He introduced a bill relating to the Manor of Philipsburgh alone, entitled " a bill to enable and qualifS' tenants holding lands improved to the value of sixty pounds, either for years, or at will, within the Manor of Philipsburgh, in the County of Westchester, to serve as jurors in the justices courts held in said Manor, where the parties concerned in the cause to be tried, are tenants as aforesaid."- This was practically to invest Justices' courts in the Manor, with the jurisdiction of the Courts-baron of the manor, only with a justice instead of the Lord or his Steward as its presiding head, and thus imposed double jury duty on the tenants. This measure also failed to pass. These facts, and the proposed legislative action, first mentioned, occurring as it did, only five years before the beginning of the American Revolution, show how widely-extended was the manorial system of New York, in Westchester County, how numerous and

' .\3sembly Journale. Session from 1st November, 1769, to 2"th January, lTTi>, l>p. and T.

2 Assembly Journals. Session from ilst Xov. IVriO to iTih .Tan. 1770, p. 80.

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

politically powerful were the tenants of the manors there, and how well they were satisfied with their position. The objection coming from those only who were not manorial tenants.

The peculiar incidents of an old English Manor have not been described, although they have been referred to. The definition of a Manor already given, shows that it had two Courts, a Court-Baron, and a Court-Leet. The scope and duties of the former of these, that in which the Lord exercised jurisdiction, we learn from Coke. "If," says he, "we labour to search out the antiquity of these courts-baron, we shall find them as ancient as manors themselves. For when the ancient kings of this realm, who had all England in demesne, did confer great quantities of lands upon some great personages with liberty to parcel the lands out to other inferior tenants, reserving such duties and services as they thought convenient ; and to keep courts where they might redress misdemeanors within their precincts, punish offences committed by their tenants, and decide and debate controversies arising within their jurisdiction ; these courts were termed courts baron." '