ch These places have Ever Since been Under the Goverment of the Respective Pp'rs. the Dukes Grantees thereof, & have held Gen!! Assemblyes we are in the Nature of parliaments within themselves & have made use of there own portes & harbours for Lading & unlading the merchandizes Imported into & Exported from thence. After the Grant of these places made by the Duke of York the General Assembly of New York have Imposed Seaverall Customs Upon Merchandizes Imported & Exported there, in wh Generall Assemblyes the Prvinces of East Jersey & West Jersey had the [?no] representatives being esteemed Distinkt Goverments & Independent of New York. The Collectors and Officers of the Customes of New York Under p'tence or color of an order from the Commissioners of the Customes in England Deney the Inhabitants of East & West Jersey the Use of there Own portes & harbours and fforce em up to New York Unless they will pay the Same Customs in their own portes which are payed at New York. Qu: whether Customes upon merchandises Imported into & Exported from East & West Jersey can be imposed Otherwayes than by Act of Parliament Or the Gen! Assemblyes of those Collonys. Answer. These Customes cannot be imposed but by Act of Parliament Or Some Assembly that Actes as a parliament according to the Rules and Goverment of the place. Qu: whither the Com'issioners of ye Customes in England Can Compell the Inhabitants of East & West Jersey to Enter their shipes and unlade their goods at New York or restraine them from Using their own harb's Unless they will pay the Dutys Imposed by the Assembly of New York where the Inhabitants of East & West Jersey had no representatives nor were Under their Jurisdiction. Answer. East and West Jersey haveing been devided from New York by the Duke of York Grant also from the Goverment and Ever Sence by Allowances from ye Crown Used & Enjoyed a Goverment of there own distinct from ye Goverment of the p'vince of New Yorke but had Assemblyes of their own wherein the Make Rules & Orders for themselves as a Distinck p’vince as New York Do for themselves. I Do not See how they can be bound by the Rules of New York or be Obliged by them or the Comissioners of the Customes here to Lade or Unlade theire Goods at New York. CRESWELL LEWINZ. Vera copia-W. DOCKWRA, 2: Apr: 97. East Jersey. A similar decision, differing but little in language, was given by Sir John Hawles under date of June 4th, 1697.-ED From Attorney General Trevor to Secretary Popple, enclosing form of Bond to secure the performance of their Duties by Deputy Governors in the Provinces. [From P. R. O. B. T., Prop., Vol 1, A 38.] L're from ye Atty Gen! with a Draught of a Bond to be enter'd into by ye Props of Several Plants in America. S According to their Lords'ps I have sent you inclosed a Draught of a bond to be entred into by the Propriet's of the several Plantac'ons in America for oblig ing them to cause their Deputy Governors to obey such Directions as shall be sent to them by his Mata or other p'son acting by his authority pursuant to the Acts of Trade relating to the Plantac'ons. teneri et firmit' Obligari Serenissimo Principi et Dn'o nr'o Gulielmo tertio Dei gracia Angl' Scotie ffrancie et Hibernie Regi fidei Defensor in libris bone et legalis monetiAngl' Solvend: eid'm Dn'o Regi here d': vel Successorib's Suis ad quam quid'm Soluc'onem bene et fidelit' faciend' Oblige me Heredes Executores et Administratores meos firmit p'p'entes Sigillo meo Sigillat' Dat' -die- -Anno Regni dicti Dn'i n'ri Gulielmi tertij Regis nono &c Annoq' Dm' 1697. THE CONDICON of this obligac'on is such that if the above Bounden Proprietor of in shall afore cause his respective Deputy Governor of said for the time being, from time to time and at all times to observe p'form and obey all such Directions and instrucc'ons as shall at any time be sent to such Governor from the King's most Excellent Mate or from any p'son or p'sons now acting or that hereafter shall act by his maties Authority, pursuant to, or for the better putting in Execuc'on, the several Acts of Trade relating to the Plantac'ons (viz!) An Act made in the Twelfth year of the Reign of the late King Charles the Second Entituted an Act for the Increasing of Shipping and Navigac'on An Act made in the fifteenth year of his said late Mtie Entituled an Act for the Incouragem of Trade. An Act made in the two and Twentieth and three and Twentieth years of his said late Maties Reign Entituled an Act to prevent the Planting of Tobacco in England and for Regulating the Plantac'on Trade, An Act made in the Twenty fifth year of the Reign of his said late Mate Entituled an Act for the Encouragement of the Greenland and Eastland Trades, and for the better securing the Plantac'on Trades, An Act made in the Seventh and Eighth years of the Reign of his p'nt Matie Entituled An Act for preventing frauds and Regulating Abuses in the Plantac'on Trade, and all other Acts of Parliam now in force relating to the Plantac'on Trade Then this Obligation to be void or else to remain in full force & virtue. From the King, to the Proprietors of East & West Jersey, relating to the Plantation Trade. [From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties, Vol. 25, p. 69.] The King's Letter to the Proprietors of East and West New Jerseys relating to the Plantation Trade.' W. R. Trusty and Welbeloved, We Greet you well. Whereas notwithstanding the many good Laws made from time to time, for preventing of Frauds in the Plantation Trade, it is manifest that very great abuses have been, and continue still to be practised to the prejudice of the same, Which Abuses must needs arise, either from the insolvency of the Persons who are accepted for Security, or from the remissness or 'Delivered to Mr. Bass the 21th May 1697. N. B. The Letter to West Jersey was the same (mutatis mutandis). connivance of such as has been, or are Governours in the Several Plantations, who ought to take care that those persons who give Bond shall be duely prosecuted in case of nonperformance; You are to take notice that We take the good of Our Plantations, and the improvement of the Trade thereof by a strict and punctual observance of the Several Laws in force concerning the same, to be of so great importance to the benefit of this Our Kingdom and to the Advancing of the Duty of Our Customs here, That if We shall be hereafter informed that at any time there shall be any failure in the due observance of those Laws within Our Colony of East New Jersey by any wilfull fault or neglect on your part, We shall look upon it as a Breach of the Trust reposed in you, deserving the marks of Our highest displeasure, So We bid you heartily farewell. Given at Our Court at Kensington this 22th day of Aprill 1697 in the 9th Yeare of our Reigne By his Majesty's Command SHREWSBURY. To Our Trusty and Welbeloved the Proprietors of Our Colony of East & West New Jersey in America. From Secretary Popple to Mr. Basse, inclosing the form of Bond received from Attorney General April 9th, 1697. [P. R. O. B. T. Proprieties, Vol. 25, p. 75.] Lett to Mr Bass abt a Bond to be entered into by ye Propriets of the Several Plantations in America. To M BASS S Whereas the lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament have (by a late Address) humbly repre |