TRIENNIAL ELECTIONS, 1738.

Memorandum of some Grounds and Reasons to hope that liis Majesty will be graciouslypleased to grant his Royal Assent to the Act for ffrequent Election of Represen-tatives lately passed in the General Assembly of the Colony of New York.

That happy Union that is Established between the King and his People under the British Constitu-tion, has so closely connected their Mutual Interests, that whatever tends to the advancement of thepeace and prosperity of the People, it may be Humbly presumed will be a Good reason why itshould meet with his Majestyes approbation and Encouragement, but it is Conceived that thepassing that Law, will tend as much to Advance the Interest of his Majestyes Crown, as the welfareof His people if it be Considered that the Scituation of this Colony is in the very Heart of the British Dominions in America , that it Contains a passage from the Ocean almost all the way by water, tothe most distant Nations of Indians, which lye Northward of the Bay of Mexico . It is near toCanada once the seat of a dangerous Enemy, and now its rival in the ffur trade, which is of somuch Importance to Great Brittain that I’ts in the neighborhood of a People Extremly Jealous ofits Interests, and ever watchfull to seize on every Advantage for the Extension of their settlementsupon the Lands undoubtedly belonging to the British Crown (witness the late Settlements, of theffrench at Crown Point, and Niagara, and their late attemps to get a Booting in the Cinekes Country).That a fatal blow will be given to this British Interest both in Europe and America , if this Countryshould ever fall into the hands of the ffrench, these and many other weighty considerations, makesthe welfare & prosperity of this Colony, of the last Consequence to the Crown of Great Brittain, it isgenerally Acknowledged, that not one Plantation in America has greater Advantages than this, withrespect to the fertility of its Soil, healthfullness of its air and Commodiousness of its Scituation foran Inland and foreign Trade and Navigation. Yet under these many Natural advantages, it is a sadtruth universally attested, That it has been for many years visibly Declining in its Husbandry,Navigation, Trade, Ship Building and other Manufactures , Advantagious to Great Brittain. It hasbeen deserted by great numbers of its Sea men and other Inhabitants, who have been obliged to Seektheir Bread in the neighbouring Colonies, while the Lands in the Country and the Houses in theCity, have been seen to sink to near half their fformer Value, and its Navigation Almost wholy falleninto the hands of Strangers, and at the same time, universal Discontent ready to break out intopublick Tumult and Disorder, and Extream poverty, have overspread the Country and threatenedits utter ruin.

This is, or very lately w r as, the Miserable Estate of this Colony, which rendered the Disolution ofthe last Assembly Necessary both for his Majesty’s Honour and the Interest of the Country. Andthe present Assembly when chosen, being of Opinion that the present and past Miseries of thisCountry, were greatly owing to the want of the frequent election of Assetnblys, they past the Lawin Question, presuming that upon the weighty Reasons upon which it is founded, it would not failof the Royal Assent. The Assembly observed, that the Great Declension of this Country in all itsvaluable Interests, had hapened during the Continuance of the Two last long Assemblies, while atthe same time no visible Cause could be assigned for it but what it was in the power of a ffree andffrequent Representation of the People to prevent, Especially when at the same time, the neighbour-