The Assembly observed, that the Great Declension of this Country in all its valuable Interests, had hapened during the Continuance of the Two last long Assemblies, while at the same time no visible Cause could be assigned, for it but what it was in the power of a ffree and ffrequent Representation of the People to prevent, Especially when at the same time, the neighbouring Colonies of the Masachusets Bay Connecticut and Rhode Island on the one hand, and Pensilvania on the other, were Increasing in People, flourishing in Trade, and abounding with Wealth and Contentment.

The Assembly Observed that those Colonies have the Annual Choice of their Representatives, by which General Grievances are either happily Prevented, or always Speedily redressed while by Experience they have found, that the long Continuance of Assemblies in this Colony, had an unhappy Tendency to Intro-

THE PROVINCE OF NEW YORK. sas

duce Grievances, and Establish them as an Insupportable Burthen upon the People. They observed that the long Continuance -of power in the same hands, had. always grown up into an oppressive Domination of a few men, which they found to have been the fruitfull Parent of all those Evils, under which this Country had Visibly Declined ; and which had in some late Instances Proved Exceeding Dangerous to the Peace of His Majesty's Government within this Colony.

These are the Reasons that Induced the Assembly with great Zeal and Unanimity to propose and pass that Law, as a most necessary Expedient, to retrieve the Peace and Promote the prosperity of this Miserable and Distressed Colony.