AUGUST 12th, 1879.

The stated meeting of the Association was this day held at the Arcade Hotel, Mount Holly, N.J., the Hon. William Parry in the chair.

The report of the committee upon the inquiries suggested by Charles Stokes in a paper read at the last meeting, was read and ordered to be filed.

The decease of John C. Smallwood and William R. Braddock, two of the original members of the Association, was mentioned, and the same ordered to be entered in the minutes.

The Committee on Certificates was continued.

As Mrs. Leah Blackman, of Tuckerton, N.J., has prepared a number of valuable articles relating to the local history of Burlington county, N.J., it is decided, with her consent, to publish the same in the next printed volume of the Society.

Franklin W. Earl, moved that Mrs. Leah Blackman be elected an honorary member of the Association. Unanimously adopted.

Franklin W. Earl, Barclay White and John Clement were appointed a committee to prepare and arrange the papers and articles, now in hand, for publication, and submit the same to the next meeting.

Job S. Haines was requested to prepare a sketch of the life and character of John C. Smallwood, deceased.

F.W. Earl and William Dyer were requested to prepare a sketch of the life and character of William R. Braddock, deceased.

John D. Shute was requested to prepare a sketch of the life and character of William Haines, deceased.

John Clement was requested to prepare a sketch of the life and character of Samuel P. Chew, deceased.

George E. Gaskill, Barclay White and James Lippincott were requested to examine a very rare tree growing near Mount Holly, and report the kind, species and character thereof to the next meeting.

Edgar Haas, of Bordentown, Burlington, N.J., was elected a member of the Association.

The trial of instruments in the Court House yard resulted as follows:

Time 12 M. Thermometer 79°.
John S. Shults, transit, 6° 40' W. of N.
George E. Gaskill, transit, 6° 40' W. of N.
John D. Shute, transit, 6° 40' W. of N.
William Parry, transit, 6° 45' W. of N.
Frank Earl, compass, 6° 40' W. of N.
Freedom C. Lippincott, compass, 6° 40' W. of N.
Clayton Lippincott, compass, 6° 40' W. of N.
James Lippincott, compass, 6° 45' W. of N.
William Dyer, compass, 6° 45' W. of N.

Adjourned to meet at Norcross' Hotel Camden, N.J., on the first Tuesday in January, next, at 10 A.M.

In regard to the inquiries made by Charles Stokes, in a paper read before the Society at the January meeting of 1879, the committee appointed to report thereon would submit the following:

The troubles among the first settlers in the colony of West New Jersey, caused by the disputes between the adherents of Edward Byllynge and his assigns on the one side, and the grantees of William Penn, Gawen Laurie and Nicholas Lucas, as trustees, &c., on the other side, touching the political management of the colony, were the cause of much confusion, especially as to the possession of the lawful records, which had already accumulated and in the hands of the proper officers.

Their care and preservation was patent to all, and their value made each party the more persistent for their custody.

The "concessions and agreements," dated March 3d, 1676, provided the general plan for the location of land to purchasers and settlers, but the details had to be adopted and settled by the commioners as the necessity therefor occurred. No record of the proceedings of the commissioners who were appointed in 1677 to lay out and divide the land, &c., has been preserved, hence their manner of procedure is not known.

In 1680 it was ordered that the commissioners should be chosen annually, and that a Register be appointed. A few practical surveyors were employed, but the examination and approval of the locations of the land fell upon the commissioners until March 25th, 1681, when Daniel Leeds was appointed Surveyor General, his authority to extend from the St. Pink (Assanpink) to Oldman's Creek.

"Leed's book," the work of the Surveyor General, commenced in 1679, and continued to 1709, on file in the office of the Surveyor General, at Burlington, N.J., is the earliest record of surveys in that office.

"Revel's book," containing the Record of Surveys, entered by Thomas Revel, who had been appointed "Register," commences in 1680, and is on file in the office of the Secretary of State, at Trenton, N.J.

