At the death of Montgomerie, the duties of Governor devolved upon Lewis Morris, then President of the Council, until August 1732, when William Cosby arrived in the province, duly commissioned, as Governor of New York and New Jersey.

Little is known of Governor Cosby; he was a civilian-had the title of Esquire appended to his name, which, in those times, denoted that its bearer was entitled to more than ordinary credit. He must have been a man of some action as he and the Legislature of New York were constantly at war; but there was very little attrition between him and the Assembly of New Jersey, although they did not always agree. A few acts were passed by the House during his time, some of which gave evidence that the popular branch of the Legislature was restive under the condition of affairs. An attempt was made to revive a statute passed by the House in 1728, but rejected by the King in 1731, which provided for more frequent meetings of the Legislature, for triennial elections and alternate sessions at Burlington and Amboy. The statute embodying these provisions was passed by the Assembly, agreed to by the Governor and Council, and again rejected by the King, and no reasons were given for their rejection.

The Assembly presented a representation to Cosby on the appointment of members of the Council. In this they stated that, in their opinion, the members of that body should be gentlemen of "credit, estate and abilities" and contantly resident with their families in New Jersey. Cosby was somewhat offended at this and showed his resent ment, replying that no Governor would recommend any gentleman as as member of the Council who was not worthy of the position. With this exception and a complaint from Cosby that a sufficient provision had not been made for his support, the relations between him and the Assembly were amicable.

Cosby died in 1736 and the government devolved upon John Anderson the President of the Council. He, however, only remained in office for the short space of two weeks, then died and was succeeded by John Hamilton, son of Andrew Hamilton, formerly a governor under the Lords Proprietors, whose right to hold the office, it will be remembered, was questioned because he was not born in England. John Hamilton. held the position for two years, when in 1738 Lewis Morris was appointed Governor of New Jersey only.

Prior to Cosby's time, as early certainly as 1728, the question of an independent government for New Jersey had been discussed. A peti

tion had been presented to the King by the Legislature of New Jersey asking for a severance from New York. Very serious complaints were made in this petition: That the Governor with his family resided in New York and that he only came to New Jersey at intervals; that his interests were all in the larger province; that he did not appoint officers from New Jersey, but selected them from citizens of New York; that the same persons filled offices in both provinces, but as New Jersey was deemed only a sort of dependency of New York, the smaller province was overlooked; that the officers holding these duplicate positions were derelict in the performance of their duties and thus occasioned very great delays and vexatious hindrances to executive and judicial business. The King, therefore, was requested when he appointed a new Governor, to select one who should serve in New Jersey alone, independent of New York. There was truth in these statements; glaring in justice had often been done by neglect and delay on the part of those holding positions in both provinces. But for several years the King disregarded the prayer of his subjects in America, although the Lords of Trade favored the measure and so reported to the Privy Council. The people were so much aroused that the Grand Jury presented a similar petition which received as little attention as that sent by the people.

Lewis Morris was one of the most noted characters in the Colonial history of New Jersey. He was, at one time, appointed second judge of the Supreme Court; but no record can be found that he ever took his seat on the bench. It is believed that he never did, for very soon after his appointment, he was made Chief Justice of New York and removed to that colony. He was a restless man, of great ability and always assumed the popular side in the quarrels between Lord Cornbury and his antagonists in New Jersey. He was a member of the Council which was appointed by Queen Anne for her cousin, when he became Governor. But Cornbury could not consent that so refractory a spirit should be a member of the board which had, in a measure, control over his movements. So, Morris was expelled, and Roger Mompesson appointed in his place. In the subsequent quarrels between the Royal Governor and the Assembly, Morris took a very prominent part. He was the author of the remonstrance sent to Queen Anne against Cornbury, and it can well be imagined that the expelled member of the Council did not spare the Governor. After his expulsion, he was returned a member of the Assembly and had ample opportunity

for revenging himself. The indictment against Cornbury which he presented to the Queen was a document of tremendous power, did not spare the Governor, nor did it fail to expose his meanness and his entire unfitness for the position of Governor.

When an infant, Lewis Morris had the misfortune to lose both of his parents, and was adopted by an uncle, who was unable to curb his wild. spirit. He left home in early years, strayed away to Virginia, and led a sort of vagabond life; but, tiring of this, he returned to his home and soon afterward became a Judge of the Court of Common Right under the Proprietors. After his appointment as Chief Justice of New York, he remained many years in that province and then returned, when quite advanced in life, to New Jersey. At seventy years of age, he again became prominent in public affairs, though not greatly to his credit. He was made Governor; but his life during his term of office was more than inconsistent with that of his earlier days, when he embraced most enthusiastically the cause of the people; now, he became as strong an advocate of the rights of the Governor, insisted most vehemently upon all its prerogatives and quarreled constantly with the Assembly.

