unhappily obliged to break in on the future Dependance of a most Valuable Wife, and her Children, in Order to discharge the Trust reposed in him, with Dignity and Fidelity: That Robert Hunter Morris Esquire, in Open defiance of the late King, And in Opposition to the then Governor, Francis Bernard Esquire, who entred a protest in form, against Mr Morris's proceedings, as illegal, and Unwarrantable, as he absolutely prevented your Memorialist, in Execution of his Office. That through the heavy Expences your Memorialist hath Sustained, his whole Substance is exhausted, and he was constrained to return to England, in Vain to Attempt the Recovery of his lost business in the Law, through his long absence abroad, which before afforded him a Competent Maintenance, nor has your Memor ialist received any Satisfaction, or Compensation whatsoever, for the above Charges, or the injury he has suffered by this disappointment, which has reduced him to Calamitous Circumstances: That your Memorialist being informed of a Vacancy of the Office of Chief Justice of South Carolina, Most humbly supplicates your Lordship, to consider the premises and your Memorialists perseverance, and Fidelity, in his Majestys Service, And that your Lordship will be pleased to Recommend him to his Majesty as an Object Meriting his Royal favour, And that he may be appointed to succeed in the above office now Vacant or have such other relief as in your Lordships benignity, and wisdom shall seem most meet, And Your Memorialist will ever pray &c. resigned.-N. J. Analytical Index, 306. In issuing new commissions to the Courts in 1761, Governor Hardy re-commissioned Judge Saltar. Mr. Saltar "resided for a while at Trenton; also for a while at Allentown. He built a large, substantial house at Black Point, west of the Navesink river, near the place now called Seabright. He married, June 23, 1721, Hannah, daughter of Elisha Lawrence and Lucy Stout, his wife."-The Saltar Family, by J. E. Stillwell, M. D., 1882, p. 3. He died in 1763, while still a member of the Council.-N. J. Analytical Index, 371.-[W. N.] Remonstrance of the Judges to the Earl of Halifax Janry 2o 1761. To the Right Honble the Earl of Halifax &c. My Lords. We should not be so importunate with your Lordships, but the bearer, M' Jones, is as great an object of your Compassion, as ever was, he tells us, which we believe to be true; that by his Voyage to and from America, and the great Expence he was at in providing necessarys for himself and Servants, suitable to his Station abroad, that he has spent all his substance, and by his absence so long abroad, he says he has lost all his Business, which he had here, which though not great afforded him a Competent Maintenance, so that he is now left destitute of any provision: We desire therefore that your Lordship will be so good to recommend him to some of the Offices now Vacant, or that some provision may be made for him, as we think we could not ask it, for one who deserves it so well: We hope your Lordship will not consider this as a Letter of Course; for we are really concerned for this Poor Gentleman; and whatever favour you bestow on him, we shall Esteem it an Obligation lain on My Lord Your Lordships most obedient and most humble Servants Letter from Governor Hardy to the Lords of Trade— had re-appointed Mr. Morris Chief Justice and Messrs. Nevill and Saltar second and third Judges -and referring to a Bill before the Assembly for laying a duty on imported Negroes. [From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. 9, K. 22.] PERTH AMBOY Jan! 20th 1762 The Rt Hon ble The Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations My Lords By the last Packet I received under a blank cover his Majestys Instructions bearing date the 29th day of September, directing the alteration in the morning & Evening Prayers in which the Royal Family are prayed for; I have accordingly caused a proclamation to be issued throughout the Province & the same is punctually obey'd in all the Parish Churches & other places of Divine Worship. The General Assembly met on the 30th of Nov! and not having much business before them I dismiss'd them the 12th of last month, after having assented to the Bill for the Support of Government, which they have voted to continue till the 21st day of May 1763. Copy of which I shall order the Deputy Secretary to transcribe as also of six other bills pass'd this Sessions • all of which I will send Your Lordships by the first opportunity; the General Assembly now stand prorogued to the 16th of next month. I found by these minutes that they intended bringing in a bill to lay a small duty on Negroes imported into this Province, but on a message from me acquainting them that his Majestys instructions would not allow my assenting to such a Bill, they dropt it; but at the same time they represented to me the incon venience the Province is exposed to in lying open to the free importation of Negros,' when the Provinces on each side have laid duties on them; for which reason great Numbers of Negros are landed in this Province every Year in order to be run into New York & Pensylvania besides overstocking this Country with Slaves of which in the general opinion there are already too many. They have therefore desired I would lay this matter before your Lordships, as they look upon it as a great hardship, I could therefore wish Your Lordships would please to take into consideration & intercede with his Majesty to grant them such relief as in his wisdom he may think fit. I must further acquaint Your Lordships, that soon after my arrival I found there was a total Stop to the Administration of Justice in the Supreem Courts, by the Judges Commissions not having been renewed since the death of his late Majesty, and a Rumour began to be spread that the Judges were not qualify'd to act. I therefore (for fear of any bad consequence, and to quiet the minds of the People who appeard much disatisfy'd) thought it best for his Majestys Service as well as the good of the Province to order the Commissions to be renew'd, in the same manner as they have hitherto been granted, which is during good behaviour; I must observe to Your Lordships likewise that I found the General Assembly had come to a resolution not to make any provision for the Judges 1 In 1754, John Woolman, of Burlington county, published "Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes," in which he strongly insisted that slaveholding was contrary to Scripture. He thenceforward labored steadfastly among his fellow Friends to do away with slavery, and through his persistent agitation of the subject the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, in 1758, sent out a deliverance on the propriety of Friends holding slaves. In 1759 they adopted more pronounced opinions on the same subject.-Woolman's Journal, Dublin, 1794, 90-4, 100. Anti-slavery sentiments were thus steadily cultivated among the Friends, and it was doubtless from this movement that the New Jersey Assembly sought to do what the Pennsylvania Assembly actually did-enact a law providing for a duty on imported slaves. -Penn. Col. Records, VIII., 575-8, 601. The New Jersey Legislature enacted a similar law in 1769, imposing a duty of £15 on every imported slave sold in the Province. -Allinson's Laws, 315.-[W. N.] in the bill for Support of Government if they accepted Commissions during pleasure; I therefore hope I shall have his Majesty's & Your Lordships approbation for what I have done. I likewise found it absolutely necessary to renew Mr Morris's Commission of Chief Justice, and I cannot help observing that he is certainly a very proper Person for this Post which ought to be held by a Man of Abilities & character especially at this time when M Nevill the second and M' Saltar the third Judge are both advanced in Years & declining in health which may sometimes render them Incapable of executing their Offices in case of an Accident happening to either of these two Gentlemen which is likely to be expected, I should be glad to have Your Lordships directions as tis not in my opinion for the benefit of the Province to keep these employments long vacant however I submit this to Your Lordships wiser determinations & am with great respect My Lords Your most Obedient Humble Servant JOSIAH HARDY Letter from Governor Hardy to the Earl of Egremont, relating to the Duty on Imported Negroes and Commissions of Government Officers. (From P. R. O., America and West Indies, Vol. 172, [190.]). My Lord. PERTH AMBOY 22 Jan! 1762. Rt Honble Earl of Egremont By the last Packet I received two letters from M Pitt dated the 11th and 28th Sept! with the joyfull news of his Majestys happy marriage, and coronation which I immediately communicated to the General Assembly of this Province who were then sitting. I likewise |