made to defraud him by an alleged pretended Will claimed to have. been executed by his uncle, in favor of that uncle's wife, and which he asserted was contrary to an agreement previously made between his father and his uncle, the testator, and related facts and circumstances not usually inserted in wills.

He gave directions as to the kind of coffin in which he desired to be buried; forbade any rings or scarfs to be given out at the funeral, or that any one should be paid for preaching a funeral sermon over him. He gave the reason for this command in this quaint language: "For I shall die in a good old age and when the divine providence calls me hence, I die when I should die, and no relation of mine ought to mourn because I do so; but may perhaps mourn to pay the shop keeper for his goods, should they comply with (what I think) the common folly of such an expense." He directed that a vault of stone should

be built near Morrisania, "where my good uncle lies buried" and that the remains of his relatives there interred should be gathered, put into. coffins and placed within the vault, and then, he adds: "My executors may get a tombstone for me if they think fit."

But, notwithstanding his faults, Governor Morris did much for the colony, was patriotic in his motives and really desirous of promoting the very best interests of the colonists.

In his domestic relations he was admirable; being an indulgent. parent, a kind husband and a good neighbor. He had a large family, all of whom became prosperously settled before the death of their father. An anecdote is related of him which shows the estimate placed by some of his opponents upon his wife. Joseph Cooper was a representative in the Assembly from Gloucester, a position which he held for nineteen years. He was a man of superior ability, great firmness of character and unswerving integrity. He had opposed the Governor but never when Morris was right. During one of the very tedious sessions of the Assembly, occasioned, perhaps, by some willfulness on the part of both the Governor and Legislature, Morris accidentally met Cooper in the street, and said to him: "Cooper, I wish you would go home and send your wife." "I will," replied the Dep uty, "if the Governor will do the same by his."

The appointment of Morris met with the hearty approval of the great majority of the colonists. They remembered his active, enthusiastic efforts in their behalf during their controversy with Cornbury, and fully expected that he would continue to be their friend. They

were not only grateful to him for his past action, in their former vicissitudes, but they gave him especial thanks for the part he had taken in securing the severance of New Jersey from New York. They had chafed for many long years under the bond which had united the two provinces and now, relief had come at last, and they regarded him as their political savior from that evil. They were therefore prepared to meet him with open arms and generous hearts.

The gratitude of the colony was soon manifested in a direction which should have been pleasing to the new Governor. In 1739, the year after he became Governor, Morris County was set off from Hunterdon and the people, in remembrance of what they owed him, named the new County and its County Seat after him.

A change in the legislative functions was one result of the separation. of the two provinces. Prior to that event, the Legislature, when convened, was composed of three branches: The Governor, the Council and the Assembly; the Council and the Assembly met apart, the one being presided over by the Chief Magistrate of the colony, the other by a Speaker chosen from among its own members. The style used in the enacting clause of all laws was: "Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and General Assembly." This style was still preserved, but the Governor withdrew from the Council. Before this, he presided over that body, took part in its discussions; but, now, its presiding officer was a President elected like the Speaker, from its own members. It is true that the change was only one of form, the Governor still retaining the right of approving or rejecting all laws. But the Council was relieved from the presence of the Governor, was now free to discuss and could be more independent in its action. It removed the Governor from what might be and frequently were heated discussions, in which he must necessarily take part. By his removal from these. scenes, he gained much in dignity, securing freedom from considerable criticism and from the labor of attending and presiding at the meetings.

It was under such circumstances that Lewis Morris began his administration. No man in the whole colonial history of New Jersey assumed the reins of government with fairer prospect of success or with the people more ready to accede to any just demands he might make on their generosity or their patriotism. He convened the Legislature to meet on the 27th of October, 1738. His speech was long, somewhat desultory, not equal to his abilities, self laudatory; he was evidently

desirous of impressing upon the minds of the members the debt of gratitude they owed him for past services and for what he might accomplish in the future. The Assembly met Morris with a most flattering. manner, acknowledged the indebtedness of the colony to him, congratulated themselves that their Sovereign had blessed them with a Chief Magistrate whose wisdom, manifested in times of peril in the past, gave promise of his ability to carry them safely through any vicissitude in the future. They guarantied him their cheerful support and made pledges of a generous appropriation for the expenses of the govern ment. In fulfillment of those pledges, they proceeded to settle his salary, which they fixed at 1000 per annum, for three years. They also allowed him £60 for house rent and gave him £500 to compensate him for his services in procuring the separation from New York.

With this evidence of the good faith of the Legislature and its intention to do its part toward promoting harmony between the Governor and the people, it would seem that he should have been equally desir-. ous of maintaining the same. harmonious relations and of aiding the Assembly in any attempt it should make towards preserving the rights of the people and of the colony. But, most unhappily for all parties, Morris saw fit to precipitate a state of affairs which ended in a total withdrawal by the Assembly of its confidence in him, and finally resulted in a disruption of all amicable relations.

