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blunder at the very beginning of his term of office, in his address to the Legislature, the same left in session by Hunter and which Burnet at once convened.

Governor Burnet was fond of polemical discussion and of biblical study, and like some others whose tastes led them to the examination of abstruse subjects hidden in prophecy and oriental imagery, pursued investigations into realms where wiser men dared not venture. He wrote extensively on the prophecies in the Bible, and especially that of Daniel and published a volume on the Book of Revelation, adding one more theory to the many that have been formulated on that strange and mystical production. His brother, Gilbert, an English Divine, of some eminence, in the established church, when he first heard of the Governor's design of commenting on St. John's remarkable Book, endeavored to dissuade him from the undertaking. But his entreaties were futile; the book was written, printed and a copy forwarded to the clergyman, who, after reading it, was forced to admit it had great merit,

Burnet did not confine his attention to the prophetic and mystical, but wrote on astronomical and some other scientific subjects. He was careless of forms and ceremonies, despised cant and disliked anything like an approach to formalism. His frankness of expression, together with these characteristics prompted him to make use of language which shocked the austere Puritan of his day. After he relinquished his office of Governor of New York and New Jersey, having been appointed Governor of Massachusetts with some other provinces in New England, he was met, on his way to Boston, at various points of his progress, by several clergymen and members of the General Court. They were attracted by the reputation which he had acquired of great biblical learning. One of them, with whom he was about to dine, asked him how he preferred to have the blessing invoked over their meal. The dismay of the strict Puritan may be imagined when the prompt reply came: "Standing or sitting, or no way, just as you please." In his early life he was charged with infidelity, but, later on, he undoubtedly became a devout believer in Christianity. The whole tenor of his later life, at least, was that of a man who firmly believed in the truth of the revealed religion of Christ. A portrait of him still preserved in the Senate Chamber at Boston represents a large, burly man with a face indicating that its possessor loved a joke, was fond of the pleasures of the table and had enjoyed life and its blessings. It is

not an intellectual face, but rather that of a bon vivant, of one who cared more about the quantity of his food than its quality; it is the face of a man of native goodness of heart who delighted to please others provided no great demand was made upon him.

Governor Burnet was fortunate in meeting with his predecessor in England before he assumed the duties of his office. From the intimacy then acquired he received much valuable information relative to the province he was to rule and the men with whom he would become associated. He had great advantage in another direction; he became Governor at a time when the most amicable relations existed between the three branches of the government. But, notwithstanding these aids, he made a serious blunder at the very beginning of his term of office. He convened, at a very critical period, the same Legislature which Hunter left in session. The colony was incumbered with a heavy debt, there was no circulating medium of a metallic or other character, except such as might be supplied by the paper currency of New York and other Colonies. The colonists were put to great inconvenience in the payment of taxes, when wheat, which was allowed by law to be used for that purpose, could not be obtained; broken plate and different kinds of jewelry being then employed. The paper money issued by other colonies was not made a legal tender by statute in New Jersey, either for taxes or for debts. Great embarrassment was the consequence of all this and traders and their customers were alike involved in great difficulties in their commercial transactions. The population of the whole province was about 30,000. There had been no exact census of the inhabitants, but this seems to be the nearest approach that can be made to the real number of the people.

It was at such a crisis as this in the history of the colony when Burnet reached New Jersey.

Hunter had always succeeded in securing whatever the needs of the government required. He assumed a conciliatory method in his speeches, never demanding but always submitting the necessities of the case in a plain straightforward manner, and addressing himself to the good judgment of the representatives. The Legislature soon learned that he was entirely truthful in his statements and that he only asked for what was really needed. Burnet, however, in his first speech to the Legislature, assumed a different tone which seemed to irritate the members and their answer was brief and cold. There was no harmony between him and the House and this manifested itself in several directions.

A question was raised whether the action of Burnet in calling together the same Legislature convened by Hunter, was legal.

In fact, it was directly charged by some of the members of the Assembly that it was contrary to law. This challenging of the Governor's policy, the general coldness of the Legislature and its evident disinclination to agree with him induced Burnet to prorogue the Assembly until April 21, 1721. The antagonism seemed to increase and a new Assembly was called together. The precise day of the meeting of the Legislature thus convened is not known, but it was early in the same year. There was a better feeling towards the Governor, on the part of the new House, and matters were conducted much more smoothly.

This Legislature was the only one summoned by Burnet and it continued until the close of his term of office, in 1727. It had only two Speakers, Dr. John Johnstone, of Amboy and William Trent, of Burlington. Dr. Johnstone came from Scotland, in 1685. He was a physician and highly esteemed for his skill and greatly beloved for his benevolence. He was a member of the Assembly for thirteen years, and, at first, established himself in his profession in New York, but afterwards removed to Amboy, at what precise time, it cannot be determined, but certainly before 1707. He was a man of great prominence in the province and took a very active part in public affairs. He had a large plantation in Monmouth County, but undoubtedly had his legal residence in Amboy, from which locality he was elected as a representative to the Assembly, and was twice chosen Speaker, and died in Amboy, in 1732, in his 71st year. A Philadelphia newspaper noticed his death and speaks of the "inexpressible loss to the poor, who were always his particular care.'

William Trent, afterwards Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was a large land owner at Trenton, the present Capital of the State, to which he gave his name. This Legislature does not seem to have been very busily employed, but it passed some very important acts.

King George's title to the English crown was violently contested by a large number of his subjects in Great Britain, especially by those holding the tenets of the Roman Catholic Church. The Pretender, as he was called by the adherents of the Hanoverian, was giving the English government an immense amount of trouble by his attempts on the throne. Fears were entertained that the rebellion, incited by the adherents of the Stuarts, might extend to the English provinces in America. So, in 1723, the Legislature of the province passed an act

for securing his "Majesty's government in New Jersey." The statute was very stringent in its provisions and made sweeping demands upon the colonists to maintain their loyalty to the reigning sovereign. It provided that two or more justices of the peace or certain persons to be approved by the Governor, for the purpose, might summon any suspected person before them, women and minors under eighteen excepted, and oblige them to take and subscribe four oaths, the forms of which were prescribed in the act. By the first, the affiant avowed his allegiance to his Majesty, King George. By the second, he swore that from his heart he did "abhor, detest and abjure, as Impious and Heretical, that Damnable Doctrine and Position" that any prince who was excommunicated or Deprived" by the authority of the See of Rome, might be deposed, or murdered by his subjects, or by any other persons. By the third, the affiant declared, in the most solemn manner possible, that King George was lawful or rightful King of Great Britain, that the Pretender, by whatever title he might be called, had no right or title, to the crown; he reiterated his allegiance to the present King and that he would maintain and defend the act of succession limiting the crown to the issue of the Electress Sophia, being Protestant. By the last, he declared that he did believe "that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any transubstantiation of the elements of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, at or before the Consecration there. of, by any Person whatsoever" He also declared that any Invocation or Adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint and the Sacrifices of the mass as "they are now used in the Church of Rome are superstitious and idolatrous." The strongest terms possible were used in these oaths and declarations to prevent those taking them from any glossing of words or putting any construction upon them than such as was used by "English Protestants."

If any person so summoned, should refuse to appear, or, if appearing, should refuse to take the oaths, then, the justices or other officers were directed to report his name to the next "Supream" Court held in the Division where he resided, and if he refused to appear then, or if he appeared, refused to take the oath, he should be adjudged to be a 'Popish Recusant Convict " liable to all the punishments imposed by the laws of England.

This Legislature first introduced the system of pleading payment and giving notice of any set off. The Defendant in any suit, in any court in the province, when sued, having a claim against the Plaintiff, might

plead payment and give notice of set off. If, on the trial, the court or the jury determined that the Defendant by his set off had paid the Plaintiff's claim, judgment must be given for Defendant, with costs; if any part of Plaintiff's claim were paid by set off, the amount was deducted from the Plaintiff's debt and judgment given for the balance; if the Defendant's claim more than balanced the Plaintiff's demand, the Defendant recovered a judgment. If the Defendant neglected to file his set off, he was debarred from bringing any subsequent suit.

But the most important action of this Legislature was the passage of a statute on the 24th day of September, 1723, for the support of the gov ernment and for the issuing of £40,000 of paper currency. This might have resulted more disastrously, but it proved of immense benefit. The two adjacent colonies of New York and Pennsylvania, for some time previous, had issued paper money to meet the wants of their respective business communities. The experiment had been successful and the colonists of New Jersey were clamorous for the adoption of the same plan in their province. The statute was entitled: "An Act for an Additional Support of this Government, and making Current Forty thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit for that and other Purposes therein mentioned." The preamble to this act recited that many petitions and applications had been made to "the Governor of this Province by the Freeholders, Merchants and Inhabitants of the same setting forth that the Silver and Gold formerly Current in this Province, is almost entirely exported to Great Britain and elsewhere, and thereby the many Hardships which His Majesty's good Subjects, within this Colony, be under, for want of a Currency of Money, and that both the Neighboring Provinces of New York and Pennsylvania, to which the Exportation of this Province is chiefly carried, have their Currency of Money in Paper Bills, and do pay for the Produce of this Province in no other Specie. And which Bills of Credit of the Neighboring Province being no legal Tender here, do expose the inhabitants of this Province to Numerous Vexatious Suits for want of Bills of Credit in this Province, by law made and declared a Legal Tender, as is done in the Neighboring Provinces." "And that though they had enough of the Bills of Credit of the Neighboring Provinces, yet to pay the small Taxes for Support of this Government they have been obliged to cut down and pay in their Plate, Ear Rings and other Jewels; and that many Law Suits and Differences have arisen, and do daily arise amongst them, which would be the Ruin of a great Number of the said Inhabitants

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