the doing of any thing with respect to the transporting the forces rais'd here and finding them provisions, which they left no craft they were masters of unessay'd to avoid; and I was under a necessity of assenting to their bill against my own inclinations rather than lose the use of £2000 for that purpose, which cost them not one groat; but, was part of what was Appropriated to ye Support of his Majesties government: But it being for his Majesties service as things were then circumstanced, I humbly hope his Majestie will be graciously pleas'd to approve of my conduct in that case.

I have at last sent these companies off, one under the Command of Capt" george Thomas & his Officers, another undr the command of Cap' James Hooper and

his Officers, to whom I gave the two commissions sent me by Coll Blakeney, the third under the command of Capt Robert Farmer and his Officers, to whom I gave by Coll Blakenys direction Certificates that they might recieve commissions from Lord Cathcart at the place of Rendezvous in the West Indies. Hoopers with part of Thomas's company sailed from Sandy hook with Coll' Blakeney on the twelth past, Thomas and Farmer with the rest Sayled from hence on the 14th in Order to Joyn them at the Capes of Virginia; that being the place they were directed to be sent by Coll Gooch.

The £2000 appointed here to transport these forces was not sufficient for the purpose intended, and rendred it very difficult to be done; the people here (from some conduct of those concern'd in the time of Queen Anne relating to the Canada expedition some of the bills drawn then remaining (as is said) long unpay'd (if as yet paid) or for what other reasons I know not) are very diffident of Government bills, or pretend to be so; and what adds to the difficulty, is the Scarcity of Currency viz paper bills, wch here are hardly sufficient for Ordinary concernes; for, Such of them as the industrious husband men recieve for their grain and other produce, is generally hoarded in Order to make purchases of Land for their children, we lessens the currency; But, were they all currant and would serve for Ordinary Occasions, yet such quantities of them as would be necessary on such an extraordinary Ocasion as this are not in the hands of Merchants here & cannot be procured in York, or Pensilvania but with much difficulty; however, with much ado I have got it done, on the promise of drawing for what the charge amounted to more than the £2000; but, how much more it has ammounted to I do not know, the accounts being not Sent in.

One third of the western diversion [division?] (which