together with his Expences, amounted to eighty-three Pounds feven Shillings and fix Pence.

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Lord Cornbury was now daily lofing the Favour of the People. The Friends of Leifler had him in the utmost Abhorrence from the Begining; and being all Spies upon his Conduct, it was impoffible for his Lordship to commit the smallest Crime unnoticed. His Perfecution of the Presbyterians very early increased the Number of his Enemies. The Dutch too were fearful of his religious Rage against them, as he difputed their Right to call and fettle Ministers, or even Schoolmafters, without his fpecial Licence. His exceffive Avarice, his Embezzlement of the publick Money, and his fordid Refufal to pay his private Debts, bore fo heavily upon his Reputation, that it was impoffible for his Adherents, either to support him, or themselves, against the general Oppofition. Such being the Temper of the People, his Lordfhip did not fucceed according to his Wifhes in the new Affembly, which met on the 19th of Auguft, 1708, The Members were all against him, and William Nicoll was again chofen Speaker.

Among the feveral Things recommended to their Confideration, the Affair of the Revenue, which was to expire in May following, and the Propriety of making Presents to the Indians, were the chief. The House were not infenfible of the Importance of the Indian Intereft, and of the infinite Arts of the French to feduce them from our Alliance: but fufpicious that his Lordship, who heretofore had given himself little Concern about that Matter, was feeking a fresh Opportunity to defraud the Publick, they defired him to give them a Lift of the Articles of which the Prefents were to confist, together with an Estimate of the Charge, before they would pro¬ vide for that Donation.

With respect to the Revenue, his Lordship was not fo fuccessful, for the Aflembly refolutely refused to continue it; tho' they confented to an Act to discharge him from a Contract of 250 7. and upwards, which he had made with one Hanfon for the publick Service. Thomas Byerly was, at that Time, Collector and Receiver-General; and by pretending that the Treasury was exhausted, the Debts of the Government were unpaid. This gave rife to many Petitions to the Aflembly to make Provision for their Difcharge. Colonel Schuyler, who had expended large Sums on the publick Credit, was among the principal Sufferers, and joined with feveral others in an Application to the House, that Byerly might be compelled to account. The Difputes, relating to this Matter, took up a confiderable Part of the Seffion,.

and were litigated with great Heat. Upon the whole, an Act was passed for refunding 700l. which had been misapplied.

The Refolutions of the Committee of Grievances, approved by the Houfe, fhew the general Objections of the People to his Lordship's Administration. These were made at the Begining of the Seffion, and yet we find this haughty Lord fubdued by the Oppofition against him, and so difpirited thro' Indigence, and the inceffant Sollicitations of his Creditors, that he not only omited to justify himself, but to fhew even an impotent Refentment. For after all the Cenfures of the Houfe, he tamely thanked them, for paffing the Bill to discharge him from a fmall Debt, which they could not, in Justice, have refused. The Refolutions were in these Words:

"Refolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, that the appointing Coroners in this Colony, without their being chofen by the People, is a Grievance, and contrary to Law *.

Refolved, That it is, and always has been, the unquestionable Right «of every Free-man in this Colony, that he hath a perfect and entire Pro<< perty in his Goods and Estate.

"Refolved, That the impofing and levying of any Monies upon her Majesty's Subjects of this Colony, under any Pretence or Colour whatsoever, " without Confent in general Affembly, is a Grievance, and a Violation of "the People's Property.

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Refolved, That for any Officer whatsoever, to extort from the People, "extravagant and unlimited Fees, or any Money whatsoever, not pofitively established and regulated by Confent in general Affembly, is un" reasonable and unlawful, a great Grievance, and tending to the utter De"struction of all Property in this Plantation.

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Refolved, That the erecting a Court of Equity without Confent in ge«neral Affembly, is contrary to Law, without Precedent, and of danger"ous Confequence to the Liberty and Property of the Subjects.

Refolved, That the raifing of Money for the Government, or other neceffary Charge, by any Tax, Impoft, or Burthen on Goods imported, or exported; or any Clog, or Hindrance, on Traffick or Commerce, is "found by Experience to be the Expulfion of many, and the Impoverishing of the Reft of the Planters, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of this Colony; of moft pernicious Confequence, which, if continued, will unavoidably prove the Ruin of the Colony.

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See Lord Bacon's Works, Fol. Edit, 2. Vol. 152. and yet the Coroners in every County are Still appointed by the Governour. "Re

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Refolved, That the exceffive Sums of Money fcrewed from Masters of "Veffels trading here, under the Notion of Port-Charges, vifiting the faid "Veffels by fupernumerary Officers, and taking extraordinary Fees, is the great Difcouragement of Trade, and Strangers coming amongst us, beyond the Precedent of any other Port, and without Colour of Law. "Refolved, That the compelling any Man upon Trial by a Jury, or otherwife, to pay any Fees for his Profecution, or any Thing whatsoever, "unless the Fees of the Officers whom he employs for his neceflary Defence, is a great Grievance, and contrary to Justice *.";

Lord Cornbury was no lefs obnoxious to the People of New-Jersey, than to thofe of New-York. The Affembly of that Province, impatient of his Tyranny, drew up a Complaint against him, which they fent Home to the Queen.

