Of the remaining fifteen he only wanted one to gain a majority under his influence, than which nothing was more certain ; for except Mr. Livingston, who represented his own manor, there was not among the rest a man of education or abilities qualified for the station they were in. They were, in general, farmers and directed by one or more of the twelve members above named. Of the whole House the only wealthy, able member, neither connected with Mr. De Lancey nor within the sphere of his influence, was Mr. Livingston.

*' His station on the bench with the independent tenure of good behaviour, added to his amazing power, which was again augmented by the inferior abilities of his assistants and his incessant assiduity, joined to his own affluence, and that of' his family, in cultivating all the arts of popularity from the moment he was disgusted by Mr. Clarke in 1737."

In the autumn of the next year, 1753, Gov. Clinton was superseded in the command of the Province by Sir Danvers Osborn. On the tenth of October, in that year, the new Governor was sworn in, in the presence of the Council, and received the seals from Governor Clinton, who at the same time produced and delivered to Chief Justice De Lancey, a commission ag Lieutenant Governor dated Oct 24'h 1747, which he had kept back in his own hands until this time. This commission, under the sign manual of George II., had passed the seals nearly six years before, and had been in Gov. Clinton's keeping ever since, who either from jealousy or fear of the Chief J iastioey suppressed it till he could do so no longer.?