WE esteem it our great happiness that her Majesty has placed a person of so much [...]emper and Moderation over us, and make no question your Excellency will surmount every Difficulty with Honour and Safety.

Her Majestys Reign will make a bright Leaf in History; and as 'tis the ad­vantage of the present, so 't will be the admiration of future Ages, not more for her Success abroad than her Prudence at home; and tho' our distance has, and may sometimes be disadvantagious to us, yet we experience the Effect of her Princely [...]are, in putting an end to the worst Administration New-Jersey ever knew, by sending your Excellency, whose Administration must always be easie to her Majesties Subjects here, and Satisfactory to your self, whilest you follow so great and so good an Example.

We have no Annimosities with one another, but firmly agree to do our Selves and Country Justice; and perswade our selves, none that deserve pub­lick Censure, will have share in your Excellency's esteem, but that we shall meet with a hearty Concurrence from you in all those measures that conduce to our Peace and Satisfaction.

We shall contribute to the Support of her Majestys Government to the utmost of our Abilities, and most willingly so at a time when are free'd from Bondage and Arbitrary Incroachments; and are very much satisfied that Vice and Immorality will meet with a different Treatment from what it did, and not receive the publick Countenance and Approbation.

We do assure your Excellency, all your reasonable Desires shall be Com­mands to us, and that we will study to make your Excellency's Administration as easie and happy as we can to your Excellency and our selves.

March 8. 1709.

Several Members of this House being of the People called Quakers, do approve of the matter and substance above-written, but make some exceptions as to the stile.

THis House being credibly informed, that an Address was sent to her Majesty by the Lieut. Governour and Council in the year 1707▪ a Copy of which this House has hitherto, in vain, endeavoured to obtain. This House therefore humbly prays, That your Excellency would be pleased to take such measures as your Excellency shall think fit, that a Copy of said Address may be laid before this House.

WE, the Lieut. Governour and Council of your Majestys Province of Nova Caesarea or New-Jersey, having seriously and deliberately taken into our Consideration the Proceedings of the present Assembly or Representative Body of this Province, thought our selves bound, both in Duty and Conscience, to testifie to your Majesty our Dislike and Abhorrence of the same, being very sensible, that the unaccountable Humors and pernicious De­signs of some particular men have put them upon so many Irregularities, with intention only to occasion Diversions and Distractions, to the disturbance of the great and weighty Affairs which both your Majesty's Honour and Dignity, as well as the Peace and Welfare of the Country required. Their high Incroach­ments upon your Majestys Prerogative Royal, Notorious Violations of the Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, manifest Interruptions of Justice, and most unmannerly Treatment of his Excellency the Lord Cornbury, would have induced us sooner to have discharged our Duty to your Majesty, in giving a full Representation of the unhappy Circumstances of this your Majestys Pro­vince and Government▪ had we not been in hopes that his Excellency the Lord Cornbury's full and ample Answer to a most scandalous Libil, called, The Re­monstrance of the Assembly of Nova Caesarea or New-Jersey, which was deliver­ed to the Governour by the Assembly at Burlington in May last, would have opened the Eyes of the Assembly, and brought them back to their Reason and Duty; but finding that those few [...] Turbulent and uneasy Spirits in that As­sembly have still been able to influence and amuse the Judgment of many well meaning Men in that Body, as appears by another late scandalous and infamous Libil, called, The Reply of the House of Representatives of the Province of New­Jersey, to an Answer made by his Excellency Edward Viscount Cornbury, Gover­nour of the said Province, to the humble Remonstrance of the aforesaid House. We are now obliged humbly to represent to your Majesty the true Cause, and what we conceive may be the Remedy of these Confusions.

