tain services or an allowance to defray a certain expence. plentiful & permanent as the Judges Salaries are in England, their traveling expences are defrayed by the Crown on the Circuit, over and above their Salaries.-now as there is an annual sum voted by the Assembly for the purpose, if I am not allowed to receive it, it will sink in the Treasury, and the Assembly will have the appearance, and credit, of contributing to the expence of the administration of Justice, tho' in fact that expence will come out of the pocket of the Chief Justice whenever he goes a Circuit.

I think it will be some satisfaction to your Lordship to know that I am informed on enquiry, the importation and demand for British Goods is very great at present in all the Colonies-and that the projects for establishing manufactories are almost at an end, and hardly mentioned but to be laughed at.

I am my Lord with the utmost Respect and Gratitude

Your Lordship's much obliged

& obed Hume Serv!

FREDERICK SMYTH.

Letter from Gov. Franklin to the Lords of Trade, rel· ative to the care and custody of Idiots and Luna tics.

[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 10, L. 17.]

BURLINGTON NEW JERSEY Oct! 12th 1772 The Right Honble the Lords Commiss's for Trade & Plantations.

My Lords

I am honoured with your Lordship's Dispatch of the 29th of July, respecting a Clause proposed to be inserted in the Commissions for Governors of His Majesty's Plantations in America, giving them, as Chan

cellors, the necessary Powers to issue Commissions for the Care and Custody of Ideots and Lunatics. -At present I cannot see that there is any well founded Objection to be made to such a Clause, and I think it may be of Advantage to the King's Subjects in the Colonies. The Laws of this Province have made no Provision that I can find respecting either Ideots or Lunatics, and I believe there have been Instances where the Governors, as Chancellors, have undertaken to act in the Manner which it is intended by the proposed Clause they shall be authorized to do for the fu

I shall, however, in a few Weeks have an Opportunity of consulting the Attorney General, and some of the Gentlemen of the Council, upon the Subject; when, if any Objection should occur, I shall not fail to acquaint your Lordships therewith by the first Opportunity.

I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect, My Lords, Your Lordships most obedient & most humble Servant

WM FRANKLIN

Memorial of Attorney-General Skinner to the Earl of Dartmouth, praying that he may obtain an adequate salary from the Crown for his services.

[From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 177 (195).]

PERTH AMBOY 30th October 1772

To the Right Honorable The Earl of Dartmouth His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies in America &ca

The Memorial of Courtland Skinner Attorney Generall of the Colonie of New Jersey

Humbly Sheweth

That your Memorialist hath held the Office of Attor

ney General of New Jersey for upwards of Eighteen Years

That the Salary allowed your Memorialist by the Colonie, so far from being an Adequate compensation for his Services, is not equal to twenty Guineas Per Annum

That in consequence of Laws of the Colonie, which from time to time have received the Royal assent, and by the particular Usage and Custom of the Colonies the fees of Office, and other perquisites due to the Attorney Generall, as Prosecutor for the Crown, have been curtailed, or established at rates, not only infinitely lower than in England, but also much below the fees Allowed for Criminal Prosecutions in the Neighbouring Colonies, insomuch that it may with truth be averred, that the necessary Attendance of the Attorney Generall at the several Courts of the Province, to prosecute the Pleas of the Crown, is in many Instances not only extremely burthensome, but absolutely expensive to him, for in Criminal Prosecutions Notwithstanding all his Trouble in taking the Necessary Steps to bring Offenders to Justice: no fees whatever are to be taken by him, unless the Accused is Convicted, and Even upon Convictions, the Defendants are often so poor that Nothing can be had, or if any thing, seldom without an Abatement of that Little which by Law is due.

That your Memorialist Notwithstanding these disadvantages and altho' his Services for as many years have been so Poorly Requited hath never failed to make the furtherance of the Public Justice of the Colonie his fixed object, and upon occasions of difficulty and even danger, from the Licenciousness of particu lar times, hath discharged the duties of his Office, as an Active and resolute Servant of the Crown for which he begs Leave to appeal to the present as well as former Representations of the Governor of this Colonie.

Your Memorialist further begs Leave to Represent to your Lordship, That as the Governor's Application to the Assembly for an encrease of the Salaries to the Officers of Government, has been without effect, so your Memorialist humbly hopes, as his Majesty has been Graciously pleased to Allow Salaries to the Officers holding like commissions with your Memorialist in Other Colonies (where the emoluments to the Office are greater from the Grants of the Lands, belonging to the Crown, and other Circumstances unknown in this Colonie) That Your Lordship will consider him as a proper Subject for Royal favor, and that thro' your Patronage he may obtain such a Salary from the Crown, as may be thought adequate to his Services and the Importance and Usefullness of his Office in this Colonie.

And Your Memorialist as in Duty bound shall ever pray

COURTLAND SKINNER

Letter from Governor Franklin to the Earl of Dartmouth, transmitting Minutes of Council and Assembly, with his observations on the Boundary Act, the act enabling all subjects of his Majesty to inherit real estate, and the Lottery Act.

My Lord,

[From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 347 (422).]

BURLINGTON 28th Nov! 1772

I have the Honour to transmit to Your Lordship by this opportunity Copies of the Journals of the Privy and Legislative Council, the Votes of the Assembly and the Laws passed at the last Session held at Perth Amboy of these, three are passed with Clauses sus

pending their taking effect until His Majesty's Pleasure shall be signified thereupon viz

1st "An Act for establishing the Boundary or partition Line between the Colonies of New York & Nova Cæsarea or New Jersey, and for confirming the Titles & possessions." This Act is made exactly conformable to one lately passed in the Colony of New York for the same purpose. It enacts that the partition Line decreed by the Commiss" appointed by His Majesty shall for ever hereafter be the Boundary between this Colony & the Colony of New York. Should these Laws receive His Majesty's Confirmation, an End will be put to a Controversy which has been frequently attended with very disagreeable Consequences to both Colonies.

24 "An Act to enable all Persons who are His Majesty's Liege Subjects, either by Birth or Naturalization, to inherit and hold real Estates, notwithstanding any defects of Purchases made before Naturalization within this Colony." A Law of somewhat a Similar nature to this (passed at the Session in October 1770) was disallowed by His Majesty; but as the present one is no way different in Substance, & as nearly as possible in the very words, of one passed in the same manner in New York, and lately approved of by His Majesty, I could not refuse it my Assent, especially as I can look upon it in no other light than as a petition to the King, the prayer of which is just and equitable. Should Your Lordship, however, be of Opinion. that such Laws which may any ways concern the Royal prerogative, ought not to be passed, even with a Suspending Clause, unless a previous permission has been obtained from the Crown, and will please to point out to me the manner in which such permission is to be applied for, I shall not fail to conform thereto for the future. My Reason for mentioning this is, because it seemed to be the sense of the Board of Trade, in their