*»* Previous to the year 1743 there was no limit prescribed by Statute to the continuance in office of Member* of Assemblyin the Province of New York. It was held to belong to the Royal Prerogative to dissolve the Legislature and to order anew election. The consequence was, that the existence of the Assembly, generally depended on its subserviency to the localGovernor and a new appeal to the People was made, for the most part, only when the popular branch quarrelled with theExecutive. Sometimes only a few months intervened between general elections; sometimes a year, but usually a generalelection came about biennially, until the administration of Gov. Hunter, when the Assembly elected in 1716 continued itsfunctions until 1726—a period of ten years and two months. The elections for representatives after this happened, from diversdisturbing causes, to be annual until Gov. Cosby’s administration, when the Assemby again assumed a protracted existenceof nine years, vizt: from 1728 to 1737. The leaders in the popular branch seeing this tendency to abuse, by the removal ofthe representatives from all responsibility to their constituents, determined to remedy the evil, and passed a hill in the sessionof 1734, declaring that no Assembly should continue more than Three Years. The Council, however, did not act upon it,and when the Legislature again met in October of the same year, the Assembly sent to enquire what had been done with theirBill of the spring. It was, thereupon, taken up and amended by the Council, but as the Assembly refused to concur in theseamendments, it was lost, for the Council refused to recede from their position. The Assembly, now (Nov. 28), sent anaddress to the Governor requesting that they may be dissolved, to which Cosby replied, that as it was a part of the prero-gative to convene and dissolve them at pleasure, he was determined to act in the premises as he thought proper, and notas they desired, and in this state of things the session was prorogued. Shortly after the meeting of the Legislature in thefollowing year, a petition was presented (Nov. 4, 1735) to the House from the citizens of New York , complaining of thelong continuance of the same set of representatives, and praying a dissolution. This petition was sent to Gov. Cosby, whoagain refused compliance, and he died, in March, 1736, “almost universally detested,” says Smith. In April, 1737, theTriennial Bill was again introduced, but it did not reach a third reading, as the House was dissolved, to the great gratificationof the people, on the 3d May, 1737, after its nine years’existence. One of the first measures introduced in the new House(June 16), was the Bill for the frequent election of Representatives. It was soon passed, together with an address to Lt. Gov.Clarke (to be found at length on the Journals), urging on him by strong and unanswerable arguments, the necessity of sucha reform. His Honor returned a favorable answer, and in compliance, as it were, with his disposition, the Council concurred,and the Bill received the Lieutenant Governor’s sanction on the 16th Dec. 1737. Before the Assembly adjourned, theyrequested Clarke to use his utmost endeavors to obtain his Majesty’s assent to the Bill. It was sent to England early in thefollowing year, when the Lieutenant Governor strongly recommended it to the favor of the King’s Ministers. Some of thearguments in favor of the measure and its ultimate fate, are recorded in the following Documents. Ed.