But his plan was without effect upon the Congress; for as he tells us himself, "they seemed so fully persuaded of the backwardness of the several assemblies to come into joint and vigorous measures that they were unwilling to enter upon the consideration of these matters."' His idea seems to have been for a practical union of the colonies for their own defence to be made by themselves ; while that of the committees, who despaired of a voluntary union, was for a consolidation of the colonies to be enforced 'by act of Parliament. Neither: plan, however, met with favor in any quarter, and the Congress effected little but the conciliation of the Indians.?
In the autumn of 1754' the Lt. Governor suggested to the Assembly the system of settling lands in townships instead of patents, a measure which, being passed by them, rapidly increased the population and prosperity of the colony. ®
On the thirty-first of October, 1754, Lt. Governor De Lancey ~
Signed and passed the charter of King's (now Columbia) College, in spite of the long and bitter opposition of the Presbyterians, led by Mr. William Livingston. So decided were these against the Episcopalians at this time, and so determined were the efforts of Mr. Livingston to break down the college, that, though signed and sealed, the charter was not delivered in consequence of' the clamor till May 7» 1755, when, after an address, Lt. Governor De Lancey presented it to the trustees in form.4
This college controversy gave renewed vigor to the feud between the De Lancey and Livingston parties, the former of whom were leading supporters of the College, and the latter its bitterest foes. A feud, which burning strongly ever after, exerted