Sir,

I have yours of March 5th with the inclos'd papers relating ot my unahppy (but as I still hope, innocent) daughters conduct. I shall write you more fully about that when i have made Some farther inquiry into the Matter. Had these Accusations been made & Examined into in New Yorke where the transactions were Said to be & while the thing was fresh in memory & the characters of persons prety well knowne I believe it would have apeard in a very different light (even to you) than it has done & prevented your rashly following the dictates of an ungovernable impass in hurrying your Selfe and her into Doctors commons; wch. I think, you Should for your Owne Sake have avoided as well as those indecent expressions you have taken the liberty to use wth. respect to my female family not waranted wth. anything Said by your Evidences nor Justifiable to your owne cool thoughts, if such you can have.

But on this Subject time is on another Subject that Very nearly concernes you and my Selfe not a little; It is that on ye. 19th of Aprill there was Judgement given Against you in the Supream Court of New York for all the Sums Sued for. Those that were your Speciall bayle are Very uneasie. I am counter Security to them & you know I have nothing to depend on but your honour wch. hope youll not faile to Support in making me Secure. You have not given your baile and account how this affaire Stands at home in England & having the effects Seisd in your hands & your bayle Security for them in New Yorke & I counter Security to them & you out of Danger Seem indifferent about it wch. they Justly blame you for & think it at best unkind. I need not tell you how much you are bound to push this affaire & that your neglecting of it is not for your honr. nor will it turne out for Your interest. I believe you will Soon have an Appeale from these Judgments for I Expect the Council will give it Against you as they now Stand & if things of this kind are to be taken out of the admiralty court by Prohibition & prise or no prise to be tryed in the Supream Court of New York the Admiralty Jurisdiction in these parts will not be of much use; but your Lawyers there (if you employ any & do not leave things at Six & Seavens) can tell you this better than Sr. Your Humble Servt.
L.M.

Postscript May 14th.

Since what is Above I have Seen the pleadings wch. were to the Jurisdiction of the Court the matter having been before the court of Admiralty & upon appeale of capt. Pearse from ye Judgment of the Supream Court &c now depending before the King & councill & whether the Supream Court of New York would take Cognisance of it, While So depending & the matter undetermind your Lawyers (as they ought to do) Submitted. The Court would not allow the plea but took cognisance of the Cause, the Lawyers Excepted to the Judgment, the court Set A day to Signe the bill of Exceptions. The chief Justice went out of the way & did not attend. Whether he will Signe it or not may be doubtfull, he ought to Signe what was offred (if true) & Error will be brought upon the Judgment before governr. & councill wch. I suppose will (as I said before [I believe] go Against You, but whether he Signes or not or whether it goes Against you or not I think you Should Endeavour to procure An Order from the King & councill to Stop all proceedings her till the matter before his Majt. & councill be determined. But this I submit to better Judgments than that of your Servant. L.M.

Eugene R. Sheridan, Editor, The Papers of Lewis Morris, Volume III: 1738-1746, New Jersey Historical Society, Newark NJ, 1993; p.186-189.