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Gatherings, with avowed Threats to destroy the Stamps, do evidence; we think it by no means safe or adviseable for your Excellency to send for the Stamps from under Captain Hawker's Protection. And it is further our Opinion, that it will be by no means expedient to have Recourse to the Military Aid offered by the General, even if he could now afford it, (which is much to be doubted considering the present Commotions at New York) as there is the strongest Reason to expect, that in such Case the Peace of the Province would be immediately broken, and nothing less than a Civil War would ensue. Therefore, as there is no Place of Security in the Province, and as it would be dangerous, if practicable, to bring in snch a Military Force as the General could spare, we advise, that your Excellency do write to Captain Hawker, to desire that when he lays up his Ship, that the Stamp'd Papers on Board, said to be for New Jersey, be offered to Mr. Coxe, who has given Bond to the Commissioners of the Stamp Duty in England, and if he refuses to take Charge of them, then that they may be suffered to remain with the King's Stores, belonging to the Ship, in whatever Place the Captain may think proper to deposit them, there being a better Chance for their Preservation by that Means, out of the Province, than by any other Method we can at present devise.

Mr. Ogden acquainted his Excellency, and this Board, that it was desired by many People of the Eastern Division, that the Assembly should be called to meet on this Occasion; his Excellency did thereupon declare, that though he had no particular Commands of the Crown, or other Business, that made a Meeting of the Legislature necessary; yet that if the Speaker, and nine others of the Representatives, would signify under their Hands to the Governor, that they thought it expedient for the public Service, that the Assembly should be called, he would immediately (if advised so

to do by his Council) issue his Summons for the Purpose, convening them together in as short a Time as possible; but that from the present Indisposition of his Lady, it would not be in his Power to meet them at Amboy, or at any other Place than Burlington.

The Council do advise his Excellency, on such Application, to summon the General Assembly to meet at Burlington.

A true Copy from the Minutes of Council

CHARLES READ, Sec.

A Copy of his Excellency's Letter to Captain Hawker in Pursuance of the foregoing Minute of Council.

Sir,

BURLINGTON, Nov. 9, 1765.

As you informed me in your Letter of the 3d of October, that it would be necessary that I should provide some Place of Security, towards Winter, for the Stamp'd Paper destined for New Jersey, as you would then be obliged to take every Thing out of the Ship, in order to lay her up, I lately summoned a Meeting of His Majesty's Council of this Province, to consult them on the Measures necessary to be taken for that Purpose-Their Advice on the Occasion is contained in the enclosed Extract from their Minutes.

The Council do not mean that you are to be answerable for the Safety of the Stamps, if you comply with our Request; but their Reason for advising the Measure, is, because they imagine that the People of one Province will not endeavour to destroy the Stamps destined for another; and that the Stamps might as well be given up directly to the Populace, as to send them into New Jersey, where there is no Place of Defence whatever.-Perhaps Mr. Coxe, as he has given Bond to take Care of them, will, for his own Sake, en

deavour to fall upon some Expedient to secure them. by secreting them, or otherwise, till some Person appears duly authorised to receive them from him. I am, with great Regard, Sir, Your

most humble Servant,

WILLIAM FRANKLIN.

To Capt. James Hawker, Commander of His Majesty's Ship Sardoine.

Letter from the Lords of Trade to Governor Franklin, inclosing a copy of the representation from the Bishop of London concerning licenses for marriages in New Jersey.'

[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 17, page 191.]

WHITEHALL Dec. 12th 1765

To William Franklin Esq Governor of New

Sir

Jersey.

The inclosed Memorial stating the propriety of Licences for Marriages in New Jersey being directed to the Clergy only, has been presented to Us by the Bishop of London.

If there is no Law in force, by which the Civil Magistrate is authorized to perform the Marriage Rites, or if long usage and custom has not established such a practice; We see no objection to what his Lordship proposes: But as it does not appear to Us from any Information we can collect here, how the case stands in respect to this matter, we desire you will by the first opportunity acquaint Us, whether the civil Mag

1 For representation from Bishop of London, see page 504.

istrates in New Jersey do or do not perform those Ceremonies; and if they do; whether it is by virtue of any declared Law, or by usage only; and if the latter, whether such practice may in your opinion be altered in the manner proposed by the Bishop of London without Inconvenience or Complaint.

We are, Sir, Your very loving Friends,

DARTMOUTH, SOAME JENYNS,

JOHN ROBERTS, J. DYSON,

W FITZHERBERT.

Letter from Governor Franklin to Benjamin Franklin, in London, in relation to the success of Col. Croghan in his negotiations with the Indians.

[From P. R. O. America & West Indies, Vol. 251 (269).]

BURLINGTON Dec 17. 1765

To Benjamin Franklin Esq

Hon Sir,

You will probably have heard before this reaches you of the Return of Col. Croghan,' and the success he every where met with in his Negotiations with the Indians. Frequent Attempts (some of them very expensive) had been before fruitlessly made by the Military to take Possession of the Illinois. And tho' that valuable Country has of Right belong'd to us eversince the Cession of Canada, yet we were not able by any Means to get it into our Hands, until Col. Croghan engaged in the Undertaking. By his great Influence with the Indians, & dextrous Management he has en

1 Col. Croghan was Deputy Agent for Indian Affairs The New York Colonial Documents contain many of his letters and reports relating to the Indian tribes; for a biographical sketch of him, see note by Mr. O'Callaghan in Vol. VII., p. 982.

tirely surmounted all the obstacles which the French had contrived to throw in the Way; and obtained full Permission from the several Nations in that Quarter for the English to enter their Country, & possess themselves of the several Forts, &c. occupied by the French; which has I hear accordingly been done, by Cap Stirling an Officer in the Regulars, who was detached for that Purpose with a Party from Fort Pitt.

The commercial Advantages which must result to Great Britain, by our Traders having free Access to so extensive a Country, inhabited by numerous Indian Nations, are too obvious to need mentioning. We have now Besides, an opportunity of forming such Alliances & Connections with the Nations on the Waters of the Missisipi as will put it in our Power to get Possession of the remaining Part of Louisiana, whenever another War shall make it expedient. In short, the Services which Col. Croghan has rendered his Country on this occasion are such as must, if rightly improved, be productive of the greatest Benefit to the British Interest in America. And I cannot at present conceive any Measure so likely to obtain this desirable end as the Putting the Management of Indian Affairs under some such Regulations as were contain'd in the Plan sent over last year by the Ministry to the several Governors on the Continent

I doubt not but it will likewise afford you great Pleasure to hear that S W Johnson & Col. Groghan have had the Address to engage the Indians to agree to settle a Boundary between them & us, & to make Retribution for the Damages they did our Traders by their late Hostilities. These two Points, if carried into Execution, will in all Probability, render the Peace lately concluded with them more permanent than any we have yet experienced. For in the first Place, as the Boundary to the Westward will, I am told, be fixed as far back as the Ohio, there will be

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