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.?

The facts relative to this commission and its suppression, reveal the determination of Gov. Clinton and his advisers, Smith

1. The original commission is in the «possession of the Lt. Governor's grand-son, the Rt. Rev. William H. De Laficey, Bishop of Western New York; it was also' recorded in book of Comns. IV., 122, in Sec's of State's office, Albany.

1048 MEMOIR OF THE

and Alexander, to undermine the Chief Justice in England, when they found they could not shake his power in New York. The course of the latter was approved by the Home Government, or he never would have been appointed Lieut. Governor, especially at the time when the promotion was made, for during the whole of 1747 Gov. Clinton and Dr. Colden were continually writing to the Dukes of New Castle and Bedford, two of the ministry, greviously complaining of him and his party." They. even went so far as to ask his removal from the Chief Justiceship. On the eighth of November, 1747, only fifteen days after his commission of Lt. Governor was signed by the King in London, and of course before he thought such a step was contemplated, Gov.