WE the Representatives of three Counties, nigh half of the eight Counties of this Government, being indisputably elected and Returned, and sworn to serve in this present Assembly, being fully perswaded of our own knowledge, Tat the Sheriff of New York hath, expresly contrary to his Oath and Duty, made a Return under his Hand and Seal, of four Members for the City and County of N. York, and County of Orange, of which the Speaker, Mr. Phillip French is one; the falseness of which Return appears under the hand of the said Sheriff in his Petition to the House, and the Oathes of several other Persons, on which we have formerly made a Remon­strance to this House, which was rejected. Whereupon we Petitioned his Excellency and Council, whose Advice to the House, to reconcile our Differences, and give Satis­faction, was likewise absolutely rejected. We do therefore in behalf of the Counties we represent, Protest against all Proceedings that shall be made by this House, as null and void, untill the Members returned for the City & County of New-York, & County of Orange, submit their Elections and Return to a fair, judicial and reasonable Tryal of the House, that they with-draw during the same, all which hitherto they have violently refused to do. Given under our Hands the 14th of June, in the tenth year of his Majesties Reign, 1698.

WHereas we have made an humble Petition to your Lordship and Council, set­ting forth a Remonstrance we had made to the House of Representatives, which they had rejected, & therefore praying we might be heard, or other­wise that the present Assembly might be Dissolved, the major Vote of which being made by the Unjust Returns of corrupt Sheriffs. On which Petition your Lordship did admit us, with the House together, into your Presence, and did, with great Piety and Justice, exhort us to go together and reconcile our Differences, and give and receive Satisfaction, that his Majesties Service, and the good of the Country might be pro­moted. Accordingly we went to the House, and desired Mr. Speaker that we might have some Satisfaction given us, in relation to our Remonstrance and Petition, which he with great Violence denyed, and would not permit our Petition to your Lordship to be read, but instead thereof he himself, and others with him, who are not chosen by the People, [...]ave us reproachful threatning Language, telling, We deserved to be Hang'd if we were in England, that our Counsellors were Villians and Rogues. On which we did again with-draw our selves, being resolved never to betrary our Country (whom we indisputably represent by joyning and acting with such Persons who represent none but themselves, and have so apparently destroyed all the Rights and Liberties of the People. And as we have made our Protests to the House against their Proceedings, So we crave leave to assure your Lordship and Council of our Inviolable Loyalty to his Sacred Majesty King William, (for whose sake two Members of this present Assembly have been excluded the House, as attainted of Treason for most early appearing in the late happy Revolution, for which they have obtained his Majesties Gracious Pardon) That with a chearful and ready Obedience to your Lordships Government, under which we are assured our English Constitutions shall not be undermined by Wicked Men.

And we lastly crave leave to make this our Protest to your Lordship and Council, (in behalf of the Counties we represent against all manner of Acts and things that shall be concluded on or done by those pretended Members now sitting, that our Country may not be obliged to obey Laws made by those who are not chosen by the Country, but have, since their sitting, violently over-run all common Decency and Order, as well as the Rights and Liberties of the People. All which is humbly submit­ted to your Excellency and Council, by