Duties are imposed on us for the purpose of raising a Revenue, and the powers of Admiralty and Vice Admiralty Courts are extended beyond their ancient limits, whereby our property is taken from us without our consent; the Trial by Jury, in many civil cases, is abolished; enormous Forfeitures are incurred for slight offences; vexatious Informers are exempted from paying damages to which they are justly liable, and oppressive Security is required from owners, before they are allowed to defend their rights.

Both Houses of Parliament have resolved that the Colonists may be tried in England for offences alleged to have been committed in America, by virtue of a Statute passed in the thirty-fifth year of Henry the Eighth; and, in consequence thereof, attempts have been made to enforce that Statute.

A Statute was passed in the twelfth year of your Majesty's reign, directing that persons charged with committing any offence therein described, in any place out of the Realm, may be indicted and tried for the same in any Shire or County within the Realm, whereby inhabitants of these Colonies may, in sundry cases, by that Statute made capital, be deprived of a trial by their peers of the vicinage.

In the last session of Parliament an Act was passed for blocking up the Harbour of Boston; another empowering the Governour of Massachusetts Bay to send persons indicted for murder, in that Province, to another Colony, or even to Great Britain, for trial, whereby such offenders may escapee legal punishment; a third, for altering the Chartered Constitution of Government in that Province; and a fourth, for extending the Limits of Quebec, abolishing the English and restoring the French Laws, whereby great numbers of British freemen are subject to the latter and establishing an absolute Government and the Roman Catholick. Religion throughout those vast regions Westerly and Northerly boundaries of the English settlements; and a fifth, for the better providing suitable quarters for Officers and Soldiers in his Majesty's service in North America.

To Sovereign, who "glories in the name of Briton," the bare recital of these Acts must, we presume, justify the loyal subjects who fly to the foot of his Throne, and implore his clemency for protection against them.

Although all the grievances above enumerated do not immediately affect the people of this Colony, yet as, in their consequences, they will be deeply involved, we cannot remain silent and unconcerned.

Should our properties be liable to the disposal of those of our fellow-subjects in whose elections we have no voice, we conceive it evident that we have no property but at their will and pleasure.

And should we be carried for trial to places where it is impossible for the accused to compel the appearance of his innocence will be no security from punishment.

Nor is the jurisdiction lately given to the Courts of Admiralty, which deprive your Majesty's American subjects of Trial by Juries of the vicinage, less repugnant to the fundamental principles of the common law.

All which necessarily tend to reduce us to a state of servitude, from which our affection for the English Constitution, and duty to ourselves and our posterity, loudly call upon us to avert, by all lawful means in our power.

The Colony of New-Jersey, during the late glorious war though not immediately affected, because, surrounded by your Majesty's other more extensive and opulent Colonies, complied with every royal requisition for aid, and cheerfully exerted itself, at a very considerable expense, whereby it incurred a heavy debt, under a great part of which it at present labours.

And as this Colony hath always, according to its ability, cordially defrayed the charge of the administration of justice, and the support of the Civil Government, your Majesty may be assured, that it will ever be ready, not only to defray the same charge, but also to contribute when constitutionally required, to every reasonable and necessary expense, for the defence, protection, and security of the whole British Empire.

We do solemnly, and with great truth, assure your Majesty that we have no thoughts injurious to the allegiance which, as subjects, we owe to you as our Sovereign; that we abhor the idea of setting ourselves up in a state of independency, and that we know of no such design in others.

We therefore most earnestly beseech your Majesty to interpose your royal authority for the redress of the above grievances, and to vouchsafe us a gracious answer to this our humble Petition.

That the Omnipotent Being, by whom Kings reign and Princes decree justice, and who hath placed your Majesty on the throne of your ancestors, to which they were called by the suffrage of a free people, to protect them against Popery and arbitrary power, may bless you with every felicity, both temporal and eternal, and that the Colonies; may vie with the most faithful of your subjects, in every dutiful and loyal attachment to your royal person, family, and Government, is, and always will be, the sincere and fervent prayer of your Majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects the Representatives of the Colony of New-Jersey.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, February 13, 1775.

On the question, whether the Speaker do sign the same? It passed in the affirmative, as follows:

Ordered, That the Speaker do sign the same.

Mr. Speaker dissenting from the Pettit to the King, requested, as a favour, that his dissent might be entered in the Journals of the House; and on the question, whether the same be entered or not? It passed as follows:

The votes being equal, Mr. Speaker gave his voice in the affirmative;

Ordered, That the same be entered accordingly.

Ordered, That the Committee of Correspondence do transmit the said Petition to the Agent, by the first opportunity.

Mr. Deputy Secretary Pettit then, by Writ, prorogued the House to Tuesday, the fourteenth day of March next, then to meet at Burlington.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A GENTLEMAN IN CONNECTICUT TO HIS FRIEND IN NEWPORT, RHODE-ISLAND, DATED JANUARY 11, 1775.

DEAR SIR: Your favour of the 21st ultimo, together with that of the 5th instant, are now before me; the contents of which afford me singular pleasure, as they breathe that genunine spirit of patriotism and love for your country, which are characteristick of a soul ennobled with the most generous sentiments.

The Pamphlet, accompanying your last, obliges me greatly, and is here esteemed a most spirited performance. I have sent it to Norwich to be reprinted, and dispersed through the country, where I hope it will be of eminent service in exposing the futility of the bugbear representations of a few corrupt miscreants, who would sell their God, King, country, and posterity, for a small pittance to excuse themselves from what they account the toil of honest industry. A dismally regulated state, indeed, when such worthless, idle, lazy, unprincipled villains are the sole candidates for places of profit and honour.

Our Assembly have formed a Militia Bill, whereby it is enacted that the whole Militia of the Colony shall train twelve times between the passing of the Bill and May next; and for their encouragement they are to receive six Pence per man each time. This is, indeed, doing something, but our Governour has been applied to call the General Assembly together to make some more effectual provision for the preservation of our liberties; but the