Letter from James Alexander and Robert Hunter Morris, two of the Council of New Jersey, to the Lords of Trade, at the Request of President Hamilton. [From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. V, F 92.] New York May 10th 1747 The Right Honourable To The Lords Commissioners for Trade and forreign Plantations Whitehall May it please your Lordships At the request of John Hamilton Esq' President of the Council & Commander in Chief of New Jersey (who was disabled by his ill State of health to write) we had the honour of writing to your Lordships in December Last by the Ship Oswego the State of the Province of New Jersey with some papers concerning it which as that Vessel we hear is arrived we doubt not are come to your Lordships hand. At the Like request and for the same reason by the Snow Prince William in ffebruary last we wrote to your Lordships with coppies of what we sent by former and with Coppies of all the Minutes of the Council & assembly from the time that coppies thereof had before been sent. At the like request & for the same reason we are now sorry to acquaint your Lordships that the internal disorders of New Jersey are daily encreasing with the Number of Rioters & Riots and that the course of Justice is at a stand, That the General Assembly is once more called & mett Chiefly to see if they will as yet Join in proper measures to put a check to those disorders. We Inclose herewith to your Lordships Coppies of the Minutes of Council since the Last Sent (by which & what we formerly wrote is approved of) with the Presidents speech to the Assembly & some other papers showing the Continuance & Growth of the disorders We are May it please your Lordships Most Obedient & Most humble Servants JA. ALEXANDER ROBT H. MORRIS [On the 23d May they wrote again at the request of the President, sending duplicates of the documents transmitted.] Letter from President Hamilton to Colonel Peter Schuyler, commanding the New Jersey Forces. [From Original Draft among Papers of James Alexander in Rutherfurd Collection, Vol. I, No. 4.] To Coll. Schuyler Commander of the Forces [of New Jersey] at Albany Sir, [Perth Amboy May 11th 1747.] I have yours by Cap Dagworthy & Leonard of the 30th of April and am Exceedingly sorry to hear of the General Mutiny of the Troops under your Command & more so that they have any Reason for it. I am Concerned that it has not been in my Power to Comply with the Terms Proposed to them at their Inlistment, but Cannot blame myself on that Account. I esteem their Pay Secure because they have his Majesty's Promise for it Signifyed by his Secretary of State And I hope they will not do any Act that may forfeit his Majesty's Favour which Leaving their Station will certainly be. I approve your Zeal for his Majesty's Service in Endeavouring to Prevent the Troops from Comeing off and in Generously Offering to Engage your own private Creditt to procure money for the Pay of the Jersey Companys, but must Observe to you that had they Accepted of that money it would in all Probability have Occasioned a Mutiny in all the Rest of the Troops at Albany who were not paid in the same manner Aud as it is next to impossible to Procure money Sufficient in so short a time to Pay the Troops their whole Pay so I think it would be Prejudicial to his Majesty's Service to do so because they would then Desert in great Numbers Whereas their Receiving a Part of their Arrears & a monthly Allowance 'till his Majesty's Pleasure Could be known will certainly be best upon all accounts Especially if you Consider that they are furnish'd with Provisions & Cloaths at the Expence of the Province. Before this Reaches you, you will Receive Directions from Gov Clinton as to the Pay of the Troops under your Command upon the same Terms on which the York & other Troops Quartered at Albany are to be Paid, and as his Excellency has on this Occasion Exerted himself & Engaged his own Creditt to Procure money Sufficient to Advance 40s. York money to the Troops in Part of their Arrears & 20s p month till his Majesty's Pleasure is known I hope the Jersey Troops will Shew a good Example to the other Forces by Returning to their Duty & Accepting of what is Offered them and I must Recommend it to You to Use the Influence you have Deservedly Acquired among them to Induce them so to Do I Laid before the Assembly, your Letter to me & Ordered your two Officers to Attend them & they have Given a further Supply of Provisions as you will See by their Votes which I Send you inclos'd I must also Inform you that upon your Representation of the Great Want the Men are in of Shirts & Shoes I have this day Ordered two Speckled Shirts & one Pair of Shoes to be made for each of the Men under your Command & to be Sent to You with all Dispatch imaginable, which You will Deliver to them when they Return to their Duty I am &c. Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council-referring to the Lords of Trade a Petition of Jonathan Belcher, appointed Governor of New Jersey, for permission to be absent from his Government two or three months, to visit New England. [From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. V, F 89.] At the Council Chamber Whitehall the 19th of May 1746. LS * By the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs His Majesty having been pleased by His Order in Council of the 16th of last Month, to referr unto this Committee the Memorial of Jonathan Belcher Esq! His Majestys Governor of the Province of New Jersey, humbly praying, for the Reasons therein contained, that His Majesty will grant him His Royal leave to be absent for Two or Three months, at such time or times as may necessarily require his going to New England, taking such Time and Season as may be the least prejudice to His Majesty's Service; And in regard the Memorialist has no appointment from the Crown, and the Salary of the Province is very slender, the Memorialist further prays that His Majesty would be graciously pleased to dispence with that part of the 30th Article of his Instructions, which gives one full moiety of the Salary to the Lieutenant Governor or Commander in Chief during the absence of the Memorialist from his Government; The Lords of the Committee this day took the same into their consideration, and are hereby pleased to referr the said Memorial (a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed) to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and plantations, to consider the same, and Report their Opinion thereupon to this Committee. W. SHARPE To the Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council The Memorial of Jonathan Belcher Esq your Majestys Governor of the Province of New Jersey Humbly Sheweth That by the 30th Article of your Majestys Instructions to your Memorialist it is Provided that during the Time he may happen to be absent from the Province of New Jersey one full Moiety of the Salary and of all Perquisites or Emoluments of Government whatsoever shall be paid unto the Governor Lieutenant Governor Commander in Chief or President of the Council who shall be resident upon the Place for the time being-- That as your Memorialists Family reside at Massachusets Bay in New England which is about four hundred miles from New Jersey and what little Fortune he is possessed of, likewise lies there, which may upon particular Emergencys require his going thither Your Memorialist therefore humbly prays your Majestys Royal leave to be absent for two or three |