The first is wholly owing to the Turbulent, Factious, Uneasy and Dis-loyal Principles of two Men in that Assembly, Mr. Lewis Morris, and Samuel Jenings a Quaker; Men notoriously known to be uneasie under all Government: Men never known to be con [...]ent with themselves; Men to whom all the [...] and Confusions in the Governments of New-Jersey and Pennsilvania for many years are wholly owing: Men that have had the Confidence to declare in [...] Council, That your Majesties Instructions to your Governours in these Pro­vinces shall not oblige or bind them, nor will they be concluded by them, fur­ther than they are warranted by Law; of which also they will be the Judges; and this is done by them, (as we have all the reason in the world to believe) [...] encourage not only this Government, but also the rest of your Governments in America to throw off your Majesties Royal Prerogative, and consequently to involve all your Dominions in this part of the World, and the [...] good and well meaning People in them, in Confusion, hoping thereby to the [...] wicked Purposes.

[Page 4] The Remedy for all these Evils, we most humbly propose, is, That your Majesty will most graciously please to Discountenance those wicked designing Men, and show some Dislike of this Assembly's Proceedings, who are [...]solved neither to Support this your Majestys Government by a Revenue, nor take care to Defend it by settling a Militia.

This last Libil, call'd, The Reply, &c. came out so suddenly, that as yet we have not had time to answer it in all its Particulars, but do assure your Ma­jesty, That it is for the most part false in Fact; and that part of it which carries any face of Truth, they have been malitious and unjust in not mentioning the whole Truth, which would have fully justified my Lord Cornbury's [...] Conduct.

THUS having discharged this part of our Duty, which we thought at pre­sent incumbent upon us, we beg leave to assure your Majesty, That when­ever we shall see the People of this Province labour under any thing like a Grievance▪ we shall, according to our Duty, immediately apply to the Go­vernour with our best Advice, for the Redress of it; and we have no reason yet to doubt of a ready Complyance in him. We shall not be particular in, but crave leave to refer to his Excellency's Representation of them to the Right honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.

The strenuous asserting of your Majesty's Prerogative Royal, and Vindicating the Honour of your Governor, the Lord Cornbury, will, in our humble Opinion, be so absolutely necessary at this juncture, that without your so doing, your Majesty will find your self deceived either in expectation of a Revenue for Support of the Government, or Militia for its Defence.

In hopes your Majesty will take these important things into your Consider­ation, and his Excellency the Lord Cornbury, with all the Members of your Majestys Council, into your Royal Favour and Protection, We shall conclude with our most fervent Prayers to the most High to lengthen Your Days and in­crease your Glories; and that our Selves in particular, and all others in general who reap the benefit of your Majesties most gentle and happy Government▪ may be, and ever continue the most Loyal and Dutiful of Subjects to the most Glorious and best of Queens.

THis House renders their humble and hearty Thanks to your Lordship for favouring us with a Copy of that Paper, called, The Address of the Lieut [...] Governour and Council of New-Jersey, to her Majesty, which we conceive rather to be an Impeachment, and lays the House under a necessity humbly to address your Excellency, That you will be pleased to desire the Lieut. Governour, and all those Gentlemen that signed the said Address, to attend your Excellency [Page 5] at such time as you Think fit to appoint, to prove their Allegations contain'd in said Address, and that this House may have leave to be present, that Her Majesties dutiful Subjects of this province may have an opportunity of making their just Defence to clear themselves from such Imputations.

WE have now a considerable time waited in expectation that the Gentle­men of the Council would have laid before your Excellency something in Justification of the Address they sent to the Queen; it is what (if they have any value for their Reputations) they are obliged to doe; but their Neglect of it, after the time set them, looks as if they Studied to avoid coming to the Test.

We cannot suppose them unprovided, having (as they say) seriously and de­liberately taken into Consideration what they thought themselves bound in Con­science and duty, to testifie their dislike of, to her Majesty▪ and having now had so long time to collect what Proofs they are able, which if they decline to do, we hope your Excellency will take it for granted, that what they have writ is not true▪ but that the Consciousness of their own Guilt, makes them shun that tryal, which is so necessary to enable your Excellency to set the Differences between us, in a true light, before her Majesty.

