Bi - Centennial C elebration O F T H E B O A R D O F A M ERICAN PROPRI ETORS E R Y E AST N E W J S E . A t P erth A mbo T uesdé N ovember 2 1 88 . y , y , 5 , 4 N E WA R K , N . J P R E S O F T HE A D E T P I T S V R I S E R R N I N G HO US E . 1 885 . T T HE semi -annual sessi o n of the C o unc il O f P ro prie ’ o s at S o -G s offi c P mbo t r , the urvey r eneral e in erth A y , O n d d O f M a 1 8 8 w as r o d N . J . , the thir Tues ay y , 4 , it es lve that th e appro ac hing two hund red th annivers ary O f the B oard o f Ameri c an P ro prietors sh o u l d b e c o mmem o rated b o c an d c om m y appr priate exer ises, the Exe utive C ittee were auth o ri z ed t o m ake the ne c essary arrangements fo r u o that p rp se . A meeting O f the E x ec u tiv e C ommittee was held at P erth mb o on c o d O f t o c o u t b o o A y the se n J uly, arry the a ve res l u i on P for c e m d an d t . lans the exer ises w re ature the wo rk f u was c d f O preparati o n beg n . I t arrie orward in su c c es sive m u fo o eetings , with the res lts given in the ll wing pages . b c d d d d The pu li a resses were elivere in the City Hall , a nd c o o was d m b d the llati n serve in the sa e uil ing . There was e an d c d c an d m u c i n a larg appre iate au ien e present , h t e re st was sh own in the oc c asi o n whi c h h ad bro u ght them o as as m d b t gether, well in the atters presente y the s peakers . T h e Exec utive C o mm ittee are glad t o m ake p u b li c a c kn owled gment O f the attenti o n sh own them by the M ay or an d o mm o o c O f P m b o a n d b c o m C n C un il erth A y, y the m it te e O f lad i e s an d gentlemen wh o assist e d i n the enter t ain m e n t o f th e visit o rs ; a n d th e ir thanks are espe c ially d u e t o th e e m o b o an d g ntle en wh se a le , appr priate inter e sting ad d resses gra c ed these c o mm e m orating exerc ises ’ ’ H A L N O B LE P r es zae fzi C R ES E . , , G G H K u e = . S r v ar Ge fze r a/ EOR E COO , y , ' WI L L I A M M F C R e zs fe r . OR E , g , H o n . M L A K J R A OS C R , . , M H Y L D E s . TI OT OR , q , B WA E U . N s TSO , q . , ' E x e u ti C ommzl te e c ve . C O N T E N T S H A L A D D B Y H N O R T L A N D T P A K C O . C I . ISTORI RESS R ER , f o w . Ne ark , N J I I — S A M N W H " H B N O F M A P o . T T E E TS I T E I ITIO S, explanat ry O f the L oc ati o n an d B o u nd aries O f E ast New H K P F . G O u r e or b G . S v Jersey, y RO EOR E C O , y f B c J e ne ral O . G , New runswi k , N “ D D : fl c O f P o o I I I . A RESS The In uen e the r priet rs in d n b P F U N C F o S . S un i g the tate , y RO A STI OTT , f R l B J O o c . utgers C l ege, New runswi k , N ’ K E S A D D E S P A S . M R . R R R d A few weeks ago , Englan and Am erica sympathized in the celebration of the centen nial birthday Of a great H ebrew philanthropist , a most interesting and praise d an worthy reunion . To ay we celebrate here in their cient and original home the bi- centennial anniversary O f O f the organization a body , once Lords by title , and , in O f O f t fact , New Jersey and her domain ; no represen a “ tive creation of the people , by the people and for the people , but acquiring the title to soil and Government too , by conveyance from the British crown from whom the title to every foot Of land in New Jersey springs ; and among whom , even after Government was sur o n rendered , her chief and m st infl uential citize s were to be found . Little by little the domain , the possession of which gave the Proprietors consequence , has passed n from their hands . W hat is left in their control is ow of comparatively Slight value . But the re is enough remaining to make the Board still possess great c on s e u e n c e . q And though but a ghost Of its former self , it is proper and right that they should meet upon this tw o day , look back on the hundred years which have O f passed , and render the tribute their respect to the wise , energetic and enterprising men who were their early predecessors . 8 The existence Of a separate Board or Council of P ro rie tors f p rom whom all titles are derived , instead Of Obtaining them from the governing power , as is the I case , believe , in all the other States Of the Union , is a e rs e m e n fact which , well understood among native J y , n almost always seems strange to those who are ot . , And , therefore , it may be well , familiar as is the topic to state succinctly how it came about th at we had in e New J ers y from the beginning , and have now as the fountain Of all title , a private body Of landowners . The doctrine of English l aw was that discovery and conquest gave title , as to all heathen and uncivilized countries , to the British Crown . To use j udicial lan . I guage (C J Kirkpatrick in Arnold v M undy , Hal I : \ . stead R . ) Vhen Charles I I took possession O f this of d country by his right iscovery , he took possession Of it in his sovereign capacity . H e had the same right in it and the same power ov e r it as he had in and Over his other . t dominions , and no more This right consisted in gran ing the soil to private persons for the pu s p os e s Of settle ment and colonization ; Of establishing a government , Of O f supporting a governor , and conveying to him all o to th se things appurtenant the sovereignty , commonly f r f o o . called royalties , the benefit the colonists Both discovery and conquest , it is claimed , gave the * “ o British cr wn the title to New J ersey . The English fi rst discovered and took possession O f this part Of North f . o America Being at war with th e States Holland , ' they were driven out by their enemy , who took pos session and built the city Of New York , calling it Ne w d d Amster am . They exten ed their settlements into New * r u I I 8 0 . Wall and Scott a g endo , H alstead , 5 9 O f J ersey , particularly into the adj acent counties Bergen , Essex , Monmouth , Somerset and Middlesex , the first European inhabitants O f which were generally H ol ' 1 66 th e landers . B ut in 4 English reconquered the territo ry and expelled the D u tch Government . The King thus gained a ne w title by c o nquest Of a civilized ‘ 1 2 1 66 " nation . O n March , 4 , Charles by royal patent , granted Ne w Jersey to his brother J ames , then ’ O f D uke York , afterwards Charles successor upon the throne .