The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1786-05-08 00:00:00, page 2

The petition from Joseph Borden, esquire, read on the
2d instant, was read a second time, and ordered to be
dismissed.
The petition from Middlesex, read on the rith No
vember last, praying a supplement to the aft for esta
blishing the orphan's court, was read a second time,
and referred to the committee to whom a bill tor that
purpose is committed.
The petition from Monmouth, read on the 23d No
vember last, praying that the said county may be di
vided, was read a second time, and ordered to be dismissed.
The several petitions from different parts of the state,
praying that the jurifdidion of a juttice of the peace
in the trial of small causes may be extended, were read
a second time, and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Cook, from the committee of both houses, ap
pointed to fettle and ascertain the balance due the
state from John Stevens, junior, late treasurer, re
ported as follows:
THAT a final adjustment of the accounts, directed
to be fettled by your committee, cannot, at present,
be accomplished, for the following reasons:
A number of orders have been drawn by the late
treasurer on different collectors, the payment whereof
this state has, by a resolution of both houses assum
ed; that some of tbefe are yet out-standing, the
amount of which, as it is not ascertained, cannot, by
your committee, be charged against the said mr. Ste
vens, until they are produced in the treasury for pay
ment.
The unsigned certificates, described in the report of
a committee the 16th November last, have been deli
vered by the auditor into the hands of mr. Stevens,
and their authenticity has not yet been proven. Some
of the papers, committed to your committee the 20th
of February last, are not authenticated, and the vali
dity of others must, in the opinion of your commit
tee, depend on the authority the persons signing them
might have had to issue certificates, and which mult
be submitted to the commissioners appointed to fettle
the accounts of this with the United States.
Your committee therefore, not having the means of
investigating the preceding articles with certainty and
precition, submit them to the farther direction of
the legislature, and have proceeded to fettle the ba
lance now due to the state from the said mr. Stevens,
on cadi accounts hitherto unsettled, including such or
ders, above alluded to, as have been received in the
treasury, and are of opinion the fame ought to stand
as follows :
[For tbefe accounts <we must refer our readers to the
pamphlet, cubich is now published, it being inconvenient
to insert them in a news-paper.]
Your committee farther report, that in the credit
allowed mr. Stevens, in the preceding account, is in
cluded an order drawn by said Stevens, on Isaac Van
derbeek, collector of the county of Bergen, in favour
of Azariah Dunham, esquire, superintendent of pur
chases, for £. 48,000 continental currency, which or
der has been received by the present treasurer in dis
charge of arrears of fines and taxes due from said
county: but it appearing to the fatisfadion of your
committee, and of the said Vanderbeek, that the said
order had been previously credited to the said county
'by mr. Stevens; that there is also credited, in the
above account, the sum of £. 51 12 1, by said Stevens
to Henry Garritfe, collector of the county of Essex,
on an order drawn on said Garritfe in favour of Da
niel Marsh, esquire, for £. 179 3 4, which has also
been credited by the present treasurer; your commit
tee therefore submit to the houses the propriety of
admitting the charge made by mr. Stevens for the cre
dits he has given on the above orders.
March 11, 1786.
By order of the committees,
SAMUEL OGDEN,
ELLIS COOK.
Ordered, That the said report be read a second time.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Bergen, praying that a law may pass more effectu
ally to prevent the hunting deer with dogs, and tres
passing with guns, was read a second time, and or
dered to be dismissed.
A petition from sundry inhabitants of the county of
Somerset was read, praying that a law may pass to
oblige every person who (hall hereafter take a mortgage
upon land in security of money lent to get the fame
immediately recorded in the clerk's office, otherwise
the mortgage to be void and of none effect ;
Ordered, That the said petition be read a second time.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the town of
Newark, read the 9th instant, was read a second time,
and ordered to lie on the table.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Essex, praying that freeholders may be appointed to
assist the assessors in the levying of taxes, was read a
second time, and ordered to be dismissed.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Somerset, presented yesterday, praying that ftate
notes, from the original holders, may be made a legal
tender in the discharge of all debts, was read a second
time, and ordered to be dismissed.
The petition of Shepard Kollock, read on the 18th
February last, was read a second time, and referred to
the next session.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
®f Monmouth, read on the 16th ultimo, was read a
second time, and referred to the next fitting.
The memorial of captain Nathaniel Porter, read the
3d instant, was read a second time with the account
accompanying the fame, and ordered to be dismissed.
Mr. Houghton reported, that he had obeyed the or
der of the house.
The petition from Benjamin Pierson, of the county
of Essex, read on the 2d instant, was read a second
time ;
Ordered, That he have leave to present a bill to an
swer the prayer of his petition.
The house adjourned till Monday morning nine of
the clock.
Monday, March 13, 1786.
The house met.
Agreeably to the order of the day the honourable
the committee of Congress attended the house, and
remonstrated against the resolution of the house of the
20th ultimo, and having laid before the house the re
port of the committee of Congress of the 15th ulti
mo, concerning the system of general revenue recom
mended by Congress on the 18th of April 1783, and
a schedule of the French and Dut&i loans shewing the
periods of their redemption, with the annual interests
payable thereon until their final extinction, for which
provision is yet to be made.
