PAPERS RELATING TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

561

That your honour may be pleased to take your pet rR case in your Serious consideration or appointand Select the Presbytery of the french congregation of [New York | or Such other as your honourShall think [fit to] examine the aforesaid proceeding.

And your Petitioner in duty bound Shall ever pray &°

1701. P VlLLEPONTOUX.

PETITION FROM EASTCIIESTER.

To His Excellency &c

The Humble Petition of John Drake Joseph Drake & William Chadderton in the behalf of them-selves & the Inhabitants of East ChesterSheweth

That Co' 1 Heatheot did at the request of your Excellency's Petitioners moue your Excellency togiue Directions that what the Vestry had Layd on the Parish of west Chester for incidentall chargesover the ministers rate & Constables allowance for allowing the same might be abated from the quoatalayd on our place we being burthened with much more then our Just proportion of that tax thatCo 11 Heatheot did thereupon inform your Excellencys Petitioners that your Excellency had beenpleased to direct that some of the Justices which liued without the precincts, should make Inquiryinto that mater & make report thereof to your Excellency but the Justices not being able beforethis time to gett in the List of Estates wase the Cause of the delay of that returne so hope yourExcellency will pardon our not Leauying what was Layd upon us by the late Vestry & will in yourgreat goodness & Justice protect us from paying more then our fair & Equal Proportion which weshall always most readily do so long as your Excellency shall think fitt to Continue us Joyned to thatParish we are Exceeding thankfull that your Excellency hath been pleased to direct M r Bartowto preach sometimes amongst us for we assure your Excellency that tis our Earnest desires to comeunder the Regulation of the Church of England as by law Established & so is our minister M r Morganfor which reason we are desirous to Continue him amongst us & maintaine him by Subscriptionuntill such times as your Excellency shall think fitt to haue the Parishes in the County otherwisedivided which are at present so uery inconuenient that not halfe of the People can haue the benefitt ofthe Ministry your Excellency will find by the return of the Justices that our diuident of the laterate ought not to haue been more than £7. 5. 6 d & the ucstry haue layd £ 15 : 10 s upon us & therebeing £7: 10 Layd on the Parish besides the Ministers rate & the Constables allowance for Leauy-ing the same under the name of incidental Charges & that some by the inequality of the diuisionfalling wholly upon us we therefore most humbly Implore your Excellency to direct that we maypay no more at this time than £8 : & for the future only our Equall diuident and as in duty boundyour Excellencys Petitioners shall Ever Pray &c

John DrakeJoseph DrakeWill Chadderton.

VOL. III.

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