by the Petitioners; and whatever equitable claim to those persons may have, who took grants of Lands from the Govern' of New Hampshire, lying Eastward of any Lands granted by this Province, certainly can not extend to such as did lately obtain grants from that Govern', of Lands lying nearer Hudsons River, than lands do, which were granted under this Provee upwards of Sixty years agoe—especially when it is considered that they passed over a large extent of Land, much nearer to Connecticut River, to come at those Lands, which lye within the ancient possessions of this Provce. That some of them even seated themselves on lands. which the Settlers under this Provce had been obliged to abandon at the commencement of the late War—and that they obtained grants from the Govern' of N. Hampshire, for any of these Lands, without paying the least regard to the prior grants and notorious claim of this Province. The Petitioners have been at considerable expence in exploring and surveying these lands, and have hitherto been prevented from receiving the benefit of His Maj'7'* bounty. I therefore, thought it necessary My Lord, to comply with their desire, that I should transmit their Petition to your Lord in order to obtain His Maj'*'* commands thereon.

I find My Lord, that the settlement and cultivation of the Country lying West of Connecticut River, which was formerly granted by the Govern' of New Hampshire, is entirely retarded by the controversies, which have arisen between those Proprietors and this Government. When I formerly held the Administration, I had resolved on measures respecting these Lands, which I was then assured would give entire satisfaction to these people, & would produce the immediate settlement of the Country, and a very considerable augmentation of His Majesty's Quit-Rents.

I found the People, who had taken grants of Lands from the Govern' of N. Hampshire west of Connecticut River, very willing to take new Grants for the same lands from this Govern'; the expence of taking out the Patents being the only objection. To obviate this, I told as many as then applied to me, that I would give them Grants and leave it to themselves to pay me such proportion of my fees as they could conveniently do, & that I would use my influence with the other officers of Govern' to lower their fees in these Cases. This was so agreable to the people, that the Proprietors of several Townships, immediately proceeded to take the necessary steps, for obtaining the new Grants, but I was prevented from puting the Seal to any of them by the arrival of Sir Henry Moore. He afterwards took his full Fees for one of those Grants, which had been very near ready for the Seals before he came; and I am told he refused to pass any without his full Fees were paid. This gave great disgust to the people, and occasioned those applications which have since been made to the King on this subject.

I think it my duty to submit my Sentiments on this matter to your Lord, as I am still of opinion that New Grants given by this Govern', to those people who have an equitable pretence, by their former Grants from New Hampshire, under such fees of Office as shall be 'Sir Henry Moors, Bart., was grandson of John Moore, Esq,, who settled at Barbadoes in the reign of Charles II., and afterwards removed to Jamaica. His younger son, Samuel, married Elizabeth Lowe, whose only son and heir, Henry, survived them, and acted as Lieutenant-Governor of that Island from 1756 until 1759, and from 1760 to 1762. During the latter period of his administration he suppressed an alarming insurrection of the slaves, and afterwards proccded to England, where his energy in Jamaica procured for him a Baronetcy on the 29th January, 1764, and the appointment as Governor of New-York in July following. The latter office he filled, with ability and credit to himself, until his death, which occurred on the 11th September, 1759. He was the only native Colonist that held the commission of GovernorGeneral of the Province of New-York. Sir Henry Moore married Catharine Maria, eldest daughter of Chief Justice Long, of Jamaica, and sister of the Hon. Edward Long, Judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty and author of the History of that Island. He left two children, a son and daughter. The former, Sir John H. Moore, succeeded to the title, but died without issue in 1780 and the title became thereupon extinct. New-York Documentary History, 8vo., III., 524-527.—ED.

no ways distressing, will be the shortest and most effectual method to do justice and give satisfaction to the proprietors. That it will immediately produce the settlement of that large & valuable Tract of Country, and greatly increase His Majesty's Revenue. The difficulties which have obstructed the grants of those lands for some years past, being removed, will most effectually promote the Grant of that Tract of Land, designed as I am informed, for the Society for propagating the Gospel, and of other Tracts, which the Trustees of the College and Church in this City have pe[ti]tioned for.

These matters are mentioned My Lord, with entire submission to your Judgement and His Majty'* pleasure, by My Lord,

Your Lord's. most obedient
and faithful servant

CADWALLADER COLDEN.

My Lords,

Lieutenant-Governor Colden to the Lords of Trade.

[New-York Paper, Bundle 8»., No. 67. ]

New York. 6. January 1770.