A part of the proceedings of the commissioners may be found scattered through the records of the Supreme Court of West New Jersey, commencing March 25th, 1681, which records are now in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, at Trenton, New Jersey.

"Liber A" in the office of the Surveyor General at Burlington, N.J., commenced in 1686, is the first book of record in that office in which surveys are entered in regular, chronological order.

"Basse's book" in the office of the Secretary of State at Trenton, N.J., was commenced in 1702, and contains much valuable matter.

The increase of emigration and the consequent demand for land so accumulated the labors of the commissioners that it was decided to establish a "Council of Proprietors," who should be elected annually, acting in a representative capacity, discharge the duties before imposed upon the commissioners; six whereof were to be chosen from Burlington county, (which then included all of Burlington, part of Mercer, part of Hunterdon and part of Warren counties,) and five thereof were to be chosen from Gloucester county, (which then included all of Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties.) The first council was chosen February 14th, 1687, and sat at Burlington, N.J., October 10th, 1688.

The minutes of the council from the beginning are in good condition in the office of the Surveyor General at Burlington, N.J., and contain much valuable and useful information. Although the books of record of surveys in this office are continuous to the present, and in good condition, it is to be regretted that so many of the "Returns” of Deputy Surveyors have disappeared from the files, thus limiting the means of obtaining a proper knowledge of the doings of the surveyor on the ground, the obtaining of which facts every practical man will appreciate.

The order of Lord Cornbury, Governor, for the removal of all the "public books, records and papers, and the records of deeds and conveyances" out of the province, was probably not complied with, but in the controversy then existing doubtless many valuable papers were destroyed or lost.

Several of the books of record relating to wills, administrations, and titles to land in Salem county; Revel's book; Basse's book; Liber A; G1; G2, and G3 of Gloucester and Burlington county records of deeds, &c., &c., (also containing many original surveys,) on file in the office of the Secretary of State, at Trenton, N.J., are not entered in the general index of that office, which if so indexed would much assist persons in search of important facts, now regarded by many as not preserved among the archives of the State.

The documentary history relating to the Dutch and Swedish settlements on the Delaware river, previous to the coming of the English, may be found in the 12th volume of the Colonial History of New York, and the 5th volume of the Pennsylvania Archives, second series.

                                                          BARCLAY WHITE,
                                                          GEORGE SYKES,
                                                          JOHN CLEMENT,
                                                                      Committee.

August 12th, 1879.

January 6th, 1880, the annual meeting of the Association was held this day, at Norcross' hotel, Camden, N.J., at 10 A.M. The Hon. William Parry, President, in the chair.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

Furman Hurff, of Swedesboro, Gloucester county, N.J., was elected a member of the Association. He reported his mark to be a blaze, with three below the same.

William M. Carter, of Mickleton, Gloucester county, N.J., was elected a member of the Association. He reported his mark to be a blaze, with two above, and one below the same.

Franklin W. Earl reported that Mrs. Leah Blackman, consented to have her sketches of the early history of parts of Burlington county, published with the proceedings of the Society.

Franklin W. Earl, Barclay White and John Clement, were made a committee to prepare Mrs. Blackman's papers for publication.

It was ordered that the proceedings printed in 1874, be re-printed with the MSS, now prepared. The edition to be three hundred copies in paper covers. The committee to confer with the Treasurer as to cost and payment.

The obituary notices by Job S. Haines, of John C. Smallwood; by Franklin W. Earl, of William R. Braddock; by John Clement, of Samuel P. Chew, and by John D. Shute, of William Haines, were read and ordered to be filed for publication.

The committee to examine the "Bartram Oak" tree, standing near Mount Holly, N.J., read a scientific report prepared by Isaac C. Martindale, for which the thanks of the Society were extended to him.

The following named officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Hon. William Parry; Vice Presidents, George E. Gaskill, Elias Wright; Standing Committee, John F. Bodine, Ezra Stokes, Barclay White, Job S. Haines; Treasurer, Clayton Lippincott; Secretary, John Clement.

Adjourned to meet at same place, August 10th, 1880.