The Legislature very naturally assumed that the time had now ar rived when it could secure the adoption of certain measures for which they had been contending for years. A Bill was introduced to secure regularity in the elections and sessions of the General Assembly. Twice before, this act had been passed by the Assembly and had received the concurrence of both Governor and Council. It was the act which provided for more frequent elections and sessions of the Legislature. Other acts were also introduced, regulating the practice of the law and for recording Deeds in the several Counties. The Governor was also requested to establish a table of fees so that they might be regulated by law. These acts were passed by both the Assembly and Council but the Governor refused his assent. His reply to the application for the settling of fees was rather ungracious. He said he would consult with his Council and do what was reasonable therein.

The salary he received was double that allowed to any former Governor, yet he went to the extremity of forbidding the treasurer to pay the Deputies their wages although they were legally entitled thereto.

The Assembly became conscious, at last, that the pronounced friend of the people in Cornbury's time, was not disposed to act as such in the time of Lewis Morris. It remonstrated with him on the impropriety of his conduct; he set up his right, as a component part of the Legislature, to oppose his veto to their votes and insisted in a very peremptory manner on his gubernatorial privileges. He harassed the General Assembly by frequent adjournments, by constant discussions, by his opinionated views and discourses on the theory of government, and, at last, dissolved the Legislature. An instance of his method of treating the House occurred on a memorable occasion, when harshness of manner was certainly uncalled for. War had been declared between Great Britain and Spain. The colonies of North America were called upon to render assistance to the mother country. New Jersey promptly responded, passed at once a bill for raising clothing and victualling her quota of troops. Some of the minutiae of the act were unsatisfactory to Governor Morris and he delayed approval of the whole statute, without particularizing the parts of which he disapproved. The business of the session was accomplished and it only remained for the Governor to approve or veto this particular bill. The Assembly applied to Morris, in a respectful manner, and asked him to finish the business and permit them to return to their homes. His harsh and unfeeling reply was in these words: "When I see fit." He kept the members in this suspense, with nothing to do, naturally anxious to return to their families, for six days and then, approved the measure.

Finally, he dissolved the Legislature on the 15th of March, 1739, but before doing so, he addressed them reviewing their action, especially with regard to the bill providing for the support of the government. His speech was harsh, imperious and calculated to arouse feelings of great indignation in the minds of his hearers.

All this created the greatest discontent in the Deputies and Council, in which the people soon shared, and Lewis Morris, from having been the most popular man in the province, became the most hated of the royal Governors, except Cornbury.

The next session of the Legislature was held on the 10th day of April, 1740, when Gov. Morris, as usual, addressed the Assembly. His speech was exceedingly inconsiderate and calculated to still more exasperate the Deputies who were always at fever heat in their opposition. to him. They met this address with great spirit, upheld the conduct. of the prior Legislature and reflected rather strongly on the conduct of

the Governor, who, in his speech had hinted that the former Legislature had withheld action on certain acts which he was desirous of hav ing passed, in the expectation that he might be coerced into a certain line of thought and policy. The Deputies, in their reply, met this as covertly as the hint had been made. There could be no misunderstanding, however, as they proceeded at once to pass the same laws which Morris had rejected. They went farther, and instead of asking him to regulate the fees, they enacted a statute by which they themselves established them. They also passed another law by which it was provided that no suit should be brought in the Supreme Court. for a sum less than £15. Morris was opposed to this measure and also to that regulating fees and the Legislature knew it. Besides he was well aware that both these measures, if passed, would relieve the people from hardships; yet, he was of the opinion that it was good policy to extend rather than lessen the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and to preserve to attorneys and others the right to collect fees as they were then fixed, so as to secure their influence. Another motive doubtless governed him; his son was chief justice of the Supreme Court, whose emoluments depended upon fees, and therefore he still refused his assent.

One of the laws passed by this Legislature related to the election of Deputies to the Legislature and to their more frequent sessions. By the two acts which had been passed triennial elections had been ordered, but by the new act, septennial elections were provided. Morris disapproved the act with the ungracious remark: "I do not take it to be a right you are entitled to, but a favor which a suitable conduct in you can only induce his Majesty to grant or me to recommend to his Royal consideration."

The breach between the Governor and the Legislature finally became so wide that it was impossible to close it. He continued his arbitrary conduct with more and more violence. The Legislature, at last, assumed the offensive and refused to pass any act providing for the payment of the Governor's salary until certain laws which they deemed important and necessary to relieve the people from injustice should receive the Governor's approval; one of these laws provided for the issuing of bills of credit, another related to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and the third referred to the regulation of certain fees. Morris would consent to neither.

Bills of credit were a necessity to the business community, which had