It also stood to his credit that he was the father of a family of fifteen children.1 Pending the selection of a new governor by the appointive power in England, Van Dam, in his capacity of president of the council, became vested with the authority of acting chief magistrate. elevaNone of the complicated circumstances attending the atlike this time. tion of the unfortunate Leisler forty years before existed The regularity of his official succession was beyond question, no factional controversy of any sort resulted from it, and, indeed, the whole public viewed with satisfaction the temporary exercise of power by a native citizen of so much respectability. The citizen-governor continued to administer affairs for thirteen months, duly turning over the office to his chosen successor, William Cosby, in the month of August, 1732. This Cosby was another Cornbury -- narrow, vain, avaricious, unprincipled, contemptible, and tyrannical. He had previously been governor of the Island of Minorca, using the opportunities of that position to promote his private financial interests. After his appointment as governor of New York, while still in England, he had been paid RIP VAN DAM. fees and perquisites amounting to several thousand pounds as his due, althou! ii he had not vet begun to perform the functions of the place. From Van Dam's accounts he found, to his great disgust, that the pro tempore governor had drawn and pocketed the entire salary belongin- to the position during the thirteen months of his occupancy of it. Such ridiculous conduct on the part of a mere acting governor, who was only a plain, merchandizing citizen and Dutchman, could not be submitted to by the sensitive Cosby. He demanded that Rip Van Dam should deliver over to him one-half of the salary thus taken. 'host ATan Dam shrewd lv responded that he would cheerfully do so if Cosby him paid York City, would, on his part, relinquish half the fees that had been One of his sons. ried Judith ISayard. anus Van Cortlandt. ter, Margaret Van