Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-21

In-1792 General Bloomfield was a
presidential elector n cast his vote
for Washington and Adams. For
many years he was active as a men,
Der and as president of the New
Jersey Society for the Abolition of
Slavery" He was one of the organ
izers Of the Society of the Cincinnati
in 1888. In 1874 he became its vice
president and in 1903 the president.
| He also served as grand master of
Masons of New Jersey.
In 1901 the "old soldier" he then
lacked four years of being half a
century, was chosen governor over
Richard Stockton, a son of the Sign
er. In 1902 there was a deadlock
and no governor was chosen. In
1903 and 1904 Bloomfield again beat
Stockton and from 1905 to 1912 he
was chosen each year without oppo-
sltion. These elections we're made
by the legislature in joint meeting.
During Governor Bloomfeld's en-
cumbency the Office of chancellor
went with that of chief magistrate
and he served in the dual capacity.
When he first presided as chancellor,
1t Is related that he made a brief ad-
dress in which he said that as a
EbGpupllCdH IC oiu uOL uCoAIO " DC
addressed by the title OF "excel-
trio lawyer arose and said, with
much solemnity:
MAY it please your excellency:
Your e~xcellency's predecessors were
always addressed by the title your
excellency', and If your excellency
please, the proper title of the COVER
nor of the State was and IS your ex-
cellency. 1 humbly pray, therefore,
on my own behalf, n in behalf of
the bar generally, that we may be
permitted by your excellency's leave,
to address your excellency, when
sitting in the high court of chancery,
by the ancient title of your excel
lency."
When, in 1872, war was declared
against Great Britain, General
Bloomfield was made a brigadi9r by
President Madison, in the army de-
signed for the invasion of Canada, in
which, in 1913, he took part. Soon
| thereafter he was called to Phila-
delphia and placed in command of a
military district.
In 1916 General Bloomfield was
sent to Congress, being reelected in
1910 anu SCI Wing lOul y0dlo do a
Democrat. There he was at the head
of the Committee on Revolutionary
| Pensions and he. devoted himself to
aiding survivors of the War for In
dependence and their widows. When.
in 1925. he died, the inscription
placed upon his tombstone was SIM
ply that he was "a soldier of the
Revolution; late governor of New
| Jersey; a general in the Army of the
United States; he closed a life of
probity, benevolence and public SER
vice, in the SEVENTEEN year of his
age"
A fine painting of Governor
Bloomfield hangs in the governors
room at the State House in Trenton,
where it is looked upon with justif-
able pride Snd admiration by all
Jerseymen who know the services he
rendered his native State and the
whole nation.
Governor. Bloomfield's autograph
is much sought after by collectors.
He always used his first name In full
and at times during his career he
wrote such a large hand that his
name cover about ~six~inches on the
commissions which he signed. His
Burlington residence has been for
years the home of the Birch family,
a member of which was for years
minister to Portugal.
The wish attributed to Charles A.
Bloomfield in a recent newspaper
paragraph, that his magnificent
home on the Metuchen road may
some day become an historic mu-
scum, is like manna from heaven to
those interested in the study of local
history and the preservation of an
cient landmarks. What a magnifi-
cent home 1t would be for a Middle
sex County Historical Society! Could
any better be imagined? Here in
n of the original counties of New
Jersey, in one of the largest and
most important townships of which
any of the thirteen colonies could
boast, there Is no county society and
a wealth of material which future
reneratio IS vii surely miss i going.
or his gone, from us forever. If.
when he is through with it, Mr..
Bloomfield's home could be the
center OF historic activity in Mid
dlesex the whole state and the
country itself would Immediately be
Interested and the good that could
be and would be accomplished cam
not be measured.
y = =
At a sale tonight in New York a
document will be disposed of which
is signed by Clarendon, Berkeley and
Carteret, in a long list, the others
being of little interest to Jerseymen.
It is hard to imagine three names
that could mean more in the early
| hicfnpNF ~ tho nrnUfnnn than t6nCa
three. Documents bearing the name
of Carteret are met with more FIRE.
quently than the other two and
Berkley's name is n that many
veteran collectors cannot say they
have ever seen.
= =
~wo paintings of John Watson
the first portrait painter in the colo.
MES, are to be offered next week al
an auction. AS he came from Scot
land to Perth Amboy and lived here
until his d tth, it may be deemed tc
tell something on Saturday aboui
this distinguished figure in colonla
life.
= 4
November %. 17O3-NIr. Fretwel
according to order) presented to W
House a Bill for Regulating We pur'
chasing Of lands from We Indians
From minutes of a session of thu
House of Representatives held a
Perth Amboy.
looked upon more or less as a dis
grace; it was too likely to signif.
a lack of education. All strove t.
copy the beautiful penmanship tina
distinguished the business letter o