Yesterday I passed a Bill granting £2000 for supporting the Troops quartered in this place with necessaries, and a Bill for emitting £120000 in Bills of Credit being ready for my assent, I called together the Council, who all attended except Sir William Johnson, who is at 200 miles distance. His Maju'* instruction of July 15th 1766 for creating and emitting paper Bills of Credit, was laid before them. After having considered the same and reasoned thereon, the Gentlemen of the Council unanimously advised me to give my assent to the Bill for emitting £120,000 in Bills of credit, as being absolutely necessary in the present circumstances of the Colony; and I accordingly gave my assent to it in the usual form.

My Lord Hillsborough by his letter of the 4,h of November, informs me that a Bill for the same purpose, passed the last session of Assembly, and transmitted by Sir Henry Moore, was, on your first meeting together, to be laid before your Lord, for your consideration; to which, the Bill I have now passed is in every material part similar. But it is my duty to transmit without delay by this Packet, the Act as 1 have assented to it under the great seal of the Prov. By this means I hope that the time allowed by the Act, before the Bills can be emitted, is in effect equivalent to the suspending clause enjoined by the instruction, as your Lord have had sufficient time to consider the same, and His Maj'*'* approbation or disallowance may reach this place as effectually as could be done, had the suspending clause been inserted. The Bills of credit are to bear date the 10th day of June next, and are not to be emitted till the last Tuesday of that month.

As I have in my letter to Mylord Hillsborough, particularly set forth the reason which induced me to give my assent to the Bill as it now stands enacted; I think it needless to trouble your Lordpp" with a repetition of them.—I hope they are such as will convince your LordPP* that the circumstances of this Govern' considered, I have not acted inconsistently with my duty, or the trust with which his Majesty has honoured me.

I likewise transmit to your LordPi" another Act which I have passed at this time, explaining the duty of the Loan Officers, it is an appendage to the other Act, but has nothing in it I think, which can effect His Maj's interest, or deserve any particular remarks.

The Assembly is still sitting; as soon as the public business is done, and the session closed, I shall as usual transmit all the Acts which shall be passed.

I shall be extreamly happy to obtain the honour of your Lordpp* approbation of my conduct, and of being in your Lordships estimation.

My Lords

Your most obediend & faithful servant

N° 8.

CADWALLADER COLDEN.

Lieutenant-Governor Colden to the Earl of Hillsborough.

[New-York Papers (S. P. O.) CLXII.]

My Lord,

New York. 6. January 1770.

I have the honor of your Lordp's letter of the 4th of November N° 34. At this time, when difficulties in the Administration are unavoidable, the assurances your Lord" is so kind to give of your support and protection, gives me strength in performing my duty.

When the Bill for supplying the Troops quartered in this Place, was brought into the Assembly, the party in opposition, made a violent effort to disconcert all the present measures, by exciting the people to appear against the Bill. For this purpose the inclosed printed paper, directed: "To the betrayed inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York," was, the night before the last Packet sailed, dispersed thro' the Town, I transmit your Lordp likewise two Proclamations issued on this occasion.1

Tho' some of our Newspapers make the meetings of the sons of Liberty, as they call themselves, on this occasion to be numerous and of consequence, the party was really disappointed. The numbers who appeared were too small and inconsiderable to have any weight, or be of any service to their purpose. They have been further disappointed in three attempts since made. People in general, especially they of property, are now aware of the dangerous consequences of such riotous and mobish proceedings.

The supply of the Troops is unpopular, both, in Town and Country. You know My Lord, it is very generally an unpopular subject, in the English Govern', and much pains is taken to work upon the prejudices of the People here. However, the party in the Assembly did not think proper to oppose the supply directly, but proposed that it should be paid out of Bills of Credit, to be emitted by a Bill then in the House. In which case that Act must take effect immediately or there could be no supply. This made it necessary for the Friends of Govern to compromise the matter, by granting one thousand pounds out of the Treasury, and another

The abovo mentioned address and proclamations will be found in New-York Documentary History, 8vo., III., 528-536 ; Journals of the General Assembly of New-York, entry December 18, 1769. — Ed.

thousand pounds out of these bills of Credit; and even with this compromise the Bill for supplying the Troops, was carried by a very small majority, and it could not have been carried, had I not given the Friends of Administration, expectations that I would assent to the Bill for emitting Bills of Credit, if it were in the same terms with the Bill passed in the preceeding session, and transmitted to your Lord" by Sir Henry Moore, and six months allowed to know His Majty'* pleasure, before the Bills of Credit can be emitted.

Yesterday, My Lord, I passed the Bill granting £2000 for supplying the Troops quartered in this place with necessaries, and the Bill for emitting £120000 in Bills of Credit, being ready for my assent, I called together the Council, who all attended except Sir William Johnson, who is at 200 miles distance. His Maj'*'' instruction of July 15,b 17G6 for creating and emitting Paper Bills of Credit, was laid before them. After having considered the same & reasoned thereon, the Gentlemen of the Council unanimously advised me to give my assent to the Bill for emitting £120000 in Bills of Credit, as being absolutely necessary in the present circumstances in this Colony, and I accordingly gave my assent to it in the usual form.