We have drawn out the several Articles in that Address, which amount to about sixteen; and whatever pretences they may make to Temper and good Manners, we presume they won't offer this Address as an Instance of either; if they do, we must confess our selves so unfortunate as to entertain different sen­timents of it; but of that enough; the Articles are,

YOUR Excellency must needs think, here are but too many Temptation to Resentment, and would justifie our Treatment of the Authors with a [...]able Warmth, to find this House accused so unjustly, and with so peculiar [...] Virulence, cannot be very grateful to us. But when we consider that [...] whole design of this Address was an endeavour to render Assemblies altoge­ther Useless, to lodge the whole Legislature in Edward Viscount Cornbury, [...] a few [...] ( [...] so we must [...]) [...] were [...] being [...] Ministers of his Arbitrary Pleasure. And to obtain this end, no less an [...] was used, than that we designed to throw off her Majestys Preroga [...] Royal. Its not unreasonable to suppose, that those who used the thing [...] its largest acceptation, did not use the word in its most restrained fence; [...] say, its no wonder that at such an Accusation as this we appear in some [...] concern'd, and tell your Excellency▪ It is what we abhor and detest from [...] bottom of our hearts; That we think our selves happy under her Majestys Government; and hope, We have given you Demonstration that what [...] is true. No Resentment that we might justly have to Lieut. Governour [Page 7] hindered us from paying an Honour to the Queens Commission, by giving [...] Two Hundred Pounds for this year; tho' we take leave to inform your Ex­cellency, 'tis not his own Merits, nor any hopes we have of his future Conduct [...] to it, but purely in honour to the Commission (as we said before) [...], more, it is an Office to us altogether useless, and a Charge we cannot bear. [...] we beg leave further to inform your Excellency, That tho' we have given [...] hundred Pounds, for a year, to a chief Justice, yet we never did intend, that [...] Roger M [...]mpesson, Esq or any of the Signers of that Address, should [...] any benefit by that Sallary appointed for the Office of Chief Justice, but [...], That your Excellency would be pleased to remove the said Roger Mom­pesson, Esq from the said Office of Chief Justice, we having too great reason to [...], that her Majesties Subjects cannot be safe in their Properties, so long as a [...] that has so falsly represented her Majesties good Subjects to our gracious Soveraign, executes that Office. We also humbly submit it to your Excellency's Consideration, how fit it will be for her Majesty's Service and the Peace and wellfare of this Province, to continue any of the Signers of the above-mentioned [...]-representation to her Majesty, in her Council, or any other Office of Trust Profit in this Government.

We conclude, by acquainting your Excellency, That we have addrest her Majesty, and beg leave to recommend it to your Excellency's care, and hope, [...] you may always, as you do now, give us reason to pray for your Health and long continuance among us.

Several Members of this House being of the People called Quakers, do approve of the matter and substance above-written, but make some exceptions as to the stile.

YOur Excellency having been pleased to communicate to the Gentlemen of the Council an Address from the present House of Representatives, in relation to a Paper, called, The Copy of an Address signed by the Lieut. Governour and Council of New-Jersey, [...] Majesty. We desired time till the [...] of the Gentlemen, who are charged with signing this Address▪ can have [...] to appear to give answer to your Excellency; whereupon the Clerk of the Council was ordered to write to the several Gentlemen of the Council, to [...] in their respective Stations in eight Days▪ which time being expired, [...] whose Names are here asserted in the Copy, as having signed thereto, altho' [...] believe there are some Mistakes in transcribing, and tho' some of the Gentle­men, said to have sign'd the same, are not here, yet in behalf of our selves, [...] all Humility and Submission, presume to offer this as our Answer;

That in the Station her Majesty hath been pleased to place us. We have [...] to discharge a Conscience in the faithful Execution of our trust, and [...] that we have each of us taken, have sworn, That we shall not know [Page 8] nor hear any thing that may be prejudicial to the Common-wealth, Peace or [...] her Majestys Realm, or this Province, but that we shall, with all diligence [...] and Declare the same to her Majesty, &c. Whereupon, being sensible how pre­judicial the Proceedings of some certain Persons were to her Majestys Interest and the Peace and Quiet of this her Majestys Province, we thought it our [...] the same to her Majesty. And your Excellency having been pleased to communicate to us her Majestys Commands, signified in a Letter from [...] Lord Sun [...]erland, That upon your Excellency's arrival here you enquire [...] the manner of Fact, and send him an account thereof, as it shall appear to your Excellency, that he may lay the same before the Queen. In order to [...] your Excellency to return an Answer thereto, we shall produce such Proofs [...] Instances, as, we presume, will justifie us in her Majesties Opinion, for the [...] we then thought it our Duty to offer; but the same being a matter that [...] necessarily take up some time in getting Copies of the Records of [...] Counties, and taking the Evidences of several Witnesses, disperst at [...] distances in the Province, must crave a convenient time to be allowed by your Excellency for our so doing.

