Annum until the year 1783, besides the usual Expences for the Support of Government. They think the Taxes for this Purpose will fall heavily on the People, and that they ought at least to be exempted from the Burthen of supporting Troops during that Time. I promised to represent their Opinions and Inclinations on the Subject to His Majesty's Ministers, tho' I do not concurr with them in Sentiments either with Respect to the Weight of the Taxes, or the Burthen of supporting Troops. The latter, I think has been of considerable Advantage to the Colony, and that from mere Views of Profit they should have desired an additional Regiment rather than have parted with the one stationed here. I made no Requisition for the Supply of the Troops in my Speech at the Opening of the Session, as I was convinced that a great Majority of the Members were then determined against granting any Money for that Purpose, and that if they once declared that Resolution in their Address (which would be immediately published & circulated through the Country) it would be hardly possible to get them to recede from it. I therefore only recommended to them the common Business of the Colony, and when they had proceeded some Weeks in that, and I found the Generality of the Members were become interested in the Success of some one Bill or other, I made the Application. It however fail'd, and there was a majority of One against it, owing to two of the Members who were for the Measure happening to be absent at the Time by Reason of Sickness. Notwithstanding which I renewed the Application, and gave them an Intimation that if they did not comply I should prorogue them immediately. At length, after considerable Debate in the House, and some private Conferences with several of the Members, Three of those who had before voted on the negative, were prevailed to vote on the other side of the Question, by which the Point was carried by a Majority of Twelve to Seven. The Messages which passed between us on this Subject are enclosed, and Copies of the Minutes and Laws of the Session shall be sent to your Lordship as soon as they can be made out. The Matter respecting the Appointment of an Agent, signify'd to me by the Board of Trade, I have likewise carried through, though a Point of great Difficulty with most of the Members, and which many of them told me it was impossible I should succeed in. I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect, & Regard My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient & most humble Servant W FRANKLIN. Letter from the Earl of Hillsborough to Governor Franklin-the removal of the troops from New Jersey leaves no cause for disagreeable altercation with the Assembly. Sir, [From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 176 (194).] Gov. Franklin, WHITEHALL Jan'ry 11, 1772 I have received your dispatch N° 39, & have laid it before the King. By the removal of the Troops from New Jersey there will be no occasion for any further demand that may give rise to disagreeable Altercation with the Assembly, & the only subject of Discussion that now remains is with regard to the Payment of the Arrears. This appears to me to be a matter that requires to be managed with some Delicacy, but as I observe that Gen eral Gage has wrote to you fully on that subject, his HILLSBOROUGH. Order of the King in Council, disallowing two Acts passed in New Jersey in October, 1770, and directing the Lords of Trade to prepare and lay before His Majesty a draught of an additional instruction to the Governors of all His Majesty's Colonies, restraining them from giving their assent to any law by which the lands, etc., of persons who have never resided within the Colony, shall be made liable to be attached for the recovery of debts due from such persons. L. S. [From P. R. O. B. T. Plantations General, Vol. 29 (27), U. 19.] AT THE COURT AT ST JAMES'S THE 15TH PRESENT The King's most Excellent Majesty in Council. Whereas there was this Day read at the Board a Report from the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs Dated the 10th of this Instant-viz— "Your Majesty having been pleased by your order "in Council of the 27th of June 1771 to refer unto this "Committee a Representation from the Lords Com"missioners for Trade and Plantations in the words "following viz! "We have had under our consideration two acts 66 'passed in your Majestys Colony of New Jersey in "October 1770 intituled, "A Supplementary Act to an Act intituled An Act "for the better enabling of Creditors to recover their "just Debts from Persons who abscond themselves. "An Act to Enable persons who are his Majestys "Leige Subjects either by Birth or Naturalization to "Inherit & hold Real Estates notwithstanding the "Purchase, Grant or Devise were made before Nat"uralization within this Colony "Whereupon We humbly beg leave to represent to "Your Majesty "That by the first of these Acts the Lands Tene"ments Goods Chattels Rights and Credits of Persons "who have never resided within the Colony are made "liable to be attached for the Recovery of Debts due "from such Persons, and although the Situation of "New Jersey, and its Connections with the Colonies "of New York and Pennsylvania in which the own"ers of Lands and Effects in New Jersey do fre"quently reside, do in some Degree distinguish it in this Case from other Colonies, Yet We are clearly "of opinion that the mischevious consequences of "such a Law when General must greatly outweigh "the Utility of it 66 "That by the second of these acts the Title and "Claim of every Inhabitant of that Colony to any "Lands or Tenements granted or made by any Alien "before naturalized by Law shall not be defective or disputable on the ground of such alienation either "in the Grantors or Grantees; a provision which tho' evidently founded on principles of Humanity and "Good Policy, Yet is of such a Nature, and does so "materially affect Your Majestys Rights derived from "the Laws and Constitution of this Kingdom that it ought not to have been the object of a Law of that Colony without Your Majestys permission first ob 66 66 'tained, from whose Bounty and Goodness alone an "Indulgence of this Nature ought to have flowed "For these Reasons We humbly lay these two Acts "before Your Majesty for Your Majestys Disallow"ance thereof, and crave leave further humbly to pro66 pose that as the practice of passing Laws in the Col"onies of the nature of that first mentioned in this "Representation has of late but too much prevailed, 66 an additional Instruction should be given to the "Governors of all Your Majestys Colonies, restraining "them from giving their assent on any pretence "whatever to any Law by which the Lands Tenements Goods Chattels Rights and credits of persons "who have never resided within the Colony shall be "made liable to be attached for the Recovery of Debts "due from such persons 66 66 "The Lords of the Committee in obedience to your Majestys said order of Reference this Day took the "said Representation and Acts into their Consider"ation, and do humbly Report to Your Majesty, that "they concur in opinion with what is above proposed "by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Planta"tions, and to that End that it may be adviseable for "Your Majesty to Signify Your Royal Disallowance "of the said Acts; and to Direct the Lords Commis"sioners for Trade and plantations to prepare the "Draft of an additional Instruction to the Governors "of all your Majestys Colonies agreeably to what is proposed in the above Representation of the said "Lords Commissioners 66 His Majesty taking the said Report into Consideration, was pleased, with the advice of His Privy Council, to approve thereof, and accordingly to Disallow the said Acts; And His Majesty doth hereby Order that the Lords Commissioners for Trade and plantations do prepare and lay before His Majesty at the Board, a Draft of an additional Instruction, to the Governors |