Documents Relative to Colonial History

Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York;
procured in Holland, England and France
by John Romeyn Broadhead, Esq., Agent,
UNDER AND BY VIRTUE OF AN ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE ENTITLED "AN ACT TO APPOINT AN AGENT TO PROCURE AND TRANSCRIBE DOCUMENT IN EUROPE RELATIVE TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE," PASSED MAY 2, 1839. VOLUME V., ALBANY;
Weed, Pasons and Company, Printers, 1855.

(Note the spelling is from the 18th Century)

Lords of Trade to Lord Dartmouth.

[New York Entries, H. 267.]

To the R(t) Hon(ble) the Lord Dartmouth.

My Lord,

Having since our Letter to Your lordship of the 12th of the last month prepar'd a Representation relating to the Product of Naval Stores in New York and the settlement of the Palatines there for that purpose, We transmit the same to Your Lordship, which you will pleast to lay before her Majesty for her pleasure therein. We are, My Lord,
Your Lordships' most obedient humble Servants

Stamford
R. Monckton
Ph: Meadows
Cha: Turner
J. Pulteney
Geo: Baillie
Arth: Moore.

Whitehall
February the 8th 17 10/11 (this is how the date was written.)

Resprsentation of the Lords of Trade respecting Naval Stores, &c.

To the Queen's Most Excell(t) Majesty

May it please your Majesty.

Our proposal of the 5th of Decemb(r) 1709 for setling three thousand Palatines at New York, and for employing them there in the production of Naval Stores having been approved of by your Majesty, and the said Palatines transported thither accordingly, We have now received from M(r) Hunter Your Majesty's Govern(r)' of that Province, an Account of what Progress has been made in that settlem(t) and have likewise been informed thereof as well by letters from M(r) Bridger (Surveyor of Your Majesty's Woods on the Continent of America) who was directed to go from New England to New York, to instruct them in the said manufacture, as by the discourse we have had with M(r) Dupre, the Person sent over by your Majestys said Governor to solicit a further subsistence for the said Palatines, Whereupon we beg leave humbly to lay before your Majesty.

That the said Palatines did not arrive at New York till June last, when the season for preparing the Trees for making Tar was over, Whereby nothing could be done that year towards the production of Naval Stores. However that there might be no loss of time the Governor went with the said M(r) Bridger to view several Tracts of Land upon Hudson's River, and on the Mohaques River. The latter was judg'd too remote, and therefore the Governor purchased for two hundred twenty six pounds sterling, a Tract of land containing six thousand acres, lying on the East side of Hudson's River, which is about a hundred miles from New York.

On that land the greatest number of the said Palatines are setled in three towns, where they have already erect(d) their Huts.

Opposite thereto and belonging to Your Majesty on the West side of the said River, lyes another Tract of Land, extending about a mile in length to the side of that River on which Land the rest of the Palatines are seated in two towns.

Which said settlements are very commodious, as well in regard of the fertility of the soil, as that they are adjoyning to the Pine Lands, and that ships drawing fifteen foot water may come up to them.

M(r) Dupre has informed us that when he came away the number of the Palatines so setled was Two thousand, Two hundred, twenty seven, who were then employed in clearing the ground, for Indian Corn & Gardens; And are this Spring to be set on work in preparing the Trees for the Production of Tar and other Naval Stores.

Your Majesty's said Govern(r) and Surveyor do say, That this great and usefull undertaking of providing this Kingdom with Naval Stores cannot fail of success if duly encourag'd and supported from hence, there being Pines enough for a constant supply of Tar for the use of all the shipping of Great Britain.

In order to produce Tar the Trees must be rinded in the Spring, after which it is necessary that they stand two years that the Sap may be lost, and only the Gummy substance remain to be run into Tar, by burning the Trees after a particular manner ; Wherefore 'till the Palatines can make Tar, in order to reimburse Your Majesty what has already been or shall be further advanc'd for their use, the Governor proposes y(t) they be subsisted at the rate of six pence p(r) Day, for Persons above ten years of age, and four pence a head p(r) Day for children under Ten Years; To defray which expence and other charges incident to the said undertaking (as is more particularly set forth in an Estimate now lying before the Lords of Your Majesty's Treasury) he Craves an allowance of Fifteen Thous(d) Pounds a Year.

In regard it was so late before the said Palatines were seated, as before mention'd, and for that the weather in that Country is usually very hard during the Winter season, they could not by their labour contribute towards their own Lively hood-during any Part of the first year, which Time to that purpose be reckoned lost; Therefore the Governor proposes that the said allowance of fifteen thousand pounds a Year, be made for Two years to be computed from Midsummer 1710 w(th)in the first of which two years, (though a great part of their labour will be employed in the Spring, to prepare Trees for making Tar,) He computes they will be so far able to contribute towards their own lively hood, that the said sum of Fifteen thousand pounds will in a great measure answer the rest of that year's expence on account of the said undertaking, And that within the latter of the said two years the produce of their lands will contribute towards their support to such a further degree that the second fifteen thousand pounds will be sufficient to answer the second years expence, and to make good the deficiency of the former year.

