of having it filled by some Gentleman of East Jersey, but whom to recommend to your Lordships I know not at present; 'tis probable, however when I am at Amboy I may find some suitable Person, of which I shall give your Lordships the earliest Intimation. I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect My Lords, Your Lordships most obedient humble Servant

W FRANKLIN

Letter from Governor Franklin inclosing minutes of Council and six acts passed in that province.

[From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. 9, K. 32.]

PERTH AMBOY, June 27th 1763

The Right Honble Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.

My Lords,

I had the Honour of writing to your Lordships on the 10th of last Month, acquainting you with my Arrival here, & acknowledging the Receipt of your Letter of the 9th of March with the Papers inclos'd. I also desired your Lordship's Sentiments with respect to the passing an Act for striking a Sum in Paper Currency for erecting suitable Buildings for the Residence of the Governor, & the Meetings of the Council & Assembly; and likewise recommended Sam Smith & John Ladd, Esq of West Jersey to be of His Majesty's Council for this Province. Since which I have had a Meeting with the General Assembly. A Copy of the Minutes of Council containing the Proceedings of that Session, and Copies of Six Acts to which I gave my Assent, are transmitted herewith.

1. The first is for Support of Government, and is in

every respect according to the usual Form, except that I have prevail'd on them to increase the Salaries of the Governor, the Chief Justice & Judges, & some other Officers. The Augmentation its true is small, & no ways adequate to the increas'd Expence of Living in America: But it was all I could at that time obtain & considering how often this Matter has been fruitlessly attempted by other Governors, it was more than I had Reason to expect. I am now however, not without hopes that at some future Session I may prevail on them to make a still further Addition.-The making the Salaries permanent, agreeable to the Royal Instructions, I strongly recommended to them by my Speech at the Opening of the Session, but without Effect. The Method they are in of granting the Salaries from Year to Year only has been always customary here, & is I believe the same in most if not all the other Provinces on this Continent. It must be a work of Time, & the Seizing of proper Opportunities, before this Matter can be effected. In the meanwhile there is a Necessity for the passing of the Support Bills in the old Form, as otherwise many of the Officers who have little else but their Salaries would be deprived of their Subsistence.

2. The second Act which provides for the Payment of the New Jersey Regiment for the Month of November 1762, your Lordrhips will I imagine think just & necessary, as they were detain'd in the Service during that Month, and the Provision which had been made for them before was only to the Beginning of the Month. This Act is also conformable to all the Acts of that Nature pass'd during the War.

3. The 3o Act, which is for submitting the Property of Lands that are claimed in this Colony, & are affected by the Controversy about the Boundary with New York, to such a method of Decision as His Majesty by Commission or otherwise shall appoint, is conformable

to the repeated Recommendations of your Board to former Governors, & what they frequently in vain attempted to obtain of their Assemblies. As New York has also passed an Act of a similar Nature, there remains nothing further to be done for compleating this desirable Work, on which the Peace & Welfare of both Colonies so much depends, but for His Majesty to appoint Commissioners for adjusting the Matters in Dispute, as was before done in the Case of Rhode Island & Massachusets. The Managers of the Controversy on both Sides have mutually agreed upon a Number of Gentlemen whom they have desired Governor Monckton and myself to recommend to your Lordships in order to be nominated to His Majesty as Commissioners for this Purpose. They are all Gentlemen of Character & Fortune, who hold Offices under the Crown, and chosen out of some of the Colonies the most distant from the Place in Dispute.

Thomas Hutchinson, Esq' Lieut Governor of Massachusets Bay.

Peyton Randolph, Esq Attorney Gen! & one of the Council of Virginia.

Peter Randolph Esq Surveyor Gen! & one of the Council of Virginia.

Richard Corbin Esq; one of the Council of Virginia. Chambers Russell, Esq; Judge of the Admiralty in Massachusets Bay.

Andrew Oliver, Esq' Secretary of the Province of Massachusets Bay

Mark Wentworth, Esq' one of the Council of New Hampshire

Since the above Names were given in to me it has been represented by the Gentlemen concerned, that they would be glad your Lordships would have two more Commissioners appointed, as they think it may thro' various Accidents, very probably happen that out of so small a Number as Seven a Meeting of Five

cannot be obtained, and this salutary Work be thereby delay'd.

4. The fourth Act is for indemnifying the Province from what ever Expence the[y] may be put to in having the Boundary Lines settled, and is entirely agreeable to the Proposal of the General Proprietors of the Eastern Division.

5. The fifth is an Act for raising a Fund for defraying the Damages done by Dogs, which, as it is by a Tax on those Animals, I believe will be a means of lessening their Numbers, an Effect much to be desired in this Country.

6. The Sixth & last Act is for naturalizing sundry Foreign Protestants, & has nothing in it different from the usual Form of Acts for that Purpose.

I am, with the greatest Respect, My Lords,
Your Lordships most obedient, &

most humble Servant

WM. FRANKLIN

Letter from Governor Franklin to the Lords of Trade informing them that he will appoint a Day of Thanksgiving, that the Indians had re-commenced hostilities in the back country, and measures for protection against them had been taken.

[From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. 9, K. 33.]

PERTH AMBOY July 19, 1763

Right Honble Lords of Trade & Plantations.

My Lords,

I had this Day the Honour of receiving your Lordships two Letters of the 29th of April, directing the Mode of corresponding with your Board, and signify

ing His Majesty's Pleasure to have a Day of publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God observed throughout this Goverment on the happy Conclusion of a Peace, the Contents whereof I shall duely perform.

I wrote to your Lordships the 27th of last Month inclosing the Minutes of Council, & Copies of Six Acts pass'd at the last Sessions held at Amboy. And I herewith transmit a printed Copy of said Acts, and the Votes of the General Assembly.

Your Lordships must have heard before this reaches you, of the Indians having again commenc'd Hostilities in the back Country near the Lakes & the River Ohio. They have not yet made their Appearance in this Province, but as the Inhabitants on the Northern Frontier are apprehensive of a Visit from them, I am taking such Measures as I am enabled to do for their safety. It seems to me, however, very probable that the steps General Amherst is taking, will, together with the Indians finding that they cannot be assisted by the French, soon put a stop to their further Incursions. If this by any Accident should not happen to be the Case, it will nevertheless be a very easy Matter for the Colonies to fall upon a Method of quelling them before the Winter.

As I am fearful that this will scarcely reach New York in Time for the Pacquet, I can only add, that I am, with the utmost Respect,

My Lords, Your Lordships most obedient

& most humble Servant

WM FRANKLIN