WE the Representatives of this her Majestys Province of New-Jersey having examined into the truth of several Complaints made against Peter Sonmans, Esq one of her Majestys Council for this Province, do find, that the said Sonmans has illegally used the Power he is cloathed with, to the great hurt of several of her Majestys Subjects, and, if tolerated, will be of evil example, and render their Liberties and Properties precarious, and at the disposal of every Magistrate, who will make his will, and not the Law, the Rule of his Actions.

We are heartily sorry that that Gentleman, who has the honour be of her Majesty's Council, and does not want sufficient Abilities for her Service, should by his imprudent Conduct lay us under a necessity of so publick a Complaint against him; but we cannot be so much wanting to the Country we represent, as to be silent in a case that so justly requires our Consideration, and perswade our selves, your Excellency will not protect him in the breach of the Laws, and abuse of her Majesties Subjects; but on the contrary, think it for the honor of the Queen to punish a Person who uses her Authority so contrary to the end for which it was confer'd on him. Tho' we have but too much reason to be­lieve those Arbitrary measures with which the late Administration under the Ld. Cornbury, so much abounded, were very much owing to his Councils, he being one of the Persons on whose advice his Lordship very much rely'd, yet we shall not insist on any thing that may look like Conjecture, but take care to inform your Excellency,

That in the first place, he advised and procured the arresting of Mr. John Barclary on Whitsunday last, coming out of the Church from the Sacrament, which is a manifest breach of the Peace, and contrary to the Laws in that case made and provided, and must tend to the discouragement of Religion, and the publick Worship of God, if Persons can't be secure at the Altar in the most Solemn Acts of Worship.

2dly, He took from one John Brown his Horse, without assigning him any Reason for it, and detains him to this Day. And some time after the poor Man had commenced an Action against him, to recover, if possible, his Beast unjustly detain'd from him, one Reeves complained against one Mellin, a Taylor (who had some time before us'd some expressions against some of Mr. Sonmans Friends) for detaining a Coat of the said Reeves's, which Mr. Sonmans was pleased to call Fellony, and was going to commit the said Mellin for Fellony, tho' Mellin proved, and Reeves afterward con [...]est, that Mellin only detain'd [Page 10] the Coat he had made, till Reeves should pay him for making of it. Mellin finding there was no contending against absolute Power, found a way to escape from Sonmans, and was set over to [...]-Island by the aforesaid Brown, who was altogether ignorant of what had happen'd; upon which Sonmans (to gra­tifie his Resentment) contrary to Law [...] committed the said Brown to Goal; and when the Sheriff had admitted him to Bail, Sonmans used many threats to him for his so doing, ordering him to take him back again, telling him, he would throw up his Commission, and go to York, and desire my Lord to send Soldiers to Rule them; which Threat, and the fear of being govern'd by Martial Law, induc'd the Sheriff to take him into Custody again, and keep him in Prison till my Lord Cornbury was pleased to allow he might be admitted to Bail. This Procedure, as it was most unlawful and unjust, so it tended not only to render her Majesties Subjects intirely depending on my Lord Cornbury, or those he thought fit to honour with Magistracy, but to create in the Minds of the People an avresion to her Majesty's just and mild Government, when by a humor a Gentleman of the Council could Dragoon them at pleasure.

3dly, In a Case depending between the Queen and Mr. Harrison, upon In­formation exhibited by the Attorney General, he the said Sonmans endeavour'd to perswade the Sheriff to pack a Jury▪ and accordingly gave him a Lift of eleven Men, all Dutch-men, and promis'd to bring them in his way, that he might be at little trouble; had this been after the Threat of Dragooning, and with a Man of less Vertue than the present Sheriff, in all probability it had taken effect, and the Gentleman had been Ruin'd.

