of All and the Declaration of One is the Declaration of All. For they were all near at Hand aiding and abetting this Man By these Authorities it plainly appears, That both by the Common Law and the Statute Law, These Men are indictable for High Treason for the Acts will be proved to you by Evidence viz, That they have made an Insurrection in order to redress pretended Publick Grievances; and of their own Authority have attempted with Force to redress them; That they have insolently invaded the Kings Prerogative, by attempting to do that by Private Authority which he by Publick Justice ought to do, and that is plain by Rescuing this Prisoner out of the King's Gaol before he could be brought to Justice, which (says the Law) manifestly tends to downright Rebellion, and all Rebellion is High Treason; That they have attempted to revenge themselves against the Magistrates for Executing their offices; That they have broke open Jaol with Design to release Prisoners in General; That they have in a violent and Forcible Manner withstood the King's Lawful Authority, and endeavoured to reform the Government, which is Levying War against the King and Rebellion, and all Rebellion is High Treason. I charge you therefore upon the Oath you have taken these and Misdemeanours. Pity is certainly a Noble and Godlike Attribute; but then Pity for yourselves! Pity for your Families! Pity for your Expiring Laws! Pity for the King's Good Subjects wounded, beat, and abus'd! And most of All Pity for your Poor Distressed Country Miserably torn to Pieces by these Seditious Proceedings ought to have the Precedence. Besides the Sacred Oath you [have] taken divests you of all Favour and Affection as well of all Hatred and Malice, which God forbid should remain in any of us, And I do Solemnly declare in the Presence of God and this Honourable Court, that tho' they have threaten'd my Life and Destruction to my Famiiy, that I have not the least Malice against any One of them; and that what I have now alledg'd hath not proceeded from Rancour but the Duty of my Office, and the pressing Necessity, of putting an End to these dreadful Beginnings before the whole Province is involved in Ruin and Destruction. Letter from John Reading, eldest Councillor of New Jersey, to the Lords of Trade--informing them of the death of President Hamilton, and of his having assumed the Government. My Lords [From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. V, F 96.] New Jersey June the 25th 1747 On the 17th Instant John Hamilton Esq' late President of his Majesties Council and Commander in Chief of this Province departed this life after a long and slow illness which for some time before his death rendered him unfit for the discharge of so great a Trust that had fallen upon him But such was the Care and diligence of the Council on that occasion that the Province suffered no injury by his illness Immediatly after his death the Council met and I being the person first named in his Majesties Instructions to the late Governor they Swore me into the Administraion of the Government I think it my Duty to give your Lordships this Information of what has happened in this Province and at the same time beg leave to assure you that I shall endeavour to administer the Government truly and faithfully as long as it shall continue in my hands and as near as may be agreable to the Royal Instructions It is with concern that I mention to your Lordships the internal disturbances of the Province but shall not trouble you at present with any particular account of those affairs which has already been lay'd before your Lordships by order of the late President and shall only say that my best endeavours shall never be wanting to restore peace & tranquility to the Province to support and mentain his Majesties Authority and to check to the utmost of my Power the too prevalent Spirit of faction now reigning in this Government With my next I shall Send your Lordships the minutes of the Council and such other publick papers as may let you into the State and Condition of this Province and in the meantime beg leave to Subscribe my Self My Lords Your Lordships most obedient & most Hum! Servant Both Reading & To the Lords of Trade & ca Letter from John Deare to Chief Justice Morris-informing him of the Riot at Perth Amboy. [From Copy among the Alexander Papers in the Rutherfurd Collection, Volume Sir II, No. 11.] Perth Amboy July 18th 1747 A few Days ago I wrote Circular Letters to the Justices Desiring their Attendance here yesterday when I had repeated Information the Rioters would Come & Rescue John Bainbridge, Several of the Justices Came & most of the Constables, We heard in the Morning the Mob were Gathering together about Woodbridge but according to your Honour's Advice it was Resolved not to make any Resistance. About Eleven a Clock the Justices the City Magistrates & I attended by my Deputies and the constables went to the Market House & Walked thare till between Twelve and one when a mob of about One hundred & fifty, Armed with Great Clubs Came into the Town on horse back, Rode by my door, then alight, Tyed their Horses to M Johnston's fence & Came on foot up the Street with Edmond Bainbridge, Simon Wyckoff & one Amos Roberts at their head and two Fiddles Playing. We mett them at the Corner of the Court house I asked their Business, Commanded them to Disperse, Read the Proclamation, which they Suffered me to do but when I began to Read the Writt by which I had taken Bainbridge I was knocked down & have a Grievous Wound in my head they also Struck the Mayor, broke one of the Constable's head beat several of the others and then violently with a Sledge and Iron Barr & a Hatchet broke open the Outward Door & inward Doors of the Goal took out the Prisoner and Carried him off Huzzaing. Bainbridge the Father & his Son had (afterwards) the Impudence Attended by a few more to ride through the Town down to the Ferry & Cross the River & then went out of town. After they had broke the Goal & as they were Doing it I believe about one hundred of them Came into Town but the heads of them Staid a few of those who came in were known. After they were gone the Justices Recorded the Riot Incerting the Names of Twenty one. This Sir is our Present Condition of which I thought it my Duty to Acquaint your Honour and am Your Honour's Most obedient and Humble Servant The Honble Robert Hunter Morris Esq Affidavits relating to the Riot at Perth Amboy, July 17th, 1747. [From certified Copies among Rutherfurd Papers, James Alexander's Collection, N. J. Papers, Vol. III, No. 4.] MIDDLESEX Memorandum That on the 17th Day of July 21st Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, ffrance & Ireland King &c WE Robert Hude, James Thomson, James Smith, Thomas Nevill, John Stelle, Nicholas Everson, Thomas Gage, W Cheesman Esq"-Eight of the Justices of our Lord the King the Peace of our said Lord the King in the sa County to keep assigned, & John Deare Esq' High Sheriff of the said County, having Information of a Riot intended to be committed in the City of Perth Amboy, We at the Request of the High Sheriff af together with him the High Sheriff af did on the Day af in our proper Persons go to his Majestys Goal or Prison in the said City of Perth Amboy in the County af" and then and there did see Edmond Bainbridge, Simeon Wyckoffe, Amos Roberts, Theophilus Burrell, Jacob Shipman Philip Bodine. Barnet Dewit, Cornelius Dehart, Thomas Clawson, Dolins Hegeman Jun', John Riskies, Richie, John Joffers, Cornelius Johnson, John Schermerhorne Abraham Vanwinkle, Henry Hoogland, George Bodine Hopper, John Hopper, and other Malefactors, & Disturbers of the Peace, of our s? Lord the King, to Us unknown, to the Number of 150, armed with Clubbs, & being so as af armed. Riotously, unlawfully & at the said Goal, did assemble themselves together & come, & the said Goal did |