East Jersey is scituate on Hudsons River over against Long Island Staten Island and New York, and they pretend by the aforementioned grant to be a free place and to have free ports to trade as they please, which if admitted must certainly destroy yo r Maj ticS interest and revenue here ; for what merchant will come to New York and trade and pay to yo r Maj'y 2 and 10 p cent with the excise and

yo r Maj ties duties settled here, if they can at 2 or 3 miles distance over against the same place go and be free from any duty or imposition whatever. Connecticutt lyes to the eastward of us & pretends to the like freedome as East Jersey, and doth in the same degree threaten y

1'

Majestys interest with the like inconveniency and prejudice.

fore may it please our Majty if Connecticut East

Thereand West Jersey be not annexed to your Majesty's

Government of this Province it will be altogether impossible to raise such a revenue to yo r Majesty here as will be sufficient to defra)' the charge of the government, and the annexing thereof cannot be injurious to the proprietors, but on the contrary advantageous to them, for it will ease them of the charge of governm 1 which hath allways exceeded the quitt Rents accrueing to them ; whereas if

they were annexed the profits would be freed from that charge, retain their propertys and putt the Quitt Rents clear in their pocquets.