He did not, however, neglect his property in New York. Following the example of other large land-owners, he had his Westchester County estate erected into the lk Lordship or Manor of Morrisania." This was done by letters patent granted to him on the 8th of May, 1697, by Governor Fletcher, wherein authority was given him and his successors to hold a court leet and court baron, to exercise jurisdiction over all waifs, estrays, wrecks, deodands, goods, or felons happening and being within the

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

manor limits, and to enjoy the advowson and right of patronage over all churches in the manor. It was a considerable time, however, be fore the Manor of Morrisania became largely tenanted. At the census of 1712 its population was only sixty-two. This was probably due in part to the preference manifested by its young lord, during the first years of his proprietorship, for residence and political activity in New Jersey, and in part to his disinclination during that period to take any particularly vigorous measures toward tenanting its lands. It was not until 1710 that Lewis Morris was first elected to represent Westchester Borough in the general assembly of New York. A man of ardent temperament, fine talents, high ambitions, and abundant wealth, and one of the new-fiedged manorial " lords " of the province, it would not have been surprising if Morris had from the beginning of his career associated himself with the ultra-aristocratic party and had uniformly confined his sympathies and activities to the aristocratic sphere. There were few encouragements in those limes for the development of independent and lofty civic character. All high positions were appointive, depending upon the favor of the royal governor, who was as likely as not to be a man utterly corrupt, mercenary, and unscrupulous. But from an early period of his public life, Morris displayed a bold and aggressive spirit, and an especial contempt for consequences when, in his judgment, opposition to the acts of the governors became a matter of duty.