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MEMBERS OF THE CONVENTION THAT ADOPT ED THE FIRST CONSTITUTION OF THE

STATE OF NEW YORK.

On the 10th day of July 1776 the title of "The Provincial Congress of the Colony of New York" was changed to that of "The Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York" and that day "may be considered the birth day of New York as an Independent State."

On the 1st of August 1776 the following gentlemen were appointed a Committee "To prepare and report a constitution or form of govern

ment." viz:

Joie Jay.

John Sloss Hobart.

William Smith.

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John Morin Scott.
Abraham Yates.
Henry Wisner.

Samuel Townsend.

Charles De Witt,

Robert Yates.

not

The Committee were required to report on the 16th of August 1776; but owing to various and frequent interruptions they did report until March 12th 1777. Their report was under discussion antil April 20, 1777; when the first constitution of the State of New York was adopted.

NEW YORK.

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It does not appear from any entry on the journals, or from any papers now to be found, that the members elected in these two counties, (if any) ever attended the provincial congress or the convention, after the 30th of June, 1776.

*Tryon county consisted of the territory westward of the then county of Albany, and Charlotte county northward of the same. The former was afterwards called Montgomery, the latter Washington. Cumberland and Gloucester counties consisted of the territory, then called the New Hampshire Grants, and now constituting the state of Vermont. The whole population of that state at that time, did not exceed 200,000.

COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.

The Colony of New York was first settled in 1614.

There were no organized Counties in the State of New York previous to the year 1664 when the Duke of York's patent was granted.

The earliest grant of Land in Kings County, about which any thing is known, was made in 1636. The earliest Deed on Record is in the year 1639.

Courts were organized on Long Island in 1664,and three Commissioners were appointed.

On the 1st of March 1665 Richard Nichols Deputy Governor under the Duke of York convened a meeting of two Deputies from every town on the Island to organize the Government

In 1675 Staten Island was detached from Long Island by an order of the Governor and Court of Assize. In 1683 it was erected into a separate County by the name of Richmond.

The first General Assembly met in New York on the 17th of October 1683. Matthias Nichols of Long Island was the first Speaker of the first House of Representatives.. At this session of the General assembly the Counties were organized; and Courts of Common Pleas and Sessions were established in each County.

There are no records or papers in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of New York anterior to the year 1630.

Until the year 1798 the office of the Secretary of State was kept in the City of New York. It is now kept at Albany

A LIST OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS UNDER THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK.

A List of the GOVERNORS of the Colony under the Dutch, from 1629 to 1664.

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A List of the GOVERNORS, LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS, and PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL, of the colony under the British government, from 1664 to 1776.

Appointed

1664 Richard Nicholls, Deputy or Lieutenant Governor under the the DUKE OF YORK, to whom a grant was made March 12th, 1664.

1667 Francis Lovelace.

1673 Anthony Colve, from August 12th 1673, to October 31st, 1674, when the treaty of London ceded the colony to England.

(Colve was a Dutch governor. His name is entered here to preserve the historical account in its proper connexion.) The Dutch in July, 1673, repossessed the colony, and retained it until it was finally ceded to the English. From that time to the year 1776, the English retained the government of the colony. The colony was, in fact, not given up to the English till the 31st of October, 1674. On the 10th of July, 1667, the treaty of Breda was signed, by which New York was retained by the British; but on the 17th of March, 1672, the war with Holland was renewed, and was not terminated until the treaty of London, in 1674, when the colony was finally ceded to England.

Appointed

1674 Sir Edmund Andross.

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1683 Thomas Dongan.

1689 Francis Nicholson, Lieutenant Governor.

1690 Jacob Leisler, Lieutenant Governor.

He was tried for usurping the government, and execu

ted; but his attainder was afterwards reversed in Parliament.

1691 Henry Sloughter.

1692 Joseph Dudley, President.

1692 Richard Ingoldsby, President.

1692 Benjamin Fletcher.

1697 Earl of Bellamont.

1701

-Smith, President.

1701 John Nanfan.

1702 Lord Cornbury.

1708 Lord Lovelace.

1709 Richard Ingoldsby, Lieutenant Governor.

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