James Graham was a native of Scotland, and is found a resident merchant of the city of New York, as early as July, 1678; and a few years later, proprietor of lands in Ulster County, Staten Island, and in New Jersey. He succeeded Mr. Budyard as Attorney General of the Province of New York on the loth of December, 1685, and was sworn of the Council on the 8th of October, 16S7. " When the government of New England and New York were consolidated by James II., Mr. Graham removed to Boston as Attorney-General to Andros, the odium of whose government he shared, and in whose do'.vn-fall he was committed to the Castle. He returned to New York in 1691, where his enemies assert that he insinuated himself into the confidence of Leisler and his friends, so as to procure their interest to be chosen member of the Assembly, of which he was afterwards elected speaker. He became, soon after, the mortal enemy of Leisler and Milbome, of whose murder he is charged, by his adversaries, vi-ith being tlie principal author. Thomas Newton, Houghten's Attorney-General, having left the Province in April, 1691, dLsapproving, probably, of the harsh measures of the government toward the State prisoners, George Farewell was appointed to act in his place ; but this appointment not being satisfactory to the Assembly, Mr. Graham became again Attorney-Gen ersl in the follo;^-ing ISTay. He was about nine years speaker of the Assembly, i.e. from 1691-1694, 1695- 1698, and a part of 1699, when the friends of Leisler being in a majority, the House voted a bill of Indictment, in the shape of a Remonstrance against their opponents, and had the cruelty to request their speaker to sign it. To enable him to avoid this unpleasant duty, Mr. Graham was called to the Council in, 1699.