For the subsistence of the Palatines up(n) their arrival at New York the Governor carryed from hence Bills of Credit for Eight thousand pounds, And (as he informs us) has drawn Bills on Your Majesty's Treasury for that, and for a further sum of four thousand, seven hundred pounds, all which mony he says has been expended in subsisting and settling of those people; and that he has transmitted an account thereof to the Lords of your Majesty's Treasury, whereby he says it does appear that he has disposed of that mony w(th) good management, and therefore prays y(e)said Bills may be complyed with.

If the production of Naval Stores w(th)inYour Majesty's Dominions in America be incouraged and brought to such perfection that sufficient quantities thereof may be imported from thence, for the use of the Royal Navy, and if the rest of the shipping of Great Britain (which we are credibly informed may be done) The said Stores (bought there with the produce of the Woollen and other Goods from Great Britain) being consumed here, in lieu of such as are imported from the Northern Crowns, the doing thereof will not only turn the ballance of that Northern trade, in favour of this Kingdom, But your Majesty and Your subjects will for the future be at a greater certainty of being from time to time supplyed with Naval Stores from America than can be depended upon from the Baltick and Norway, especially in case of a rupture with either of the said Northern Crowns. Therefore we presume humbly to Offer Our Opinion that the said Palatines be supported in order to their carrying on and improving the said Manufacture of Naval Stores, so greatly advantagious and beneficial to the Navigation, of this Kingdom.

In our abovementioned Proposal We humbly offered to Your Majesty that M(r) Bridger who, for some years past, has been imployed in Your .Majesty's Service in New England, with a Salary of two hundred pounds a year, should be ordered, with three or four other persons as his assistants to repair from thence to New York, to instruct the said Palatines in manufacturing Rozin, Turpentine, Tar and Pitch, for which service we then proposed that a hundred pound a year should be allowed during such their stay and imploy at New York. Accordingly the said M(r) Bridger repaired thither and has been very serviceable in finding out Lands proper for the settlement of the Palatines, and in the seating them thereon, as your Majesty's said Governor has informed us; But that the said M(r) Bridger has had no consideration for such his services in regard he the Governor is not sufficiently empowered by authority from your Majesty to make any allowance for the same. When the last letters came from New York, M(r) Bridger was in New England taking care of your Majestys Woods in that Country, but was to return from thence to New York this spring, to instruct the said Palatines in preparing the Trees and Manufacturing the said Naval Stores; Wherefore we humbly offer that out of such mony as your Majesty shall be graciously pleased farther to advance on account of the said Palatines, for the carrying on the said Manufacture of Naval Stores, the Governor be impower'd and directed to allow and pay the said M(r) Bridger a yearly salary of one hundred pounds, during such time as he shall be imployed at New York, in the service of instructing the said Palatines as aforesaid.

All which is most humbly submitted.

STAMFORD
R MONCKTON
PH: MEADOWS
CHA: TURNER
J. PULTENEY
GEO : BAILLIE
ART: MOORE

Order in Council in relation to a Standing Revenue.
[New-York Entries, H. 298]
At the Court at S(t) James' the 1st day of March 1710

PRESENT-The QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, in Councill.

Upon Reading this Day at the Board a Representation from the Lords Comission(rs) for Trade and Plantations in the words following viz*

TO the QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJ(ty)

'May it please Your Majesty

Having laid before Your Majesty such account as we received from Your Majesty's Governor of New York of the settlement of the Palatines, and of their being Imployed in the Production of Naval Stores in that Province, We now beg leave humbly to represent to Your Majesty the difficulties he has met with from the Assembly, in relating to his procuring the Grant of a Revenue there.

The last act of Assembly, whereby a Revenue was granted to Your Maj(ry) for defraying the publick charges of that Government, expir'd the 18th of May 1709; The Governor who arrived there in June 1710 did on the first of September following, in his Speech at his opening the first Session of Assembly, among other things earnestly recomend to them the providing a fitting and necessary supply for the service of Your Majestys Government, and that they would take care to restore the publick Credit. In order whereunto, at the desire of the Assembly; an Estimate of the yearly charge of that Government was laid before them, part of which estimate they disallowed, and prepared another Estimate of the charges of that Government.

On the 25th of October following the Assembly voted 2500 Ounces of Silver towards defraying the Governor's necessary expences for one year; The value of which Quantity of silver he computes of little more than half of what Your Majesty has been pleas'd to appoint for his salary. Whereupon he communicated to them that part of Your Majesty's Instructions whereby he is impowered to receive to his own use as Gov(r) 1200 £ sterling a year, out of the Publick Revenue of that Province, and added that he presumed they would not dispute Your Majesty's Right of appointing a Salary for the use of Your Governor.

They struck out some Intire Articles in the said estimate of the yearly charge of that Government, and retrenched others to less than one half, tho' some of the members proposed, that what the Governor had offered might be further consider'd, and one of them having press'd it with some warmth was thereupon expelled the Assembly. Afterwards on the second of November they voted twelve hundred pounds more for defraying the charge, of the Governm(t) and for the security of the Frontiers.

