On the 10th of June 1734, says the Journal of the House, " Philip Verplanck, Esq., attending without, was called in, and produced to the House, an indenture that he was duly elected a Representative for the Manor of Cortlandt, in this present Assembly, as likewise the Letters Patent of the said Manor dated in the year 1697, whereby a Power and Privilege [was]granted to choose said Representative living within the same, to commence twenty years after its date -- Ordered, that the same be taken into consideration to-morrow morning." The next day, the eleventh, the House resolved that Mr.

1 The husband of Gertrude, only child of Johannes (John) van Cortlandt, the eldest son of Stephanus, which Johannes wsi£ then dead.

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE MANORS.

Verplanck "be admitted as a member of this House for the said Manor as soon as an act is passed for that purpose, and that leave be given him to bring in a bill accordingly." Four days afterwards, on the 15th of June 1734, " Mr. De Lancey " (Etienne or Stephen De Lancey, the first of that family in America, then the first named of the four members for the City of New York, a ^on-in-law and one of the heirs of Stephanus van Cortlandt) " according to leave presented to this House a bill entitled, An Act for regulating the choice of a Representative for the Manor of Cortlandt in the County of Westchester ; which was read the first time and ordered to be read the second time. Two days later, on the 17th, in the morning session, the bill was read a second time and referred to the Committee of the Whole. In the afternoon session of the same day '' Col. Lewis Morris, Jr., ' from the Committee of the whole House reported the bill with an amendment, " which were read and agreed unto by the House," and the same ordered to be engrossed.