Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

An Aco^tt of Severall Observations, made in the Month of Septt, 1698.
on severall Goverm^tts , from New England, to Philadelphia, viz^t .

The Goverm^tt of Province Massachusetts Bay: The Governo^r , L^tt Governo^r , & secretary, apointed
by the King, the Councill chosen by the Assembly, the Govern^r haveing the power to
Negative any; the Councillors every year, voateing att the Election, by itt Keep one
another in; & by it judged by some not a choice of the Country; because not made
choice of by the Representatives onely, as to choice of officers, the Kings Prerogative
parted w^th , the officers being chosen (by paper voates) by the Councill, and will not
permitt the L^t Govern^r to have the nomination, & in the truth the Kings
Prerogative in a man^r given totally away; for to live att peace & Quietness;
As to Roade Island & Connecticutt Goverm^tts ; the Govern^rs & Assistants, annually chosen
by y^e people, by virtue of a Charter, As to Trade, open & free, noe duty of Impost,
and noe burthen on them, as to defence of the Country from the ffrench and
Indians by Land soe the Burthen of secureing his Maj^ty Plantations in these parts
doe lay upon New England, & N. Yorke Goverm^tt , & y^e Actts are violated by Charter
Goverm^tts

Query, Whether by the Actt relateing to Plantations, doe not oblidge those whoe are by
Charter (Chosen Govern^r ) to have the Kings Approbation, before enter on y^e Govermtt
as well as those whoe are proprietors to have the Kings Approbation, of such they
shall apoint, if Charter Goverm^tts , who have Liberty of Chooseing their Governor,
be by the Actt, to have the King & Councills Approbation of the Govern^r before
Entrance on the Same, as those whoe are proprietors of Goverm^tts , as that of Pencilvania
& the Jerseys then Connecticott, & Roade Island Goverm^tts must have the aprobation
before the Govern^r can enter on y^e Goverm^tt , consequently the Choice being Annuall
y^e Approbation must be Annuall as I humbly conceive, & if soe, then Connecticott &
Roade Island will soone be weary of the Goverm^tt and desier to be under the Kings
immediate Goverm^tt , as New Yorke & Massachusetts Province, which I wish & hope
for, and then believe all those parts will be more immediate depending on the
Crown of England, and will flourish: a Lett^r to know by what Authority
a Govern^r doth Exercise his power in Goverm^tt , before first allowed of by the King, will
Effect the end, which hope will speedily be sent,

The Goverm^tt of New Yorke least said soone amended a [illegible]^{[nols] me} Tangere, doubtless
wrong steps have been taken on all sides, as to the Dutch a Borish sorte
of people, & if oppertunity presents, would sacrifice the English, would through
[off] the Crown of England & goe over to the Dutch, on the other hand my Lord
who Represents the King is ill treated, by being run downe, and haveing slights &
affronts put upon him, I would not undergoe the fategue as he doth for all y^e
Province New Yorke, am sure if the Roman Catholicks have a place of purgatory
its not soe bad as the place is, under my Lords circumstances, as to the discentions
shall not meddle w^th but leave to better hands for Information

The Goverm^tts of East & Westt Jerseys every p^r son speaking well of Co^ll Hambleton,
Late Governo^r & his Lady; as to Co^ll [Bass] they refuse him as Governo^r because
have not the King and Councills Approbation, soe noe Courts held, and Justices
dare not Actt soe all in a confusion, there all trade is free & open pays noe dutys
but its a great Damage to New Yorke Goverm^tt , people goeing with their vessels
to Amboye &c, their Land their Goods, then Run them into New York Goverm^tt by
which the King is deprived of his dutys, as to the places as much Exposed to the
danger of the french & Indians by Land as New Yorke & N: England, yet pay
nothing for defence and secureity of the Country in proportion w^th New York &
New England

^verte

The Goverm^tt of Pensilvania, as to Philadelphia, abundance of fine brick buildings
but in truth its a monster the head too big for the body; & believe in few
years will prove soe, there is a fine Citty; but the place is settled by farms &
not by Townes, consequently people not sufficient to Continue a Trade for
the Citty; that being over populated,

