Colonel William Cosby, formerly Governor of ilinorca, was commissioned for New York, but remained in England nearly a year before embarking for his position, under the declared motive of preventing the [)assage of a bill, called the Sugar Bill, which was disastrous to the interests of the New York colony. Very early after his arrival a pecuniary disagreement sprang up between the Governor and Van Dam, growing out of this delay, which it was found necessary to otfer to the courts for settlement.

The case was brought before Chief Justice Lewis Morris and his associates, De Lancey and Philipse. The decisions of the Chief Justice in the preliminiNew Tort Col. Mans., vol. iv. p. 938. - New York Ool. Slans., vol. iv. p. lOiiT.

s Smith's "History of New York," part vi. chap. v. Carey Ed. p. 2r>(). <SiiiitliV •' History of New Yurk," part vi. cliap. v. Carey E-l. p. 262.

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

ary proceedings greatly exasperated the Governor. The suit was not further pressed, hut the most bitter animosities were engendered between these two liigh functionaries, and two violent parties arose in the province. The Governor, having in the spring written home and presented a number of points against the general conduct of the Chief Justice and declared his intention to remove him, proceeded in the summer of 1733 to the step. To the vacant ofiice the Governor appointed the First Associate Judge, James De Lancey, who, with Judge Adolph Philipse, had not justified the course of Morris. The excitement in this matter extended to Westchester County. To allow of the election of Chief Justice Morris to the Assembly, William Willett, his friend and townsman, resigned his seat in that body. The person named to oppose the Judge was William Forster, Clerk of the County, who had held the office for many years and was greatly respected.