Logwood from the Bay, &c. and yet it drains us of all the Silver and Gold we can collect. It is computed, that the annual Amount of the Goods purchafed by this Colony in Great-Britain, is in Value not less than 100,000l. Sterling; and the Sum would be much greater if a Stop was put to all clandeftine Trade. England is, doubtless, entitled to all our Superfluities; because our general Interests are closely connected, and her Navy is our principal Defence. On this Account, the Trade with Hamburgh and Holland for Duck, chequered Linen, Oznabrigs, Cordage, and Tea, is certainly, upon the Whole, impolitick and unreasonable; how much foever it may conduce to advance the Intereft of a few Merchants, or this particular Colony.

By what Measures this contraband Trade may be effectually obftructed is hard to determine, though it well deferves the Attention of a British Parliament. Increafing the Number of Custom-house Officers, will be a Remedy worse than the Difeafe. Their Salaries would be an additional Charge upon the Publick; for if we argue from their Conduct, we ought not to presume upon their Fidelity. The exclufive Right of the East-India Company to import Tea, while the Colonies purchase it of Foreigners 30 per Cent. cheaper, must be very prejudicial to the Nation. Our People, both in Town and Country, are shamefully gone into the Habit of Tea-drinking; and it is supposed we consume of this Commodity in Value near 10,000 /. Sterling per

Annum.

Some are of Opinion that the Fishery of Sturgeons, which abound in Hudfon's River, might be improved to the great Advantage of the Colony; and that, if proper Measures were concerted, much Profit would arise from Ship-building and naval Stores. It is certain we have Timber in vast Plenty, Oak, white and black Pines, Fir, Locuft, red and white Mulberry, and Cedar; and perhaps there is no Soil on the Globe, fiter for the Production of Hemp than the low Lands in the County of Albany. To what I have already faid concerning Iron Ore, a neceffary Article, I fhall add an Extract from the Independent Reflector.

"It is generally believed, that this Province abounds with a Variety of "Minerals. Of Iron in particular we have fuch Plenty, as to be excelled by no Country in the World of equal Extent. It is a Metal of intrinsick "Value beyond any other, and preferable to the pureft Gold. The former "is converted into numberlefs Forms, for as many indifpenfible Ufes; the "latter, for its Portableness and Scarcity, is only fit for a Medium of "Trade: but Iron is a Branch of it, and I am perfuaded will, one Time or other, be one of the most valuable Articles of our Commerce. Our

" annual

many,

" annual Exports to Bofton, Rhode Island and Connecticut, and fince the late "Act of Parliament, to England, are far from being inconsiderable. The "Bodies of Iron Ore in the Northern Parts of this Province are fo "their Quality fo good, and their Situation fo convenient, in Respect of "Wood, Water, Hearth-ftone, proper Fluxes, and Carriage, for Furnaces, "Bloomeries, and Forges, that with a little Attention we might very foon "rival the Swedes in the Produce of this Article. If any American Attempts " in Iron Works have proved abortive, and disappointed their Undertakers, "it is not to be imputed either to the Quality of the Ore, or a Defect of Con"veniences. The Want of more Workmen, and the Villainy of those we generally have, are the only Causes to which we must attribute fuch Mifcarriages. No Man, who has been concerned in them, will disagree with "me, if I affert, that from the Founder of the Furnace to the meaneft "Bankfman or Jobber, they are ufually low, profligate, drunken, and faith"lefs. And yet, under all the innumerable Disadvantages of fuch Inftru"ments, very large Eftates have, in this Way, been raifed in fome of our "Colonies. Our Succefs, therefore, in the Iron Manufactory, is obftructed "and difcouraged by the Want of Workmen, and the high Price of La"bour, its neceffary Confequence, and by these alone: but 'tis our Happi"nefs, that fuch only being the Caufe, the Means of Redress are entirely in our own Hands. Nothing more is wanting to open a vaft Fund of Riches ❝to the Province, in the Branch of Trade, than the Importation of Foreigners. If our Merchants and landed Gentlemen could be brought to a Coalition in this Defign, their private Interests would not be better ad"vanced by it, than the public Emolument; the latter in particular, would thereby vaftly improve their Lands, increafe the Number, and raise the "Rents of their Tenants. And I cannot but think, that if those Gentlecc men who are too inactive to engage in fuch an Enterprife, would only "be at the Pains of drawing up full Reprefentations of their Advantages " for Iron Works, and of publishing them from Time to Time in Great"Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Sweden; the Province would foon be fupplied, with a fufficient Number of capable Workmen in all the Branches "of that Manufactory."

The Money used in this Province is Silver, Gold, British Halfpence, and Bills of Credit.. To counterfeit either of them is Felony without Benefit of Clergy; but none except the latter, and Lyon Dollars are a legal Tender. Twelve Halfpence, till lately, paffed for a Shilling; which being much beyond their Value in any of the neighbouring Colonies, the Affembly, in 1753,

resolved to proceed, at their next Meeting, after the 1ft of May enfuing, to the Confideration of a Method for ascertaining their Value. A Set of Gentlemen, in Number feventy-two, took the Advantage of the Difcredit that Refolve put upon Copper Halfpence, and on the 22d of December, fubfcribed a Paper, engaging not to receive or pafs them, except at the Rate of fourteen Coppers to a Shilling. This gave Rise to a Mob, for a few Days, among the lower Class of People, but fome of them being imprisoned, the Scheme was carried into Execution; and established in every Part of the Province, without the Aid of a Law. Our Paper Bills, which are iffued to ferve the Exigencies of the Government, were at first equal to an Ounce of Silver, then valued at eight Shillings. Before the late Spanish War, Silver and Gold were in great Demand to make Remitances for European Goods, and then the Bills funk, an Ounce of Silver being worth nine Shillings and three Pence. During the War, the Credit of our Bills was well fupported, partly by the Number of Prizes taken by our Privateers, and the high Price of our Produce abroad; and partly by the Logwood Trade and the Depreciation of the New-England Paper Money, which gave ours a free Circulation through the Eastern Colonies. Since the War, Silver has been valued at about nine Shillings and two Pence an Ounce, and is doubtless fixed there, till our Imports exceed what we export. To affift his Majesty for removing the late Encroachments of the French, we have iffued 80,000l. to be funk in fhort Periods, by a Tax on Estates real and perfonal; and the whole Amount of our Paper Currency is thought to be about 160,000 /.

