sey during the late Disturbances in America, and I have the Pleasure to acquaint you, Sir, of His Majestys gracious Approbation of their Conduct. The ease and honor of His Majestys Government in America will greatly depend on the Temper and Wisdom of those who are entrusted with the Administration there. A conduct regulated by just and liberal Principals, suffering no Encroachment on the one hand on His Majesty's just and lawful Prerogative, on the other hand beholding with Pleasure, the prudent & decent Exercise of that Freedom which belongs to the People, cannot fail of engaging the Hearts of His Majesty's American Subjects, and of continuing in New Jersey that dutiful Disposition towards His Majesty, and Confidence in Government which you represent so much to its Honor to have prevailed there I am &c SHELBURNE Letter from Henery Wilmot to Cortlandt Skinner, acknowledging the receipt of Assembly's resolution appointing him Agent of the Province, and announcing another change in the administration. [From the Skinner Papers among Manuscripts of W. A. Whitehead, Vol. I, No. 89.] Sir BLOOMSBURY SQUARE 25th Sep 1766. I Received the Honour of your letter of the 20th June with the Resolution of the House of Representatives appointing me their Agent, and with their Address to his Majesty. If I had no other reason than Lord Sterling's request, I could refuse nothing his Lordship desired. But I am very sensible of the Honour, the House of Representatives have done me in their Unanimous appointment, and you in Particular in Proposing me to be their agent, and I will endeavour to serve the Province to the utmost of my Power. Two Things I must begg leave to promise to you. The first is that any Instructions you shall be pleased to give me, you will be full in your Directions, and Consider me as at present in some Degree a Stranger to your Colony. The Second is that I am agent for the four Leeward Islands, and if ever any Contest shall arise wherein their Interests and yours come in Competition (which probably will never happen) you must allow me to preserve my allegience to them. I Directly presented your Address by La Shelburne to his Majesty and it was incerted in the Gazette. We have now had another Change of Administration. These frequent Changes most certainly are Detrimental to the Publick. I think them so distructive that I think it wrong to change even to a better Administration, if it could be had. I hope this will be lasting. Indeed I do not see to whom his Majesty can apply, if he is Dissatifyed with this Administration. Lord Chatham is certainly in full Poss[ess]ion of the Closet, at present. My friend Lord Camden is Chancellor, and my old master Lord Northington President of the Councill. I am sorry Lord Dartmouth does not Continue. I cannot but think it has been a great advantage to the Colonys to have had the first Lord of Trade Secretary of State for the Colonys. It would have given great Dispatch and Lessned Expence. This was intended, and the whole was Settled, and Lord Dartmouth had Kissed hands for it, if the last Administration had continued a week longer. This measure it seems was not liked by Lord Chatham, who would not permitt it. Lord Dartmouth thought it inconsistent with his Honour, uniess that business was Compleated, to continue, and therefore his Lordship resigned. The Parliament is to meet the 11th Novemb for the Dispatch of business. The opposition will be Considerable, but there is not the least doubt but the present Administration will stand, if they continue to have the full Support of the Crown, which if for no other reason but the necessity of it, I think they must have. You will be so obliging as to Present my proper Acknowledgements to the House of Representatives, and to believe me to be with the greatest Honour and and Regards, Sir, Your most ffaithful most oblged HENRY WILMOT Circular Letter to all the Governors of America, requesting them to give an exact estimate of the annual charge of maintaining the entire establishment of their respective Provinces; also the mode of imposing quit-rents, and of granting lands. [From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 270 (291).] WHITEHALL Dec 11, 1767-66. To all the Governors on the Continent of I am to signify to You His Majesty's Pleasure that You will with as much Dispatch as may be transmit to Me for His Maty's Information an exact Estimate of the annual Charge of maintaining & Supporting the Entire Establishment of His Majesty's Colony of distinguishing the different Funds & the different Services to which those Funds are appropriated. You will be very particular in specifying what Funds are fixed & regular, from those which are annually granted or which expire in a given time. It is also His Majesty's Pleasure that You transmit to me at the same time, a full & clear account of the manner of imposing Quit Rents, & of levying them as also the mode of granting Lands in Your Colony, specifying the Amount of Arrears of Quit Rents, & the Number of Grants hitherto made, & to whom, how many Acres to each, & at what time the Grants have been made. I am &c2 SHELBURNE Letter from Governor Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, concerning the Murders and Violences committed on the Indians, and the New Jersey Act for supplying the Barracks. [From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. 9, K. 64.] BURLINGTON December 16th 1766 Right Honoble the Earl of Shelburne Secretary of State My Lord I am honoured with your Lordships Letters of the 9th of August, & two others of the 13th of September, which I should have acknowledged by the last Packet, but that I was at that time greatly indisposed with a Fever. His Majesty's Commands to direct my Dispatches henceforward to your Lordship could not but be extremely agreeable to me; and I shall not fail paying strict Obedience to those Orders I may from Time to Time have the Honour to receive from your Lordship. I communicated to the Council your Lordship's Letter mentioning the gracious Reception His Majesty was pleased to give their Address, which was greatly pleasing to them. The Assembly have not met since it came to hand, but when they do I shall communicate it to them likewise, and doubt not but it will afford them equal Pleasure. His Majesty's gracious Approbation of my Conduct gives me peculiar Happiness, as it has always been my highest Ambition and constant Endeavour to render myself in some Degree worthy of it. And I cannot but hold myself greatly indebted to your Lordship for the very obliging Manner in which you have been pleas'd to express yourself on the Occasion. In answer to your Lordship's Letter of the 13th of September, relative to the Violences & Murthers which have lately been committed on the Indians under the Protection of His Majesty, I can assure you Lordship that whatever may be the Case in the other Colonies, nothing of the kind has been suffered to pass with Impunity in this Province. This I believe, His Majesty's Commander in Chief, & the Superintendant for Indian Affairs will do me the Justice to acknowledge. There has been lately two Persons executed here for the Murder of two Indian Squa's, belonging to a small Tribe settled in the interior Parts of the Province, on Lands given them by the Publick. These Men were not Inhabitants of this Colony, but were passing thro' in their Way to N. York, and happening to meet the Squa's on the Road, they robb'd and murdered them in a most barbarous Manner. I omitted nothing in my Power to have the Villians apprehended, & was so lucky as to have them taken in a few Days after, and brought to Justice. I have likewise been indefatigable in my Endeavours to have another Murderer apprehended who killed an Oneida Indian on the Frontiers of this Province, in which after a great deal of Trouble |