The committee, after having urged the improprie
ty of the resolution of this house of the 20th ultimo,
and requesting that the said resolution might be re
scinded, withdrew, and then
The house adjourned to three o'clock, P. M.
The house met.
A memorial from John Stevens, junior, esquire, late
treasurer, setting forth, that on a settlement of his ac
counts with a committee of the legislature, there is a
considerable balance due from him to the state, and
praying that the treasurer may be directed to give him
credit for the demands which he has against the state ;
and that the treasurer may be directed also to receive
from him bills of credit of the 9th June 1780, and the
9th January 1781, in the proportion of three dollars
of the said bills in lieu of one dollar in specie; where
upon,
Refolded, That the treasurer for this state be, and
he is hereby directed to receive from the said mr. Ste
vens the bills of credit of the 9th June 1780, and of
the 9th January 1781, in discharge of the balance due
from him to the state, or such part thereof as he may
choose to pay in said bills in the proportion in which
they are made payable in the treasury by the aft, in
titled, ' an aft for raising the sum of £. 10,000 to be
applied towards linking the bills of credit of this ftate.'
Ordered, That mr. Cook do carry the said resolution
to the council for concurrence.
The bill, intitled, ' an aft to enable the inhabitants
of the township of Manington, in the county of Sa
lem, to raise the causeway, leading from Salem bridge
into the said township, above the flow of the tide ;
to repair their highways by hire, and to raise money
for those purpofes,' was read a second time, debated,
and ordered to be engrossed.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the state,
read on the 6th instant, praying that the doors of the
house may be opened, and that the citizens of the
state may be permitted to attend, was read a second
time ; whereupon,
A motion was made that the doors be opened agree
bly to the prayer of the said petition ; on the questi
on, whether the house agree thereto ? It was carried
in the affirmative, as follows:
Yeas. Messrs. Terhune, Combs, Schuurman, Bon
ney, Walton, Schenck, Bunn, R. S. Smith, Biddle,
J. Smith, Cooper, T. Clark, Davis Sinnickfon, Hall,
Swain, Whilden, Lambert, Cook, Starke, Burgin,
Bowen, Shep,ard.
Nays. Messrs. Blauvelt, Nicoll, Garritfe, A. Clark,
Kelley, Baker, Houghton, Arnold, Hankinfon, Beard
flee, Longstreet.
The report of mr. Cook, from the committee of
both houses, appointed to fettle and ascertain the ba
lance due the state from John Stevens, junior, late
treasurer, reported to this house on Saturday last,
was read a second time, and agreed to by the house.
And whereas the order drawn by John Stevens, efq.
late treasurer, in favour of Azariah Dunham, esquire,
on Isaac Vanderbeek, late collector of Bergen county,
for £. 48,000 continental money, dated March 17,
1780, has been received by James Mott, esquire, pre
sent treasurer, and credited to the account of the said
county of Bergen, and charged to the account of the
said John Stevens, esquire, agreeably to a resolution of
the legislature, passed Dec. 23, 1783 ; and as it appears,
on examination of the accounts of the said John Ste
vens and Isaac Vanderbeek, that the county of Ber
gen has been credited for the said sum in the year
1780, on issuing the said order, therefore,
Refolded, That the treasurer for the time being be,
and he is hereby directed to charge the said county of
Bergen with the amount of the said order, viz.
£. 5564 I I on account of fines, and £. 42,435 18 11
on account of taxes, making in the whole £. 48,000
in continental money, or so much thereof as shall ap
pear to be due, and that the accounts stand in the
fame manner as they were previous to the receipt of
the said order ; and that the sum of £. 51 12 1, which
is in the fame situation, be in like manner charged to
the county of Essex.
Ordered, That mr. Bowen do carry the foregoing
resolution to the council for concurrence.
The bill, intitled, ' an aft to ratify and confirm an
agreement made between the commissioners appointed
by the legislature of the state of Pennsylvania, and the
commissioners appointed by the legislature of the state
of New-Jersey, for the purpose of agreeing upon, and
accurately describing which of the islands, eylots and
insulated dry land, mentioned in the agreement be
tween the two dates, bearing date on the 26th day of
April 1783, belong to each of the said states ac
cording to the purport of that agreement,' was read
a second time, debated, and ordered to be engrossed.
The bill, intitled, ' a supplement to an aft, intitled,
an aft for the better regulating constables, vendues and
taverns,' was read a second time, and ordered to be
dismissed.
Ihe house adjourned till to-morrow morning ten
of the clock.
Tuesday, March 14, 1786.
The house met.
A message from the council by mr. Mayhew.
' Council-chamber, March rg, 1786.
