" I have the honor to transmit a memorial from the New -York Historical Society, praying for the passage of a law authorizing the appointment of an Agent to visit Europe, to transcribe documents remaining in the public offices of the governments of England and Holland, illustrating the Colonial history of this State. " It would advance the cause of free government throughout the world, and it is due to ourselves, to the memory of our predecessors, and to a just regard for the respect of posterity, that every important circumstance connected with the rise and progress of our free institutions should be recorded and illustrated.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION. xiii

" It is believed that we have, hitherto, manifested a singular indifference in regard to this object. The English government has made a munificent gift to our State Library of records illustrating the early history of that nation. Massachusetts has taken care to preserve the resources for her history, during the Revolutionary contest, by causing to be published the Journals of her Colonial Congress. The State of Georgia has now an Agent in London, engaged in obtaining copies of the records belonging to that State. This State has certainly not less interest in rescuing and preserving the memorials of her Colonial condition. " I respectfully commend the petition of ' The New-York Historical Society' to the favorable consideration of the Legislature. " WILLIAM H. SEWARD."

This message of the Governor and the accompanying memorial of the Historical Society were referred by the House of Assembly to a select committee, who, on the 19th of February, 1839, made the following report, by their Chairman, Mr. Chapin: