THE TOWN OF WEST FARMS. 477 



I was with you. If a bow, awkardly made, or anything of that kind, or some 

 defect in the ceremonial of addressing you, has occasioned that remark, I beg it 

 may he attributed to the want of a courtly and polite education, or to anything 

 else, lather than the want of respect to his majesty's representative. As to my 



rity, I have given you no occasion to call it in question. I have been 

 in this office, almost twenty years. My hands were never soiled with a bribe ; 

 nor am 1 conscious to myself, that power or poverty hath been able to induce me 

 to be partial in the favor of either of them ; and as I have no reason to expect 

 any favor from 3-ou, so I am neither afraid nor ashamed to stand the test of the 

 strictest inquiry you can make concerning mj r conduct. I have served the public 

 faithfully and honestly, according to the best of my knowledge ; and, I dare, and 

 do, appeal to it for my justification. I am, sir, 



Your Excellency's Most humble servant, LEWIS MORRIS. 



And the Honorable Lewis Morris not only " resisted the tyranny of the 

 English Governor Cosby ; but he dared manfully to stand by Zenger in 

 defending the liberty of the press ; and became also the champion of 

 the people against De Lancey, Philipse, and other supportors of royal 

 prerogative; a mutual antagonism, which in their descendants ran even 

 into the American Revolution. " b In 1773, Lewis Morris was elected a 

 representative for the County of Westchester, in opposition to the aristo 

 cratic candidate; and in 1738, appointed first Governor of New Jersey 

 as a separate province from New York. He was chosen a member of 

 the venerable propagation Society in 1700, and took a very active part 

 in promoting its interest. As early as September 14th, 1700, at a meet- 

 ing of that body, held in London, a memorial was received from him, 

 in which he speaks of the several townships of East Jersey, " as dis- 

 tracted by almost every variety of dissent, but with little appearance of 

 real religion among them." He also suggests some measures which 

 may conduce to the bringing over to the Church the people in those 

 countries : — 



" First. That no man be sent a Governor in to any of these Planta- 

 tions, but a firm Churchman, &c. If possible, none but Churchmen to 

 be in his council and in the magistracy." 



" Secondly. That Churchmen may have some peculiar privileges 

 above others. This (if practicable) must be done by Act of Parlia- 

 ment." 



" lhirdly. That there may be some measures fallen upon, to get 

 ministers to preach gratis in America, for some time, 'til there be suffi- 

 cient numbers of converts to bear the charge ; and I presume that may 

 be accomplished this way : let the King, the Archbishop, the Bishops 



a See Lewis Morris's Letters to the Lords of Trade in 1733, N. Y., Col. MSS. Londou Doc. 

 xxiv. pp. 951-955. 



b N. Y. i-i the Olden Time, by Y. Barnitz Bacon, Sunday Times. 



