ement was
anything like those of to-day. It was of cobble-stones, and the gutters
ran through the middle of the street.

The Governor came to be detested more and more by the people, for as the
years went by he spent their money recklessly. He had a habit of walking
about the fort in the dress of a woman, and another habit of giving
dinners to his friends that lasted well on toward morning, when the
guests sang and shouted so boisterously that the quiet citizens of the
little town could not sleep.

So when the people grew very, very tired of it, they sent word to Queen
Anne that her kinsman was a very bad Governor. And she, after much
hesitation, when he had been Governor six years, removed him from
office. She no sooner did this, than those to whom he owed money, and
there were a great many of them, had him put in the debtors' prison, in
the upper story of the City Hall in Wall Street. And in jail he remained
for several months, until his father, the Earl of Clarendon, died, and
money was sent for the release of the debtor prisoner, who was now a
peer of Great Britain.

[Illustration: View in Broad Street about 1740.]

CHAPTER XIV

LORD LOVELACE and ROBERT HUNTER

The new Governor arrived in the last months of the year 1708. He was
John, Lord Lovelace. As there had been so much trouble caused by the
governors appropriating money belonging to the citizens, he decided to
take a very different course. He had the public accounts looked into,
and said, "I wish it known to all the world that the public debt has not
been contracted in my time." And having said this (which made a fine
impression) the Governor asked the Assembly to set aside enough money
for him to run the affairs of the province for a number of years. This
was to be called a permanent revenue. But the Assembly would do no such
thing. In the midst of the discussion, Governor Lovelace died, five
months after his arrival.

It was quite a year after the death of Lovelace before his successor
came. This was Robert Hunter, a most exceptional man. His parents were
poor, and when a boy he had run away from home and had joined the
British army. By working very hard at his books when the army was not
fighting, by studying in the soldiers' quarters and on the battle-field,
by making friends with officers of high rank, Hunter had grown to
manhood brave, well educated, and of graceful manner. On coming to New
York he at once made friends with many influent