On the sixth of November, following a Bill was brought into the Assembly, giving a Power to the Treasurer of that Province, out of the Publick Treasure lying in his hands (unappropriated) to issue 5667 1/2 ounces of silver, for the use of the garrison and other the uses therein particularly mentioned ; Which sum the Governor informs us was little more than half what was necessary, and very much less than what has usually been allowed for those services.

To this Bill the Councill made an Amendment by which the mony was directed to be issued by Warrant of the Governor, by and with the Advice and consent of the Councill, conformable to your Majesty's Instructions in that behalf, and to former practice there ; The Assembly disagreed to this amendment, and there were several conferences between the Councill and Assembly, on the subject matter of y(t) amendment, without any good effect. Whereupon the Governor found himself obliged on the 25th of the said Novemb(r) last to prorogue the Assembly to the first of March next, in hopes they will then meet in a better temper. In the mean time by this Proceeding of the Assembly there is no Provision made for the Paym(t) of the said Governors salary, or for defraying the other publick & necessary charges of that Government; Except what may arise from the two Acts past that session for setting an Excise on strong liquors, and for laying Duties on the Tunage of Vessells and Slaves, All which 'tis computed will fall much short of the forementioned services.

The Governor has informed us of what reasons some of the Members of the Assembly give for their not providing for the support of that Government as formerly, with his Observations upon such their pretended reasons. And we further beg leave humbly to lay the same before Your Majesty.

They pretend that the Expence of that Province on account of the late intended Expedition against Canada hath so impoverished them that they are not able to raise money to answer the usual charge of the Government; Upon which the Governor observes, that the service of that expedition was defray'd by a Land Tax (the greatest part whereof we presume was spent among themselves) Whereas the Mony given for the charge of the Government was usually raised by duties on Goods imported and exported and on Excise.

Another reason they give is that the Misapplication of Revenues formerly granted, hath, as they alledge, brought a considerable debt on the country.

To remove that objection the Governor proposed to several members of the Assembly, that a Clause might be inserted in the Revenue Bill, to oblige the Receiver General to be accountable to the Assembly, as well as to Your Majesty, that such other Clauses might be added as would effectually restrain fhe Governor & Council, from loading the Country with further Debts by any payment to be issued out of the Revenue.

But 'tis beleived the true reason of this proceeding of the Assembly are, first, That in a great measure some of the neighbouring Governments are exempted from so great a charge, As to this the Governor observes that the Province of the Massachusetts Bay is at £20,000 yearly charge for the defence of their frontiers, whilst those of New York are for the most part defended and secured by Your Majesty's regular forces there.

Another reason is that by Act of Assembly, every Assembly man being allowed six shillings a day, during the sitting of the Assembly, the better to secure his being chosen from time to time, he only considers the saving of the Countries money, without having any manner of regard to the necessary services of the Governm(t).

Lastly the Governor adds that of late a notion has very much prevailed among those people that Your Majesty has not a power of appointing Salaries out of the Revenues raised by them, and the pretended right they have assumed to themselves, of retrenching the Governor's Salary, in the manner before mentioned, is founded on that notion, Which in our opinion should not be countenanced.

This being the state of the difficulties the Governor has met with from the Assembly in relation to his procuring the Grant of a Revenue, as it appears to us from the Journal of Assembly, and from the Governor's letters, We beg leave to offer to Your Majesty Our humble Opinion.

That your Majesty's said Governor be directed to represent to the Assembly, that it being Your Majesty's undoubted Prerogative to constitute a Governor of that Province, with an appointm(t) of such salary as Your Majesty in Your Royal Wisdom has judged suitable to the character, and necessary for the support and maintenance of that Government, it has therefore been justly displeasing to your Majesty, to find they have refused or neglected to make the like sufficient provision for the foresaid purpose as has been made in the time of Your Majesty's late Governors. And thereupon that the said Governor be further directed in the most effectual manner to recommend to them the granting the like Revenue for the support and maintenance of that Government as has usually been granted. And the better to induce the Assembly to comply therein, We humbly conceive it may be proper to intimate to them, that if they shall persist in refusing or neglecting to provide for the necessary support and maintenance of that Government under the administration of Your Majesty's present Governor in like manner as y(e) same has hitherto been supported & maintained, they must expect that such their refusal or neglect will give a just occasion to the passing an Act by the Parliament of Great Britain for granting to Your Majesty the like Revenue to arise and be paid there for the support and maintenance of that Government as has usually been granted by Act of Assembly for that service. All which is most humbly submitt(d)
EARL OF STAMFORD.
J PULTENEY
S(r) PH: MEADOWS
CHA: TURNER
MOORE

Whitehall the 16th of Febr: 17 10/11

Her Majesty in Councill approving of the said Representation is pleased to order as it is hereby ordered that the Right Hon(ble) the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations do Forthwith draw up Heads of a Bill to be laid before the Parliament of Great Britain for enacting a Standing Revenue of what has been usually allowed within the Province of New York, for the support of the Governor there, and the necessary expences of the Government, according to former Acts of Assembly, and that they present the same to her Majesty at this Board, in order to Her Majestys further pleasure therein WILLIAM BLATHWAYT.