Letter from Lord Stirling to Cortlandt Skinner, covering a valuation by three impartial persons, of the land mortgaged by him to Mrs. Mary Verplank, and afterwards by mistake, to the Treasurer, for money had out of the Treasury. [From Skinner Papers among Manuscripts of W. A. Whitehead, Vol. 2, No. 48.] Courtlandt Skinner Esq. Dear Sir February 17: 1775 I now inclose you a Copy of a Valuation made by three impartial men of the Lands Mortgaged by me to Mrs. Mary Verplank and afterwards by some unaccountable mistake to your Brother as a Security for the Monies I am Indebted to the Province of New Jersey. By this Valuation the Lands amount to £4582 proc: Mrs. Verplank's Debt does not amount to one half that Sum. Consequently (if this Valuation is Just) there will be sufficient in the Remainder to discharge the Debt due to the Province. When I last saw you, I think you told me that the Assembly had requested you to direct that the Equity of Redemption should at the Ensuing Sheriff's Sale, be purchased for the use of the Province. I therefore now Communicate this Valuation to you, in order that you may know how far it will be safe for to make Purchases on this Occasion for the Account of the Province, which I think will be Very Safe, if for the Redemption of Each Tract or Lott, their Agents do bid as far as one half of the inclosed Valuation; if others will bid more so much the better. You will be pleased to give such Instructions as you think proper and I shall be much obliged to you to be informed by the Bearer what they are. I am your most Obedient Humble Servt, STIRLING. N. B. Be pleased to Communicate the Contents to the Committee, at least to Mr. Fisher before the day of Sale. Letter from Governor Franklin, relative to the Seizure of all arms and ammunition imported into the province without license from the King. [From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 177 (195).] PERTH AMBOY Feb'! 18th 1775 The Right Honble the Earl of Dartmouth, &c &c My Lord, Upon receiving your Lordship's Circular Dispatch of the 19th of October, I immediately gave Notice to the Officers of the Customs, and others, of His Majesty's Order in Council relative to the Importation of Arms and Ammunition, and directed the Seizing of all such as should be imported into this province without a Licence from His Majesty, or the privy Council for the Purpose. His Majesty may rely that nothing shall be wanting on my Part towards a punctual Execution of his Intentions in this respect, within this Government. I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect and Regard, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient Order in Council approving three acts of the Province L. 8. of New Jersey, and recommending salaries more suitable to the civil officers, the building houses for the residence of the Governor, etc. [From P. R. O., America and West Indies, Vol. 108 (112).] AT THE COURT AT ST JAMES'S THE 20TH 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 this Day in the words following Viz! "Your Majesty having been pleased by Your Order "in Council of the 23rd of this Instant to referr unto "this Committee a Representation from the Lords "Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, Setting "forth, That William Franklin Esquire Your Majes"ty's Governor of New Jersey in America, having "transmitted the Laws Enacted in the last Session of "General Assembly within that province, the said "Lords Commissioners beg leave to lay before Your Majesty three of those Laws, which do on different "Grounds require Your Majesty's Determination, submitting to Your Majesty their Observations and "Opinion thereupon-Viz 'An Act for striking one "hundred thousand pounds in Bills of Credit, and di 66 66 66 "recting the mode for sinking the same.'-That the 'propriety both in point of Justice and policy of creat"ing paper Bills of Credit, and lending them out at "Interest upon Land Security, in Order to create a "Fund for supplying the necessities of Government, "will certainly in the abstract Consideration of the "proposition, admit of some doubt; the provision "however made by Act of parliament for preventing "such Bills of Credit being a legal Tender, has removed 'the principal Ground of Objection, and experience "has shewn, that under that restriction it is a measure "which has in Your Majesty's Colonies been attended "with very salutary Effect, by Enabling the planters 66 66 66 to Extend their Improvements, to open new Chan"nels of Commerce, to take off a greater Quantity of "the Manufactures of Great Britain, and to pay for "them with that Gold and Silver, which, was it not "for the Advantage of this paper Medium must be "retained in Order to answer the purposes of Circula"tion;-That in this View therefore of the Act, and upon a full Consideration of the particular State and "Circumstances of Your Majesty's Colony of New Jersey, the said Lords Commissioners lay it before 'Your Majesty for Your Majesty's Royal Confirma"tion, it having been very properly passed with a "Clause suspending its Execution until Your Majes "ty's pleasure could be known-That they should "however have had the greater satisfaction in recom"mending to your Majesty to confirm this Act if the Assembly instead of a general Appropriation of the "Interest Money to the Support of Government in "such manner as should be directed by future Acts, "had made a Settlement during the Existence of the "Loan upon the Civil Officers of Government of Sala"ries more suitable to their several Stations than what "they now receive, and had appropriated a Specific "portion of the Interest Money to Building Houses 66 66 "for the Residence of Your Majesty's Governor and 'the meetings of the Legislature of which the Gov"ernor says there is a shameful want in that prov"ince-That such an Appropriation of the Interest of "the Loan is certainly no more than what they owe "to the Dignity of their own Government, and Your Majesty's just expectations; And they Trust that if "Your Majesty shall be graciously pleased to direct "Your Governor to make a Requisition to the Effect "of what is above suggested the Legislature of New Jersey will not make such an ill return to Your Majesty's Grace and Favor in the Confirmation of the "Law, as not to comply with it- An Act for lower"ing the Interest of Money to six per Cent within this "Colony-That Mr Jackson One of Your Majesty's "Counsel at Law, whom the said Lords Commission"ers have consulted upon this Act, observes, that it is "either useless or mischievous, for, if Money abounds "sufficiently in the province to induce possessors of it "to lend at Six per Cent, it will be lent at that rate, "in case it does not, the only Effect of the Law will "be a prohibition on the lending at all, to the manifest "injury of the Trade of the Colony and the Improve"ment of its Lands; In this Objection they agree "with M: Jackson, and are moreover of Opinion that "this Confirmation of the Act for issuing paper Bills "of Credit, which are to be Lent out on Land Security at five per Cent, renders this Law at least unnecessary, if not Improper, and they therefore lay it be"fore Your Majesty for Your Majesty's Disallowance. - An Act for the relief of Abner Hatfield an Insolv"ent Debtor'-That this Act which has been very properly passed with a Clause suspending its Execution until Your Majesty's pleasure can be known, "appears upon Examination not to be liable to any Ob"jection and therefore lay it before Your Majesty for "Your Majesty's Royal Confirmation'-The Lords of 66 66 66 66 66 |