Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-10-03
Commission Appointed by the
Governor Made Preliminary Re-
port Regarding Investigation.
VALUABLE To THE STATE
Report Shows That in the Vault of
the Surveyor Generals Office in
This City Are Many Records and
Maps of the Early Colonial Days
to Which Records of Today Must
BE Traced to Establish Title.

TRENTON, Oct. "a commission
appointed by Governor Stokes to con-
slider a method by which the state
should take over the antiquated rec
ords and other property of the East
and West Jersey proprietors, filed a
preliminary report with the governor
yesterday, in which it was urged that
the state acquire the documents as
expeditiously as possible and place
them in place for safe keeping.
The commission is composed of
John d. Prince, Franklin Briggs, son
of the state treasurer, and Henlings
Lippincott, and was appointed under
authority of resolution of the last
legislature. The preliminary report
says:
"Your commission on the East and
West New Jersey boards of proprie-
tors, named by you to consult with
authorized representatives of the re-
spective boards, visited the Office of
the East New Jersey board of pro-
prietors June s, where they were met
by a committee of three, consisting
of the following members of the East
Jersey board: Willis x. Howell, sur
veyor general; Andrew l.. Cobb, vice
president, and Adrian Lyon, registrar.
After listening to the mission of the
commissioners, the committee eX-
pressed the willingness of the pro-
prietors, who are so in number, to
part with their records and rights to
the state for consideration to pc
hereafter fixed at the regular autumn
meeting of the East Jersey board of
proprietors.
''Your commission then made an
examination of the most important
records contained in the vaults of the
proprietors at Perth Amboy. These
documents date back to 1855 and
comprise 23 books of surveys, dating
from 1913; IL books of conveyances,
dating from 1886; three books of
warrants and grants, the oldest of
which dates from 1856, thus ante
dating the present organized board
of proprietors. Besides these there
are in the vaults at Perth Amboy,
which did not appear to be reasona-
bly, fireproof, 25 miscellaneous books
of grants, wills, etc., as well as LAG
excellent maps. There is also a prac-
tically complete set of original sur
veys since 1900"
The report then goes on to tell of
the work of the commission in Bur-
lington, where many valuable docu
ments were found. Among these was
deed of lease and release issued by
James, Duke of York, afterwards
James II of England, to Lord John
Berkeley and George Carteret, for the
entire province of the Jerseys, dated
June 23-4, 1864.
OF the manner in which this, along
with the other deeds in the possession
of the West Jersey council the report
says:
I'm order to effect sale of these
records to the state, communications
must first be had with the general
hereditary proprietors, who elect the
council, as they alone have the right
of disposal. Such communication can
OHly Dc 6SLdbllSll6u dCCOIulHS W JllC
time honored precedent by advertise
ment in many newspapers, some of
them in England, others in France
and Holland, as the exact number of
the general hereditary proprietors is
not known"
''In accordance with the request of
your commission an advertisement
has been widely circulated and the
commissions is authorized to expect
a definite answer from the West New
Jersey council on or before January /,
1907.
In conclusion the report tells of
the present almost inaccessible posi-
tion of the records, and urges that in
asmuch as every title to land in New
Jersey must be traced to the records
OF these corporations, and urges the
state to acquire them.