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History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900

Shonnard, Frederic, and W.W. Spooner. History of Westchester County, New York, from its Earliest Settlement to the Year 1900. New York: The New York History Company, 1900. 339 words

After the appointment of Jeremiah Basse as governor of New Jersey, in 1G98, Morris was one of the principal leaders of the party which refused to acknowledge his authority. He was in consequence expelled from the council and fined £50 for contempt. In 1700, when Hamilton was again made governor of New Jersey, Morris was appointed president of the council. In this position he strongly advocated the surrender of the proprietary government of New Jersey to the crown, persuaded the New Jersey proprietors to lend their cooperation to the project, and went to England to urge the reform

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upon the queen. His proposals were received with favor, and he was nominated for the governorship of New Jersey under the new arrangement; but as it was finally decided to appoint a single governor for the two provinces of New York and New Jersey, Lord Cornbury, a cousin of Queen Anne, being chosen for that post, Morris's appointment was not confirmed. He was, however, placed in Cornbury's councilors he the council. This was in 1703. As one of ing antagonism to that made an honorable record of uncompromis govmost corrupt, tyrannical, and villainous of New York's colonialnot a ernors. Smith, the Tory historian of New York-- certainly prejudiced authority in this particular connection, -- says of Lord Cornbury: " We never had a governor so universally detested, nor any who so richly deserved the public abhorrence. In spite of his noble descent, his behavior was trifling, mean, and extravagant. It was not uncommon for him to dress in a woman's habit, and then to patrol the fort in which he lived. Such freaks of low humor exposed him to the universal contempt of the whole people. Their indignation was kindled by his despotic rule, savage bigotry, insatiable avarice, and injustice, not only to the public, but even to his private' creditors." In brief, he plundered the public treasury, converted subscription funds to his personal uses, and borrowed snms CORNBUKY IN WOMAN S ORES right and left, which he coolly repudiated.