Never was the Trade of this Province in fo flourishing a Condition, as at the latter End of the late French War. Above twenty Privateers were often out of this Port, at a Time; and they were very fuccessful in their Captures. Provisions, which are our Staple, bore a high Price in the Weft-Indies. The French, diftreffed through the Want of them, gladly received our Flags of Truce, though fometimes they had but one or two Prisoners on Board, because they were always loaded with Flour, Beef, Pork, and fuch like Commodities. The Danger their own Veffels were exposed to, induced them to fell their Sugars to us at a very low Rate. A Trade was, at the fame Time, carried on between Jamaica and the Spanish Main, which opened a fine Market to the Northern Colonies, and the Returns were, principally, in Cash. It was generally thought, that if the War had continued, the greatest Part of the Produce of the Spanish and French Settlements in the Weft-Indies would have been transported to Great-Britain, through fome one or other of her Colonies; whence we may fairly argue their prodigious Importance.

The provincial Laws relating to our Trade are not very numerous. Thofe concerned in them, may have Recourse to the late Edition of our Acts at large, published in 1752; and for this Reafon, I beg to be excufed from exhibiting an unentertaining Summary of them in this Work.

B

CHA P. IV.

Of our RELIGIOUS STATE.

Y the Account already given, of the Rife and Progrefs of the Acts for fettling a Miniftry in four Counties, and the Observations made concerning our various Christian Denominations, I have in a great Measure anticipated what I at first intended to have ranged under this Head. The principal Distinctions amongst us, are the Epifcopalians, and the Dutch and English Prefbyterians; the two laft together with all the other Protestants in the Colony, are fometimes (perhaps here improperly) called by the general Name of Diffenters; and compared to them, the Epifcopalians are, I believe, fcarce in the Proportion of one to fifteen. Hence partly arifes the general Discontent on Account of the Ministry Acts; not fo much that the Provifion made by them is engroffed by the minor Sect, as because the Body of the People, are for an equal, univerfal, Toleration of Protestants, and utterly averse to any Kind of ecclefiaftical Establishment. The Diffenters, though fearless of each other, are all jealous of the epifcopal Party, being apprehensive that the Countenance they may have from Home, will foment a Luft for Dominion, and enable them, in Procefs of Time, to fubjugate and opprefs their Fellow Subjects. The violent Measures of fome of our Governours have given an Alarm to their Fears, and if ever any other Gentleman, who may be honoured with the chief Command of the Province, begins to divert himself, by retrenching the Privileges and Immunities they now enjoy, the Confufion of the Province will be the unavoidable Confequence of his Folly. For though his Majesty has no other Subjects upon whose Loyalty he can more firmly depend, yet an Abhorrence of Perfecution, under any of its Appearances, is fo deeply rooted in the People of this Plan-tation; that as long as they continue their Numbers and Intereft in the Af

fembly,

fembly, no Attempt will probably be made upon the Rights of Conscience, without endangering the publick Repose.

Of the Government of the Dutch Churches, I have already given an Account. As to the episcopal Clergy, they are Miffionaries of the English Society for propagating the Gospel, and ordinarily ordained by the Bishop of London, who, having a Commiffion from the King to exercife ecclefiaftical Jurisdiction, commonly appoints a Clergyman here for his Commiffary. The Ministers are called by the particular Churches, and maintained by the voluntary Contribution of their Auditors and the Society's annual Allowance, there being no Law for Tithes.

The English Prefbyterians are very numerous. Those inhabiting NewYork, New-Jersey, Pennfylvania, and the three Delaware Counties, are regularly formed, after the Manner of the Church of Scotland, into Confistories or Kirk Seffions, Prefbyteries and Synods, and will probably foon join in erecting a general Affembly. The Clergy are ordained by their Fellows, and maintained by their respective Congregations. I except those Miffionaries among the Indians, whose Subsistance is paid by the Society in Scotland for propagating Chriftian Knowledge. None of the Prefbyterian Churches in this Province are incorporated, as is the Case of many in New-Jersey. Their Judicatories are upon a very proper Establishment, for they have no Authority by legal Sanctions to enforce their Decrees. Nor indeed is any religious Sect, amongst us, legally invested with Powers prejudicial to the common Privileges of the reft. The Dominion of all our Clergy is, as it ought to be, merely spiritual. The Epifcopalians, however, fometimes pretend, that the ecclefiaftical Establishment in South Britain extends here; but the whole Body of the Diffenters are averse to the Doctrine. The Point has been difputed with great Fervour, and the Sum of the Arguments against it is contained in a late Paper, which I shall lay before the Reader, at large, without any additional Reflections.

It was published in September 1753, under the Title of the Independent Reflector, and is in these Words:

The Arguments in Support of an ecclefiaftical Eftablishment, in this Province, impartially confidered and refuted.

Eripe turpi

Colla jugo: liber, liber fum, dic age. HoR.

Ff2

Whether