in the same words with Your Excellency's commands to me of the 13th

Coll De Lancey came to me this morning and informed me that he had made your Excellency an offer of his House in Town. This has removed great uneasiness I was under from the thoughts that my being in the House in the Fort might put you to much inconveniency, & before this I had no choice. I have told Mr De Lancey that with his leave I would go into his house & leave the house in the Fort for your Excellency where you can be better accommodated than any where in Town & the other house is in every respect sufficient for my family. I beg your Excellency's acceptance of the house in the Fort & that you'll please to let me know about what time you propose to be in New York, that the House may be ready for your reception.

I have the honor to be with the greatest respect, Sir, &c

To the Honble CADWALLADER COLDEN, Esq., President of his Majesties Council and Commander in Cheif of the Province of New York, & the Territories depending thereon in America.

The Memorial of JOHN CHAMBERS Second Justice of his Majesties Supreme Court of Judicature for the Province of New York.

SHEWETH

That on the 30th Day of July 1751 his Excellency the Hone George Clinton Esq then Governor of this Province, was pleas'd, by & with the unanimous advice & consent of his Majesties Council to grant unto your Memorialist his Majesties Commission appointing him second Justice of the said Supreme Court, During good behaviour, that on the 2nd Day of March thereafter, his said Excellency in Council communicated a

paragraph of a Letter from the Earl of Holderness, one of Majesties Principal Secretaries of State of the 20th Novem' 1751 to his said Excellency in these words: "His Majesty approves of your appointing John "Chambers Esq Second Justice of the Supreme Court during good behaviour in the Room of Mr Phillips "deceased." That in virtue of the said commission your Memorialist hath faithfully & according to the best of his abilities exercised & discharged the duties of the said office and as he hopes to the general satisfaction of the Publick.

That the late Lieutenant Governor De Lancey, obtain'd from his said Excellency Gov. Clinton, his Majesties Commission appointing him Cheif Justice of this Province during good behaviour, but did not execute that office while in the administration of Government.

That your Memorialist is informd application hath been made to your honour for the said office or place of Cheif Justice & that you have been pleased to Declare that as the Bench of the Supreme Court is now fill'd by 3 Judges, and there cannot be any immediate want of a Cheif Justice, You chose to defer makeing any appointment until you should receive his Majesties directions thereupon.

That in the year 1747 M Justice Horsmanden was removed by Gov" Clinton from the office of third Judge which remained vacant near Six years. That during this period your Memorialist was appointed Second Justice, & that about two years after he had taken his seat as such, Mr Horsmanden was again appointed third Justice, & hath ever since continued in the exercise of that office, so that your Memorialist humbly conceives Mr Horsmanden can have no Just claim to a preference in this case from his having first assumd the Bench.

Wherefore your Memorialist humbly hopes your honour will be pleased to transmit this state of his case in order to be laid before his Majesty, with such

recommendations of him to be appointed to the office or place of Cheif Justice as to your honour shall seem just & reasonable.

(Signed)

New York, August 19th, 1760.

JNO. CHAMBERS.

Paragraph of a Letter from his Excellency Governor
Clinton, to his Grace the Duke of Bedford. Dated
New York, August, 1751.

I think it proper to remark to your Grace that Mr Phillips Second Judge of the Supreme Court, having dyed three Days Before the beginning of the last Court in July, there was an absolute necessity of ap pointing another. I thought of John Chambers Esq to fill the vacancy a Gentleman who has practised the Law here above 25 years, with a good reputation & a large Estate, & a person the most agreeable to the whole people of the Province, as he has always behav'd with moderation, never countenancing any faction. Upon my offer of the office to him he declined it, unless it were granted during good behaviour, with such strong reasons as convincd me of the necessity & fitness of Granting of the office to him in that manner, and have not the least reason to believe, that either I or any of my Successors, or the people in general will have any cause to wish he had a less tenure in the office.

To GOVERNOR CLINTON.

White Hall, 20th Nov 1752.

His Majesty approves of your appointing John Chambers Esq Second Judge of the Supreme Courty

dureing good behaviour in the room of Mr Phillips, Deceased.

I am, Sir, your most Obedient humble Servant

HOLDERNESS.

TO THE LORDS COMMISS FOR TRADE & PLANTATIONS.

MY LORDS,

New York, Sept 20th 1760.

With great joy I congratulate your Lordsp on the entire reduction of the whole Country of Canada to his Majesties Dominion by his Forces under the command of Major Gen' Amherst, & that the finishing part of the Generals prudent conduct has been without bloodshed. The particulars no doubt your Lordships will have learnd from the Generals dispatches by way of Quebec before this can reach you. However I cannot pass over the pleasure I have in the Generals having had an opportunity of convincing the world that the Indians are as capable of learning humanity from the English as they were of cruelty from the French. We now persuade ourselves that an end is put to the war in America.

With this will be transmitted to your Lordship in a box Ingrossed Copies of Ten Acts pass'd by Lt. Gov De Lancey the 10th June last, Journals of the Proceedings of the Council from the 13th of May to the 10th of June last.

The

Minutes of Council from the 2nd of July 1759 to the 21st of August 1760. Votes of the Assembly from the 11th of March 1760 to the 10th of June. Sallary of the governor being determin'd on Mr De Lancey's death and the Sallaries of all the other officers of government on the first of this month, it has become necessary to meet the Assembly of this Province which I propose to do the 21st of next month. I still hope that the public affairs will be transacted with unanim

ity. I am with the greatest respect, My Lords, Y Lordships most obeydient &

MY LORDS,

To THE SAME.

New York October 27th 1760.

I did myself the honour to write to y' Lordships the 20th of last month, at which time I expected the Packet would have sail'd. Since that time I have met the Assembly and made the Speech which I inclose. They have resolved to make an Address in return to it, which I expect to receive next Wednesday & I hope everything will pass with unanimity. I am with the greatest submission My Lords, Your

SIR,

To M PITT SECRETARY OF STATE.

New York Oct 27th, 1760.

On the 7th of August, & afterwards on the 30th of the same Month, I had the honour to inform you of the Death of Lieut Gov' De Lancey; & that in pursu ance of the powers in his Majesties Commission to the Capt" General & Gov" in Cheif of this Province I had taken the administration of Government upon me as President of his Majesties Council for this Province, since which I have the honour of your commands of the 23rd of August in relation to an illegal and perni cious trade carryed on by the king's subjects in North America, to the French Islands and French settlements on the Continent.

For several years before I entered on the administration I had resided in the Country, at a distance from this Town, & I was thereby intirely a Stranger to the