'Ordered,
'THAT mr. Mayhew do wait on the house of af
' fembly, and acquaint them that the bill, intitled,
" an aft to enable the townships of Nottingham and
'Chefter, in the county of Burlington, to raise money
' by tax for the purpose of repairing their roads by
hire,' is passed by this house without amendment.'
A petition from William Roberts and others, in the
county of Salem, praying that a law may not be pass
ed for draining a large body of marsh and Swamp
in the township of Manington, lying on Salem-Creek
in the county of Salem, was read, and ordered a se
cond reading.
Mr. Lambert, agreeably to leave given, prefentec
the draught of a bill, intitled, ' an aft to authorize
and empower Rensselaer Williams, esquire, to execute
and fulfil the purposes of the testament and last wil
of Henry Longfield, deceased ;' which bill was read
and ordered a second reading.
A petition from Jonas Ward, and a petition fron
Mercelas Post, prisoners confined in the gaol of the
county of Essex, were read, praying that a law ma,
be passed to release them from confinement;
Ordered, That the said petitions be read a second time.
A petition from Nicholas Lezier, of the county 0
Bergen, was read, praying leave to present a bill tc
enable him to maintain a mill, and the necessary wa
terworks for improving the fame, on and near the ri
ver Hackinfack, in the county of Bergen: which pe
tition was read, and ordered a second reading.
(To be continued. )
"ft ---ss.^TT_. ._=!=:?^
American Intelligence.
BOSTO N, April io.
BY a gentleman lately arrived from the Weft-Indies,
we are favoured with the following particulars :
Nothing, he fays, can exceed the severity exercised
towards every veflel fufpeded to be American, touch
ing or coming near any British port. Orders arrive
by every packet to the commanders of the snips of
war, to cruise against the Americans. Government
brigs and schooners are fitting from every island for the
fame purpose. The governor of St. Vincent's declared
his inftruCtions were, to take any American within
three leagues of the island. The gentleman himfelf
was chafed within that distance, and his ship fired up
on with round and grape shot, and musketry, by the
government fchoontr, for being fufpeded of being ar
American fliip. A ship belonging to mr. Robert Morris
put into Barbadoes in distress, bound to Lisbon: they
gave the capt. liberty to flop his leak; but before he had
accomplished his business, they came on board, threw
in his flour, four hundred barrels, and turned him out.
He asked the admiral where he should go, or what he
fli,ould do in that condition ? Admiral Hughes replied,
"to Hell—to leeward, among your allies." Three'
vessels were seized and condemned in Dominica, for
trifling causes: one for putting into an out-bay to wa
ter, and one of the people, unknown to the captain
exchanging a few pounds of fifh for a few pounds of
coffee, by way of stores only .-—another, belonging to
the island, trading to Virginia, for hoisting American
colours in that state, and English colours under them
with the union downward. The American whalers are
fired at whenever they approach near their islands
The ministry suppose they have now put a finifhinz
stroke to the building and increase of American vessels
An aft has lately been passed in England, and instruc
tions arrived in February, that no American built ves
sel should be employed or owned by British fubjeds,
on any pretence whatever, except such as were built
before the year 1776 : and in case of dispute, the carpen
ters of the ships of war are to determine the built
Prizes taken by the kings ships are allowed and no
others. American vessels which may hereafter be tak
en, and condemned for smuggling, are not to be fold
as formerly, but burnt. In consequence of the late
aft, upwards of three hundred fail of brigs, schooners
aqd sloops, which were usually employed among the
islands, are rendered useless to the owners: also many
capital ships, purchased since the peace took place.
The gentleman, our informant, saw several vessels in
St. Martin's that had been obliged to leave St. Kitt's
on account of the ad, and the owners were offering
them for sale. The British ministry seem determined
to facrifice their islands to revenge themselves upon
us. The planters were very much diffatisfied before,
but this last stroke greatly distresses them. The gen
tleman had fufficient opportunity of conversing with
planters and merchants in the islands, and they al
said, if America did not relax, by admitting British
fllips to trade with them, the British mult form a
treaty, or ruin the islands. By the last packet, the
customhouse in London writes to that of Dominica
" We exped to fend you further inftrudions, not to
admit any of the produce of the United States by way
of French or Neutral islands, only diredly from the
states, in absolutely British built ships, navigated ac
cording to law.",
Whilst the gentleman was at Martinico, twelve ships,
brigs and snows were from Barbadoes, St. Vincent'
and Grenada, purchasing lumber, liorfes, &c. to sup
plythcfe islands, and were obliged to bring the call?
while their rum is to them of little value, and which
formerly purchased all those articles. Lumber in Mar
tinico at 51. 5s. —in the English inlands, from 10 t
12I.—but, fays the English, in a year or two Nova
Scotia will supply them fully.
From the foregoing account, we can form a fu
idea of the resentment which still influences the poli
tics of Britain against this country.—America, how
ever, has only to pursue a proper system of commerce
by prohibiting all British vessels from carrying sup
plies to the English islands; which method, if fteadi
ly pursued on our part, together with their own ill
judged policy, will reduce the Weft-Indies to fuc•