24-1 PAPERS RELATING TO CHURCHES IN QUEENS COUNTY.

*COL. MORKIS

TO TlIE SECRETARY OF TIIH SOCIETY FOR PROP. THE GOSPEL.

New York 20th Feby 1711.

* * * * * " I am told these men [the Clerg-y j arraign the Governor's conduct with respect to M^' Poyer and tlie Churcli at Jamaica tlie Stiite of that affair I'll lay before 3 ou as fully as I can & 'tis thus : --

In Coll Fletcher's time one party of the Dissenters in the County where Jamaica is resolved to build a Church & in order to it got subscriptions and materials enough to build it about three feet from the ground but finding themselves unable to perfect it without the assistance of the rest whicli could not be got by persuasion t'ley resolved to attempt the getting an Act of Assembly in their ikvor. Coll Fletclier who was then Govei-nor and James Graham Esquire who was tlien Speaker of the Assembly perceiving the Assembly inclined to raise money fpr tiie budding of that Church and settling a maintenance for Ministers tliought it a fit opportunity to do something in favour of the Church before the zealous fit left them. Accordingly Gra'iam who had tlie drawing of their Bills prescribed a Met'iod of Induction and so managed it tliat it woidd not do well for the Dissenters and but lamely lor tlie Chui'ch tho' tvvoukl do with the help of the Governor and that was all ; but 'twas tlie most that could be got at that time for had more been attempted the Assembly had seen tliro' the artifice the most of tiiem being Dissenters and all had been lost. Dy virtue of this Act tlie Church was built and a dissenting minister called and if I mistake not paid ; the other Dissenters who were forced to comply were very nuich dissatisfied at this procedure of their brethren and many of them appeared in the interest of the Chm-ch thinkijig no way so effectual to defeat their ad^ ersaries and this was the beginning of the Church of England in .Jamaica on Long Island the Church & parsonage house continued in tliC poss( ssion of the Dissenters till some time after the arrival of M'" Urquhart when a representation was made to my Lord Cornbnry that the Church & house being built by pul^hc Act