Her Majefty gracioufly liftened to the Cries of her injured Subjects, devested him of his Power, and appointed Lord Lovelace in his Stead; declaring that she would not countenance her nearest Relations in oppreffing her People.

As foon as my Lord was fuperfeded, his Creditors threw him into the Cuftody of the Sheriff of New-York; and he remained here till the Death of his Father, when fucceeding to the Earldom of Clarendon, he returned to England.

We never had a Governour fo univerfally detefted, nor any who fo richly deferved the publick Abhorrence. In Spite of his noble Defcent, his Behaviour was trifling, mean, and extravagant.

It was not uncommon for him to drefs himself in a Woman's Habit, and then to patrole the Fort in which he refided. Such Freaks of low Humour exposed him to the universal Contempt of the People; but their Indignation was kindled by his defpotick Rule, favage Bigotry, infatiable Avarice, and Injuftice, not only to the publick, but even his private Creditors. For he left fome of the lowest Tradesmen in his Employment unfatisfied in their juft Demands.

John Lord Lovelace, Baron of Hurley, was appointed to this Government, in the Spring, 1708, but did not arrive here till the 18th of December fol lowing. Lord Cornbury's oppreffive, mean, Administration had long made the People very defirous of a Change; and therefore his Succeffor was re

* This had a special Relation to the late Profecution of Mr. McKemie.

ceiyed with univerfal Joy. Having diffolved the General Affembly, foon after his Acceffion to the Government, he convened a new one on the 5th of April, 1709, which confifting of Members of the fame Interest with the laft, re-elected William Nicoll, the former Speaker, into the Chair. His Lordship told them, at the Begining of the Seffion," That he had brought "with him large Supplies of Soldiers and Stores of War, as well as Pre"fents for the Indians," than which nothing could be more agreeable to the People. He lamented the Greatness of the provincial Debts, and the Decay of publick Credit; but ftill recommended their raifing a Revenue, for the fame Term with that established by the Act in the 11th Year of the laft Reign. He alfo preffed the Discharge of the Debts of the Government, and their Examination of the publick Accounts, "that it may be "known (fays he) what this Debt is, and that it may appear hereafter to "all the World, that it was not contracted in my Time." This oblique Reflection upon his Predeceffor, who was now ignominiously imprisoned by his Creditors, was difpleafing to no Body.

Tho' the Affembly, in their Answer, heartily congratulated his Lordship's Arrival, and thanked the Queen for her Care of the Province, yet they fufficiently intimated their Disinclination to raise the Revenue, which the Governour had requested. "Our earnest Wishes (to use the Words of the Address) are, that suitable Measures may be taken, to incourage the few Inhabitants left to stay in it, and others to come. The juft Freedom injoyed by our Neighbours, by the tender Indulgence of the Government, has extremely drained and exhausted us both of People and Stock; "whilst a different Treatment, the wrong Methods too long taken, and Severities practifed here, have averted and deterred the ufual Part of Mankind from fettling and coming hitherto." Towards the Clofe, they affure him, "That as the Beginning of his Government gave them a delightful Profpect of Tranquility, fo they were come with Minds prepared to con"fult the Good of the Country and his Satisfaction."

The principal Matter which engaged the Attention of the Affembly, was the Affair of the Revenue. Lord Cornbury's Conduct had rendered them utterly averfe to a permanent Support for the future, and yet they were unwilling to quarrel with the new Governour. They, however, at laft agreed on the 5th of May, to raise 2500 l. to defray the Charges of the Government to the 1ft of May enfuing, 1600 l. of which was voted to his Excellency, and the remaining Sums towards a Supply of Firewood and Candles to the feveral Forts in New-York, Albany, and Schenectady; and

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for Payment of small Salaries to the Printer, Clerk of the Council, and Indian Interpreter.

This new Project of providing, annually, for the Support of Govern ment, was contrived to prevent the Mischiefs, to which the long Revenues had formerly exposed us. But as it rendered the Governour, and all the other Servants of the Crown dependent upon the Affembly, a Rupture, between the feveral Branches of the Legislature, would doubtless have enfued; but the very Day, in which the Vote paffed the Houfe, his Lordfhip died of a Disorder contracted in croffing the Ferry at his first Arrival in the City of New-York. His Lady continued here, long after his Death, foliciting for the Sum voted to her Husband; but tho' the Queen interpofed, by a Letter, in her Behalf, nothing was allowed till feveral Years afterwards.

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