INTRODUCTION. THE first place in this volume is given to JAMES Duane's Statement of the Evidence and Argument in defence of the territorial rights and jurisdiction of New York, which had been drawn into controversy, not only in the affair of the New Hampshire Grants, but in the unsettled questions of boundary with Massachusetts, east of the Hudson, and her claim to lands west of the Delaware. In 1784 a federal court was instituted, pursuant to the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, to hear and determine the controversy between the States of Massachusetts and New York. Mr. DUANE's brief (now printed from the original MS. in the possession of the Society) was prepared for the expected trial; which, however, never took place. The history of the proceedings may be found in the Journals of Congress, from which it appears that after many difficulties the controversy was amicably settled and determined by an agreement entered into on the 16th December, 1786, between the agents of the States who were parties. Although this document was not used in the previous hearing before Congress of the Vermont Controversy, it contains the essence of the New York claims in that affair, which was yet unsettled when it was prepared. In all these transactions Mr. DUANE was a principal agent and manager on the part of New York. The collection respecting Old New York and Trinity Church has been drawn chiefly from the newspapers of the colonial period. It will be observed that in the general design Trinity Church furnishes a nucleus for the association of much valuable material for the illustration of the local and family history of New York. The sermon of the Rev. Francis Makemie, which concludes the volume, is probably the earliest Presbyterian sermon in America now extant, and was certainly the first preached in the City of New York. The circumstances attending its delivery and the persecution of its author give peculiar historical interest to this memorial of the first appearance here of a religious denomination now so numerous and powerful. The Narrative of the author's imprisonment, etc., is well known to historians. Printed first in Boston within a few months after the events occurred, it was reprinted in London in 1708. It was again reprinted in New York in 1755, with a prefatory dedication to the members of the General Assembly of the Province by" the author of the Watch-Tower" — William Livingston. The Sermon itself has hitherto escaped the attention of historical writers, and is now reprinted from the original in the Force Collection. It is one of the rarest of American tracts. One cause of its rarity may be inferred from the following passage in the Epistle to the Reader prefixed to the Narrative of the author's imprisonment, etc. "Tho' Preaching a Sermon, and Printing it as the cause "of Imprisonment, be reputed a Libel, to justifie opening of "Letters, and seizing Books, without restoration or satisfac"tion, I hope it will be no crime for Losers to speak, in telling "the World, what we have suffered for Preaching "one Sermon, without obtaining a Licence," etc. NEW-YORK: January, 1871. CONTENTS. STATE OF THE EVIDENCE AND ARGUMENT IN SUP- PORT OF THE TERRITORIAL RIGHTS AND JURISDIC- TION OF NEW YORK, AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND THE CLAIMANTS UNDER IT, AND AGAINST THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSA- CHUSETTS. BY JAMES DUANE, ONE OF THE AGENTS AND COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED BY THE LEGISLATURE TO MANAGE THOSE CONTROVERSIES. PAGE SOME REMARKS ON THE MEMORIAL AND STRANCE OF TRINITY CHURCH, ETC., 1785 FROM VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS, 1785- EXTRACTS |