It is the same with the Bill transmitted to your Lordp by Sir H. Moore (except in two or three immaterial clauses, on the appointment of Loan Officers, in the Cities of New York and Albany, & unavoidable alterations in Time) which the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations must have had under consideration before this time. The Bills of credit to be emitted by this Act, are to bear date the 10th of June next; the interest is to arise from, and the emission to be on the last Tuesday of that month, which is near six months from this time. This is equivalent to a suspending clause, till His Majesty's pleasure shall be known, for His Maj'*' pleasure, certainly, may be transmitted before that time. I now, My Lord, transmit an exemplified copy of the Act under the seal of the Province, in a Box directed to the Board of Trade and plantations. No public business could have been carried on in the Assembly without my assent to this Bill. The call for it, both in Town and Country was so general, that the Friends of Govern', in the Assembly, could not have been supported without it, and the Administration, must have been made very uneasy to me. Your Lord may be assured, I discover nothing in it prejudicial to His Maj" service, and as the interest money arising from these Bills of Credit, cannot be disposed of without the Governor's consent, it may be a fund hereafter for supplying the Troops. The King's approbation will give general satisfaction, and when people are in good humor, His Majesty's service may be carried on more effectually, than when they are in a contrary disposition.

I inclose another printed paper, that your Lord may see the Temper of the party who oppose the measures of Govern', at the same time it may not be improper to tell you, that no Gov* in Chief has been at any time attended by greater numbers on New Year's day, than I was on the last, with their compliments on the season. When what appeared in this place, in past times, is considered, my mentioning this, will not be thought to proceed merely from vanity.

The Assembly are still sitting, they have passed none but the usual Bills, except those which I have already mentioned to your Lord—what remains to be done for His Maj1*'* service in this Session, I expect will be done without difficulty. I shall think myself extremely happy if my endeavours in the performance of my duty, obtain His Majesty's approbation. Without doubt your Lord perceives the difficulties which attend the Administration of Govern' at this Time, in all the Colonies, and therefore I flatter myself, with your most favourable construction

of the measures I have thought necessary for His Maj's service, and that you will allow me the honour of being

My Lord,

Your most obedient and

faithful servant.

CADWALLADER COLDEN.

Earl of Hillsborough to Lieutenant-Governor Colden.

[New-York Papers (S. P. O.) CLXII.]

No 36.

Whitehall. 18. Jan'y 1770.

Sir,

I have received and laid before the King your Dispatch N° 5. inclosing your speech to the General Assembly, at the opening of the Session on the 22 of November, and the Addresses to you from both Houses.

The late Gov' in a letter to me dated the 19th of July last, acquaints me that my circular letter No 29. of which I now inclose to you a copy, altho' I presume you are in possession of the original, had been communicated to the Council, and had given great satisfaction, and I have also observed that the purport of that letter, has been repeatedly printed in the Newspapers on the Continent of America. As the contents of it, therefore cannot be unknown to you, and are, I am certain, so clearly expressed as not to be misunderstood I must desire to you will enable me to inform the King upon what authority you have taken upon you to declare in your speech to the General Assembly, that there is the greatest probability, that the late duties (without distinction) imposed by the authority of Parliament upon America, would be taken off in the ensuing Session; I very sincerely wish, you may have it in your power so to explain and justify this proceeding as to remove the appearance of your having acted in a manner highly unbecoming your situation.

After what I have said on this subject, it gives me much concern to find occasion to animadvert on any other part of your conduct, but it is not fit for me to pass unobserved your having omitted to take notice in your speech of the steps taken by the late Gov and by yourself in respect to the paper Currency Bill passed in the former session of assembly; had this been done, the Assembly could not have had the colour of a pretence, for so irregular a proceeding as that of framing a New Bill pending His Majty's consideration of the former one, and if it shall appear, that you have suffered the Assembly to proceed upon this business, without using your endeavours to dissuade them from it, it will be such an aggravation of your imprudence and want of attention, as cannot fail of exposing you to His Maj'*'* just displeasure Upon what ground it is that you suppose this New Bill will receive the Council's concurrence, I am at a loss to guess; but I trust that they will not be influenced by any consideration to a conduct inconsistent with a due respect to the Crown.

His Majesty hopes that the account you give of the Temper and disposition of the majority of the New Assembly, will in the end be justified by their actions; but their having adopted and concurred in the Resolves of the Virginia Assembly of the 16,h of May, is not a very favourable omen that their proceedings will have so desirable a conclusion.