aim at what I think The publick good Independent of any private views and I hope of resentment too but the weakness of human nature I fear will Sometimes Prevaile however My Endeavours Shal not be wanting to arm myself against so Dangerous Evils. Our Present poleitical views are To give the governour his Support the Support bill is now before us and on wensday next will be Sent up To the councile we have Taken a new method of carrying our bills To the upper house that is instead of carrying them To the governour as usual we carry them to the council Deliver them at The lower End of the Table and Desire their concurrence without Taking any notice of The governour att all which method was Introduced about Ten Days Since The governour: was Extreamly Displeased and Expressed his resentment in a very Laconick Manner To a member of the house upon the Delivery of the bill. James De Lancey and Alexander were of oppinion that he had no right To act with The council in paying of bills. and upon Declaring their Sentiments he rose from The Table put all The bills in his pockett and Left them however Since he has Thought better of it and called his councill passed all The bills and Sent them back to the house we Still continue The Same method believeing it may be a means of redeeming of you from Slavery and makeing of You of some weight Quasi a part of the Legislature Your Letter To Mr Rutgers came Too late tho the Committee now Think You Right Mr Rutgers was for The bill, but as Soon as Mathews's back was Turned Gaasbeck & Pawling Turnd Taile and so did his worthy colleague Mr Haring So the bill Dropt and another past not worth Two penc Mathews is much To warm and was never by nature formed for the Station he is in, we received Two Petitions from the Inhabitants against The bill upon a Surmise that it was Designed To Stop up the old roads. which I really believe Induced Them To Sign it Mr Morrison's Spirit of opposition and integrity is omnibus motif: and his character is so well known that all his art never will make him either considerable or honest in The Eyes of his country men I shall not faile speaking to Mr Heath or Doing any thing Else in which you think I can serve you Our premier Minister Still Continues his Station and nothing but a Disolution will shut his Eyes and open The governours. Except as the Indians most Elegantly Express it he was Born Blind Capt Pearce Sailes on wensday next, I have made your compliments after the best manner, I was able and he Desired me To return his I must beg my regards To M" Colden you may Depend upon hearing farther from me when any thing offers worth committing To paperand In the mean time beg Leave To assure You That I am Your sinceer friend John parker Died the 22 Instant at two of the clock in The morning Capt riggs is to fill up the Vacancy at Your Board but Some people are so wicked To Say That one vacancy never filled up another as it is a piece of naturall philosophy we leave it I have Reed yr Last by m' Livingston I Send you down y acctt fairly and honestly drawnout, from the Beginning to the last; In the first place you have y rect of all that I have performed since I have been y1 Deputy 2d an Acct of all that I have recd and thirdly an Acct what is y' due of the moneys Standing Out which Sum Amounts to Thirty Pounds Six shillings and Eight pence which I Shall Endeavour to procure as soon as possible you Can plainly perceive by the Acct that I act honestly with you, I have been Obliged to go through my Books from the Time I have been y' Deputy for through Carelessness, I had not given y' Acct Credt As soon as I had made a person Dr for any Service, however they are at present Stated as you See the Accts & I know not that I have wronged you of a Penny; As to the Sum of Two Pounds One Shilling & a penny which I am at this p'sent Justly in arrear to you I Don't think that worth my while to Send it before I Receive more, I Send you here Inclosed m3 Livingstons Acceptation for what you Ow'd him, I shall proceed as I wrote to you last agt Mr. Schuyler but how I shall find out what y' Interest was in the Lands of the High Germains I Cannot tell, I Therefore Send you back a Copy of his Note so that you may be the better able to Instruct me in y' next I Suppose you have a Bond of him as you have of the rest of y' Deputys and by that Bond he may be brought to an Acct I am Sure he has recd before now, I Can do nothing with him by fair means so pleas to Send me up that Bond and then I Can deal with him & Compell him to do the thing that is fair & Honest I have a Capias out agt him at p'sent upon his Note, he has Stun'd the Sheriff upon Acct of the Attorney Gen' by reason of his being One of Our Justices But I believe that is Over now, I have Sent you down the Money of Peters some Time ago for which please to Send me a Rect Inclosed in yr next Letter I shall take Care to Procure y Declaration in Trust of the Lands behind y❜ Patent, I have been a long time in the Country so hope you'l Excuse my not Sending down the Acctt before I Begg Leave to Conclude and remain with the greatest regard y' most Obedt Albany Octob❜ 11th 1732 Humble Seryt ED. COLLINS. From Cadwallader Colden to Elizabeth Hill. Madam I came from home last friday morning & left my wife & children in the Country & in good health & found Sandy & Betty in good health in this place My wife wrote to you from the Country but we have not heard from you since you wrote to me when I was last in this place I was extremely concern'd to find that you was not pleas'd with our sending the children to toun We had no design besides giving them some Education that they cannot have in the Country & to rub off some of that country awkwardness which is a great disadvantage to young people that expect some time to be in Company & our sending them to the dancing school was only in compliance with the customs of the Country which we cannot bring to our own humours and with which we must comply if we live in the Country where such manners are used They are both now of those years as they must be in Company unless they were to be meared up in the woods and give up all hopes of advancing themselves in the world. I never had the least thoughts of making a Priest of Sandy but his learning latin with the minister last Winter will be of use if he Apply himself either to Law or Phisick & indeed in allmost all affairs or Business of Life My house in the Country is under Cover & I hope to have the Kitchen finished so as to be of use before Winter after which I shall give over all work at it till next Spring or summer. Pray let me hear from you by the return of the post for otherwise we may not hear from you this Winter if you delay writing much longer It gives us a great deal of Concern that we can be of no use to you under the infirmities of old age by reason of our distance from you I thought that it would have given you some Satisfaction to have seen me & Sandy & for that reason I was resolv'd to have carried him with me this fall to pay our Duty to you but you have forbid it in such a manner that I shall not attempt it without your leave I hope none of us have done any thing to disoblige you It would give me the greatest grief if you intertain❜d the least that of our want of Duty especially if you should think so of me for you must at the same time think me the most ingratefull man to the kindest Relation I must again beg of you to write to me that I may not have any reason to suspect that Your love to me is lesson'd for really I cannot bear the thoughts of it I design to return home in the beginning of next week. Sandy & Betty pray that you will accept of their Duty to you All my friends give me a good account of their Behaviour & Betty is taken much notice of by the best familes in the Toun as I was going to Jamaica this morning I received Mr Mathews's letter and yours which inclosed our release to Tenbrook and his petition for a 1000 acres which I shall faithfully endeavour to render effectual to him by all the good offices within my power: I have executed the releases and return it to Mr Morris to be sent to you I hope by your Son I am very well pleased with the agreem1 you have made and shall readily advise in the laying out the land in proper forms and filling them when it is done wherein I shall rely on you (and Mr Mathews, if you join in opinion about it; as for the other parts of your letter I have not time now to consider of them and it will be time enough in the spring when I hope we shall see one another in the meantime pray give my service and thanks to Messrs Collins and Mathews and be assured that I am Sir Yr most obed [Indorsed] humble Seryt TO CADWALLADER COLDEN Esq' GEO. CLARKE. |