The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

HON. JAMES DE LANCEYo i04-.
appears from a letter of Mr. Charles, the colony's agent in
London, to the speaker of the Assemblyl to get Mr. Robt.
Hunter Morris appointed Lieutenant Governor of New York;
Gov. Clinton and his friends being determined, if it were possible,
to oust Lt. Gov. De Lancey from his office by any means in their
power.
But all these efforts were utterly futile. Mr. Clinton was not
only compelled, in the end, to deliver up to Mr. De Lancey his
commission, but to undergo the further mortification of witnessing
the manifestations of popular pleasure which the announcement
of the fact produced.2 Two days afterwards, on the 12th October,
1753, occurred the tragical death of Sir Danvers Osborne, lho
committed suicide in a fit of insanity, and the command of the
province inmmediately devolved upon Mr. De Lancey. His
accession was. hailed with general delight,, or his long service
as Chief Justice, having traveled the circuits upwards of twenty
years, had made the people of tle Province thoroughly acquainted
with him; and the approval of his elevation, which they now
manxif:sted, showed how highly they esteemed his character and
capacity.
At this time the agitation of the great question of the day,
regarding the support of Government, was at its height. The
"instructions,"1 which accompanied the commissions of the
Colonial Governors, provided that acts giving a permanent
support for five years, should be passed by the Assembly as often
as iwas necessary. This had always been done previous to 1737;
but findingo that the certainty of a support for so long a period
rendered the Governors very independent, and gave rise to
prodigality of different kinds, the Assembly of that year deternmined that the support acts should be annual fbr the future in
spite of the " instructions."? Tlis was considered an encroachment upon the royal prerogative and as such was strongly resisted.
lroml that time this subject caused great struggles between
the As:sembly and the Governors; but the former would only
pass a lnnal bills, though the latter always asked those for five
yctas. Gov. Clinton, during the first three years of his administrAtion, signed annlual bills-tlen he refused to do it any
1 Slmith's HIist. N. Y. II., t45, 146. 2 Smith's Hist. N. Y. II. 152.