The Goverm^tt in the Quakers hands, they are Civill & Curtious, the Law & Rule
they goe by is the lightt or as may say reason within them, shall give a hint
what I mett w^th , One ^John Adams had a vessell ceized by the Kings officer w^th itts
Goods, for Breach Actts of Trade, and to be prosecuted at a court of admiralty,
one Co^ll Quarre an honnest true Loyall Gent^m , Judge of the Courtt, the
Goods Ceized, was Replevin'd by a warrantt from a justice of peace, Adams w^th
secureity gave bonds to prosecute the replevin being 300£ bond; y^e secureity
wth Adams desiers to be released And have the bond up, the Sheriff tells Adams
if he will give 20 [per cent 8/8] he would release that secureity, & take any other
for secureity was only for for me sake, the which was done, being discoursed
about Towne the principall (meaning Adams) may be gone and y^e secureity
worth nothing, the Sherriff arests for better secureity, to have the Goods in
speciee forth comeing, Markham the L^t Governr, finding Coll Quarre concerned
at y^e illegall proceedings, he issues out a warrant to the Sheriff to ceize y^e
body of John Adams, for violently takeing Goods from the Kings officers
under Ceizure; & him safely keep in Custody untill he should appear & make
his answer before himselfe in Councill, s^d Adams was ceized run into Goale
kept a prisioner without any hearing (being taken up in the streets) & was
there kept a prisioner in a stinking place from Thursday to Monday w^th out
Baile or Main prize, though offered six able men for secureity, or the
Mony to lay down for secureity; and had remained a Prisioner had itt
not been for my Condemning the Action, imprisioning a p^r son for violentt
ceizeing of goods and takeing them from the Kings officer when the Sherriff,
whoe was the Kings officer, did Replevin them, is only Quaker Govermm^tt Doctrine,
Discoursed upon the Acco^tt Replevin, [Ans]: by the judges, they were English men,
were for Liberty of the Subject, & magna Charta says noe bodys estate shall
be taken away, but by a Jury. As for a Court of Admiralty, judges the subject
is debarr'd of his birthright, & therefore ought to be tryed in their courts

I had a concern of a vessell which intended to prosecute in their courts, the
Quaker Judges, being free and friendly w^th me, did honnestly tell me, though
my cause may be Just and Rightt, & the judges laying the Case open
plainly before the Jury, yet if they did Apprehend my Antagonistt to be
an honnest man, & had suffered much, though my case was never soe just
they would give it against me, for the notion of Law grounded on reason
& they though never soe ignorant judge themselves Enlightened w^th reason,
soe all Law is to be According to their shallow capacity; by which neither
King nor subject must expect the bennefitt of the Law, while the Goverm^tt
is in the Quakers hands

The Trade is free and open to all comers and goers noe defence by Sea or Land,
for preseravtion of the Kings Subjects and Acts of Trade

To winde up the tedious foregoeing lines in short viz^t .

That it may be for his Maj^tys service, to have Pensilvania the two Jersys &
New Yorke, annexed into one Goverm^tt , which will better secure the Acts
of trade & the Plantations from the Incrusions of french & Indians, by Sea
& Land, & make the Charge of the Goverm^tt wth more bore w^th more ease
being all one mans Children, & the Secureity of New Yorke & Albany is the
secureity, of the Jerseys & Pensilvania, all reason in the world they should
doe their parts, for New Yorke begin to Grumble, shall we pay dutys
of Impostt & Excise when our Neighbours Pencilvania & Jersys doe not -
noe we will lay it downe, the consequence then will leave to you
Itt may be for his Maj^tys service to have Province Massachusetts Bay,
Province New Hampshire, Roade Island & Connecticott, all in one Govermtt
then New England will be able to secure themselves from y^e Incrutions
of french & Indians, & the Acts of trade more carefully inspected into
& preserved, & the charge bore equally by his Majestys subjects

Observations of
M^r . Usher