Your Excellency we hope will wisely Consider, as the above mentioned abuses of the justices in Diverting from the fundamentall Laws and great ends of magistracy and Government, soe tlie Quallities of the men, Considered without the ornaiments of their honorable office to Recommend 'em to your ExceHencys Good Likeing we believe those will be found to be but of a size with their neighbors, neither we hope will your Excellencys good will and favour be monopolized by a sett of men, that know soe Little to value or use it, we Intirely submit to your Excellencys great Discretion, to Act in tlie premises as you shall thinlc filt and that you will see Cause to Out these persons of an office, they have bore so Contrary to the Ends you proposed to your self in honoring them with it, and your Excellencys Petitioners shall pray Samuel fitch John Carman

Silas Titus John Carpenter

Daniel Smith Samuel Coe

Elias Bayles John Coe

New York Secretary's Office May U^^ 1719 A true Copy Examiu'd p'' me

J. Bobin C.

294 PAPERS RELATING TO CHURCHES IN QUEENS COUNTY.

[A number of affidavits accompanied these papers. The following will give some idea of their character:--]

Isaac Smith of liemsted being of full age being sworn upon ye holy Evangelists sayeth that being togetlier with Obediali Ualentin booth Uestry men of s"^ towen was in Company witii Tho: Gildersleef Church Warden of s^ towTn he the s^ Church warden told us ]ie was Dissatisfid witli the Justisis under mentioned tliear Eating and Drinking up tlie poors mony (meaning the poor of hemstid) upon our asking him how they did it he ansured tliat thay had Demanded of him six pounds of the poors mony by their Warrant to pay he beleued for thear Eating and Drinking We told him tliat lie ought not to paid it he mad ansur he thought he must not Deny the Justisis warant afterward wlien tlic Justisis and Uestry met to rais mony for the Minister and poor as the Law Directs I told the Justisis thay ought to return the poors mony taken as afors^ for that their Demanding receuing and Conuarting it to their own user was a thing Contrary to Law -- Coll.