4thly, In a Suit depending before him in the Court of Pleas, between Mr. Michael van Veighty and Mr. Alexander Walker, a Friend of Mr. Sonmans, the said Veighty had ordered Mr. Tho. Gordon to take out a Writ and sign it with his the said Veighty's Name, which Veighty acknowledged in open Court, and offered to sign it himself; notwithstanding, he the said Sonmans did not only not admit the Action to be Try'd, but taxed a Bill of Cost against the said Veighty for three Pounds seven Shillings and ten Pence, in abatement, in which Case no Cost ought to be paid. And that the Partiality and Injustice of Mr. Sonmans may appear more plainly to your Lordship, in the same Court another Writ sign'd in the same manner as that was, met with no objection from him, but was allowed of.

5thly, The afore-mentioned Alexander Walker, after beating and cutting his Wife in a miserable manner, threatned to wash his hands in the Blood of his Son-in-Law, and on Sunday in the Morning attempted it with an Ax, and had, in probability, murdered him, had not the suddain coming of help pre­vented him; upon which application being made to Mr. Sonmans, to bind the said Walker to the Peace, he absolutely refused it, pretending he was immediate­ly going out of Town on your Lordships Business, tho' he staid in Town part of the next Day.

6thly, In Contempt of the Laws in that Case made and provided, he openly Cohabits with a scandalous Woman, has had one Bastard by her; This is to the evil Example of her Majesties Subjects, in so publick a Violation of the Laws, by a Person who ought to give a good Example, and punish that Crime in others.

[Page 11] 7thly. He stands indicted of Perjury and Adultery, and we fear, the Con­sciousness of other Guilts, prevailed upon him, after an unpresident [...] manner, to hinder the Grand Inquest from doing their Duty at the last Court; by which means, several Breaches of the Peace, Riots and Misdemeanours have escap' [...] that Notice which should be taken of such Crimes.

8thly and lastly, Whereas her Majesty has been graciously pleased to admit the People call'd Quakers to bear and share in the several Offices in this Go­vernment, Mr. Sonmans has turned them out of Juries, and not admitted them to serve in those Stations in Courts of which he has been Judge; This is en­deavouring to Defeat her Majesties good Intentions to her Subjects of that Perswasion, and render her Government uneasie, which is what, we are satisfied, She in no means designs.

Were there no more to be said against him than his being indicted for Per­jury and Adultery, we humbly conceive, would justifie what we are to desire of your Lordship; A Person of that Character being a Scandal to her Majesties Council; and we believe your Excellency will think it a Reflection on the Publick Administration to continue him in that Station. We therefore pray, That your Excellency would remove him from your Presence, Her Majesties Council, and all Places of Trust and Profit in this Province.

EVer since your Excellency did me the Favour of letting me see the Address of the Representatives relating to me, I have diligently apply­ed my self to answer the same; but having been obliged to attend your Excellency daily in Council, and the Committees of the said Council, to draw and Copy every thing relating to the said Answer my self have not yet had sufficient time to perfect, but hope, by continual Application, to finish and deliver the same to your Excellency in three or four Days.

THe Representatives of this her Majestys Province of New-Jersey, have endeavoured, in vain, hitherto, to bring Peter [...], Esq Re­ceiver [Page 12] General of the last Revenue, to account; and he being now in [...] Province of New-York, under your Lordships Administration, obliges [...] humbly to pray your Excellency to command the said [...] to attend this House with his Accounts and Vouchers of the said Revenue; which if he neglect or refuse to do speedily, we humbly desire your Lordship will be pleased to order his Securities Bonds to be put in Suit.

THough [...] House has an entire Confidence in your Excellency [...] and Prudence, that your Excellency would dispose of [...] Money raised for the Support of the Government, to the Purpose designed, yet we dare not say, that we have that Confidence [...] these Gentlemen that are now of her Majesties Council, which is the reason we have altered the former Method, and which we pray your Excellency will please favourably to represent to her Majesty in our behalf.