The first year there was £52. offered for the Excise of Long Island, but I thought it unreasonable being the best peopled place in this Goverm 1 @ wherein theres great consumption of Rumm @ and it therefore I gave commission to Mr Nicolls @ Mr Vaughton to gather it with whom I made this agreement that out of it they should have forty pounds, @ that they should account with Mr Santon for the remainder.

Since that for these two years past one

Henry Fillkin has been Collector @ for his pains has a

What returns he makes I referr to the audit most part of the people of that Island especially towards the East end are of the same stamp with those of New -England, salary of £30 per ann.

refractory

revenue

@ very loath to have any commerce with this place to the great detrm of his Maty*

@ ruin of our merchants.

To prevent which the aforementioned act of Assembly imposing

10 pr cent upon all such goods as should be imported from any colony where such goods were not

produced passed, which was intended chiefly to hinder their carrying their oyle to Boston @ bringing goods from thence into this Goverm 1

They thought it a hardship

to

their application were allowed to

be obliged as formerly to come to this citty to enter

have a port where

order to be accomptable to Mr Santen

@ clear @ on

made Mr Arnold Collector @ Receiver, with