Letter from Chief Justice Robert Hunter Morris to James Alexander-about New Jersey Affairs. [From Original among James Alexander's Papers in Rutherfurd Collection, Dear Sir * * Volume 1, No. 8.] Trenton July 28th 1747 * On Tuesday last I left home in order to attend the President in Council the next day at Amboy and we accordingly met on the wednesday afternoon, sundry affidavits were laid before us relating to the Riot at Amboy, and the insolent behaviour of the mobb on that Occasion, of which I would send you coppys if I had time, upon them the councill advised the calling the Assembly as soon as possible, and approved the form of a letter from the Secretary to Each Member in which the disturbances of the Province occasioned by the many Riots and particularly the last at Amboy are mention'd as the principal cause of their being call'd together at this time, that they may have no pretence for not doing their duty-The time of meeting is on the 3a tuesday of August and I hope we shall have your company. I must own to you that I have no great expectations of their doing any thing Effectually to stop so dangerous an evill, but nevertheless think it Right to push the Matter as home to them as we can, not only in the speech, but by Bills and messages from the Councill, and I think we should be ready early in the session that they may have no time to contrive ineffectuall measures that will have no other effect than to screen them from the guilt of suffering these things so long to pass with impunity, but will not answer either to stop the present or prevent the like disturbances for the future The council agreed to make a representation to his majesty of the state of the provinces, and for the Drawing up what is proper on that Occasion they have appointed you M: Coxe and Myself, I proposed a letter from the President and Council to the D of Newcastle, to be immediately drawn up, the gentlemen were in too much haste to return to their homes to come into any such step, and so it was not agreed to The Court of Pleas and Quarter Session sat the last week at Amboy for the County of Middlesex and Nevill labour'd hard in his charge, and otherwise, to have some of the Rioters indicted for high treason, but he had a grand Jury that would hardly indict them for a Riot; I told him I thought him wrong to press that matter without first advising upon it, especially as the Supream Court was near; he said he had M: Kearnys Advice for what he did, and seem'd very fond of pushing the thing, and of having the witnesses examin'd by the grand Jury in open court; but that I prevented. As this Insurrection has happen'd in the County where the next term is to be held, it will be incumbent on me to recomend it in the Strongest terms to the grand Jury, and as I conceive it to be an overt act of Treason I don't see how I can avoid mentioning it as such; and on this head I must beg your thoughts and assistance and for that end hope to see you at Amboy on the day before the Court that we may agree upon what will be proper to be said to the grand Jury. And here I would Observe that it can have, no ill Effects upon the honest part of the Province to have a Bill of high Treason found against some of these Common disturbers, but it may answer some good purpose, either by inducing the Assembly to come into speedy and effectuall measures, or if they refuse, by alarming the government at Home and making them think of taking notice of, and punishing in the Bud, an evill that let alone will wrest their Plantations out of their Hauds, -but of this when we meet. You Observe well that our greatest safety consists in our strength in councill, and in order to preserve it we must take care to hang as much as possible together and give no Just grounds for suspentions.-we have no reason to expect any considerable number in the other house, at present, whatever we may do on a new choice, our chief dependance then must be on the Middlesex Members and one or two more that they can Influence, who by keeping themselves together without Joyning either with the Quakers, or those in the opposition may have it in their power to throw the Ballance on which side they think best, and will consequently be counted by both, and may challenge better terms. That there will be an opposition upon the Arrival of the new Governor, I make not the least doubt from the knowledge I have of the temper and disposition of some of the Members. * * * Your letter to the Presid!' I signed and delivered at Amboy upon reading it, he said he hoped we would continue to assist him as we had done M Hamilton, I told him M Hamiltons inability rendered it absolutely necessary that somebody should carry on a correspondence with the offices at home, but the case was now altered, However I assured him that neither you nor I should be wanting in affording him all the assistance in our power upon every Occasion. When it was concluded to call the Assembly and to press upon them this Matter of the Riots. The Presid Requested that M' Cox yourself & I should prepare a speech for him against their Next meeting and desired we would mention it to you. Inclosed I send you a letter from the Presid to the Lords of trade which you will please to read and forward. He would date it before the Riot at Amboy because he would not Mention it till he could send home the Representation proposed to be made at the next meeting. John Reading succeeding Mr. Hamilton, as the oldest Councillor.-ED. *** My time will be so much taken up before the Court in preparing what is proper for the Grand Jury, and in writing some letters to England to go by a Ship from Philadelphia, that I shall hardly be able to apply my thoughts to the Presid's Speech and must therefore leave that matter to you. I observe in Paris's letter of the 10th of February that he says Partridge drew up and presented to the Board of trade a Speciall memorial in favour of paper money. Partridge has mentioned this in one of his letters to the Late Presid and the thing is talked of pretty publickly, I got speak to Eaton upon it (who is one of the Committee of Correspondence) to know if any orders were given him for making such representation he declared there was not, and if he had taken upon him to ask such an Instruction as would give an unlimited lycence for passing of money bills he should be no longer their Agent, this, and the relation he stands in to the gov!' will go nigh to throw him from that trust, and if it should I think we may easily put it into M Paris's hands, which if this take a bad turn will be of great use; I have not Appeared in this affair nor do I intend it, but think it may be managed by other Hands, it may not be amiss to hint this to M Paris, and desire him to send a coppy of that speciall Memoriall. * * * I am glad to hear the gout has left you and hope before the Court you will be able to walk without either crutch or cain. I am D Sir Your Most Faithfull Humble Serv Ao Morry 'Richard Partridge was brother-in-law to Governor Belcher.-ED. |