He was the grandfather of Lewis Morris, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and of that other most distinguished American, Governeur Morris, who contributed so much toward creating in European capitals a profound respect for the citizens of the new Republic.

He was not always as mindful of his own pecuniary interest as prudence would seem to dictate. Being, however, the possessor of ample means, derived from his uncle, he did not need to acquire more wealth. This uncle, who bore the same name, owned extensive iron works at what was then called Tintern Manor, but now known as Tinton Falls, in Shrewsbury township, Monmouth County. There were large quantities of iron ore known as "bog" ore found in the marshes and wet meadows in the vicinity of the manor, which yielded under the methods used in its reduction in those days, about forty per cent. of metallic iron. The land where this ore was found was first located by James Grover, one of the original Monmouth patentees. Grover sent to New England for millwrights, miners and mechanics, skilled in the erection and use of furnaces and other appliances for the reduction of iron ore. He associated a number of others with him in his enterprise and a furnace and other works were erected. But, very soon afterwards he and his

associates sold the property to Lewis Morris, who is described as being of the Island of Barbadoes. The deed was dated October 25, 1675, and conveyed 3540 acres of land. The trade which sprang up in consequence of the location of these works at Tinton Falls was of great benefit to East Jersey. Strange to say, quantities of the manufactured iron were. exported to Pennsylvania, some of it went to Massachusetts and some to England. The usual price of a ton of this iron ore, in this country, was six dollars and fifty cents, and in England manufactured iron sold for £18 sterling. In 1680, a large number of white workmen and seventy negroes were employed at these works.

The attention of the public authorities was directed to this particular branch of industry and it was deemed of so much importance to the colony, that, in response to a petition presented by Col. Morris, the Legislature, on the 6th of April, 1676, by vote resolved "as touching Colonel Morris' request, the Deputies are willing the lands and works belonging properly to the Iron Works shall or may be rate-free for seven years, excepting in extraordinary cases, as war or the like."

These were the first mining operations in New Jersey; they were successfully followed by Col. Morris for several years, and he was enabled through them to add greatly to the material resources of the County of Monmouth, directly and to the whole province, indirectly. Large numbers of workmen were employed and additions of a most. excellent character made to the population of the colony by the immigration of skilled mechanics.

Lewis Morris, the elder, settled, lived and died at what is now called Morrisania, at "his plantation over against Harlem." He died in 1691, sixteen years after his purchase of the iron works, which he devised to the Governor.

There were three persons with the name of Lewis Morris connected with the colonial history of New Jersey who must not be confounded. One was Lewis Morris, the uncle of the Governor; another of the same name was also a nephew of the elder Morris; he lived in Monmouth and was connected with the public affairs of that County, holding several offices, such as Judge of the County Courts, Sheriff and Commissioner of Highways. He was sometimes called Lewis Morris of Passage Point, and sometimes, Lewis Morris, jr.; the third was the Governor.

In 1714, Morris, afterwards Governor, petitioned the Lords of Trade, who had charge of colonial affairs, to encourage the iron interests of

New Jersey. This is the last mention of the Tinton Falls iron works, and that, it will be perceived, is merely incidental. But it is quite certain that prior to this date the works had ceased to be of any profit to the owner. Oldmixon, in 1708, referred to them, in this manner: "Between this town, (Shrewsbury) and Middletown is an iron works, but we do not understand it has been of any great benefit to the Proprietors."

Morris was a man of letters and took a deep interest in the promotion of learning in the province and delighted in the conversation and society of men of learning and ability. His literary capacity is manifested in the papers which emanated from him during the administration of Cornbury. Through these and his active antagonism to the Queen's cousin, he acquired the intense dislike of that nobleman, who, in his answer to the remonstrances of the Assembly, already referred to, charged that Morris and Samuel Jennings were the moving causes of all the difficulties between himself and the people.

Although careless in the management of his personal affairs, while he was acting as the friend of the people, he was alert and zealous in his attempts to serve the antagonists of Cornbury, and when he was made Governor no man who had filled that office was more industrious than he in the discharge of what he considered the duties of the position. There was, however, a great drawback to his industry, for however zealous he might be in his attention to public business, his doubts and discussions had the effect of delay in important matters which needed dispatch. This delay was, in some instances, not alone due to his propensity to debate, for, if his opponents had had the patience to permit him to exhaust himself, without reply, they could doubtless have succeeded in carrying their points. If met by obstinate debate in relation to any measure about which discussion could be properly entertained, he hesitated, doubted, debated, returned to the discussion, kept the Legislature in suspense and only yielded when absolute necessity required. This dilatory action led to frequent angry discussion which served to increase his natural obstinacy and occasioned the most absurd and unnecessary delays of several months at a time. This course of conduct added to apparent wilful contempt of the rights of the people, an overweaning fondness for self-assertion and a dogged maintenance of his power as Governor, drove the people from him.

His last will was most peculiar, covering several pages of manuscript. In it he gave a short autobiography, referred to an attempt