Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. IV
Whatever you judge proper notwithstanding, will readily be acquiesced in by me; & I shall punctually follow your, Directions.
The Hint I formerly gave you of a Fund to support the Indian Missions, I received from His Excellency Governor Franklin. I had warmly recommended him to the Society for Admission as a Member. Accordingly he was elected; & upon recieving _ notice of this from Dr Burton, I acquainted his Excellency with it by Letter. In his answer, he told me among other Things-- That there were several valuable Islands in Delaware River which had not been yet annexed either to Pennsylvania or New Jersey--that the Inhabitants, of those Islands who were numeyous, were desirous to have the Islands annexed to the Government of New Jersey--that on this Consideration, they would be willing to pay down a large Sum of money, or be afterwards subject to a considerable Quit-Rent--& His Excellency imagined that the Sum they would advance, or the Quit Rents they should afterwards pay, might easily be procured for the Support of an American Episcopate, or of Indian Missions. I immediately wrote to him, requesting to know what he thought the Quit Rents of those Islands might amount to annually & that he would use his Influence with the Ministry to have them appropriated to the Uses he mentioned. I have yet recieved no Answer to this Letter, tho several Weeks have elapsed since it was written,
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which I impute to the Governor's being much perplexed at present with Business. However, as the Corporation for the Relief of Clergymen's Widows, &c is to meet at Amboy the Week after next, where I shall attend ; I intend to go from thence to Burlington to confer with his Excellency on the Subject, if I should not hear from him before that Time. [I shall communicate to you whatever Intelligence I recieve.